The Backup Pal: Revolutionary Accessory

GK

7349719. That’s the patent number of the inventive new technological device: the Backup Pal.

5. That is the number of awards it has won.

3. That is the number of young innovators involved.

0. This is the number of accessory based backup devices on the market today.

The product is a portable universal data storage device that includes a universal port adapter for connecting to a personal electronic device. It has the capacity to store up to 4000 names, phone numbers and email addresses. All by clicking one button.

The young talents behind this project are University of Southern California graduates Spartak Buniatyan, Armen Buniatyan, and Ravash Ram.

"I’ve loved technology since I was young," S. Buniatyan said, "and choosing USC Marshal School of Business has really helped in shaping my perspective of the real world and finding the right balance between business and technology."

Though the major launch is scheduled for April 1 of this year, but it has already racked up an impressive track record being named one of the "100 Best Innovations of the Year" and Consumer Electronics Show’s Top Ten Picks, to name a few. It has been featured on Good Morning America and other media including PC World, Wireless, and Home Magazines.

Even the "For Dummies" series recognized its potential. They made a move to select the product for its series "Cellular Phonebook Backup and Transfer for Dummies." Backup-Pal’s unique technology and intellectual property is the key that has made it possible to team up with such a recognize name as "For Dummies".

"It was a great opportunity, whenever you’re starting in an entrepreneurial venture, it helps to start with an established someone with a reputation," S. Buniatyan said of the choice to go with the For Dummies series.

The idea behind the device is that the data is safe inside this little piece of plastic, no matter what happens to the batteries, or what kind of cell phone you have to upload numbers from and into. The product comes with several detachable tips for connecting cell phones for the uploading process.

Manufacturing was done in China between eight factories. Spartak and his partners have been multiple times in setting up for sourcing and production.

The project initiative can be attributed to the inventor’s background and interest in technology. In fact, Spartak liked technology ventures so much that while attending USC he created the first email web-application at USC which allowed students to log onto to one page to check their university emails. This was at a time when sophisticated web-based email systems were easily available for private use.

Then in 1998, he created the first online results reporting system for HLC Laboratories, one of the largest private laboratories in California. Physicians working at the labs needed to print lab results, but instead of connecting a DSL line that can be a hassle, Spartak came up with the idea of connecting a printer to the wireless network using cell phone networks. It was while working on this concept that Spartak stumbled upon and realized the potential of the technology for Backup-Pal like product in the market.

When asked if anything can be wirelessly controlled, such as a toaster, for example, Spartak replied "absolutely."

As for his partner, Ravash Ram, "he is very business-savvy," according to Spartak, "I have been fortunate to have a good team by my side."

S. Buniatyan plans on getting his Executive MBA very soon at USC or the University of California, Los Angeles.

Right now the product is only for backing up phonebooks, later on they plan on backing up multimedia as well. It will be available at Radio Shack, Best Buy, and Brookstone by April.

Raffi Hovannisian, Armenia’s Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Visits UCLA

Shahane Martirosyan
shahanem@ucla.edu

It was a unique and unprecedented day at the University of California, Los Angeles on March 5, 2009. Professor Richard Hovannisian invited Raffi Hovannisian – the head of the Heritage Party in Armenia, as well as the professor’s son – to address his history class. While the hour began playfully as Raffi Hovannisian disclosed to the class something from his days at UCLA. "When I was in his Armenian history class, it was a meaner leaner Hovannisian. I got my lowest grade and I don’t know if it was because I was not good at the material or I didn’t mow the lawn that week", the day escalated to much more serious and intense topics as R. Hovannisian presented issues that Armenia is facing today and his years through the young Republic of Armenia. After which, students began asking questions in variety of subjects ranging from his stance on Mountainous Karabakh, to the military service, to student activists to free and fair elections and much, much more.

Raffi Hovannisian, first made introductory biographical comments along with the progression into a run-down of events that have taken place in Armenia in the past few decades. "Very few of us thought that we would live in a world where the Soviet Union did not exist and Armenia was once again an independent country," R. Hovannisian stated and followed with why he repatriated, "I returned to Armenia in 1989-1990. It wasn’t just the democracy movement in Armenia. It also was not the earthquake [in Leninakan in 1988], it was the impression I got from this course. I can say that as someone approaching mid-life crisis era."

He then went on to address issues related to the transition that Armenia has made from a Soviet Republic of Armenia to simply the Republic of Armenia. He first made a note that when Armenia became independent in 1991, it was faced with constructing a state in a place where did not have a state in decades, since the short-lived state back in 1920. Economically, Armenia hit hard walls in its transition from Soviet Command economy to a free market one because under Soviet they were very clever in beating the Soviet system and surviving in the economy, however, once Armenia was an independent country, there was no system to beat, R. Hovannisian explained. The free market has been taken for advantage and the distribution of wealth is not appropriate.

On foreign policy, he began by first stating that when Armenia gained its independence, he was stationed as the foreign minister of the country. He pointed out that when he was at the post for the first three months, Armenia was not even recognized as a state yet. Going back to the foreign ministry in the 1991, R. Hovannisian recalled, "when we began the challenge of building a foreign ministry from the bottom up there was no institutional, no essential foreign ministry of Soviet ministry to speak of; when we took over the honor and the responsibility of building a foreign ministry. There were a couple of diplomats of the late Soviet period, who would receive and send off stuff for the Communist party, there was no independent Armenian policy to speak of." After establishing the foreign ministry and receiving recognition from, first, Lithuania and
Romania then, the United States on Christmas Day of 1991, the young Republic of Armenia joined various international organizations including the United Nations and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The CSCE is where the issue of Karabakh was put on the international agenda.

"Armenia’s challenge was also to find a balance, an equilibrium, in its foreign policy. The modern day Armenia found itself in a predicament," R. Hovannisian stated, noting Azerbaijan on the East with whom Armenia has conflict with over Mountainous Karabakh; Turkey to the West with whom Armenia has historically had conflicts with the Armenian Genocide; and xenophobic Northern neighbor, Georgia, who has continuously oppressed Armenian nationals living within its borders and has not recognized the Armenian Apostolic Church, all of which can lead to conflicts. R. Hovannisian said that the only neutral neighbor to Armenia has been the Islamic Republic of Iran which has allowed Armenia to use its roads during the blockade in the early 1990s and remaining neutral during the Nagorno-Kharabakh conflicts.

R. Hovannisian ended his speech with recognizing the youth and telling them that they are the future and they are the ‘movers and shakers’ who will shake the Armenian and American policy making. This was followed by the Armenian and non-Armenian students’ questions.

A full transcript of the Q&A will be available right here within the next few days: TheArmenianChronicles.blogspot.com

All-ASA Condemns Campaign Attacking Armenian Studies

Los Angeles, CA - The All-Armenian Students’ Association (All-ASA), a confederation of Armenian American college student organizations, has condemned a recent smear campaign by an undisclosed group alleging a concerted effort to falsify Armenian history within Armenian studies programs across the United States.

Adopted with a unanimous vote on February 22, 2009, the resolution deplored the campaign’s efforts to "spread disinformation" by circulating an online petition alleging Turkish government and CIA influence over Armenian Studies and its professors in the US.

"We, the Armenian Students’ Associations, call upon the public not to be deceived by this campaign and to reject and repudiate the reprehensible attempts to discredit professors and scholars," the resolution said, adding that history should be debated "among recognized historians within an academic setting."

The campaign "Against the Falsification of Armenian History," is not a student initiative, the All-ASA said, "but rather the work of a self-appointed and self-immersed group, does not serve a scholastic purpose."

Simultaneously with the online petition, the group had also produced and uploaded a series of videos on YouTube defaming Armenian Studies professors with arguments "based on inaccurate information, personal attacks and character assassination," the All-ASA said.

"We believe in the benefit of the overall Armenian people and a campaign as such creates conflict with minimal tangible results," the resolution said, adding that the confederation will "firmly stand against this attempt at compromising the work" of Armenian Studies Chairs in the US.
The All-ASA confederation provides a forum for participating independent Armenian American colleges’ student groups through which these organizations may facilitate cooperative initiatives and deliberate on issues faced by the Armenian college student community.

Below is the All-ASA resolution in its entirety:
"In regards to the campaign and the petition being circulated against the Armenian Studies Chairs in the United States:

Whereas, we believe in the benefit of the overall Armenian people and a campaign as such creates conflict with minimal tangible results,

Whereas, a campaign based on inaccurate information, personal attacks and character assassination does not serve a scholastic purpose,

Whereas, we believe this campaign is not a student initiative as claimed, but rather the work of a
self-appointed and self-immersed group,

Whereas, the campaign spreads disinformation to individuals urged to sign an on-line petition alleging Turkish government and CIA influence over Armenian Studies and Armenian Studies’ professors in the United States,

Be it resolved that we, the Armenian Students’ Associations;

1. Firmly stand against this attempt at compromising the work and positions of the Armenian Studies and Armenian Studies’ Chairs.

2. Deplore the current campaign of defamation of professors of Armenian Studies.

3. Encourage debate among recognized historians within an academic setting.

4. Call upon the public not to be deceived by this campaign and to reject and repudiate the
reprehensible attempts to discredit professors and scholars.

