2010_05 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper May 2010

              May 2010
Hye Sharzhoom
3
Dr. Sergio La Porta in Three Valley Speaking Engagements in April
Staff Report
This month. Dr. La Porta
gave a series of talks to local and
regional groups on Armenian
topics. On April 13. he spoke atthe
annual dinner in commemoration
of Armenian Martyr's month for
the First Armenian Presbyterian
Church Men's fellowship. He
spoke about the significance of
martyrdom in the early Armenian
Church. He drew attention to the
stories of St Thaddeus and St.
Sandukht noting that the changes
made in the Armenian version
of the life of St Thaddeus in
which he is martyred in Armenia
bring into relief the importance
of such acts for early Armenian
Christians. He also suggested that
the imprisonment of St. Gregory
the Illuminator represents a
symbolic martyidom. Gregory's
torture, imprisonment, and release
from Khor Virap. according to
Dr La Porta, imitates Christ's
torture, crucifixion, descent into
the underworld, and ascent. Like
Christ, he added. Gregory returns
more triumphantly than he
entered: "he was thrown into the
pitfor being a recalcitrant member
of King Trdat's secretariat, but
he returns as Trdat's healer and
Armenia's savior."
Dr. La Porta's next lecture
took place on April 18 at the
AGBU's annual luncheon held
at the St. Paul Armenian Church
Berberian Hall, where he lectured
on the Armenian presence in
Jerusalem and Jerusalem in
the Armenian imagination. He
highlighted the long historical
contact Armenians have had with
Jerusalem from the fourth century
until the present day. He drew
attention to the spiritual attraction
Jerusalem held for Armenians as
a place of pilgrimage as well as
a center of scribal and theological
activity. He also discussed the
present status of the Armenian
population of Jerusalem and took
the audience on a "virtual tour" of
the Armenian Quarter of the Old
City and of Armenian sites in the
Phil Tavlian left, with Prof. Sergio La Porta.
LA Rock  Band Armenian Space
Station Creating Music Interest
Evelyn Demirchian
Staff Writer
A relatively new rock band
has been creating some major
underground waves in Southern
California this past year.
Armenian Space Station, headed
up by friends Greg Hosharian
and Barrett Yeretsian. with Phil
Trujeque and Clint Feddersen.
is a hard rock group that takes
an interesting twist on metal by
combining classical music and
Armenian melodies.
Hosharian(piano) andYerets ian
(drums), already established and
talented performers in their own
right, were looking to do a joint
project focusing on video game
and television music when they
had the idea that their songs could
become performance pieces as
part of an instrumental group. In
early fall of 2009. they added on
Trujeque (guitar) and Feddersen
(bass) to complete the band.
I caught up with Hosharian
and Yeretsian the day after their
sold-out performance at The
Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, on
April 10. 2010. Co-headlining
with West-Indian Girl, Armenian
Space Station played their 4~song
se t and ble w away a crowd of rock
fans, curious newcomers, friends,
and members of their underground
street team. The group was still
on a high from their show the
previous night when we met up at
a Burbank coffee shop to discuss
their backgrounds and the history
of the band
Hosharian was trained on
classical piano and has his
Masters Degree from Cal. State
University. Northridge. Yeretsian
has been playing drums for nearly
20 years, since he picked up the
duhol (Armenian hand drum) at
the age of 12. Both are industry
professionals who have worked
as producers and have been in
various other bands in the LA-
area.
Armenian Space Station, that's
a very interesting name, where
did you guys get the idea for it?
Hosharian: We had to think
up of a name, and when we were
tossing around ideas we started
playing around with Armenian...
and it j ust sort of came out of
nowhere and stuck
Yeretsian: It just sounded
funny... because really when
would a tiny country like Armenia
have its own space station? It was
just ironic, sounded good and
there we had it!
When was your first
performance as a group? Have
you been touring?
Yeretsian: October 28. 2009
at Yerevan's Sunchild Festival.
It's this environmental gathering
promoting green technology....
Our first and only performance
before The Roxy last night.
No way, how did that go? And
how has your fan base grown so
large since then?
Hosharian: It was great There
were over 1.000 people in the
crowd.
Yeretsian: Much thanks goes
out to our street team leader. Ani
(Khodaverdian). who's really
promoted our band and helped
get our name out there.
W>uld you be interested in
touring through Fresno?
Hosharian: Yes! I have family
there and I 've visited before. I
like it. If there's a venue that'll
support us we'll be there!
Yeretsian: I have cousins in
Fresno, and I think we'd really
like to come through.
Hosharian: It could be part of
a Califomian tour, from LA to
Fresno to San Francisco.
Church of the Holy Se pule her.
