2011_10 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper October 2011

              4
Hye Sharzhoom
October 2011
Students Return from Armenia With Lasting Impressions of Visit
Phillip Der Mugrdechian
Junior, History
Before going to Armenia, I didn't
really know what to expect. I had
seen a few pictures of the country
and listened to a lot of people
talk about it, but I never thought
I would actually go there. As
soon as we arrived in Armenia,
I realized that the country I had
imagined was very different from
the place we had landed.
When I saw Mt. Ararat for the
first time, I knew I had arrived
in a very different, but special
place. There was much more to
see in Armenia than I thought
there would be. Many parts of the
country are absolutely beautiful
with all the old churches, hidden
valleys, and rivers.
I still feel that we didn't get to see
all there is to see in the country,
even though the group was there
for two weeks. Overall, Armenia
is a great place. The group, the
scenery, and the people there
made the trip a great experience. I
Armenia Summer Study Trip participants at the statue of
noted Fresno writer William Saroyan, located in Yerevan.
loved every minute I spent there,
and I will never forget any part of
it.
Kristina Koroyan
Junior, Physical Therapy
Tra vel i ng to A rm enia this sum m er,
with 13 other students, was an
experience of a lifetime. I was
pretty anxious the whole plane
ride to Armenia. But looking
back, I would recommend this
trip for any student interested in
traveling and learning about the
history of Armenia.
My favorite parts of the trip
were visiting the churches of St.
Hripsime and Holy Etchmiadzin.
St. Hripsime was special for me
because it was where my parents
were married 30 years ago. And
once you step into Etchmiadzin,
you didn't want to leave. The
choir singing hymns, the smell of
incense, the beautifully decorated
altar, and the exquisite biblical
paintings on the walls of the
church were amazingly beautiful
and breathtaking, especially on
Sunday.
Seeing the sights we learned
about in our Armenian Studies 20
class was very interesting. Since
we had already learned about the
history and style we were able
to easily identify the churches.
I also enjoyed the chance we
had to descend into Khor Virab,
the pit where St. Gregory was
imprisoned, especially since we
had read and learned about it in
class.
I will definitely visit Armenia
in the future, but this time with
my sister! I would especially
like to go back to the Armenian
Genocide Monument forest, and
go to the site where we planted
our tree.
Michael Rettig
Sophomore,
Liberal Studies
My trip to Armenia was definitely
the highlight of my year. It didn't
really hit me that I was in Arm enia
until I saw Mt. Ararat beckoning
me home from my plane window.
At that moment I fell in love
with the country. Going with
Professor Barlow was the perfect
opportunity for a first time traveler
to Armenia; we really got to know
the country.
I enjoyed visiting the museums,
exploring Yerevan, taking a
boat ride on Lake Sevan, but
my favorite part about the trip
was definitely just the people.
They were all very friendly and
hospitable towards us. I remember
on one of our long drives we
stopped at Professor Barlow's
friend's house and he had a whole
table set up for us outside under
a canopy overflowing with food.
T hat spi ri t of A rm eni an hospi tal ity
throughout the trip made us all
feel at home.
It was a powerful experience to
stand in one of Christianity's
earliest churches that has endured
through so many invasions
and turmoil. Holy Etchmiadzin
reminded me of how strong and
enduring the Armenian people
are and it made me proud to
be Armenian. The trip was an
eye opening experience that
I thoroughly enjoyed, from
sightseeing to interacting with
the people. This summer was just
the beginning of my experiences
in Armenia, as I've already made
plans to go back for the next two
summers and hopefully many
more.
Armenia Summer Study students on the steps at Noravank
Monastery in southern Armenia.
Arm km a, From Page 1
Mugrdechian, Ann Soghomonian,
Andrew Khasigian, Michael
Rettig, Kyle Gaede, Sarkis
Manavazian, Tamar Karkazian,
Nishan Karagozian, David
Tataryan, Kimberly Santikian,
and Kristina Koroyan, led by
ASP   Coordinator   Barlow   Der
Mugrdechian.
