1991_05 The Daily Collegian May 1991

              Page 2, EDITORIALS
Hye Sharzhoom
May 1991
Parev and inch bes es?
By Jeff Ahronian
EdJtor
Ineh go chega?
"Well an inch ga chee gas to you too
buddy!" was my first reaction to those
words. Hey. I was young-just a freshman
in college. I didn't know what this Arme¬
nian punk was trying to tell me.
Even though I myself was Armenian,
I wasn't loo familiar with the native tongue.
Sure, I knew what some of the words
meant - parev meant "what's up?", piiaf
was just another word for rice, and stash
kebab was meat on a skewer (which we'd
only seem to have on special occasions).
And of course, Iknewsomeof the naughty
words (okay, almost all of the naughty
words...).
But as I was looking through the
CSU Fresno General Catalog for next
semester's classes, I realized that I still
hadn't fullfilled that dreaded Division 7
general education language category.   I
figured that I didn't need to take a language
course in college since 1 had already taken
four years of French in high school.
I was wrong.
"What're you talking about?!" I
pleaded with the admissions secretary
desperately trying to coerce her into chang¬
ing her mind (Yeah, like she could just
take my book, cross out the language
category, and tell me that I didn't have to
take a certain class that everyone else had
to take just because the woman feels pity
on me).
Again, 1 was wrong.
Okay, so 1 guess I had to take a
language.
I could take the easy way out and take
linguistics, but everybody does that. No
I like to undergo challenges... I want to
enrich my mind and spirit - to leam, de¬
velop, and fine tune my voice to (hat of a
foreign language. Hmmm... but which
language?
French? Out of the question. If I took
French, then I'd have to take an upper divi¬
sion French class because I already took
four years of French in high school.
Hebrew? Have you ever tried reading
Hebrew? I rest my case.
Sanskrit? How can I take a language in
which I don't even know what that language
is? Next...
Armenian 1A? Hmmm, has its possi¬
bilities... I already know a lot of the words...
I could impress doubling, older family
members (especially Grandpa)... I could
pick up on Armenian girls... I could order
stuff in an Armenian restaurant... I could
understand [hose Armenians who talk in
Armenian behind my back when they think
1 don't understand it... That settles it - I'm
going for il!
Itquickly donned on me however.after
my first day of "ayp, pen, kirn's", that
Armenian was going to be a lough language
to master. It took me a few weeks to leam
thc alphabet and then, the totally unex¬
pected happened... having to leam how to
write it (and I didn't want to take Hebrew?).
But what 1 didn't realize at first was
all of the self- satisfaction that I would
gain from taking this course. While I
was learning what seemed like a new
and foreign language to me, the same
language was one that had been spoken
by my ancestors hundreds and hundreds
of years before. Sure, it was hard work,
but hard work always pays off in the end.
The Armenian students at this uni¬
versity should realize that they are ex¬
tremely fortunate to attend a school mat
offers Armenian as a language and that
they should take advantage of this by
enrolling in the class and learning about
their native tongue.
And remember, next time someone
asks you, "Can you actually read that
stuff?" just answer "yes" and nod your
head. Even if you can't, who's going to
know?
Oh, and by the way - inch ga chega
is Armenian slang for "how's it going?".
1 wish I had known that before enrolling
in Armenian 1A.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor
I wish to thank all of you for the
nice coverage you gave io "Charlie's
Bike Shop." I know that it would have
made my father and brother extremely
happy. Keep up the good work. I think
that what you are doing on this paper is
a wonderful thing, and mat all of your
families should be very proud of you.
Yours truly,
Mary Avakian
Fresno, California
Dear Editor.
After receiving your newspaper
I was ecstatic. It is a wonderful publi¬
cation filled with not only interesting
news but personal articles that reflect
/ '    '
the true "Armenian Spirit" This is
something that all colleges should re¬
ceive and even someday cry to produce
for themselves. As a recent college
graduate. I had always hoped for a
newspaper for our Armenian heritage.
The article on Father
Zunuookhdian was refreshing. Ilisirn-
portant to recognize the hard work thai
our clergy produces for our people.
Hayr Soorp is a worthy servant of the
Armenian Church. May God grant all
of you (he wisdom to continue in your
work for the benefit of Armenians eve¬
rywhere.
