Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Staff Report
Christina Ajamian
Major: Kinesiology
1. Why have you chosen to complete an Armenian Studies Minor?
I have chosen to complete an Armenian Studies Minor because I wanted to learn more about our culture and faith.
2. What Armenian Studies class has influenced you most and why? Armenian 120T, Armenia to Christianity. This class has influenced me the most because it gave me a deeper look at the stories of how we gained our faith and it taught me more about the great figures in our history as well as how important Christianity was to the Armenians.
3. How has taking Armenian studies courses shaped your college education? Taking Armenian Studies courses has influenced my time at Fresno State because through the classes I have gained a deeper understanding of my family, and myself, as well as made some life long friends and memories.
Gevork Aristakesyan
Major: History
1.Why have you chosen to complete an Armenian Studies Minor? To have a better understanding of my Armenian culture.
2. What Armenian Studies class has influenced you most and why? Armenian 108A-Ancient Armenian History. I have always been interested in the early history of Armenia, and this class was exactly that.
3. How has taking Armenian studies courses shaped your college education? Taking Armenian classes has expanded my college education, and thus my knowledge.
4. What are your plans after graduation? My plan after graduation is to get my teaching credential.
Hakop Tataryan
Major: Business-Accounting
1. Why have you chosen to complete an Armenian Studies Minor? Not only did it offer a pleasant break from my regular studies, but I really wanted to learn about my culture.
2. What Armenian Studies class has influenced you most and why? Armenian Studies 108 – Armenian History. There has never been a class that has captured my attention as intensely as did Armenian history. I can now comfortably have conversations regarding history with my parents and at times even correct them when they confuse some facts.
3. How has taking Armenian studies courses shaped your college education? It has made me more complete. Through Armenian studies classes I have attended many lectures, concerts, and joined the Armenian Students Organization. All of these things have contributed to my great college experience.
4. What are your plans after graduation? I plan to begin employment in accounting for several years. Then I will decide if it is something I want to continue doing, or perhaps go back to school for more education, and possibly more Armenian Studies.
Anne Visser
Major: Anthropology, Political Science, and Deaf Education
1. Why have you chosen to complete an Armenian Studies Minor? I am an Anthropology major with a cultural emphasis and thought that taking one Armenian Studies course would be fun. After completing my first course, I had decided that although I was not Armenian, I found the culture and the people to be intriguing and decided to complete the minor as a way to enrich my college experience.
2. What Armenian Studies class has influenced you most and why? The Armenian class that has influenced me the most was the Armenian Architecture class (Armenian Studies 123) with Dr. Kouymjian. He is a challenging teacher who encouraged quality work from all of his students. I gained an extensive amount of knowledge in regards to not only Armenian Architecture, but also architecture in general. This has sparked my interest in architectural style and trends and how they have developed artistically throughout the course of human history.
3. How has taking Armenian studies courses shaped your college education? Taking Armenian studies courses has greatly shaped my college education. By learning an extensive amount of information about another culture I have gained appreciation for the great diversity the human community has to offer. Moreover, I have come to understand the world more thoroughly through the eyes of others. The information that I have learned throughout these courses has also provided me with a reference to better understand international politics and policy.
4. What are your plans after graduation? After graduation I plan on attaining my Master’s in International Relations and then continuing to get my PhD in International Policy. I am interested in researching resistance movements in the international community, such as the Anti-Globalization Movement, and developing a research agenda that examines the motivations and tactics employed by participants in these movements, through which the members of the international community can better understand these movements and the people who participate in them
Armine Sargsyan
Major: History
1. Why have you chosen to complete an Armenian Studies Minor? I have not completed all the requirements for the minor, but I have taken many classes because I want to be knowledgeable about current issues in Armenia, as well as Armenian history.
2. What Armenian Studies class has influenced you most and why? Masterpieces of Armenian Culture, Armenian Studies 148, has been one of the most influential classes I have taken at Fresno State. In this class we studied Armenian literature, from early myths to historians in the fifth century, to 19-20th century poets. This class gave me background information on people such as Charents and Sayat Nova: we read from their works and analyzed their style. This was influential for me because when I returned to Armenia the following summer I was able to identify more with the people and culture.
3. How has taking Armenian studies courses shaped your college education? My major is history, and by taking Armenian history classes I have found interest in a particular time period, which I would like to research in depth. I want to go on to earn my Master’s in Byzantine studies, a period where there were many small, medieval Armenian kingdoms that played a big role in its strategic area with the rise of Islam and the invasions of the Mongols.
4. What are your plans after graduation? I plan to go to graduate school and my aim in life is to become an expert in my field of studies, no matter how long it takes.