Standing in solidarity the Armenian Students’ Association of: Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Northridge, Glendale Community College, Pasadena Community College, Los Angeles Valley College, Shant Students’ Association, Universities of California – Berkeley, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and University of California – Los Angeles AGSA, University of Southern California, Woodbury.

Azerbaijani Parliamentarians Visit University of CA Berkeley to Discuss the ‘Tragedy of Khojaly’

Andre Arzoo
andrearzoo@ucberkeley.edu

On February 20, 2009, the Turkic Student Association at the University of California, Berkeley invited Azerbaijani Parliamentarians, the ‘AzeriTaj’ News Agency, and representatives from both the Azerbaijani-American Council and the ‘Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan’ to present a one-sided panel discussion portraying the Azerbaijani-perspective of the events that took place on the night of February 25-26, 1992 in the then Azerbaijani city of Khojaly.

The panel discussion was titled ‘Justice for Khojaly’ and the main two themes in which all the presenters discussed revolved around, in their perspective, the crime of massacre which they accuse was committed by Armenian Armed Forces against the civilian population of Khojaly and steps in which they believe must be taken to bring those responsible to trial and justice within the context of an international tribunal.

Panel presenters included Shafag Mehraliyeva (U.S. desk of ‘AzerTaj’ news agency), Reshad Karimov (Center for Strategic Studies under the president of Azerbaijan), Thomas Goltz (Azerbaijani-American council from the university of Montana), and Asim Mollazade (Member of parliament, Azarbaijan).

The conditions presented by the panel in which this massacre took place was during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (1988-1994) between the newly independent Republic of Azerbaijan and the Armenian population of Karabakh over the autonomous and Armenian-homogenous region (Artsakh in Armenian), following the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). During the ‘Sovietization period’ of Transcaucasia (Georgia, Armenia, & Azerbaijan) in the early twentieth century, under the policies of the then Soviet ‘Commissar of Nationalities’ Joseph Stalin, the region known as Nagorno-Karabakh was territorially divided from Armenia proper and placed under the jurisdiction and administration of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan. The regions of Zangezur, Nakhichevan, and Javakh (located in Southern Georgia), were also territorially divided from Armenia proper where Nakhichevan was eventually depopulated of its entire Armenian population in a pogrom of redrawing its ethnic demographics so as to prevent future Armenian claims to the disputed territory. However, toward the late 1980’s the Armenians of Karabakh began to voice their opposition to Azerbaijani rule due to intentional economic, political, and social neglect and isolation by the Azerbaijani government, and began to advocate for their right to self-determination. After several unsuccessful pleas to the Soviet government in Moscow, local referendums that were sent to the governments in Moscow and Baku, and demonstrations held by Armenians throughout the world in support of the Armenians in Karabakh, this region declared independence from Azerbaijan and was immediately confronted by an armed invasion of Azerbaijani military forces in 1991 as a response. At the time (1989), as stated in Thomas de Waal’s book Black Garden, the region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) "boasted a population of 145,593 Armenians (76.4%), 42,871 Azerbaijanis (22.4%), and several thousand Kurds, Russians, Greeks, and Assyrians."
During the armed conflict, which followed, is where the state of Azerbaijan and the members of the discussed panel claim that the ‘Tragedy of Khojaly’ took place. Throughout the panel’s discussion, the presenters stated that 613 civilians from the city of Khojaly were massacred by Armenian Armed Forces; 106 women, 63 children, 70 elderly, and 10 families were "completely destroyed," while around a "100 or more civilians still remain missing" which may possibly be "hostages in Armenia or Karabakh, or may have been burned that night." The panel claims that Armenian forces mercilessly stabbed and bayoneted the civilian population as they advanced on the city simply because of the "population’s Azeri ethnicity" and as retaliation against Azeri attacks.Overall, the panel discussion seemed more of a propaganda ploy on behalf of the government in Baku than anything else, although I should point out that the panel was more concerned about spreading awareness about the issue than actually presenting evidence on the matter. The speakers vaguely described what they believed took place in Khojaly and outlined the importance of pursuing those responsible so as to place them under trial for war crimes. Respectfully, each individual presentation was for the most part unorganized and contradicting to the other members’ presentations, some describing the event as a genocide while others disagreeing and calling it a tragedy or massacre, even though all members of the panel were in support of the Azerbaijani-interpretation of the issue.

More interesting, however, were the issues discussed during the Question & Answer session. When a member of the audience mentioned the massacres against Armenians that had taken place in the late 1980s and early -90s in the Azeri cities of Baku and Sumgait, Parliamentarian Mollazade responded with a chuckle and a ‘thank you’.

Mollazade claimed that the said massacres against Armenians were actually instigated by the KGB (Soviet Secret Police) and that although Azeris had taken part, specific Armenians were the ones who instigated the murders against other Armenians. Mollazade also argued that those who had committed the crimes were arrested, tried, and executed, while those who committed the crimes in Khojaly remain free without any attempt of a trial since. In other words, Armenians instigated violence against their own population and in response, the Azerbaijani government simply committed additional violence against the other accused elements of the Armenian population. The old "eye for an eye," although the government’s accounts of the incidents are historically inaccurate and fictitious. Actual accounts of the Baku and Sumgait massacres are reported in Samvel Shahmuratian’s Sumgait Tragedy and de Waal’s Black Garden, where they state that large-scale Azeri mobs attacked, killed, raped, and abused Armenians in the streets, in their apartments, and in hospital buildings, among other locations. Many allege that at least some 200 fell victim to the massacre pogroms, although the official report by the Procurator General lists about 32 fatal victims (26 Armenians and 6 Azeris).

Another follow-up question asked was about the legitimacy of the "concerns" that the Azeri officials and panel members expressed about solving the current conflict in Karabakh, bringing about peace in the region, and developing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. When asked about the importance of including representatives of Karabakh to the ongoing negotiations between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, France, and the United States, so that the Armenians in Karabakh, who currently consist of their own national government and leaders, will take part in the settlement of their own fate, Mollazade discredited the suggestion stating that the government in Armenia is made up of former Karabakh officials. He, who claims to have been present at all negotiations since the early 1990s and who claims to know all the other members involved in those negotiations since, believes that the officials in Yerevan are in one form or another the leaders of Karabakh as well. This is counter to the fact that Karabakh today has its own active Parliament, government body, and leading President, Bako Sahakyan, who have publicly stated concerns toward being isolated from the currently ongoing negotiations.

Regardless of what the governments in Baku and Yerevan decujide on the issue of Karabakh, it is the people of Karabakh and their leaders who in the end will be left to either reject or accept the outcome. If peace is the ultimate solution, how is this not a concern for either side?
In terms of the panel discussion itself, it will be interesting to see what future steps may be taken, either by the state of Azerbaijan or Azeri NGOs, to pursue those whom the concerned bodies believe are guilty of war crimes, and what developments are made by both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides to come to a conclusion on what really happened the night of February 25-26, 1992. To clarify, please take note that I do not intend to deny or confirm through this article whether a massacre actually did or did not take place by Armenian Forces against the Azerbaijani civilian population of Khojaly. Instead, I mean to suggest that this panel discussion did not present any credible information or evidence to support its argument and that in order to come to an accurate and factual resolution on the issue at hand, appropriate research and investigation must be taken and supported by solid evidence. Claims are claims and facts are facts, we must understand this first and foremost.

Important Decisions About the Future: Careers and Families

Anonymous


As intelligent Armenian women attending prestigious universities, there is a difficult decision many of us face: in what order do we choose to execute our plans for the future? Do we wish to start a family after our 4 (sometimes 5) years at UCLA and then go back to school?

That risks a possible change of heart. Alternatively, we can finish school and start a family after we’ve become established in the career world. So many influences affect this decision and make it difficult to drown out the voices of our old-school culture telling us that "If you wait too long you’ll never get married" as if there exists some invisible threshold age.

Some believe women’s first priorities should be taking care of their husbands and families. Some also believe women should marry rich to not have a worry in the world, but the mere idea would embarrass social progress.

I still believe in the traditional gender roles within a marriage and I worry I might never get married if I wait too long. However, with the changing economy and the way there’s a multi-faceted middle class, a household needs more than one source of income to keep its head above water. By virtue of that idea, it begs the question of how much am I willing to risk to pursue my dream?

All this time and dedication required to get there, all the parties and get-togethers I’ll miss because I’m too busy studying or doing bitch-work as a volunteer or intern.Is it worth it to put everything and everyone you love on hold to pursue a dream?

And being a dream, it consequently brings no guarantees on the horizon.What if this imagined dream doesn’t ultimately turn out the way it was expected to, what if it’s not everything you’ve thought it to be. Is it worth the risk of losing it all? Not to mention your sanity, you’re "liked-by-many" personality, your trivial knowledge of all the celeb gossip which took time (you used to have) to learn. What if that were replaced with starvation induced anorexia because you’d rather study than eat, hair-pulling stress, dark under-eye circles, & white hairs? All for working towards self-meditated, strictly anecdotal imaginary life?

