News

Lauren Chardukian Staff Writer 1,564 years ago, in 451 AD, the Armenians, under the leadership of General Vartan Mamigonian, fought for their religious and political freedom from the neighboring Sassanid Persians. Although the Armenians were greatly outnumbered they fought valiantly. By the end of the battle there were 1,036 Armenian casualties and many Persian casualties. This historic event is known ...

Staff Report Forty years ago five scholars, Richard Hovannisian, Avedis Sanjian, Dickran Kouymjian, Nina Garsoian, and Robert Thomson, met to found the Society for Armenian Studies, dedicated to the development of Armenian Studies as an academic discipline. Today the SAS has become the largest professional organization for scholars and students working in the field of Armenian Studies. This year SAS ...

Marine Vardanyan Editor The biggest advocate for furthering knowledge in Armenian history, culture, and language, Fresno State’s Armenian Studies Program provides unique experiences for students to better acquaint themselves with Armenian studies. One such experience is the Summer Study Trip to Armenia. Since 1988, Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian has organized and led numerous groups of students to experience modern-day life ...

Tatevik Hovhannisyan Staff Writer “The crime was on their faces, every day, and you could see it,” stated film director Suzanne Khardalian. Her grandmother Khanoum was among the countless Armenian girls who, during the Genocide, were kidnapped and forcibly tattooed, with permanent marks on their young faces and hands. Khardalian’s film, “Grandma’s Tattoos” delves into the story of not only ...

Haverj Stanboulian Staff Writer As the end of the semester approaches, the Armenian Students Organization continues with its diverse activities and events. On Saturday, October 11, ASO celebrated its 40th anniversary with a Barbeque Night. Members played games, enjoyed Armenian food, and celebrated the anniversary. On Sunday, October 19, in the spirit of Halloween, ASO members visited Hobb’s Grove “Halloween ...

Staff Report The Armenian Orphan Rug was displayed from November 18-23, 2014 at the White House Visitor Center. The rug was a gift to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925.  

Marina Chardukian Staff Writer New beginnings are opportunities for growth, and for the St. Paul Armenian Church of Fresno, that opportunity became a reality with the appointment of a new parish priest, Reverend Father Yessai Bedros. Archbishop Hovnan Der-derian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, made the appointment on August 4, 2014. Born in Kamishli, Syria, Father ...

Editor Marine Vardanyan Layout Barlow Der Mugrdechian Photographers Ovsanna Simonyan Barlow Der Mugrdechian Staff Writers Lauren Chardukian Marina Chardukian Tatevik Hovhannisyan Bako Oganyan Aramayis Orkusyan Michael Rettig Haverj Stanboulian Advisor Barlow Der Mugrdechian barlowd@csufresno.edu

Lauren Chardukian Staff Writer Men. Men write history, men fight in history, men make history. The role of women is relatively less mentioned. However on Sunday, October 19, 2014, the Ararat Foundation organized an event, “The Armenian Genocide and Armenian Women of 1915,” dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial, and shedding light on the many who may have been forgotten ...

Staff Report When the students in the Graphic Design class (GD 178)were given an assignment to design a logo for the upcoming Armenian Genocide Centennial, very few of them were aware of just what the Armenian Genocide was. Prof.  Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Director of the Armenian Studies Program, was invited to speak to the Graphic Design class on Tuesday, September ...