Hye Sharzhoom, April 1979

              Page 2
The Armenian Movement
April 18,1979
'Coming Home \ To Armenia
By BARLOW DER MUGRDICHI AN
The Armenian Diaspora covers the
globe. In America, in France, in Lebanon, in Iran one finds Armenians. And
within each of these Armenians resides
an enduring fragment of the Armenian
homeland—its rugged mountains, beautiful valleys and resilient people.
Last summer I made my first trip to
the ancient home of my ancestors. I
came home to Armenia.
I travelled with a group of 17 persons
from throughout the United States. The
group met in New York, then flew to
Leningrad and finally headed for Armenia. There was excitement in the air
as we made the flight to Yerevan, capital
of Soviet Armenia. We flew in a plane
filled with Armenians-Armenian food,
Armenian conversations, even Armenian
stewardesses (now that was something I
had never expected). The sound of my
mother tongue was at once familiar and
comforting.        Anxiously we peered out
the window. Who would be the first to
see the land of our forefathers? What did
we expect to be out first sight? Of
course-Ararat, its twin peaks serving as
eyewitness to 3,000 years of Armenian
history. Mt. Ararat-symbol of the Armenian nation. Ararat-rising from the
heart of our people. Today, however,
Ararat does not belong to the Armenians. Rather Ararat is beyond the borders of Soviet Armenia, a prisoner of
Turkish-occupied Armenia.
As we landed, the rich countryside of
Armenia came into view. We stepped
out of the plane into the bright sun of
a hot summer day. At last I was in
Armenia, standing on the soil of my
people. My past suddenly came to life.
I thought of my grandparents who once
lived here, of my parents who have yet to
see Ararat's majesty and of my people
who have always been here.
We took a bus through the city to our
hotel. Immediately upon arrival we
toured Yerevan, a city at once provincial
yet cosmopolitan. Simply the sight of the
people walking and talking Armenian
was overwhelming~so different but
somehow familiar.
I was to spend three weeks in Armenia,- a time all too brief. During my
stay we covered the length and breadth
of Armenia. I saw not only the monuments, the statues and the churches
of Armenia but also the people. There
was so much to see and absorb that
Armenia soon became a part of me—the
life, the feel, and the smell.
Armenia's sights are indelibly etched
in my mind. The monument of
Tzitzernagapert, however, vividly
stands out. The emotion present was
almost palpable. The memory of Armenia's two million martyrs brought tears to
our eyes. We also saw the monastery of
Khor Virap, Lake Sevan, the Maten-
adaran, the Statue of David of Sassoon,
and may ancient churches.
The most unforgettable person I met
was His Holiness Vasken I, Catholicos
of all Armenians. We met with him three
times and on each occasion I was impressed with his intelligence, simplicity
and sincerity. What great respect I had
for this leader of the Armenian people.
We met with him on the grounds of Holy
Etchmiadzin, the first church built in
the first Christian nation. I was very
impressed with the church, the center of
my Christian Armenian heritage.
I returned from Armenia with a new
outlook on both myself and my past. I
had found everything I was looking for-
the land of my ancestors, the language,
the culture and the religion of my
people. I was now complete.
I found Armenian people proud of
their accomplishments of the past fifty
years. They are a hard working and
happy people. And a more gracious and
friendly people I had never encountered.
I had finally come home.
What Does'April 24,1915 Mean To You?
Dick Ashjian—Journalism Major
"It was the day the Turks began the
massacres of the Armenian people, intending to wipe the Armenians and their
heritage off the face of the earth. It was
a grave injustice then and it remains so
until the Turks confess to their crimes."
Earl    Boyajian—I.A.    Auto    Mechanic
Major
"It means that the Turks got away
with something that can never be condoned. Because of what the Turks did
I was unable to see my grandparents."
Barlow   Der   Mugrdichian   -   Biology
Major
"It was the day the Turks began the
first genocide of the 20th century. And
the victims were the Armenian people,
losing over half their population. It
means now that the Armenian people
have no nation. The Turks must admit to
their crime of genocide."
Carrie Sorenson-Deaf Education Major
"This is the day all my ancestors were
killed. And I thank God that I am alive
today as an Armenian."
Why An Armenian Students Organization?
By DALE TATOIAN
Like many other ethnic groups in the
Fresno area, Armenian-Americans take
pride in retaining some of their ethnic
heritage. The purpose of the Armenian
Student Organization at CSUF (there are
many others across the U.S.) is to inform
interested students on the many aspects
of Armenian's proud and ancient culture. The organization also promotes
a spirit of brotherhood among CSUF's
Armenian students, some of whom have
recently moved to the U.S. from the Middle East, Europe and other parts of the
Armenian diaspora. According to a recent poll, Armenians comprise the second
largest minority grogp in the Fresno
area. Because of the substancial number
of Armenian-Americans in and around
Fresno, it is necessary that Armenians
make themselves understood as an ethnic entity within Central California.
CSUF is richly endowed with many
cultural groups: Chicanos, Blacks,
Asian-Americans, and Native Americans
- to name a few. Only through the organizational efforts of these ethnic groups
can we better understand ourselves.
The purpose of any university is to enlighten its students, and an understanding of the various ethnic cultures which
comprise a large part of CSUF's student
body is a key to enlightenment.
The number of students of Armenian
origin at CSUF is roughly estimated between 350 and 400. This is significant.
No other university outside of Soviet
Armenia can boast of such a number.
Since   most  Armenians   are   somehow
attached to their "roots", the ASO is a
means for experiencing and asserting
the rich and time-tested culture of the
Armenian people.
Some people find it hard to see the
value in an Ethnic organization and think
that all American citizens should fade
away into this glorious melting pot we
call the United States. This, of course, is
not possible for all people in this country. Because of racism, contact with
grandparents or parents born in the "old
country", religious links, or the simple
unwillingness to be "American" and
nothing else, many people in this country still cling to their roots.
. Through various activities at CSUF,
the ASO is keeping Armenian students
in touch with their roots and success
fully introducing non-Armenians to an
integral part of Fresno's ethnic composition. Several speakers, exhibitions,
and an adept use of the press have helped to accomplish this.
AU8 6U.r\HlNT
Editors-Mark      Malkasian,      Mark
Najarian
Staff-Bryan Bedrosian, Dale Tatoian,
Barlow    Der    Mugrdichian,     Patty
Torosian
Advisor-Dr. Dickran Kouymjian
"The  Armenian  Movement"   is  the
official    publication    of    the    CSUF
Armenian Students Organization.
Armenian Studies Program
CSUF
Fresno, CA  93740