The crux of the issue is that we are in a constant state of evolution. People change and grow apart, dreams become blurred, and ironically people fall apart trying to keep those dreams in tact. In the end, one must make a Dostoevsky-esqe decision. "Is the juice worth the squeeze? Is it essence before existence, or vice versa?"

To wear the title and the "career woman" costume knowing how much you gave up for it.With that in mind, the past is immutable, the present is a gift, and the future will speedily be the present that you will cherish. What happens ahead of you, will never undo what has already happened. If, however, you neglect your past, you will lose sight of your altruism. To sacrifice is to abandon what’s expendable, and never look back.

Sacrifices are forever palsied which is why it is important to evaluate your motivation every step of the way.Once you commit, don’t stop. Any negative energy shrouds your will, and should be considered antagonistic.Surround yourself by those who are determined and who believe that their future is solely determined by their own actions.The greatest shame in life is falling into the gears of the world. We were thrown into this world; we should at least be able to liquidate some of our own existence.

Follow your dreams...graduating seniors, don’t be scared to leave, you will be fine, just make sure you didn’t waste your parents money following an imaginary dream you didn’t plan on achieving. A dream becomes lucid only by your actions, and no other force can manifest its reality. A degree in Domesticology with a minor in "Husband Searching" isn’t always in a woman’s future. Not to say that raising a family is bad, but never be apprehensive to harvest your interests. Satisfy your dreams before anyone else’s.

Is There a Difference Between Christian Faiths?

Ara Shanlian Jr.
ashanlia@uci.edu

Most Armenians forget that Armenia was the first nation to accept Christianity as a national religion. Since then, there have been branches in the once proclaimed Armenian faith. The two major Armenian Christian faiths that I have grown up with are the Armenian Protestant and Armenian Orthodox.

The Armenian Orthodox is rooted in Armenia and is a traditional faith that practices many things that are not mentioned in the Bible. These are either pagan practices that are remnants of our Zoroastrian past, or traditional Armenian practices that don’t contradict what the Bible actually says.

So what is the main difference between Protestant and Orthodox? Is there one? There is a big difference indeed. Protestants and Evangelicals do not believe in a mediator between people and God. Their churches have reverends who simply preach the Gospel to help people better understand it and apply it to their lives. Since there is no mediator, people are pretty much left on their own to grow their faith with the help of the church and its members. Good deeds are not fundamental to the Protestant/Evangelical doctrine, but living a Christian or "Christ-like" life is important. Being born-again, or giving one’s heart to Christ and accepting Him as the Lord and Savior, is the only way to Salvation that the Bible truly preaches.

In the Orthodox doctrine, the priests give sermons in traditional Armenian, which is hard to grasp. If the word of God is hard to grasp, then how are you expected to grow as an individual in your walk with God? The Orthodox have a tradition of baptizing children at a young age, while Protestants believe that baptism is a choice, one that comes after being born-again as a seal to your commitment in the faith. Orthodox Christians also practice fasting, which isn’t really mentioned in the Bible as a required practice, but has become a popular occurrence amongst Armenians as well as the fashionable strings worn on the wrist. We have kept the Orthodox faith and the Armenian traditions alive, but these practices don’t really do anything for the yearning soul.

Armenians think that going to church for Christmas and Easter is enough for their soul, but this is something of an Armenian tradition, and not something God intended. The Bible says that going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, even if you go every Sunday. God’s word tells us that you are only a true Christian if you are born-again, and that is how Protestant Armenians interpret the Bible. This is something that all Armenians need to re-evaluate. Being born Armenian and coming from a nation that was the first to adopt Christianity as its people’s religion just doesn’t cut it.

Ever wondered why Orthodox churches are so lavish? They are filled with beautiful paintings and depictions of Christ, tall altars, and priests dressed in robes with gold necklaces and rings to kiss. Ever wondered why Protestant churches are so modern, yet plain and simple? The pastor or reverend is dressed in a simple suit, there are modest decorations inside the church, but there are no extravagant objects around. That’s where Armenian tradition comes in, but the Bible doesn’t require lavish and rich churches. The Bible says lay a piece of wood and when a group is together, He is present. Jesus doesn’t ask for much, and He certainly doesn’t ask for big churches, robes, and gold.

Armenian-American, or American-Armenian?

Alan Sagherian
alan.sagherian@lls.edu

I hate New Years Eve. That’s right. The night with no curfew, no rules, when even the earliest sleeper stays awake into the wee hours of the night. But New Years Eve is a time where young Armenian individuals such as myself are often faced with an extremely difficult decision: do I make merry with my friends, or my family? Now this may seem like a trivial point of debate, and one usually easily and quickly settled by a grandparent, parent, or older sibling, but within this question lays one of the quintessential debates of the current generations of Armenians living in the United States, and maybe more specifically California or Los Angeles. That debate centers around young Armenians balancing the society around them that compels them to live and act as Americans, while the nearby confines of the family and the community pulls equally strongly towards living as Armenians.

Since the middle of the eighteenth century the United States has been known as an ever-diversifying country, and today might be known as one of the most diverse countries in the world. Though each different ethnicity adds to the constantly evolving "American" culture, this also has a dangerous consequence for those minorities that wish to retain with a death-like grip as much as of their heritage as possible. This brings us to the crisis facing young Armenians today.

Young Armenians, especially those who were born in the United States or came to this country shortly after birth, have constantly been barraged by the sights and sounds of American culture. These influences vary from political beliefs, which may differ from generally conservative Armenian beliefs, to differences in preference in marriage partners, to even daily nuances like the primary language spoken at home. The seemingly increasing liberal (and perhaps libertine) attitude espoused by Americans in general has definitely rubbed off on me, as well as close friends and acquaintances that I know, and I imagine that to be the case for young Armenians elsewhere as well. What effect this will ultimately have on Armenians in America? Time will tell.
The most interesting aspect of this phenomenon, which I alluded to in my opening paragraph, is the begrudging attitude that Armenian youths sometimes take when it comes to following tradition for the sake of tradition. Why do Armenians continue to seemingly humor parents and grandparents by attending church services they do not want to attend, or going to that New Years party attended by sixty year olds, or only speaking to their bilingual parent in Armenian? As a believer in substance over form, I feel that the more cursory these actions are for youths, the more and more they are pushed away from truly understanding their meanings.

We do not live in war torn Beirut, or communist Armenia, or even Ottoman Armenia, where religion, family and politics separated ‘us’ from ‘them’. In America, that need is not dire, and as a result Armenians will continue to slip further and further away from Armenianisms and more into Americanisms. So the question then begs: should you act as an American while living as an Armenian, or act like an Armenian while living as an American?

Taking Pride in Culture as a Means of Staying True to Oneself

Jano Boghossian
janoboghossian@ucla.edu

Armenians are very proud people. We never seem to miss an opportunity to take pride in our people’s accomplishments, yet when the time comes where someone asks for something as simple as our name, we let go of all of that pride and succumb to American culture.

Comedian Vahe Berberian said, "When an Armenian meets a non-Armenian for the first time, they either talk about Armenia being the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion, or talk about the Armenian Genocide." This is very true. We take pride in Mt. Ararat being the location that Noah’s Ark rested on after the flood, Armenia being the first Christian nation, Yerevan being an older city than Rome, and even System of a Down.

On the other hand, how many times have we heard a teacher mispronounce an Armenian student’s name in school? How many times has a student ever put in any effort to try to correct them? From my own observations, an Armenian student rarely attempts to fix the pronunciation of his name. Ironically, this student might sometimes be the same person that goes around preaching to others about how great Armenians are.

Armenian names are unique and recognizable, even to non-Armenians. Every ethnicity has its own particular names, which distinguishes them as part of that specific culture. Names are as much a part of one’s culture as are the food, dance and music of that culture. Armenian names go as far back as the Armenian people—names that have descended from a rich history and that hold great etymological value.

What bothers me is that Armenians in America have become ashamed of their names and strive to anglicize it, or even change it to American names. For example, there are many Hagops out there that insist on being called Jack, which does make a little sense. But insisting on being called Christopher when your name is Khachadour is a shame.

As Armenians try too hard to fit in with the rest of society, some trade in their culture for approval from others. There are many Armenians out there who have gone to extremes such as naming their children American names, not because they match or sound better, but because having an Armenian name would be too difficult for others to pronounce; thus, the child might be teased in school.

What many Armenians do not realize is that their names might sound strange to a foreigner at first, but if they do not put in the effort to have people correctly pronounce their names, no one will do it for them. There are few exceptions, those that go out of their way to try to learn the right pronunciation of our names, but some are not even given the chance. Non-Armenians are not to blame for mispronouncing our names.

The bottom line is that we have to work for progress. What bothers me most is that there are many Armenians out there that anglicize their names even when addressing other Armenians. Some mightdo this in front of a group of foreigners, but it is frustrating when they do it for fellow Armenians.

If we do not take the right steps to correct this problem then we have no right to complain when others do it. When it comes to our food and culture, we feel proud and speak highly of it to others; we should not hesitate to do the same with our names.

