1997_05 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper May 1997

              May 1997
Hye Sharzhoom
5
DJ's of The Hye Oozh Radio Show
By Tina Attashian
As we entered the studio,
we saw Aram looking through his
CD's selectinghis next set of songs.
Then as he introduced his next song
Garo and I sat down to talk to him.
As we were interviewing Aram,
the melody of the great music and
constant ringing ofthe phone from
listeners created an energetic
atmosphere in the room.
We began by asking about
the history ofthe show and learned
that it began about five years ago
when Rose Kalpakian approached
KFSR with the idea of starting up
an Armenian program. Then Aram,
who has been with the show for
about three and a half years, was
first recruited to do the news about
Armenia but now is also a DJ for
the show. He then shared with us
his first experience on the air, "Since
it was my first experience in doing
something like this, the first day I
was a wreck. I was so nervous that
I was shaking sweating and
mumbling. It took me a couple of
weeks to get the hang of it and now
I'm just used to it"
Then after getting another
song ready for transition, Aram told
us of their routine on Saturday
mornings. He said at times there is
problem with the door being locked,
so they run around trying to find
someone to unlock the room which
makes the show begin later than it
should. After they get situated,
they have paper work to complete
because they have all the
responsibilities that take place in
the room and on the air every
Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm. After
all that, the fun begins with creating
the selection of songs, answering
the phone, talking to listeners,
making up a list of requests,
announcing upcoming events in the
Armenian community, dedicating
songs, and enjoying the music.
Learning more about the
program, Aram told,us that the Hye
Oozh show has no connection to
any organization. He commented
that their CD's belong to Rose so
that no one can have the authority
to tell them what to play, what not
to play, or even which
announcements they can make on
the air. He stated that the program
will play any kind of music so long
as it is has an affiliation to an
Armenian. Aram gave us an
example," If someone asked me to
play a rock, rap or classical song I
would so long as an Armenian had
some sort of connection to it, such
as,being the singer or the producer."
He also talked of how the
program is not only a fun aspect of
their lives but one in which added
to their lives working for a radio
station. Aram states, "Even though
it is only campus radio, at the time
it was the experience I needed to
get the job at KMPH news radio."
In addition he admitted that getting
a thank you from people in the
community is what truly makes it
all worth while.
Lastly, Aram talked about
the fact that both he and Rose were
graduating this year and that he
will miss the moments on air,
talking to the listeners, and knowing
Aram in action: taking requests, talking to listeners, getting
music ready and making announcements.
that he is making a difference in the
lives of the 400-600 listeners in the
Armenian community of Fresno.
However, they are both in the
pursuit of finding a committed
person or persons to take over the
show. Aram stresses the importance
of picking the new candidate as he
says, " The show is like my baby.
I'm going to be very picky in
choosing who is going to take over.
This is not only ajob filled with fun
but it requires someone who is-
serious in dedicating every
Saturday morning to the show."
In conclusion, we end this
article by thanking both Aram and
Rose for dedicating their Saturdays
to the lives of the Armenian
community. The show is
appreciated by many people in the
community and we wish you all
the best for your future.
Check Him
Out!
By Tina Attashian
Garo Nakashian, the
cartoonist that introduced Katch
Vartan II to you in previous Hye
Saharzhoom editions,
participated in an annual senior
portfolio show for graphic design
majors. The show took place in
the Con ley Art Gallery on April
15,1997. Among thirteen other
students he presented 3 years of
his work in a portfolio. His
portfolio included illustration
work and advertising pieces
which totaled 15 works of art in
his presentation.. Looking at his
diverse set of pieces, I asked him
which art work was his favorite.
He replied, "I don't have a
favorite piece of work because
every piece I do is done with
equal amounts of dedication,
enthusiasm and enjoyment."
