News

Staff Report Treasures of Faith : Sacred Relics and Artifacts from the Armenian Orthodox Churches of Istanbul Co-authored with Marlene Breu (2015)   Ronald Thomas Marchese, 74, of Forest Lake, formerly of Duluth, MN and Fresno, CA, after an unexpected cancer diagnosis passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 3, 2021 after spending his last day with his son and daughter ...

Violeta Agabekyan Recreation Administration Minor in Armenian Studies   What encouraged you to take an Armenian Studies course? My strong interest in my culture encouraged me. I wanted to learn more about the Armenian culture, and in doing so I learned about the history of Armenia, the meaning of being Armenian, and the importance of keeping my culture alive. What ...

Staff Report The Zvartnots Cultural Committee of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church marked its 10th Anniversary Celebration with a cultural program on Sunday, November 7, 2021, at the St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church, in Pasadena. The keynote speaker for the evening was Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Berberian Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State. Zvartnots Cultural ...

Andrew Hagopian Editor As I sat in Dr. Amila Becirbegovic’s Humanities 120 “Genocide, Memory, Media” class at Fresno State, there was a familiarity about the topic which was being taught. The more I listened to what the professor had to say and what my peers said in response, the more I appreciated the importance of the class. The Armenian Genocide ...

Arshak Abelyan Staff Writer “The base motives of their former neighbors, unfortunately, left some of the most indelible wounds, which more than a century later remain unhealed,” said Dr. Ümit Kurt when dis-cussing the economic motives behind the Armenian Genocide. Dr. Kurt, a historian who studies the late Ottoman Empire, has a particular focus on the transformations of imperial structures ...

Sosse Baloian Staff Writer As a student taking Kazan Visiting Professor Suren Manukyan’s “Introduction to Genocide Studies” course, I was tasked with researching and presenting an aspect within the topic of Genocide. Each student in the course was asked to present on a topic related to the Genocide. Among those topics were “Genocide Denial,” “Methods of Extermination During the Genocide,” ...

Sara Beberian Staff Writer For Armenians, experiencing threats to their culture and heritage is not uncommon. For centuries, Armenians have had to fight to protect their land, monuments, culture, and religion. Even though things should be different in 2021, Armenians are still forced to do this every day. The recent 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, reflects an Armenian people ...

Fresno State News- Benjamin Kirk The Fresno Unified School Board voted on Oct. 13 to change the name of the Forkner Elementary School to H. Roger Tatarian Elementary School in honor of the award-winning journalist, Fresno State alumnus and faculty member. “Roger Tatarian’s career as a journalist and professor demonstrates the transformative power of a Fresno State education,” said Dr. ...

Andrew Hagopian Editor The Armenian Students Organization (ASO) has been very active during the 2021 Fall semester at Fresno State. ASO members gathered for a bowling night on Friday, October 22, held at Bowlero Bowling Alley with over 35 members in attendance. The ASO also organized a Thanksgiving “Friendsgiving” Fellowship night which brought together 40 Armenian students. Members had a ...

Staff Report The Charles K. Pategian and Pansy Pategian Zlokovich Scholarship was established by Charles K. Pategian in 1972 and is the oldest scholarship fund established to support students in the Armenian Studies Program. Scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate an interest in Armenian culture and who have a financial need to continue their university education. The scholarship provides ...