If Americans have learned how to properly say Arnold Schwarzenegger, then with a little practice they can also correctly say Hakop Aladzhadzhyan. If we spent as much time teaching others how to correctly pronounce our names as we do talking about the Genocide, then maybe we might actually make some progress.

UCLA Armenian Studies Under Attack: UCLA ASA President’s Response

Iren Tatevosyan
itatevosyan@ucla.edu

I am truly appalled, taken aback, and literally disgusted to the point of repugnance.
I write this note as an Armenian-American student at UCLA, as the President of the Armenian Students’ Association at UCLA, but most importantly, as a scholar and individual who will not stand for the ludicrous propaganda being spread by the makers of "Falsifiers of Armenian History."

Let me make my message plain and clear before I continue: the Armenian students of the world will UNITE, but we will unite against you!

Recently, it was brought to my attention that a video had been circulating on Armenian television channels and now on youtube, which seeks to expose "the Armenian professors in the United States who are promoting the Turkish version of Armenian history." They claim that these professors are, in essence, "CIA agents" and "career spies" who aim to "decompose the Armenian national identity."

The Armenian Studies Professors being maliciously attacked by this smear campaign are Nina Garsoian (Columbia), Ronald Suny (University of Chicago), Robert Thomson (Oxford), Richard Hovannisian (UCLA), James Russell (Harvard), Peter Cowe (UCLA), Alina Ayvazian (Cal Graduate, Visiting Professor at UCI), and Simon Payaslian (Boston University).

Unlike you, I cannot speak for those Professors whom I am not familiar with nor have taken their courses. Unlike you, I will not make generalized, ignorant claims about matters I do not know of or do not have first-hand accounts of. Thus, my rebuttal to your slander will be in defense of esteemed professors Dr. Richard Hovannisian and Dr. Peter Cowe. However, I believe that the unveiling of your misinformed, extremist opinions in regard to the UCLA professors will lead to the unraveling of your entire illegitimate campaign.

First and foremost, how dare you berate these scholastic men who have dedicated their lives to learning, preserving, and educating the youth of the Diaspora on Armenian history. More importantly, how on earth can you even conjure up the thought that these professors are aligned with the "Turkish Government’s Foreign Ministry" when in 1997 they spearheaded a movement which successfully blocked the Turkish government’s effort to establish an Ottoman and Turkish history chair at UCLA (http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/06/news/mn-61134).
While this statement may be cliché, I have never before found it to ring louder and truer: YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.

Unfortunately, as ultra-extremists, you are probably blind to the disservice you are causing the greater Armenian community by contaminating the minds of the unsuspecting public. With just a few counterclaims, I will eradicate the contagious nonsense you are disseminating.

Fabrication #1: Richard Hovannisian is a "corrupt historian who uses the Turkish terminology for the Armenian Highland by calling it Eastern Anatolia."

TRUTH: How assuredly you proclaim your falsities. Well, as a student who has taken both Ancient and currently Modern Armenian history taught by Dr. Hovannisian, I can factually state that he has not referred to historic Armenian lands as Eastern Anatolia. Instead, he continually lectures on the Armenian plateau.

Wait. This is actually the only personal attack you make against Dr. Hovannisian. Instead, because of the laxity of your claims you proceed to attack his son. Any properly trained reporter knows that if your claims have any substance you would not resort to attacking the familial members of the person who is your actual target.

Fabrication/Most Ridiculous Statement of the Video #2: Peter Cowe’s research is focused on the History of Armenian Theatre and Film, Armenian Medieval Intellectual History, and the Growth of Modern Armenian Nationalism. Who is this guy really working for? He is studying about Armenian theatre and inquiring about Armenian nationalism?

REBUTTAL: Since when has it been a vice to foster a thirst for knowledge in a variety of subject areas? Furthermore, as a critic of history you should know that the Armenian national movement significantly contributed to the restoration of drama after the period known as the "Dark Ages" in Armenian history. Here is a thought: maybe you should take a history course with Dr. Hovannisian; it might help to brighten the shadow cast over your twisted view of history.

I can honestly go on and on, but I will not expand my efforts to thwarting your callous campaign in further publications.

Instead, I will conclude with the following thoughts. If there is one thing I have learned from Armenian history, it is this: no one can successfully bring about our destruction but us.
By attacking those very people who seek to enlighten both Armenian and foreign peoples about the rich history of our forefathers, you are no better than the princely nakharars whose squabbling prevented Armenians from creating a unified front against Eastern and Western imperialism/domination.

If you wish to contribute to the wheels of Armenian history, then continue grinding the lever of separation.

However I, whom you proclaim to be one of the "brainwashed" university students, will not stand by as you continue to pollute Armenian minds with your vicious propaganda. I will stay up, as I did tonight, and continue to do so every night until your insidiousness is brought to an end.
My fellow peers, I ask you to act as I have. Don’t just take my word for it. See this hateful video for yourself [Search You Tube for "Falsifiers of Armenian History"].

CALL TO ACTION: Flag this video so that it may be taken off You Tube. Mark it as "Hateful and Abusive Content" – "Promotes Hatred and Violence."

Tell your parents and everyone you know about this smear campaign. Furthermore, if the video is discussed or played on Armenian TV, please call in and refute these opinions.

You best believe that this is our initial response. I will not stop until this video and your pathetic, unsubstantial claims are erased.

The Armenian students are beginning to unite. We will unite to stop you.

April 24: Ritual Or Remembrance?

Savada Simounian-Khygani
savadask@ucla.edu

For the last five years, I have witnessed and observed a phenomenon in the Armenian community that can only be described as a ritual – the 24 of April. This day, the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, is widely held as a day of mourning for the tremendous and horrific fates of our ancestors. For most of us, we wake up on this day with a ritualistic mindset. We have a certain script to follow; certain things must be done or it will seem odd. The activities we participate in, the clothes that we wear, the ceremonies that we attend become an annual routine. We equip ourselves with an Armenian flag, sit through a church service, march through Little Armenia, attend a ceremony or two, and call it a day. Some will gather in Montebello along with our community leaders for yet another ceremony, while others will protest at the Turkish Embassy. There are still others who will simply stay at home.

This routine, and almost perfunctory nature of treating April 24, is a serious problem. Many of us are ignorant of what actually transpired on this day. The reasons, the agents, the victims, the consequences, and the end of the Genocide are simple facts to which many in our community are oblivious. It scares me that the majority of these ignorant people are parents who, then, perpetuate the ignorance by passing it down to their offspring. I interned at the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) for the Genocide Education Project based in San Francisco. I created, along with my partner, a pamphlet intended to inform community members that a California state law stipulates that the Armenian Genocide be taught in schools. Interested in assessing students’ prior knowledge of the Genocide, I administered a test consisting of 10 questions and was shocked to find out that as many as 80% of the children did not know basic facts such as when the Genocide ended. When the format of the test was changed to that of a multiple-choice, a still-shocking 50% of the children did not know the answer. This is enough to understand how thoroughly this law is being followed. The shameful performance of these high school children on this assessment is a testament to the fact that April 24 is considered a mere ritual; it does not improve or impart any real or meaningful knowledge.

From the church-goers to the participants in the marches, this day is filled with events and activities. The church encompasses 1700 years of rituals that are practiced by our communities. Church services on the 24th are held in ancient and modern Armenian which consists of fast chanting that most of us cannot understand. If the majority of us are unable to comprehend these sermons, we will continue to remain ignorant of the true essence of the Genocide. After the church, next on our agenda are the marches and protests. Most of these are held in Little Armenia, but I want to bring to your attention what happened last year. UCLA’s Armenian Student Association (ASA) brought several children from local Armenian private schools who participated in a silent march around campus. However, these kids would joke around, pretend to fight with each other, and be loud. Even though these children, who were between the ages of 8 and 12, cannot be looked at as mature or responsible, this is still an example of how childish things can belittle the serious nature of the issue at hand. This type of behavior can also be seen at the Genocide Monument in Montebello. Over the last few years, there have been instances of Armenians fighting other Armenians on the type of flag that should be displayed and also of Armenians calling the police to get fellow Armenians arrested. It seems to be a pretentious contest over how many flags a single individual can hoist. It is sickeningly embarrassing when protesters are asked by passerby, "Did you guys win a soccer game or something?" A display of the mourning for the horrendous tragedy of our ancestors is interpreted as a celebration of something so trivial by outsiders. Further callous acts consist of some Armenians who burn Turkish flags in front of the Turkish Embassy. The marches and the protests are covered by local television crews and newspapers, and every act is photographed. The inconsiderate burning of Turkish flags seems grossly ignorant and demeans the cause that we are fighting towards. Burning flags casts a negative light on us and only serves to delay recognition and support for our cause.

To those of you that stay home during this day, I commend you. I understand that it is an emotional day and staying home to reconcile your feelings is a good alternative to participating in mind-numbing rituals. There are those of you, though, that treat this day as a holiday. This is extremely degrading and condescending to the memories of our ancestors.