The trip began with a quick
day tour of London, England. In
addition to visiting London's most
historic sites, such as Buckingham
Palace and Westminster Abbey,
the group stopped at St. Sarkis
Armenian Church, one of only
two Armenian churches in
London. Students met with Rev.
Fr. Dr. Vahan Hovhanessian,
Primate of the Armenian Church
in the United Kingdom, who gave
them a tour of the Diocese.
"I really enjoyed our time in
London; I definitely want to go
back and see more of London."
recalled Kimberly Santikian.
In Armenia, the group stayed
at the Yerevan State University
Guest House, located on Mashtots
Street, in the heart of the capital,
Yerevan.
Once in Armenia the group
began touring immediately,
visiting many of the country's
most historic and religious
landmarks. These included the
temple of Garni, the monastery
of Geghard, Khor Virap, the site
of St. Gregory the Illuminator's
imprisonment, and many of the
other churches and monasteries
Armenia is so famous for.
The group also visited Holy
Etchmiadzin for Sunday service
and had a special tour of the Alex
and Marie Manoogian Museum
The group took numerous trips
to various regions of Armenia,
outside the city of Yerevan,
including Lake Sevan, Gyumri,
and the Lori region. "The road
trips we took in Armenia were
the highlight of the trip," recounts
Tamar Karkazian. "The scenery
was beautiful and breath-taking.
Not to mention how much fun the
group had talking, and laughing
on the bus rides."
After one particularly long day,
students were given a surprise
opportunity to visit a cultural
program organized by the Nork
Youth Center in Yerevan. His
Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos
of All Armenians, was a special
guest at the performance by
children of various ages.
A unique opportunity the
Fresno State Students had was
to spend time at Yerevan State
University, the leading public
university in Armenia. They met
with the executives of the student
council to discuss a wide array
of topics—ranging from politics,
classes, sports, and Oprah
Winfrey. Dr. Kristine Antonyan,
professor   in   the   Faculty   of
L. to R.: Heidi Lea, Denise Altounian, Phillip Der Mugrdechian, Ann Soghomonian, Andrew Khasigian, Michael Rettig, Zach Gavroian, Kyle Gaede, Sarkis Manavazian, Tamar
Karkazian, Nishan Karagozian, David Tataryan, Kimberly
Santikian, and Kristina Koroyan at St. Hripsime (618AD).
Economics at Yerevan State was given the honor of planting
University,  educated the  group    a  tree   at  Tsitsernagapert,   the
on the past and present economy
of Armenia. Dr. Antonyan was a
Junior Fulbright Scholar who had
spent the Spring of 2010 at Fresno
State, hosted by the Armenian
Studies Program.
Visiting the southern region
of Armenia was memorable,
including a stop at the monastery
of Noravank, wine tasting at
the Areni Winery, and a visit
to Karahunj in Sissian. The
culmination of this trip was a ride
on the new aerial tramway to the
historic monastery of Date v.
In the region of Ashtarak the
group visited Ambert and the
monastery of Saghmosavank. A
stop in Oshakan included a visit to
the tomb of St. Mesrop Mashtots,
who created the Armenian
alphabet.
The trip concluded on an
especially high note; the group
Armenian Genocide Memorial.
"That was my favorite part
of the trip," exclaims Arpy
Soghomonian "I can't wait to go
back and see how our tree has
grown. "This marked the first time
university students have planted
a tree in the memorial grove, as
this honor is usually reserved
for dignitaries. Prior to planting
the tree, students had visited the
Armenian Genocide Museum
and met with director Dr. Hayk
Demoyan, who arranged for the
planting ceremony.
The trip was full of busy
days, exciting nights and a few
unexpected surprises, overall
making for both a rewarding and
fun trip of a lifetime. The students
had a great experience, seeing
much of Armenia, experiencing
the culture, and creating some
unforgettable memories.