While listening to him
talk, I could hear the passion and
admiration he held for his major,
graphic design. He mentioned
how graphic design was
enjoyable but challenging, "I
have to use my talents and skills
to create an interest to all
Consumers that are presented the
particular project I'm working
on." He then described the field
as one in which was hidden to
people and explained how people
generally look at a particular
product and don't see the visual
communication that is being sent
to them. Asking him to explain
what he meant, he left me with a
few question to think about,
"When you pick up a magazine
and read a facinating article, is it
Mr. Shields congratulating Garo for his hard work and portfolio.
the pictures, the presentation of
the title and subtitles that
attracted you to read it? How
about if you are picking a book to
read, is it the book cover that
initiates your interest to read the
preface? Or how about when you
are watching TV, have you ever
seen a commercial that makes you
want to leave your house and buy
a product?" All these questions
gave me a better understanding on
graphic design and the effects it
has on it's viewers.
After grasping a better
understanding of Garo's field, he
then explained to me that the the
graphic design program is being
modernized by Charles Shields, a
local business owner and
professor at Fresno State. He
explained to me that the classes
now allowed students to
primarily work with computers
and commented. " I like it, it
makes me feel prepared to face
the real world."
To conclude our
discussion I found out that Garo
after graduation, would like to
work for an advertising firm or
design studio in Fresno or the
Bay Area. If you seem him
around campus, stop him to
check out his art work. It's
capturing to the eye!
Look out for those ^Armenian WomenlH
Karen Karabian
Vintage Days is a yearly
event at Fresno State and when it
comes to campus all students,
faculty and the Fresno
community are ready to get
involved and enjoy the activities
that are provided for them.
This year involvement of the
radio station Star 101, the reggae
music of Dub Nation, Fox 26 and
their Kids Club Crew, rides
including the Ferris Wheel and
many Fresno State organizations
which set up food and game
booths all participated in the
craze of Vintage Days. Whilst
walking on campus the crafts,
music, games and food left you
with no other choice but to take
part in the fun and be happy.
The schedule for April 17th -
20th left you breathless wuh the
variety of events that were
offered, a few of the following
listed were some of the events
that took place on campus: Beach
Jam- a wild air guitar contest
between clubs, residence halls,
and Greeks; Casino Night- an
evening featuring live bands, a
DJ, gaming tables with handfuls
of play money and spectacular
prize giveaways; Boomtown
Carnival- a massive playground
attraction which includes
activities like a giant Bounce
House; Jungle- an after hours
dance with DJ's spinning the best
in hip-hop and house music;
Crafts Faire- over 250 vendors
bringing their hand crafted items
to campus and lots more.
Behind all this amazing
festivity, are two Armenian
women. The directors of Vintage
Days 1997 were Karen Karabian
and Jackie Arikian. These
women over-saw and guided a
committee of 12 coordinators,
coordinated weekly Vintage Days
meetings, created posters and
flyers, wrote press releases and
radio spots, scheduled meetings
with local businesses for co-
sponsorship and lastly supervised
over twelve events within the
four day festival. Talking to
Karen, she described Vintage
Days as, " A 96-hour
extravaganza that unites the
campus and community. Students
have fun in the sun- they enjoy
the hottest concerts, comedians,
and student entertainment."
Wanting to know more about
why they chose to take part in
such a responsibility Jackie
explained, "It is a good feeling to
know that I was able to give to
my community and my
university, particularly since they
have impacted my life in an
amazing way." Then Karen
added, " I got involved because
it was an outlet for my
creativity. It was a once-in-a-
life-time experience to shape
student activities at Fresno
State. I had a position of power
and I loved it!" Lastly,
questioning them on what they
had learned for their
participation Jackie replied,
"My involvement with Vintage
Days as Event Director gave me
the opportunity to learn more
about myself as well as the
opportunity to learn about
leadership skills." Karen said,
"It had taught me that there is
never enough time to do
everything you want to do, and
that teamwork and a solid
commitment to each other can
turn a disaster into a spectacular
success. But, I guess the most
important lesson I learned was
that I can just as easily hurt
someone as I can help them.
My attitude and my actions,
positive and negative, were far
more influential than I
Jackie Arikian
realized."
Vintage Days is a spectacular
event that is a part ofFresno
State's character. Karen
Karabian and Jackie Arikian are
two fun loving and good-hearted
women on campus that like to
take charge and provide all
students, faculty and the Fresno
community a time to laugh and
enjoy life. You both did an
amazing job and created a lot of
happiness for others around you.
by Tina Attashian