I, once again, come back to those who perform automatic acts on this day simply because it is what they have always done. If this pattern continues, the darkest day in our people’s history will become nothing more than a symbolic mockery. I urge you to educate your friends and family members about the significance of this day. Use this day to mourn our ancestors, to honor them, and to make them proud of their future generations. There can be no more petty altercations, belligerent arguments in front of the Genocide Monument, and no ritualistic mindsets

I Choose My Own Destiny

Angela Mujukian
ladyBruin24@ucla.edu

Yes. We all know what the pre-med course is like: I average about two to three panic attacks per week. Random strangers constantly ask "Why do you want to be a doctor?" And I simply reply the same way thousands and thousands of other pre-med applicants have answered on their applications or during their interviews: "I want to save a life. I care about people. I know someone who passed away and it inspired me to become a doctor."

Medical schools have heard just about every answer there is and it is just not good enough in their eyes anymore. The admissions boards across the world are hard to please. They make it seem that unless I become an Olympic gold medalist or discover the cure for cancer, I am never getting into medical school, no matter how much community service I do, how many labs I’ve worked in, however many hours I have volunteered in a hospital, how good my grades are- it’s just not going to cut it.

The situation is simply mind-boggling. And the worse part are the UCLA counselors. I’ve personally talked to a handful of these individuals from different departments. And every time, I have left their office furious. I have found counselors to be discouraging, to put it in nice terms. They, in turn, accuse me of being stubborn and tell me to pursue another field or area of study.
I walk out of there leaving them with the remarks that, "No matter what you say, I’m still going to pursue the field of medicine." I’ve heard just about all that you can hear from counselors, "Why don’t you reevaluate your life, medicine is not the only possibility." As if my plate is not full enough for them to add this discouragement.

On top of that, I also receive negativity from my family and friends because they just don’t understand. "Do you want to go to school for that long? Why don’t you go into pharmacy?" Maybe because I don’t like pharmacy! If there is a force and a passion that’s imbedded in my soul and it keeps pushing me to proceed and be successful then that drive is never going to stop until I get where I want to be.

Many students choose to study abroad and go on medical trips, get published for research, shadow doctors, volunteer in hospitals, become Emergency Medical Technicians, join 100 pre-med clubs, and go to New York on a summer research program, all to increase their chances of being admitted into a good medical school. Yet, if they don’t have straight A’s and amazing MCAT scores, then they are ultimately out of luck.

People go to extreme lengths to get into medical school because it is becoming increasingly difficult to get into any school in the United States. Many go to graduate school, do a post-baccalaureate, and reapply. Most students stay for a fifth year in their undergraduate career to try and improve their grades. It gets more and more competitive every year that now students are seeking to go to schools in the Caribbean because it is the only school that accepts them.
Just to add more stress to my life, I am presented with the question of what to major in.

I have no idea! I get told from the handful of ‘helpful’ counselors at UCLA that because I am pre-med I should major in science, perhaps Biology. I have a profound interest in English and I absolutely hate Biology. It never occurred to me that I would actually need to know how many legs a crab has or that starfish are echinoderms that belong to the class Asteroidea, in order to diagnose a patient.

I don’t need to know that.Still, I would rather read British literature and close-read a poem, because the technique of excavating the piece, like a patient, is a craft, and it doesn’t require one to know about the animal kingdom.

I have probably thought about every single major and minor at UCLA ranging from Psychobiology, Biology, Physiological Sciences, to English, Public Health, the History of Science & Medicine, Womens’ Studies, Psychology, and History.

The question embedded in my mind is, what are med schools looking for? If they want me to major in the study of trash, I will do it. Then I ask myself whether I would choose a subject that interests me or something that will boost my grade point average.

I get flustered over all these questions that run in my mind on a daily basis as I strive to become that successful applicant who makes it. At the end of the day, my life is like a lottery ticket or a toss of a coin to the admission boards. Heads: I get in. Tails: I don’t. All I know is that I cannot leave my success in their hands. I have to choose my own route because, in the end, I choose my own destiny. I have become deaf to all negativity and no matter how many times people discourage me, I will persevere and will not stop until I achieve my dream.

Victoria's Chronicles: Once Upon a Time in Europe

Victoria
Victoriaschronicles.blogspot.com
victoriaschronicles@gmail.com

I am often asked if I have ever been in love or loved. I always thought that Preppy was my first love. He was the first man in my life whom I thought I would dance to Edith Piaf, the man who I thought would hold my hand when I was falling, pick me up when I was down, and never make me cry. He never held my hand, we never slow danced—especially to anything French—and I had cried so much for him that I had no more tears left. I had never felt more alone in my life than when I was with Preppy. The loneliness was palpable.

After a year of frolicking and telling the world off, I found myself sitting on a one-way flight to Italy. I couldn’t believe it was only last week that I was stressing over writing my final papers. I sat there in the plane feeling numb and waiting to wake up in my dark, stale studio.

I never had any expectations when I first arrived in Europe. I knew I was going to see history, eat the best pizza, drink vino, and enjoy la dolce vita. I couldn’t believe how far I had come. Last year I was planning a life with a man and now, I was standing on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples alone.

We met in a small village in southern Italia on a hot summer night. I mistook him for an American, and he mistook me for a local. After five minutes of him struggling with his broken Italian, I relieved him, "Non conosco l’Italiano." A couple of limone cellos later, I found myself sitting in the empty piazza with a Dutchman. We had talked for so long that I didn’t even realize the sun was up, and I was going to miss my flight to Rome. Stuck with the idea that this may have been my last night with this man, I did something I never thought I would do. We arranged to meet up in Paris in a few days.

It’s amazing now that I look back; I flew to another country to meet up with a man I barely knew. I took a chance on someone who I did not know anything about; for all that I knew he might have been a Euro version of one of the many dysfunctional men I dated in LA. Then again, when don’t we take a chance on someone we hardly know? What is life if not taking chances? I almost cancelled on him a couple of days before I flew out to Paris, but it was the wise words of a friend who lead me to find love again, "See him, or else you will be left wondering the rest of your life, what if? Don’t live to regret this moment."

A week had passed since I had last seen him. I stood at the Île de la Cité feeling sick to my stomach. The tourists around me were snapping pictures and posing by the Notre Dame, while I was trying to see if I could remember what he looked like. They say when you see, you will know. I knew. Out of the crowd of tourists, I saw him walking towards me.

"We are in the middle of Paris."He held my hand, and we walked down to the jardin du Luxembourg, where we spent the next six hours talking. I had never felt more at home, more at peace, and as full of answers as I did with him. As he kissed me, I thought I had transcended out of my body and was looking down at myself thinking, "What movie are you watching?" I was so enthralled by him that I didn’t even notice I was running around Paris in stilts.

For dinner, we walked down to an Armenian bistro; I thought I should enlighten him with some korovats. We drank Armenian wine, dinned on French lamb, and were entertained by the Armenian restaurant owner who thought the Dutchman was my husband.

Time in Paris is astonishing; it seems to flow like liquid, slowly oozing and before you know it, you are standing in front of the Palais de Chaillot overlooking the Eiffel Tower as it’s sparkling in the dark sky like a million stars.

Our weekend together was beyond magical; it was so fantastic that till this day, I have to pinch myself and think "Come on." I had forgotten that I was a tourist in this place called love. I had become so comfortable that I took residence.

As we ran through the metro to the Gare de Lyon, I could hear an accordion in the distance.In the middle of the station, he held me tight and gave me my first and last dance to Ms. Piaf. He was taking the midnight train back to Amsterdam.

We stood there not saying anything. This was the first time in the past couple days that neither one of us wanted to say anything. No goodbyes, no ciaos, no adieus, rein. "I will see you later."
I stood there and watched him get on the train; I was unable to move, I stood there numb. I don’t know how I managed to find my way out of the station; the tears were blinding me, and it seemed like all the air was sucked out of me. I came to realize something about Paris. It has everything to give and everything to take from you. I came to Paris to feel love, be in love, and love. I loved.

Later on that day, I found myself sitting on one of the many bridges of the Seine River overlooking the Île de la Cité; I realized that I was brought back to life. Love is possible; just because you love someone does not mean you will be with that person for the rest of your life. I have come to believe that you cannot be with your soul mate in this life. Most people wait a lifetime with a person to feel something remotely close, but it doesn’t matter; when it comes to love, time is irrelevant. At the end of the day, I know that we will always have Paris. If he has taught me anything, it is to believe, believe in love, and believe in the unbelievable, even if it a once upon a time.

As I inhaled my last cigarette, I could feel the tar burning my lungs while the summer rain cooled me down. I knew that I was never going to see him again.

Victoria's Chronicles is a column published in the Armenian Chronicles: Can't get enough? Read more here http://victoriaschronicles.blogspot.com/

UCLA Armenian Studies Welcomes Dr. Areshian

The Armenian Studies department at the University of California, Los Angeles will have Greg Areshian as a guest lecturer for the Spring quarter of 2009. He will be teaching in the archaeology pillar with a class titled Constituting Empire: Armenia and Iran through Millennia. The course will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-4:30pm. Course name and number is Armenian 188

Shahane Martirosyan
shahanem@ucla.edu

Introducing Greg Areshian:
While most children collect coins, Greg Areshian collected excavated objects as he was growing up in Soviet Armenia. By the time he graduated high school, he had so many collectibles that he felt obligated to donate them to museums. Thus, it was an obvious choice for Areshian to study archaeology as a college student, even though it wasn’t what his parents had planned for him. Regardless, Areshian studied historiography and archaeology at Yerevan State University and received his PhD from the St.Petersburg State University in Russia.

