1990_05 The Daily Collegian May 1990

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PaqeS. FEATURES HyeSharzhoom _v _ H!Zl
1990 CSUfftrmenianStudks Graduates
May 1990
Armen%#a%ian
'Bachelor ofScience
Criminology, emphasis law enforcement
'Minor 'Psychology
•RgBerttjOsdanian .
Bachelor ofSc Unit
!fatanu
Sheri tfakgkzan
'Bachelor of Arts
Journalism, emphasis news/cd.
Anvri Ofovhanntssian
"Bachelor of Science
(Business Admisiniwion emphasis marfot
Tatdette IQtsparian
'Bachelor of Arts
Journalism, emphasis public relations
Seda9dt[kpnian
'Bachelor of Arts
Joumalsim. emphasis pu^lk relations
"hfkoU Ohanian
'Bachelor of Arts
Psychology
Portraits by Jon Philip Maroot and Phillippe Markarian^* *
j.itque Cine Sisfian
'Bachelor of Arts
Literal Studies
(man ftTMtnutttStuitk
Armenian migrant dedicated to serving Reedley community
By JetT Ahronian
Staff Writer
Ten years ago as Ralph -
Shamshoian, Sr. ("Sham" lo his
friends) was visiting his nephew's
clothing store in Reedley, he just
happened to wander inio the pharmacy
«ncxt door. Inside ironically, he found a
man who would later become a great
confidant of his. Sham, who was a
decorated Private Firsi Class during
World War II, was instantly enthralled
wilh the man behind the counter. That
man was Anthony Hagopjan.
Today  Hagopjan is regard J  as a
philanthropist     of     the      Armenian
Community.
Hagopjan, who was" born in
llarpoot, Armenia, migrated lo the
United Slates with his family to escape
the severe persecution the Armenians
had been suffering. Hagopjan lived in
Lowell, Massachusetts for several
years until finally settling in Reedley
in 1917. An uncle of his from Fowler
had written to the family extolling the
virtues of the San Joaquin Valley-lhc
vineyards, the melons, die fruit
orchards. It was a scenario which
grcady reminded them of their
homeland of Armenia and il was
because of this sentimental ism that
the Hagopjan's decided to make the
trek westward.
Hagopjan graduated from the
University      of      California,      San
Francisco School of Pharmacy in 1932
and started working for Miller's
Pharmacy in San Francisco. He then
decided to go to work for a chain
drugstore called Sontags. Il was ihcrc
lhal Hagopjan met his future wife.
Ellen Mackie. In 1939, Hagopjan's
brother James bought a piece of land
lhal he had been renting in Reedley
and called his brother to ask him if he
would like to have his own drugstore
in Reedley
For over fifly years now, Hagopyan
had worked in the same drugstore that
occupies 1126 G Street. The drugstore
is more of a past-time now-a type of
relaxation for the popular Reedley
citizen. He has been very active in the
Sl  Sahag-Mesrob  Armenian  Church
and also in i!ie Eecdley P,iks Club. In
recent years he has been instrumental
in raising funds for Valley Children's
Hospiial for needed equipment and
various other organizations. He has
also been a strong supporter of the
CSU Frffsno Armenian Studies
Program.
As his good friend Sham puts it.
"The drugstore business has become
fun for Hagopjan now. He speaks
fluent Spanish and loves his
customers."
Hagopjan said, "This drugstore
keeps me active and as long as my
health permits, I'll continue coming
down here every working day-unlcss
I'm off seeing another part of this
wonderful world wc live in."
Reflections on a moral society
By Barlow Der Mugrdechian
Advisor
President   Bush   issued   a   statement
recently (April 20   I99Q) on the issue
H      the      com memory ion     of     Ihe
Armenian    Genocide.    In ' the    Ion;:
■   -;• message he ^aul. " .. tin Qiis
•   fih ■    ■■       '->■      the
h res     1    .■ ,■      ia   join '^with
■ .   : i -ic'iii observing
..3     a    day    of
branet   for   ihe   more  than   a
'million   Armenian  people  who were
victims. 1 call upon peoples to work to
prevent    future   acts    of   inhuman it;.
against .mankind, and my comments of
June 1988 represent ihe depth of my
feeling for the Armenian people and
the sufferings they have endured."
Just this week, on May 3, Nobel
Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel was in
Fresno to speak as a special guest of
the University Lecture Series at CSUF.
The topic of his talk was, "Building a
Moral Society." How I wish that the
President of the United States and
leaders of die Republic of Turkey could
have been present to listen to that
speech because il touched on the
fundamental requirements and duties
implied by a moral society.
Turkey today has become a morally
bankrupt country, built on the
foundation of a lie. The lie is that the
Republic of Turkey represents a
homogeneous nation which somehow
appeared fully mature from the ashes of
Gnomon Turkey and World War I. In
!.!ct, today's Turkey was conceived
fn m an ideology if PartTurkism, and
from Uic r.tid:..sauAiKi genocide
ui noi only Armenians, bui Greeks,.
Assyrians, Kurds, and Arabs. This is
'the legacy of Turkey today, which
refuses to acknowledge its past This
is the basis lor trie morally corrupt
nature, of llic government of Turkey,
which continues to fund and support
activities which seek to discredit the
Armenians and their search for justice.
That campaign has extended to the
United States, to its President and to
the Senate.
Il is incredible that across the
length of Turkey there i-yjot one voice
which will speak for the Armenians.
Isn't this curious? Is there a nation in
the world where all people have the
same ideas as ihcir government? I
don't think so.
As for President Bush, his tardy
message on  the Armenian .genocide
comes some one and a half to two
months after a debate which raged in
the Senate over the passage of SJR
212, the j^menian Genocide
resolution. Senator Robert Dole was
thy leader in efforts lo pass the
resolution bul was thwarted by the
efforts of Senator Byrd and the behind
the scenes pressure of President Bush.
the Suite Department, 'and (he
Pentagon. Armenians' from.throughout
the nation had travelled to
Washington, D.C. in an 'Armenian
Life March" on March 4-6 to lobbv for
the passage of SJR 212 and also for
increased earthquake relief to Armenia.
I Noic: The U.S. Senate on April 26
approved an amendment for an
additional S5,000,000 for the "Eco¬
nomic Support Fund" lo be made
available for relief efforts. If passed by
the House this would bring die tola!
arorooriaied to $10,000,000. The
"Armenian Life March" was successful
in making both Senators and
Congressmen aware of the great need
for aid in Armenia) In a mora) society,
President Bush would not have been
able to shirk his responsibility to
speak in favor of ihe recognition of
the Armenian Genocide. Although his
comments in the April 20ih statement
were welcome ihcy were hardly
sufficient to express the sorrow of ihe
Armenians and the shame of the U.S.
government which continues lo aid
Turkey. In a moral society Ihe
commitment io speaking the truth at
any cost would be nuintaincd, ai the
expense of NATO afiiances which arc
no kufgci useful or friendship^ which
are based on falsehood.
In a, mora! society, Turkey wuuld be.
able i" ^knowledge- the crime against -
humanii; which it committed, and
then n.ove in -the. more important
question of restitution for the
survivors of the Genocide.
Elie. Wiesel spoke of the need foi
Turkey to move to recognize Ihe
Armenian Genocide as a prerequisite to
building a moral society. Turkey will
not be successful in its agrcssivc
denial of the Genocide for die same
reason that East Germany and die
Soviet Union recently have spoken
out about terrible acts which they had
committed some forty years earlier,
against Jews and Poles respectively.
We as Armenians need to raise our
voices in the universal struggle
against tyranny because we suffered SO
intensely from it.