Finally, on April 27. Dr. La
Fbrta lectured at Sonoma State
University as part of their 27th
Annual Holocaust and Genocide
Lecture Series. In addition to
presenting the historical context
of the Armenian Genocide and
its execution, he pointed out
the incredible relief efforts
launched by the United States
during and immediately after the
Genocide. He observed, however,
that such efforts were quickly
forgotten as American political
interests replaced her prior moral
commitments. Dr. La Porta also
indicated the contemporary
geopolitical relevance of the
Armenian Ge notice and its
recognition, and its importance
in our understanding of other
genocides and for the prevention
of future genocide. He cautioned.
however, that the use of Genocide
recognition as a political weapon
to punish or reward the Republic
of Turkey is a dangerous tactic
as it undermines both the moral
and legal status of genocide. He
further added that it has been
precisely the use of Genocide
recognition as such a tool that has
correctly raised suspicions among
diasporan Armenians with regards
to the creation of a historical
commission to investigate the
tragic events of 1915. If. Dr. La
Porta argued, the very recognition
of the Armenian Genocide as
genocide is capable of being
bartered in order to further
the political aims of particular
interests, then what assurance
can there be for an "apolitical"
historical commission created
within the very same framework?
Dr. La Porta's next public
lecture will take place on May 7
at the Charlie Keyan Armenian
Community School on the topic
of 'How and Why trie Armenian
People have survived."
Author Bobelian Presents Fascinating Discussion
on the History of Genocide Recognition in the U. S.
Mari Koshkakaryan
Staff Writer
Imagine roaming through the
streets of your hometown that
once was a bright place, where
you erg oyed an outing with your
family, returning one day to see
nothing but destruction, and
encountering the corpses of your
own family members, whose lives
were unjustly taken away along
with the lives of 1.5 million others
during the Armenian Genocide of
1915.
On Wednesday. April 21.
the Armenian Studies Program
welcomed guest speaker Michael
Bobelian, who came toFre sno State
to deliver an informative lecture
on the 'Forgotten Genocide" of
the Armenians and the struggle
for recognition. Bobelian
graduated from tiie Columbia
Graduate School of Journalism,
and pursued a successful career
in law. journalism, before
gaining recognition as an author.
As the grandson of Genocide
survivors, he takes great pride in
speaking about the struggle for
the world's acknowledgement
of the Genocide, thus his efforts
to speak on campuses across the
United States.
Bobelian introduced his topic
by reading from an introductory
paragraph from his book Children
of Armenia: The Forgotten
Genocide and the Century-long
Struggle pr Justice. The excerpt
was on the life of Kourken
Yanikian, who gained notoriety
in 1973 by slaying two Turkish
diplomats in Santa Barbara, in
re ve nge forthe pe rs onal tragedy he
encountered, when he discovered
the Ottoman Turks had murdered
Michael Bobelian
most of his family.
Although the Genocide was
widely known when it took place,
after a couple of decades it was
nearly forgotten. During 1915.
major magazines covered the
incident with graphic headlines
of the atrocities. Due to the media
coverage. Armenia became
one of the first beneficiaries of
humanitarian assistance. The
United State alone sent over $ 100
million dollars of aid (worth about
$1 billion nowadays) to help the
Armenians.
I n 1965. in citie s s uchasFresno.
Los Angeles. New York, Boston,
and Beirut, Armenians held
rallies for the first time to publicly
commemorate the Genocide. In
Yerevan, hundreds of thousands
marched to demand the Turkey's
acknowledgement. Because they
lived in the Soviet Union, it is
important to consider that these
who participated in these rallies
were risking their livelihood and
possibly imprisonment, but the
effort was worth the risk.
As Armenians began to voice
their  opinions.   Turkey  began
Photo: Erica.
its campaign of public denial.
Beginning in 1983. Armenian
advocates in Washington, D.C.
lobbied the Congress to pass a
resolution that would recognize
the Genocide. Later, in 1990.
Senator Bob Dole became a
leading advocate of passing a
Genocide resolution, though it
faced opposition from the Bush
administration.
Bobelian emphasized early in
his lecture that the Armenians had
been afraid to show their agony—
they felt more comfortable
keeping silent but as they
began to see that memory of the
Genocide was fading, they knew
it was time to stand up and fight
for recognition.
Bobelian ended his lecture by
discussing the cover photographof
his book depicting the Marootian
family. Although many in the
family died long ago. their souls
are not at rest and will not be until
the Genocide is recognized.
Children of Armenia can be
purchased in bookstores around
the country.
For now. Armenian Space
Station is working on songs for a
new record and they are looking
for new venues to play. You can
find their self-titled album online
at wwwarmenianspacestation.
com as well took them up on
Facebook and Twitter.
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