Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
By Talin A. Mekhitarian
On April 4th, 1998 the executive of the California State University – Fresno Armenian Students Organization went to Southern California to meet with the executives from Armenian Students Associations from other Universities and Colleges from around the state. The meeting was held at Woodbury University in Burbank and it was the fifth meeting that the other Associations have had. Up until now the ASO from Fresno didn’t have much contact with other student clubs due to the distance. Previous to this year there was a body called InterCollegalCouncil (ICC) which brought all the students together. But for legal issues and other reasons that body fell apart. The associations still wanted to meet so the students continued to meet this year. At this point the meetings are being held temporarily under the auspices of the new body called All-ASA Council.
By the time the meeting started the ASO was joined by the following Armenian Student Associations: Glendale Community College, California Polytechnic University at Pomona, California State University – Los Angeles, California State University – Northridge, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Los Angeles, University of California at San Diego, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Southern California, Occidental College, Pasadena City College, San Diego State University and Woodbury University. The purpose of this meeting was to unite all of the Armenian Student Associations and plan activities that can be done together. Each of the representatives who wanted were alotted time to share what events they were planning and ideas that they had.
The University of California, Berkeley had some very interesting news for us. The Turkish government was going to donate $750,000 to the University if it would expand the Turkish Studies program to include Sociology, History, and Economics. The Armenians on campus finally convinced the Chancellor that the proposal was propaganda the Turkish government was trying to bring into the University.
Cal. State Los Angeles was planning to have the annual Quiz Bowl where each Armenian Students Association or Organization would have four members compete with other schools in a jeopardy like game. The event was held on May 2nd and this years results are: 1st – UCLA, 2nd – CSUN, 3rd – CSULA, 4th – UCI.
About six months ago, a group of students from different ASA’s created a new Armenian Student newspaper called Usanogh. They asked for support from the Student clubs and some donated. They were in the process of finishing a special issue dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. Most other Universities discussed their April 24th activities and many school co-sposored some of their events.
For the Armenian Students Organization of Fresno this meeting was chance to build lines of communication with other Universities. It was a chance to let them know what was happening here in Fresno. The most important thing that the ASO discussed was the Student Convention planned for next October. There was good response and interest from the other ASA’s in coming to Fresno for the Convention.
All in all, it was a great experience meeting all of the other executives. It gave the executive if CSU-Fresno a feel for what other Univsities are doing. The CSU-Fresno ASO executive plans to meet again with the All ASA council on June 28, at USC.