Areshian’s love for historiography and archaeology has led him to collect more than just excavated objects. He has also gathered tens of thousands of books over the years, from which thousands have been donated to the Academy of Sciences, Institute of Archaeology in Armenia and, thousands more to the University of Chicago where he taught in the 1990s. In fact, the school has dedicated a reading room to Professor Areshian to illustrate appreciation for his generosity.

Today, Greg Areshian is a Professor in the Institute of Archaelogy at UCLA. In 1993, Areshian was a visiting professor in the history department which has led him to donate some of his book collection to the University of California library system.

Professor Areshian’s current research is in Tell Mozan, Syria, also known as Urkesh City. The second is Terqa in Mesopotamia, and the research is devoted to figurines. With the Institute of Archaeology of Sciences in Armenia, Areshian is doing excavations in Dvin and Areni. Areni is particularly interesting because there is practically no moisture in the cave, and so the temperature and the dryness has allowed for the fruits and the human brains to stay intact. With assistance from carbon dating, Areshian believes that the findings from the Areni site can give tremendous amount of insight about the Copper Age in Armenia.

Due to his extensive background in archaeology and his concentration in the region of Armenia, the department chair for Armenian Studies, Peter Cowe, invited professor Areshian to teach a course to the Armenian Studies students this spring. Areshian welcomes the idea of teaching in the department, when asked what he thinks of the Armenian students at UCLA, Areshian stated that he finds them to be much more open-minded.

In the course, Areshian hopes to expand the minds of the open-minded students even more by introducing the Armenian and Iranian interdisciplinary history beyond our traditional scope with concrete information from the archaeological sources. He will examine how the Iranian empire was constructed and how the Armenians lived within the empire.

Furthermore, students are more than welcome to study and excavate at Areni this summer. The program is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the homeland through academic eyes. The University of California Archeological Field School offers 12 units for a summer program in Armenia. For more information on this opportunity please visit http://www.archaeology.ucla.edu.

Armenian Cultural Traditions & Icons

Christine Kojayan
bruingirl0021@ucla.edu

Armenians express their beliefs and characteristics through tangible and intangible creations that relate to their culture. The art of the Armenian people is a product of their history and world culture.

Folk art and culture play a great role in the identity of the Armenian people. Many Armenians explore the world surrounding them through symbols. The most important of these symbols include "The Sacred Mountain," "The World as a Garden," and "The Khachkar" (Armenian Cross-Stone).

"The Sacred Mountain," known as Mount Ararat, is usually linked with the resting place of Noah’s ark. Mount Ararat, which first belonged to the Republic country of Armenia, is now located in present-day Turkey.

Mount Ararat also symbolizes the struggles that Armenians went through in trying to keep their faith and unity. Although Armenians are physically separated from their sacred Ararat Mountain, they claimed to have never been too distant from it in spirit. The mountain appears before the eyes of those living in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. This sight inspires many artisans and painters to constantly reproduce its image. For all intensive purposes, the mountain has become the "calling card" of Armenia.

"The World as a Garden" is another symbol for the identity of the Armenian culture. It portrays the vital culture in which Armenians cultivated grapes for the wine and raised cattle.

Wine symbolized blood in mytho-poetical thought for sacred ceremonies. For example, during the Holy Communion held in Armenian Orthodox churches, the wine figuratively symbolizes the blood of Christ.

Many centuries before the Church of the Holy Cross was built at Lake Van, Armenians had read and learned about the Bible’s legend of the Garden of Eden. From this and many other biblical stories, Armenians believed to be somewhat connected to the holy lands described in Genesis 2:8-15.

Another symbol to the Armenian identity is "The Khachkar," which is a memorial stone unique to the country of Armenia. It is a rectangular block of stone that is carved into the Armenian cross. The portion of the stone in which the cross is engraved always faces the west.

Khachkars are found almost everywhere in Armenia, mostly by monasteries, crossroads, mountain ledges, springs and bridges. The design of the Armenian cross mirrors some of the designs preferred during the 4th century, which was around the time Christianity was first adopted by Armenians. The winged Armenian cross has a busy design with the lower part being slightly longer than the arms and the top of the cross. There are no two similar designs of the Armenian cross expect for the two unique wings.

Another important aspect of the Armenian culture is music and dance. The heritage of the Armenian dance is perceived to be one of the oldest and richest forms seen in the near east. Many rock statues and paintings of Armenian dancing remain from ancient times.

The music of Armenia is a very traditional one. Armenian music is mostly accompanied by musical instruments and is usually followed by the feasts and festivals being celebrated. In its recent years, Armenians have created new styles of music while staying true to old customs. This is supported in the present day by the world-class Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, performing at the Opera House in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan.

Of all the aspects of the Armenian culture, the one that keeps the people united and has allowed for their perseverance to this day is the Armenian language and alphabet. The Armenian language is Indo-European, but linguists classify Armenian as an independent branch from other Indo-European languages. It has been spoken since at least 800 B.C.

It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also spoken very commonly among Armenian communities in the Armenian Diaspora. The creation of the Armenian alphabet and continuance of this unique language have kept the Armenian public alive and strong, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The Armenian people have overcome many obstacles throughout their history and continue to do so today; these challenging hindrances are evident in the cultural traditions. The Armenian people express their beliefs, histories, and lifestyles through the use of art, music, religion, architecture and books. These one of a kind expressions of culture exist within the core of the Armenian identity.

Armenian Church Youth Association Holds Various Activities

Raffi G. Naljian, Esq.
RGN@NaljianLaw.com

The Armenian Church Youth Association (ACYA) was formed a mere four years ago under the auspices of H.E. Moushegh Arch. Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Western America. Currently, the ACYA, headquartered at the Western Prelacy in La Crescenta, serves both Armenian Christian youth and young adults through two bodies: one for youth ages 11 to 17, and the other for young adults and adults alike, ages 18 to 35.

The ACYA’s nine-member Central Executive Committee is led by Chairman Raffi Naljian and vice-chairman Manuk Chulyan. Local chapters of the ACYA cater to their respective groups at churches throughout California, with six chapters in the greater Los Angeles County, and others in Fresno and San Francisco. Overall, the ACYA has more than 300 active members throughout California.

Since its inception, the ACYA’s goals have been to bring the Armenian youth and young adults back to church through various activities and events, and moreover, to keep them in church by educating them about Christianity as applicable to the Armenian Church. In helping with these great challenges, the ever-devoted Right Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian and Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian always provide their undivided support to the ACYA and its various activities throughout all the local churches.

Last year was the most successful year yet for the ACYA. The year was highlighted with events hosted by both the Central Executive ACYA and local chapters throughout the state. More specifically, eight members of the ACYA were fortunate enough to have an all-expense-paid trip to Antelias, Lebanon, in August 2008 for a youth conference. The youth conference, organized by the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s Youth Department, was officially launched in the Saint Mary Monastery in Bikfaya on August 4. The conference convened under the theme "The Armenian Youth in the face of the challenges of the 21st century." The conference was held under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I, who also presided over the opening ceremony and addressed the young delegates participating in the conference from Armenian communities worldwide. The conference brought together over 100 young Armenians from the Eastern and Western prelacies of North America, Istanbul, Cyprus, Kuwait, the Arab Gulf countries, Tehran and Isfahan, Syria and Lebanon.

