1984_11 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper November 1984

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ARMENIAN  ACTION
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Permit No. 262
Volume 6, No. 1        jne newspaper of the California State University, Fresno Armenian Students Organization
November, 1984        and Armenian Studies Program.
Armenian Studies Program
CSUF, Fresno, CA 93740
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Patriarch discusses Armenian-Turkish relations
Armenians living
"very safely and very
happily" in Turkey
By Beth Najarian
Archbishop Shnork Kaloustian, Patriarch of the Armenian church in-Turkey,
proclaimed, "We are living there (in
Turkey) very safely and very happily," in a
speech given to a gathering of CSUF
students and faculty on October 30, 1984.
The Archbishop was positive about the
Armenian situation in present-day Turkey.
Fresno was one of several cities in the
United States and Canada visited by the
Archbishop in an effort to gain financial
support for Armenian schools in Turkey.
The Patriarch lived in Fresno from
1953 until 1956 while serving as primate of
the Western Diocese. He then went on to
Jerusalem and eventually to Istanbul,
where he became Archbishop upon the
death of Archbishop Karekin Khachadourian
in 1961.
After an informal meeting with university President Dr. Harold Haak, Armenian faculty and the Armenian Students
Organization executives, the Patriarch
began his speech with some background
information on the current state of the
Armenian population in Turkey. Prior to
World War 1, there were more than 2
million Armenians living in the area and
50 dioceses. He said that after World War I,
however, "Most of the Armenian population either disappeared or scattered all
over the world." Turkey now has 50,000
Armenians, 35,000 of whom are living in
Istanbul.
Archbishop Kaloustian serves as the
spokesperson for these 50,000 Armenians
ASO Elections
Strolling on campus. From left to right: Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, Patriarch Shnork Kaloustian, Bishop Aghan Baliozian, Dean
Peter Klassen, ASO Vice-President Shant Bedoyan, and CSUF Vice President Michael Biechler.
when dealing with the Turkish government. His position as spokesperson is a
delicate one because of the obvious conflict
between the two groups. For this reason it
• See Patriarch, Page 4
Armenian Studies Enrollment Up
New executive increases
in size and efficiency
The Armenian Students Organization
kicked off the fall semester with the elections of the group's new officers. The
election took place at the ASO meeting,
held Wednesday, October 3, 1984.
The newly elected officers are: president,
Arpi Messerlian; vice-president, Shant
Bedoyan; secretary, Cathy Harper; treasurer, Rose Madanyan; and historian, Randy
Baloian.
The officers will serve both fall and
spring terms. This year, the executive
posts were increased from three in the
previous term to its present total of five.
The first of the two additions was the
result of a division of the former position
of secretary/treasurer, while the second,
historian, has been a position used sporadically throughout the existence of ASO.
Newly elected president, Arpi Messerlian,
said the additional two posts will "allow
us to spread some of the responsibilities
and work load of the organization around."
Although none of the officers have
previously held executive positions, former
co-president Vahe Messerlian commented.
"They are familiar with each other and
will undoubtedly be able to work well
together." Messerlian went on to add, "I
think they share common goals, such as
stimulating Armenian awareness on-
campus."
Incidentally, Vahe and Arpi are brother
and sister. It marks the first time in ASO
history where family members have con
secutively held the position of ASO-
president.
The new ASO officers will also benefit
from the increasing enrollment in the
Armenian Studies Program as well as the
revival of the Hye Sharzhoom newspaper.
Although all three entities (Armenian
Studies Program, ASO, and Hye Sharzhoom) function separately, the success of
one has always been dependent on the
success of the others.
The ensuing meeting, held Thursday,
October 26, was marked by the enactment
of the following standing committees:
social, public relations, cultural/educational, and intramural sports. "These committees allow us to involve more members
in the activities of the organization," said
the new president. Some of the responsibilities of the committees include: dances
and ASO sales (social), publicity (public
relations), speakers and liaisons with other
organizations (cultural/educational), and
athletic events (intramurals).
As for the coming ASO activities, president Arpi Messerlian commented, "We
have plans that range from social events to
lectures from prominent figures in the
Armenian community."The ASO is already
anticipating the arrival of Patriarch
Shnork Kaloustian, while making plans
for such activities as the visit of Catholicos
Karekin II and co-sponsoring a poetry
reading with other ethnic organizations
on campus.
These days there is always a flurry of
activity around the Armenian Studies
Office, and Dr. Dickran Kouymjian and
Hagop Karamanlian couldn't be happier
with the way things are going.
Nearly 100 students have enrolled in six
Armenian Studies classes this semester,
significantly more than last spring. The
number of students in the classrooms are:
Introduction to Armenian Studies — 45
(two sections); Armenian Language 1A
and 2A — 29; Armenian Architecture —
10; Armenian History to the Mongol
Invasion - - 12.
The classes are aimed toward teaching
the many facets of Armenian life and
culture, ranging from a general overview
of Armenian studies to the subtleties of
church architecture. Also, the language
Karamanlian, a native of Kuwait, received his primary and secondary education in Beirut, Lebanon at St. Mesrob
School and Bzommar Monastery, respectively. It was at the latter that Karamanlian gained a command of the classical Armenian language, which is evident
in the classroom, as he frequently alludes
to the classical roots of modern Armenian
words. He then attended the French University of St. Joseph (in Beirut) and
graduated with a degree in French Philosophy and Literature.
• See Enrollment, Page 2
WE'RE BACK!
The Armenian Students Organization
classes provide the foundations of the land the Armenian Studies Program are
Armenian language and progress to litera- I pleased to announce the return of the Hye
ture. I Sharzhoom newspaper.   The next issue
Kouymjian and Karamanlian share the twill appear in December.
teaching responsibilities. Karamanlian in- •    Applications for the Hye Sharzhoom
structs the language classes, while Kouy- • Spring semester editorship are now avail-
mjian, now in his eighth year as coordin- table in CU 316 and must be turned in by
ator of the Armenian Studies Program, \^ovember 21, 1984
teaches the rest. 5  ........ . ......................
Inside A ction:
ASO Activities... • Page 2
Armenian Culture • Page 5
Alumni News • Page 6
Intramural Football Page 7