1996_12 The Daily Collegian December 1996

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December 1996
Vol. 18, No. 2 (56)
Supplement to Tbe Collegian
PBS Special Focuses on Genocide
by Barlow Dcr Mugrdecruan
"But in 1915, total
war went a terrible
step further..."     1
With this ominous introduc¬
tion, the PBS special "The Great
War and the Shaping of the Twen¬
tieth Century.'" began an eight
minute segment entitled "Geno¬
cide." which covered die Arme¬
nian Genocide of 1915. The seg¬
ment was part o! the eight-hour
documentary on World War I which
aired nation-wide in the United
States on the Public Broadcasting
System in November.
This was a significant show
because a large audience in the
United Slates had die opportunity
to be introduced to the horror of the
Armenian Genocide. Even though
pressure was brought to bear from
the Turkish government. PBS had
the courage to not back down and
to air this hi stoncal I y accurate piece.
"Greatermisery could
not be imagined, the dead
and the dying are
everywhere...The whole
country is one vast
slaughterhouse."
Leslie Davis
Although eight tru nutes did not
seem to be a long time, in fact this
segment of the special very clearly
and succi ncUy recounted the events
of the Armenian Genocide. It not
only brought eyewitness testimony,
photographs, and quotes together,
but also tied the Genocide to the
continued policy of denial by the
current Turkish government.
The segment begins by con¬
necting events in Ottoman Turkey
with the greater context of World
War I. The narrator stated that the
war had tu o faces in ()ttoman Tur-
key-the heroic stand at Gallipoli
(against the British and Allied
forces) and the contrasting brutal
plan of mass murder against the
Armenians of the Empire.
"In North Eastern Turkey, hun¬
dred of thdusands of civilians were
to die. war was the excuse. Ethnic
cleansing, of Christian Armenians
out of lands controlled by Islamic-
Turkey, was the true intention."
As the narration conn nues pho¬
tographs from the Genocide are
displayed in the background.
One of the bright points of the
segment are comments by Jay M
Winter of Cambridge University
who gave the background and con¬
text for the massacres and the Geno¬
cide. He explained the significant
role that the Armenians of the Otto¬
man Empire played, as a thriving
and prosperous community which
was perceived as a political and
strategic threat to the Ottoman
Turks at the outbreak ol the War.
But that threat quickly became a
plan of extermination. Winter said.
-MOM Armenians. 2.(XX).0(X) liv¬
ing in the Turkish Empire were no
threat whatsoever."
A brief description ol the ar¬
rest of community leaders in
Constantinople, and the forced de¬
portations ol Armenians tollows.
Eyewitness testimony is in¬
cluded in the documentary from
two sources-one is from Leslie
Davis. American Consul in
Kharpoot (Kharpert). the other from
German medical officer Armin T.
Wegncr.
Davis' testimony is based on
his personal investigation of ru¬
mors of large scale massacres of
Armenians in the region.
After visiting the desert he
wrote. "Greater misery could not
be imagined, the dead and the dy¬
ing are every where...The whole
country is one vast slaughterhouse."
Armin *)Vegner visited a refu¬
gee camp where Armenian survi¬
vors had gathered. Against orders,
and on penalty of death. Wegner
photographed the diseased and dy¬
ing Armenians.
"What Armin Wegner
captured was a visual
record of the first Geno¬
cide of the 20th century.'*
In this segment some of
Wegner's shocking and vivid pho¬
tographs are shown in the back¬
ground. Photos ot dead and dying
Armenians, piles of skulls, and
Armenian hanged at the gallows
are part ol his collection.
The narrator says. "What
Armin Wegner captured was a vi¬
sual record ol the first Genocide of
the 2(hh century "
Continuing on Jay Winter
slates that "In many ways it shows
that the idea dial war is politics by
other means is outdated in the 20th
century.   War is hatred by other
Sec PBS Special, pg. 8
ASP Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Editor's Report
In an
evening tilled
with memories
and surprises no
one was more
overwhelmed
than thehonoree
Dr Dickran
K o u y m 11 a n
Amazingly out
of character Dr
K > >«i y in 11 a i)
seemed to be at a
loss lor words al¬
ter the special
presentations,
decorations, trib¬
utes, and SCCO-
lades. Truly it
was one hesiow-
ment after an¬
other, each one more esteemed
than the last. Each one in its own
way was neither superfluous nor
bereft, they all befitted the man
they were dedicated to: appropri¬
ate and distinct. From the former
students and colleagues to die poet
to the representatives from tiK*
Holy Church each one reflected
with respect and dignity the influ¬
ence Dr. Kouymjian has had on
their personal as well as academic
life.
However it was the per¬
sonal remembrances^thai granted
the evening with the sense of com¬
munity. Fresno arust AraDolarian
began the time ol "Remembering
Dr. K" by telling the story of his
first encounter with Dr. Kouymjian
and the history behind his hiring at
Fresno State. Then four others.
Flora Isianbulian. Bryan Bedrosian.
Cindy Avakian. Knar Guekgue/ianj.
friends and students alike came to
the podium to relive their experi¬
ence with the man of the hour
Each story was unique, some were
funny, others insightful, all were
heartfelt. Finally before'the pre¬
sentations. Jim Baloian presented a
sampling of his poetry espcciall>
selected for the occasion. Follow¬
ing his solo performance he was
joined musically for additional
pieces, including one written about
Dr Kouymjian himself
11 tides make the man then
Dr Kouymjian is a giant. In addi¬
tion to the entire page of achieve¬
ments, degrees, and fellowships he
has received he was further hon¬
ored by a presentation of the Medal
of Si. Sahak-St. Mesrop. as well as
two Encyclicals from each Arme¬
nian Church   The reading of the
See BANQUET, Page H
"Hye Talk" Begins Second Season
hye talk, a half-hour television
program produced by the Arme¬
nian Studies Program of Fresno
Stale began itssecoiul year ol broad¬
casting in November hye talk airs
on Thursdays from 8:30-9*00 p m.
and on Ridays from 6:00-6:30p.ni
on Continental Cablevision Chan¬
nel 4. New shows will be broadcast
every week through the months ol
December and January \W1.
Barlow Der Mugrdecluan ol
ihe Armenian Studies Program is
the host lor hye talk Der
Mugrdecluan has been involved
with the Armenian Studies Pro¬
gram for the pa.st decade as an in¬
structor, hye talk features a variety
of guests-who discuss local, na¬
tional, and international issues of
interest to Armenians and the com¬
munity in general. Four new shows
have been taped and will be broad-
The "Hye Talk" crew with host Barlow Dor Mugrdechian and guest
Sona Atoian
cast Armenian Church in Fresno, who
recently returned from Armenia
The season premiere leatured
the Very Rev. Kr. Sasoon V.
Zumrookhdian. Pastor of St. Paul
Sec Hye Talk, pg 8