Locally, the ACYA chapters were highly active in their respective communities. Between the various local chapters, young adults engaged in numerous activities, including:
• Five visits to Ararat Home, including two trips to the nursing home facility and three to the elderly-resident facility. All visits included singing prayers and church songs to the elderly, in addition to serving various desserts;
• Three "Community Movie Nights", which included free showings of biblical movies during specific holidays. In 2008, the movies "The Nativity Story," "The Passion of the Christ," and "The Ten Commandments" were shown during Armenian Christmas, Easter, and the All-Saints day (Halloween);
• Six hiking trips, two of which allowed members to hold their bi-weekly meetings at the top of the mountain;
• Three at-the-park meetings held at McCambridge Park in Burbank, where members were able to play sports for an entire afternoon, in addition to Bible-Study lectures at each meeting;
• Volunteering during Holy Week by way of greeting churchgoers and performing crowd control, including reading of "Havadov Khosdovanim" ("With Faith I Confess") at a church service, passing out butter after "Washing of the Feet", passing out flowers on "Good Friday" and running "recruitment booths" during both Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. More than 40 different members in total volunteered during the ten-day period;
• A Second Anniversary All-Day Picnic where members of both the St. Mary’s Parish and Board of Trustees attended to celebrate the chapter’s second anniversary, with an attendance of over 70 members and their families. The Sub-Committee provided a full day of activities, including sports, games, food and refreshments;
• A three-day, two-night camping trip in the month of September, highlighted by a visit by Rev. Fr. Vazken Atmajian. Twenty-one members enjoyed a weekend at Rivernook Campground, which included Bible Studies, prayer sessions, a showing of "The Gospel of John", a morning hike, a trip to a nearby "slip ‘n slide", numerous games and sports, and of course, numerous home-made meals prepared by ACYA Subcommittee members;
• The Third Annual Thanksgiving Potluck held on Saturday, November 22, 2008. The now-traditional event has become an amazingly popular tradition for the local Armenian Christian young adults, which is a free event, open to all ACYA members and used as a recruitment tool for non-members. Dinner included more than 30 tradi
prepared by ACYA Subcommittee members;
• The Third Annual Thanksgiving Potluck held on Saturday, November 22, 2008. The now-traditional event has become an amazingly popular tradition for the local Armenian Christian young adults, which is a free event, open to all ACYA members and used as a recruitment tool for non-members. Dinner included more than 30 traditional Armenian, American and Middle-Eastern dishes and numerous home-made desserts. Entertainment for the night was provided by a live DJ playing international music for all attendees. More than 125 members attended this highly-successful event;
• Several attendances to various local church-sponsored events where youth and young adult members were encouraged to show up in great numbers;
• A bonfire night at Dockweiler Beach during July, which followed a young adults meeting at the St. Mary’s Church;
• Two meetings at the Western Prelacy Headquarters in La Crescenta, where members were encouraged to later join the Divine Liturgy held every first Saturday of each month;
• A multi-church hike with members of the Pasadena, Glendale and La Crescenta ACYA members; and
• The very popular ACYA New Year’s and Christmas Celebration held on December 27, 2008.

The event was open to adults over 18 with more than 225 persons in attendance. The night included a fully catered dinner and appetizers. Of course, those present danced the entire night to Armenian, Middle-Eastern and other international dance music.

Overall, year 2008 brought numerous new mem bers to the ACYA, which exposed young adults and adults alike to the teachings of the Armenian Apostolic Church, allowed members to participate in various church activities and services, and created volunteering opportunities to help both the respective local church and its faithful. Most importantly, ACYA activities allowed members to learn teachings from the Bible and establish a better and closer relationship with our Church and the Christian faith through the help and support of various clergymen. There is no doubt the ACYA will continue its strong growth, both in membership and in the quality of its teachings, during 2009. All Armenian Christian young adults are encouraged to visit their local church and ask about joining the ACYA, or by calling 818-859-9081.

AYF Parties for a Cause Continues to Grow

Niyiri Manougian
niyirianaghchig@netscape.net

The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) founded its Burbank "Varak" chapter in the 2002-2003 fiscal year. With 20 members last year and 10 new transfers, the "Varak" chapter is looking to take a leadership role within the ranks of AYF this upcoming year.

Vahe Lepedjian, who is a member of AYF’s Social Committee, stated, "The AYF is very interesting in that it kind of changes with the times based on the demand of the Armenian people and the needs of the Armenian people. AYF kind of evolves with that. AYF has been many different things throughout the years and right now in this day and age, you know, when there is such an emphasis on political activism and getting your voice heard, AYF also gives young Armenians the means to play a politically active role in their community."

The Armenian Youth Federation was founded in 1933 in Boston. Today, AYF’s Western Region boasts of 500 members and 14 chapters. Las Vegas was added as the newest chapter in the Western Region in the summer of 2008. AYF is founded on five pillars: education, social, political, cultural, and athletic. Anyone wishing to obtain more information about AYF can log onto their website at http://www.ayfwest.org/.

The Burbank AYF has biweekly general meetings to discuss current issues in the Armenian community. They discuss how as youth they can improve the Armenian community that they inhabit. "Varak" is the name of an old vank or monastery in historic Western Armenia or what is Eastern Turkey today.

As part of their involvement in the community, AYF’s Burbank chapter opened its fiscal year with a charity event to help Armenian orphans in Armenia. On October 30, 2008, AYF’s Burbank "Varak" chapter held its fourth annual Halloween party at Café Rouge in Studio City. All of the proceeds from the event went to the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Sponsor-A-Child program.

The night started at 9 pm when organizers and members of the Armenian Youth Federa
tion’s Burbank chapter were joined with members of other AYF chapters, various college ASA members, local high school seniors and friends. "The main part of it was just advertising, getting the word out to the youth groups," said Lepedjian, who was also one of the main organizers behind the scenes of the Halloween party. The targeted age group was the youth of the community. Most, appropriate to the event, were decked in costumes ranging from home-made cardboard boxes and simple wigs to elaborate rental costumes.

The members of AYF’s Social Committee, including Vahe Lepedjian, Shahan Boghigian, Lala Aghkhanian, and Nareh Aboolian, had worked on organizing the event for over a month and a half. "I was looking for places with a reasonable deal…aside from that, we needed a DJ. Our original DJ cancelled a week [before the event]. Um, the planning of it went pretty smoothly," said Lepedjian. And no worries about the DJ; Boghigian found a replacement, DJ Crush, pretty quickly. The event was a success, as about 150 to 200 people joined the revelries throughout the night, and helped support a good cause.

When the annual Halloween party started a few years ago, it was a joint event with the AYF’s La Crescenta chapter. When the idea was first proposed, it was to be nothing more than a social event where the Armenian youth of the community would get a chance to spend some time together. Members thought this was a good idea, but they wanted the event to be something more than just a party. As with most of the events that the AYF’s Burbank chapter participates in, the event would be more than just a social gathering; it wouldn’t be an AYF event if it didn’t serve the Armenian community in one form or another.

Lepedjian added, "I think AYF events are great, because in the Diaspora, its very difficult to keep and maintain your identity…AYF social events are great in that Armenians come together, spend time together...I think more than that, events need some type of substance and I think this event actually fulfilled that, because not only are Armenians gathering together but they’re also helping the homeland…its killing two birds with one stone."

The ARS Sponsor-A-Child project is a program that supports orphans in Armenia. It’s a sad situation when the orphanages are filled not only with orphans who have lost their parents, but also with children whose parents are alive but can no longer support them. In the past three years, the AYF has been able to support five to six children annually. "We’ve been sponsoring the same orphans from year to year," said Lepedjian. This year, the AYF’s Burbank chapter’s proceeds went to support six orphans, three of which are currently at a university.

As a result of the advertising of this event, Lepedjian said, "A lot of people have actually approached us since we organized this Halloween party. I believe six or seven people called our executives wanting to just sponsor a child." This was in addition to the children that would be supported by the profits that were made at the event.

The good thing about the Sponsor-A-Child program is that anyone can contribute. All one has to do is go online to the ARS website at www.ars1910.org, look up the contact information, and get in touch with the ARS office directly. The cost is $130 per child to sponsor him or her for an entire year, and sponsors get a picture of the child that they are sponsoring along with details as to how their donation money is being spent.

Other resolutions on the agenda for AYF’s Burbank chapter include holding fundraisers in the upcoming fiscal year to sponsor a child to attend the AYF Camp for one week, as well as to sponsor a youth to attend the Armenia Youth Corps program in the summer of 2009. The Youth Corps program in designed such that youth from around the world get the chance to go to Armenia and spend the summer there. In 2007, the Youth Corps program dedicated itself to renovating a youth center in Stepanagerd, Garapagh.

In 2008, the program opened a day camp for kids to teach them English and how to use the computer. Lepedjian says that it’s important for Armenian youth to participate in the Youth Corps program because "it gives Armenians a chance to go and spend their summer in Armenia not as tourists, but kind of get a taste of the lifestyle that our brothers and sisters in Armenia lead every day." To learn more about these programs, visit www.AYFwest.org/programs.
"I think we’re off to an amazing start…this year we’re taking a leadership role within the ranks of the AYF, and Burbank’s name is getting out there. We started off strong and hopefully we’ll continue strong and finish strong," said Lepedjian.

Young Armenian “Heros” Save the Community

Eva Mavyan and Sara Sousani

The word "heros" in Latin is imbued with the sense of courage required to undertake the colossal issues faced within communities such as poverty, homelessness, and abandonment.
The "Heros" Humanitarian Foundation is an organization brought together and bonded by a passion to help alleviate the difficulties some people face in their lives, and they require help in order to continue to work towards helping others find their way to a brighter tomorrow.

A group of friends from Glendale, California were brought together by a common ideology—helping people. Combining their works and efforts, each member of the group contributed to the community individually, creating the basis for the nonprofit organization to grow. The "Heros" Humanitarian Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that has already brought smiles to many faces.

Their first event was a toy drive that provided toys to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. They collected over 300 toys, which were all donated by members of their community, particularly the youth who wanted to lend a helping hand. This was the start of many successful events to come.

