2011_10 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper October 2011

              California State University, Fresno
Armenian Studies Program
and Armenian Students Organization
5245 N. Backer Ave. M/S PB 4
Fresno, CA 93740-8001
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HYE SHARZHOOM
Armenian Action
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33
Year
rd
October 2011
Vol. 33, No. 1 (115)
Ethnic Supplement to The Collegian
Pianist Vardan Mamikonian
Opens Keyboard Concert Series
L. to R.: Andreas Werz, Vardan Mamikonian, and Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian Photo: ASP Archive
Ruzan Orkusyan
Staff Writer
On Sunday afternoon,
September 18,2011, a full house at
the Fresno State Concert Hall was
transported into the vibrant world
of do, re, mis. The talented pianist
Vardan Mamikonian dazzled an
attentive audience of more than
400 with passages from Liszt,
Bach, and Chopin, allowing the
audience to escape into a fantasy,
forgetting for a few hours their
daily toils and troubles.
Co-sponsored by the Armenian
Studies Program, the Mamikonian
performance was the first in
this 40th season of the  Philip
Lorenz Memorial Keyboard
Concert Series. All Keyboard
Concert Series programs this
year are dedicated to the 200th
anniversary of the 19th century
composer Franz Liszt. Fittingly,
the concert began and ended with
two Liszt pieces, "La lugubre
gondola II," and "Sonata in B
Minor." Mamikonian also played
Bach's "Chaconne in D Minor"
and selected "Etudes" from Op.
10 of Chopin, demonstrating his
versatility and technique.
Born in Yerevan, Armenia,
Mamikonian began studying
piano at the Yerevan Spendiarian
See Mamikonian page 7
ASO Plans for a Great Year
ASO members gather at the fi
Mari Koshkakaryan
Staff Writer
As the new school year
began, the Armenian Students
Organization (ASO) was ready
to welcome new and returning
members to the organization. With
a new year ahead, new executives
rst meeting of the new year.
Photo: Barlow Der Mugrdechian
in charge, and an increase in
member participation, it meant a
change in the club agenda. With
a wider range of participants
there are a variety of ideas, which
have led to the planning of many
See ASO Page 7
Fourteen Students Visit Armenia in Summer
on Armenian Studies Program Study Trip
Denise Altounian
Staff Writer
"Every Armenian should
vi sit their m otherl and"—as
young Armenians we often
hear that phrase preached to us,
encouraging us to visit Armenia
and see the sights. This past
summer, Professor Barlow Der
Mugrdechian, Coordinator of the
Armenian Studies Program, and
14 students made the journey to
Armenia for the 2011 Summer
Study Trip and did just that. The
group was in Armenia from May
24 to June 9, with students who
had enrolled in a three-unit class—
Armenian Studies 120T-Armenia
Today. The goal was to better
familiarize students with the
modern country of Armenia; for
many of them, this was their first
chance of really getting to know
the country of their ancestors.
The group consisted of Heidi
Lea, Denise Altounian, Phillip Der    prof  Bar|ow Der Mugrdechian) ,eft) and students, with the
See Armenia page 4 tree they planted at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Grove.
"Armenian Poetry of Our Time" Released by The Press
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51ANA DER HOVANESSIAN
Staff Report
The Armenian Studies Program
and The Press at California State
University, Fresno announce the
release of Armenian Poetry of
Our Time, translated by Diana
Der-Hovanessian. The American-
born poet has won national and
international awards for her
translations and poetry in Armenia
and the Diaspora. Armenian
Poetry of Our Time is the third
book published in the recently
established Armenian  Series  at
The Press, under the supervision
of Series Editor Prof. Barlow
Der Mugrdechian, Director of
the Armenian Studies Program at
Fresno State.
Armenian Poetry of Our
Time is a collection of Armenian
poems that spans a broad period
of modern Armenian literature.
It will be a valuable addition
not only to Armenian studies,
but also to western poetry. Der-
Hovanessian,   is   a   well-known
See Armenian Poetry page 8
Fresno State Awarded $3.1 Million Ag Training Grant
Staff Report
Dr. Bill Erysian, Director of
International Programs for the
Jordan College of Agricultural
Sciences and Technology at
California State University,
Fresno, has been named Program
Director of a recently-awarded
$3.1 million grant from the USD A
Forei gn A gri cultural S ervi ce.
The project, entitled
"Agricultural Development for
A f gharri stan Pre -Depl oyment
Training" (ADAPT), is designed
to strengthen the capacity of U.S.
sponsored agriculture field staff
to provide quality and effective
outreach services to Afghan
farmers.
A consortium of four
universities under the leadership
of Fresno  State  will  deliver a
ADAPT Project Manager Paul Sommers, left, teaches Marines about pomegranate trees, which grow in Afghanistan.
Photo: Randy Vaughn-Dotta
series of 24 workshops over
the next two years as part of a
standardized curriculum that will
use Af ahanistan case studies and
hands-on field exercises to provide
trainees, both military and civilian,
See Ag Training Page 6