2002_12 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper December 2002

              6
December 2002
Society for Armenian Studies Holds Annual Meeting in Washington, DC
Staff Report
The Society for Armenian
Studies (SAS) held its annual membership meeting on November 23,
2002 in Washington DC. The meeting was held in conjunction with
the 36th Annual Conference of the
Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA). Founded in 1974,
SAS is an international organization which represents more than
200 scholars and teachers involved
in the field of Armenian studies.
The Secretariat of the Society is
headquartered at the Armenian
Studies Program at Fresno State.
SAS President Barlow Der
Mugrdechian welcomed members
to the annual meeting. Various reports were given on different aspects of the Society's activities: the
Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies, the Newsletter, and
information on various other items.
Der Mugrdechian announced
the election of George Bournoutian
of Iona College and Simon
Payaslian of Clark University to
the Executive Council of SAS, joining continuing members, Houri
Berberian (CSU Long Beach),
Levon Chorbajian (Univ. of Massachusetts,'Lowell), Barlow Der
Mugrdechian (CSU Fresno), Christina Maranci (University of Wisconsin,' Madison) and Garabet
Moumdjian (CSU Northridge).
Outgoing members of the Executive -Council are Richard
Hovannisian (UCLA) and Robert
Hewsen (Rowan University ofNew
Jersey, Emeritus).
In addition to the business activities and various panels, there
was time for SAS members to meet
with the local Armenian community.
Vartkes and Rita Balian of
Crystal Grove, Virginia, invited
SAS members for a reception in
their home, following the SAS annual meeting on Saturday. The
guests were warmly received and
enjoyed the wonderful hospitality
of the hosts, who are active in the
Armenian community.
On Sunday evening, November 24th, H. E. Arman Kirakossian,
Ambassador of the Republic of
Armenia to the United States, welcomed SAS members and community members to a reception held at
the Embassy of the Republic of
NAASR Organizes Major
Conference on Armenian
Studies at Harvard
Staff Report
Dr. Dickran Kouymjian and
Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the
Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno,
participated in a major conference
on "Rethinking Armenian Studies:
Past, Present, and Future," co-sponsored by NAASR and the Harvard
Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, held on
October 5-6 at Harvard University
in Cambridge, MA, and at the Center of the National Association for
Armenian Studies and Research
(NAASR) in Belmont, MA.
Professor Kouymjian gave
papers in two panels, one on "The
Role of University Chairs," and the
other on "The Future of Armenian
Studies." Der Mugrdechian gave a
paper on "The Society for Armenian Studies-A 28 -year View" as
part of a panel on "The Role of
Organizations, Institutions, and
Research Centers."
Dr. Kouymjian's first paper
covered a historical overview of
the discipline of Armenian studies,
from its inception in the Diaspora,
to the current status. Prof.
Kouymjian holds the Berberian
Chair of Armenian Studies at CSU
Fresno and thus spoke from his
experience gained as a chair-holder.
His paper stressed some of the chal-
1 enges facing Armenian studies and
also discussedhowthese challenges
could be faced.
Der Mugrdechian's paper provided an analysis of the activities
of the Society for Armenian Studies, its achievements, and areas
where work remains to be done.
The Society for Armenian Studies
has been at the center of the Armenian studies movement, since most
of its members are integrally involved with the development of
Armenian studies programs
throughout the world. The SAS publications, Has Journal for the Society for Armenian Studies and the
Newsletter provide for communication between scholars on a variety of topics.
In addition, the Society supports young scholars by providing
financial support through grants for
excellence in writing.
Prof. Kouymjian's second paper, was part of the panel on "The
Future of Armenian Studies." He
began by reading a portion of a
paper he wrote 30 years ago on the
future of Armenian Studies. Many
of the measures he called for then
have since been accomplished, but
some of the important suggestions
made at that time remain topics of
discussion, and, indeed, formed the
basis of the weekend's conference.
On Saturday evening a banquet was held for the conference
participants, guests, and members
of the public at the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge. Following remarks by NAASR Board
Chairman Nancy Kolligian and
Prof. James Russell of Harvard,
His Excellency Dr. Arman
Kirakossian, Armenian Ambassador to the United States, spoke on
"Armenian Studies and Its Future."
Ambassador Kirakossian, who is
himself a historian, urged increased
cooperation and collaboration between scholars and the formation
of an international association of
Armenian Studies. He stated, "joint
research projects and publications,
collaboration on translations, organization of general and specialized conferences and seminars in
Armenia and abroad, exchange of
information and publications, will
help dissipate the unhealthy climate of mutual accusations and
recriminations."
