News

  Sosse Ann Baloian Staff Writer The Armenian Studies Program kicked off its first Zoom lecture in the Armenian Studies Program Fall Lecture Series on Thursday, September 3, 2020 by welcoming Dr. Christina Maranci to discuss her artistic interpretations of the Cathedral of Ani, in a talk entitled “Ani Cathedral, Its Sculpture, and Its Inscriptions Revisited.” Dr. Maranci acknowledged that ...

  Carina Tokatian Staff Writer “Observe your surroundings before looking afar” was the sagacious advice that Armenian-American writer Bedros Keljik recalled his schoolteacher, Hovhanness Tlgadinsti, imparting to his students. In his Armenian-American Sketches (Amerigahay Badgerner), Keljik’s writing stands as a manifestation of this maxim; he invites his readers to enter the vivid culture surrounding his experiences as an Armenian-American. On ...

  Arshak Abelyan Staff Writer The conscription of Christians and other non-Muslims in the Ottoman Empire had been a topic of consistent debate within the 19th and early 20th centuries. Following the restoration of the constitutional regime in July 1908, Armenians were optimistic of this new push for equality in Ottoman society. “One of the important requirements of this political ...

  Christine Pambukyan Staff Writer Dr. Tamar M. Boyadjian, Associate Professor of Medieval Literature at Michigan State University, teaches poetry and translation courses. Along with her teaching, Dr. Boyadjian is also an active scholar and wrote an award-winning book titled, The City of Lament: Jerusalem Across the Medieval Mediterranean in 2018. On Thursday, September 24, 2020, Dr. Boyadjian evaluated how ...

  Dustin Vartanian Staff Writer Listen up, the “All Things Armenian” radio program has been on the air for more than a year. Tune in to hear interviews with interesting members of the Armenian community and to hear about the upcoming events planned by the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State. “All Things Armenian” has gained popularity and is now ...

  Ara Sarafian Special to Hye Sharzhoom On 12 September 2013, a “Monument to Common Conscience” was erected in Diyarbakir. An unassuming structure made of wood, breezeblocks, marble, and plastic, it contained a simple message in six languages (one of which was Armenian): “Let us share each other’s pains so that they are not repeated again.” The ambiguous simplicity of ...

Carina Tokatian Staff Writer “You don’t necessarily think of traditional Armenian music in the United States as having such complex roots because we are so familiar with it—but it does. It is interesting to put a spotlight on these aspects of life that we are familiar with but may take for granted,” stated Malina Zakian, archivist for the Armenian Studies ...

Marina Chardukian Liberal Studies Minor in Armenian Studies   What encouraged you to take an Armenian Studies course? I wanted to really develop and connect with my Armenian heritage. Listening to all the stories from my grandparents made me want to learn more about the history of the Armenians that came before me. What was your favorite Armenian Studies class, ...

  Carina Tokatian Staff Writer On Thursday, March 5, Dr. Ari Şekeryan spoke on the topic of “The Survivors: Armenian Orphans and Refugees After the First World War (1918-1923),” the second lecture of a three-part series on “Armenians in Istanbul during the Post Armistice Period.” Dr. Şekeryan is the Kazan Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies for the Spring semester. A ...

Arshak Abelyan Staff Writer For many Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during the mid-1880s, migration to the United States presented opportunities of political and economic prosperity and security. This was the case for one Armenian by the name of Ohannes Topalian, who like many Armenian men, immigrated to the United States in the early 1890s. He worked for several years ...