News

Pateel Mekhitarian Staff Writer Although the Armenian language is complex and can be difficult to learn, students at Fresno State are very eager to read, write, and speak the language. The course is taught every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian. He promptly enters the class each morning with a friendly greeting of Parev [Hello], and from ...

Hagop Ohanessian Staff Writer The Armenian Students Organization (ASO) held its first meeting of the year on September 10. The first order of business on the agenda was to elect the new officers for the year. The officers were interviewed regarding why they wanted to join ASO and especially why they wanted to be executives. They also expressed what they ...

Staff Report The National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, under the direction of maestro Aram Gharabekian, performed in concert on Thursday, August 28, as part of the festivities celebrating the 100th birthday of author William Saroyan. The concert featured works by Aram Khachaturian, Komitas, Alan Hovhaness, and Johannes Brahms, among others. The National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia (NCOA) was formed in ...

Ingibjorg Thorisdottir Special to Hye Sharzhoom William Saroyan’s works have been translated into many languages and his centennial is being widely celebrated around the world in 2008. Iceland is no exception. On this little island in the North Atlantic, populated by 300,000 inhabitants, some of Saroyan’s works have been translated into Icelandic. The first translations are from the 1940s when ...

Staff Report Dr. George Bournoutian, Professor of History at Iona College in New York, has been appointed as the seventh Henry Khanzadian Kazan Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies for the Spring 2009 semester. Dr. Bournoutian is an internationally recognized teacher and scholar, who will be teaching a three-unit course on “The Armenian Diaspora and Genocide.” The course will be offered ...

Staff Report This past May, Dr. Matthew A. Jendian was awarded the “Provost’s Award for Faculty Service,” one of five faculty awards presented by Dr. Jeronima Echeverria, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, to honor those faculty who set new standards of excellence at California State University, Fresno. In receiving this award, Dr. Jendian was recognized for his outstanding ...

Staff Report “We will be watching you.” These were the words audience members were greeted to at the beginning of the play “Slaughter of the Innocents,” which was performed at Fresno State in the John Wright Theater October 3-5, and 7-11. The play is about the horrific dealings that occur when government anarchy takes complete control of its citizen’s lives. ...

Staff Report Barlow Der Mugrdechian was appointed Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program and Director of the Center for Armenian Studies at Fresno State and began his duties in the Fall semester, having responsibility to coordinate the Program’s activities and to administer the Program’s community outreach. He has been with the Program for the past twenty-four years, teaching a variety ...

Staff Report Dr. Dickran Kouymjian and the Armenian Studies Program would like to thank the donors, authors, and publishers for the following books, periodicals, videos, and archival gifts either offered personally or to the program. Davit Muradyan, Zharangutyan Iravunk (Yerevan: 2005). Gift of the author. Samvel Karapetyan, William Saroyan (Los Angeles: 2002). Gift of the author. Herand Markarian, ed., Contemporary ...

Staff Report Name: Gayane Frnzyan Major: Criminology-Pre-Law Minor: Armenian Studies Why did you pursue an Armenian Studies Minor? I decided to pursue an Armenian Studies Minor to find out more about my culture, ethnicity, and language. What Armenian Studies class or classes influenced you the most and why? The Armenian Studies classes that influenced me the most were the Armenian ...