Lto R: Robert Hewsen, Levon
Chorbajian, and SAS President Barlow Der Mugrdechian
Armenia. For many of the guests, it
was a first-time visit to the Embassy and Ambassador Kirakosian
personally escorted members for a
tour of the Embassy building. SAS
members enjoyed the opportunity
to meet with the Ambassador, his
staff, and community members.
In addition to the business
meeting of the Society, a number of
panels and papers with Armenian
themes were presented during the
three day MESA meeting. On Sunday, November 24, there was a panel
"Confronting Past and Future: the
Armenian Case," sponsored by the
Society for Armenian Studies. Richard G. Hovannisian, of UCLA
chaired the panel, which included
the following papers: Richard G.
Hovannisian, UCLA, "Armenian
Memories of Life and Conflict in
the Ottoman Empire;" Rubina
Peroomian, UCLA, The Challenges
of the New Century to Capture the
Genocide in Art and to Encompass
the Echoes of the Surviving People's
Collective Psyche;" Joyce Apsel,
New York University, "Human
Rights and the Internet: Pedagogical Challenges;" Henry Theriault,
Worcester State College, "Denial,
Absolute Positivism, and a Response from Ibn Khaldun;" Dikran
M. Kaligian, Boston College, "The
Role of the American Media in the
Armenia Case."
Immediately following there
was a panel on "Sacred and Secular
in Dialogue Under the Armenian
Kingdom of Cilicia (13th-14th centuries)" chaired by Robert H.
Hewsen, Rowan University (Emeritus) and with papers by: Abraham
Terian, St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary, "Church-State Relations
at the Dawn of Kingship in Cilician
Armenia;" S. Peter Cowe, UCLA,
"Ecclesiology as Theory and Institution in the Doctrinal Debate with
the Latins (1316-1340);" Christina
Maranci, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Word and Image
in the Armenian Alexander Romance."
The film "Hokees" by Garine
Torossian of Canada was a featured film in the MESA Film Fest.
Among other papers presented
at the conference were those by:
Hovann H. Simonian, University
of Southern California, "The
Hemshin of Northeast Turkey:
Muslim Armenians or Armenian-
Speaking Turks?;" Richard H.
Dekmejian, University of Southern California, "Al-Qa'ida: Doctrinal and Historical Roots;" and
Anny Bakalian, City University of
New York, "Ethnic Mobilization:
Middle Eastern Organizational
Response to the Backlash."
All meetings and panels were
held in the conference hotel, the
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.
Berge Bulbulian's The Fresno Armenians has been reprinted and is now available for purchase.
The new edition has a forward by Professor Dickran Kouymjian, Haig and Isabel Berberian Chair of
Armenian Studies at Fresno State.
The second edition has been updated with added information.
Tkfmmkmmm
Order Form
Please send me copy(ies) at $19.00 each of The Fresno
Armenians.
(Add $2.00 for the first copy and $.50 for each additional
copy for postage and handling.)
Name  	
Street 	
City/State/Zip  	
Total Enclosed 	
Send to: Armenian Studies Program
5245 N. Backer Ave., M/S PB4
Fresno, CA 93740-8001
Check or money order, made payable to the
Armenian Studies Program, must accompany orders.
New 2003 Calendar from Project SAVE
Staff Report
Project S AVEArmenian Photograph Archives has released its
2003 photograph calendar titled
"Armenian Women: As Never Before Seen ". Each month |™"T!!
of Project SAVE's 16th
annual calendar features
archive photographs that
reflect many aspects of
women's lives from the
1800s to the present,
from Sebastia to San
Francisco.
This year's calendar
photo selections were
chosen by reviewing the
hundreds of photo donor
files for images relating
specifically to women.
Accompanying each
photo is a detail-filled
caption that enhances the
understanding of the
women .and their surroundings. Listed each
month are Project SAVE
honor women with words of remembrance.
Women from different places
and times are highlighted in this
collectible calendar. The calendars
make wonderful holiday gifts for
«-t
co
t
a*
T-i
S!
in
09
know more about Armenian people
and their heritage. Send a list of
gift names and addresses, and
Project SAVE Archives will be
glad to mail a calendar with your
gift message to each name pro-
~~\    vided.
Complete sets of previously published calendars
are also available. If interested, please ask for a listing
of the complete set. To order
your calendar, call Project
SAVE Archives at (617)
923-4542 or e-mail
archives@projectsave.org.
Payment by check to Project
SAVE Archives at PO Box
236, Watertown, MA 02471-
0236.
Since 1975, Project
SAVE Archives has collected, documented, preserved, and made available
for public use more than 25,
000 vintageandmodern photographs from Historic Armenia and throughout the
calendar sponsors, many of whom    those who love history and want to    world-wide Diaspora.