Sincerely,
Deacon Gary Alexander
Meford, Massachusetts
Hye Sharzhoom
Editor In Chief:
■■"■:Xajqn«r ■;
JeffAJmmlm
Jiff Ahronian
SUfTWrltere
CopyKdltin*;:
ArmenAghishion
Armen Aghishkm
ArptAjoman
EvaSevian
Janice Cap rtlion
Matthew A. Jendian
Photo Edkor:
Khatchig Jingirian
Jon Philip Maroot
PamManoogian
M.Leon Peters
■  AdvertUtnt M»n««"
EvaSevian
M.Leon Peters
Strop Tarossian
Arm* nlaa Page Writer
AimtnAghiMan
Matthew Jo-Han
UvftMR,
Bartow Der Mugrdfcfiian
Hye Shaakoatn it * iiipplement of the DaUy Collegian end the newspaper of lhe CSUF
Armenian Students Organization tod this Armenian Studies Program and is funded by the
Associated Students.
Ankles may be reprinted provided thu Hye Sharzhoom is acknowledged.
Hye Sharzhoom welcomes prose, poetry, articles, manuscript, md other material from it!
readers. For farther information concerning the newspaper or the Armenian Studies Program
sail the ASP office (209) 278-2669.
V *
Dear Editor:
The Rutgers University Arme¬
nian Club would greatly appreciate it if
you would publish the enclosed letter
Dear Fellow Armenians,
Rutgers, the State University of
New Jersey, has suffered a tremendous
loss in the passing away of Professor
Albert Mugrdich Wolohojian. Profes¬
sor Wolohojian had been a cornerstone
in the French department from his
arrival to Rutgers in 1962, until his
untimely death this past December.
Professor Wolohojian was very
instrumental in uniting die Armenian
students at Rutgers University. In 1980
with tbe assistance of his daughter.
Gabriel le, he established the Armenian
Club and began teaching lhe Armenian
language in addtnem to his normal cur-
ricohm. He basis, while being inspired
by bis love for teaching and his pride in
his native tongue.
In the honor of Professor
Wolohojian's memory,a memorial fund
has been established in support of
Armenian Studies and Students at
Rutgers University. A permanent class
in the Armenian language to be estab¬
lished at lhe New Brunswick campus ot
Rutgers University is the goal of this
fund. It will serve as an everlasting
reminder of the pride Professor
Wolohojian had in his Armenian heri¬
tage, and enable Rutgers students the
opportunity to study the Armenian
language. Moreover, the establishment
of this class will be a permanent posi¬
tive fixture on the campus and serve as
a method of uniting Armenian students
by means of their common identity and
mother tongue.
Although the exact number of
Armenian students at the New Brun¬
swick campus is unknown, the Arme¬
nian Club which Professor Wolohojian
helped establish in 1980 continues to be
an active campus organization, and is
over 40 members strong. The Rutgers
University Armenian Club is hoping to
help establish this memorial tuna in
honor of a man so dear to us: Professor
Wolohojian. Furthermore, the Rutgers
University Armenian Club hopes to
maintain and expand a pride in our
Armenian heritage. Please help us in
our aim, and make Professor
Wolohojian'sdreamareality. We look
forward to your help and support in
establishing a permanent Armenian
Studies program al Rutgers University.
Your support will help preserve and
insure the strength of the Armenian
communityaiRutgers. Anyhclpowhai-
soever will be greatly appreciated. Make
all checks out to the Wolohojian Me¬
morial Fund, and send them to the
Rutgers University Aimenian Club, 613
George Street - Box 44, New Brun¬
swick, NJ 08903. If there are any other
questions pertaining to this fud, please
do not hesitate to call myself at (908)
745-0738, or our club's president,
Armen Azamia at (908) 878-1258.
Thank you very much for your atten¬
tion.
Sincerely,
James G. Sahagian
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Dear Editor
In your last issue, under Arme¬
nian Sports Trivia, all of the answers to
your questions were accurate except for
number five. Last year alone Si. Paul
Senior A.C.Y.O. won two games dur¬
ing Sports Weekend with three of the
Bohigian brothers playing in the tour¬
nament.
Perhaps you should have done
some research or asked one of the Bohig-
ians yourself if indeed they never won
a single game in ten years.
Respectfully,
Jon Bohigian
Fresno, California
EdU mou - Ui t trivia question did run mean to
indutfc anj of last year's A.C.Y.O sports week •
end Raines, but Instead was meant for the
Tears 1979-19S9.