Last month, the "Heros" Humanitarian Foundation teamed up with the Armenian National Committee of America in response to President Barack Obama’s call to service. The "Heros" Humanitarian Foundation provided one of two drop off locations in Glendale to collect canned foods for the Cans for the Cause Campaign. Within a week of commencing collections, they managed to collect over 1,200 food items weighing in at 1,068 pounds of food, which were all donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

In response to the outpour of help from the community, Suren Hazarian, President and Co-founder of the "Heros" Humanitarian Foundation said, "We are dedicated to the objective that the community can and will make an impact in the lives of others. If it wasn’t for the outstanding support and encouragement from our community, this drive would not have been such a success. The success of our local effort shows just how much we can accomplish when compassionate people work together to make a difference."

Hazarian is one of many young adults who has wanted to always make a difference in the lives of others and has embarked on this opportunity to do so by founding this organization and taking a call to action.

With two events successfully under their belt, they are currently promoting their Inaugural Gala, an event that will enable them to raise funds to support numerous future events including a Feed the Homeless event and Community Clean-up scheduled to take place in the spring. The Inaugural Gala will take place on February 28, 2009 at a local restaurant/bar called Notte Luna located at 113 North Maryland Avenue in Glendale. With Mediterranean food on the menu, including an option for drinks and hookah, the night promises to be as festive as it is rewarding. Tickets will be sold at the door for $15 each and all ticket proceeds will be donated to the foundation. It is also encouraged that people bring toys, which will all be collected and used for a future toy drive to be held in March.

As a nonprofit organization, they rely strictly on donations; therefore, they encourage all to participate in this event and show their support. The foundation is always looking for any support and sponsors they can potentially recruit.

The organization has also recently sent out many letters with pledge forms asking for tax-deductible donations. The donations made will all be used towards bringing bright smiles to children’s faces and towards providing warm meals to the homeless and less fortunate.

The leaders of "Heros" feel that by joining this group you are not only showing your support, you are also being a part of a movement—a movement that will help raise awareness. You are realizing that there are people out there who need your help, and it doesn’t matter whether your support is through volunteerism, donations or committed support.

On their Facebook page, they ask that you reflect upon the many comforts of your own lives and "take a minute to think about the millions of people out there who have never had a proper meal, never heard the words of a person who cared, or never felt the warmth of a bed. It’s about time we not only see some change but help make these changes. Humanity has lost its heart please don’t let it lose its hope," reinforcing their mantra of "Striving for the Restoration of Humanity Through Mind, Body, and Soul."

Although the foundation is a fledgling organization, they have had a successful beginning, and now need the help of other well-wishing, compassionate individuals who have a desire to do work within their communities and lend a helping hand. By combining efforts, "Heros" has the potential to flourish into an organization that can help many more in need.

The "Heros" Humanitarian Foundation welcomes donations, volunteers, and ideas, as well as readers’ inquiries about their organization and future events. Individuals interested in contacting the organization can do so via their Facebook page, as well as email at HerosFoundation@gmail.com. Additionally, to speak directly to the President, readers may call (323) 806-2777, or contact the Secretary at (818) 523-7676.

Truth Be Told: Dreams of Historic Man

Andre Arzoo
andrearzoo@berkeley.edu

January 19: Today is a day for us to commemorate; we commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. who struggled throughout his life, ultimately sacrificing it as an advocate for equality and free speech within the segregated and tainted streets of America’s past.

Today, however, Armenians and Turks alike commemorate this day for another figure representing justice, equality, and truth. A figure who also gave his life in a struggle for human justice, not only of his own ethnic people but also for the citizens of a nation caught between their past and present history.

The recognition of the Armenian genocide is a controversial issue in many countries today, in many communities, and in many cities. A true act of terror was committed in 1915 against millions of Armenians and other minorities living within the Ottoman Empire, today’s Turkey. This is a topic of which the slightest reference to can cause great uproar and commotion, whether discussed among politicians or common men in Washington Yerevan, or Ankara. These tragedies of the past few years remind us of the passion that this issue can ignite, passion that not only continues to take lives and spark political battles but also continues to divide a nation.
Hrant Dink, an Armenian news editor, intellectual, and political activist who was born and raised in Turkey and who stood as an advocate for individual rights in a country where not only Armenians are silenced by nationalist and government forces, but also the Turkish population itself.

Dink was the editor and founder of the Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos. He was an academic and political personality among Turkish nationals, such as Orhan Pamuk, who fell as legal victims to the infamous Turkish penal code (Article 301) that considers any statement in recognition of the genocide as illegal--an insult to "Turkey, the Turkish ethnicity, or Turkish government institutions." Article 301 is as a crime punishable by imprisonment. For Dink, it was punishable by death.

When asked in a 2005 interview, Heart of Two Nations, why he founded the controversial Agos newspaper in a country where such a step, especially as an Armenian, assured not only the danger of his reputation but also of his own life, Dink replied:
"I was obliged to. I was obliged to because in Turkey the pressure against Armenians had reached its climax. Everywhere enmity against the Armenians in TV stations, in the press, in political life, academic life, everywhere the word ‘Armenian’ had become a swearword."
Dink was gunned down two years later on January 19, 2007 in front of his Agos newspaper headquarters by a 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist, Ogun Samast, whom many suspect had links to "deep government and state forces."

During a trip to the largely Armenian populated city of Glendale, CA in November of 2006, just months prior to his assassination, Dink predicted, in great foresight, the fate that was to fall upon him and as a result, the people of Turkey:

"I get threats, of course. But I never asked for protection. And I will not ask the police, because I don’t know whom to trust more. That is what I don’t know; If something is going to happen, it’s good to struggle on your feet, and die on your feet. And not in bed. That way is better."

The immediate public backlash in Turkey and throughout the world was astonishing. Hundreds of thousands of Turks and Armenians alike gathered in the streets of Ankara and cities all over the world chanting "We are all Hrants! We are all Armenians!" representing the true role Hrant played in this society not just as an ethnic-Armenian minority, but as a Turkish citizen.
Today, the population in Turkey continues to live under constant censorship and oppression by the state, not just in regards to the genocide, but in terms of free speech and individual expression. To the Turkish people, Hrant served as a leader and a hero who fought along side other compatriots to bring this oppression against individual rights and the Turkish people to an end.

The genocide issue has not only affected the citizens of Turkey and Armenian separately and independent of each other. This is an issue that has affected Turkish-Armenian relations as well, both on the level of state diplomacy and more importantly between two historically divided peoples. Armenians in the United States and abroad have invested countless man-hours, political resources, and financial assets to assure the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, an effort which the state of Turkey has invested overwhelmingly to prevent.
In the same interview mentioned previously, the reporter comments on statements Dink made in the past about thousands and millions of Turkish citizens and youth who know virtually nothing about the genocide against Armenians that took place in their country almost a hundred years ago.

"Yes, they don’t," Dink acknowledged, noting how Turkish schoolchildren are taught that Armenians massacred Turks. "When a young man is bred on this, his identity has been mixed with this. This is very clear. That’s why I say, ‘do you think the Turks know the truth and they deny it? Or no?’ Whatever they know is what they defend."

Dink believed that Turkey would eventually come to recognize the truth about its past. He was an advocate of an approach to genocide recognition that avoided forcing or pressuring the State of Turkey and the Turkish people to acknowledge the past. The Turkish people, he said, could not be forced to acknowledge and accept that their ancestors had committed such a severe a crime against humanity as genocide.

"This people [the Turkish people] needs neither to admit or deny. It needs to know, to know the truth. To learn the truth. For this you need free speech, free knowledge, free education. We must learn. This people has to learn. After learning the truth it will use its own conscience," Hrant said.

And this is exactly what Hrant Dink stood for--what he saw as his responsibility, not just as an Armenian, but as a Turkish citizen and as a human being. When asked what it is that ties him to Turkey, Dink simply answered: "This is my country, it is the country of my grandparents, my roots are here. Why is the Diaspora [Armenians] always looking here? It is here that we have schools and churches."

And when asked about the destruction of an Armenian church in the Turkish city of Diyarbekir, Dink personified the Armenian culture and identity in its authentic form:
"Yes, they did. They will destroy and we will rebuild, and understand each other. In history losing places and regaining them is written with once sentence. In history the passing of one century happens with just one sentence. We don’t know what we will live through... I am happy to live in my county. I go to Van, I go to Kars, I go to Diyarbekir, I go everywhere."
Then when the reporter states, "But when you go there you do not see an Armenian, not a single Armenian," Dink replied: "I see them, I see them. I see Armenians. Apparitions or reality, I see them. Just as many apparitions there are, there are just as many in reality."

Since Hrant Dink’s assassination, many events in Turkey, Armenia, and the Diaspora have come to fruition in regards to Turkish-Armenian relations and the genocide issue.

In 2007, Armenian political organizations were successful in their campaign to garner support in the United States Congress to pass a resolution formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee, however, the resolution was never brought to a vote by the full House of Representatives, as Turkey’s lobby had effectively tied it with U.S. security in Iraq.
In 2008, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan formerly invited Turkish President Abdullah Gül to Armenia for a World Cup qualifying soccer match between the two nations. Gül became the first Turkish President to step foot in independent Armenia.

The move was also followed by mutual efforts to reestablish severed diplomatic ties between the two nations and to discuss reopening their borders that have remained blocked since the mid-1990’s. The genocide issue came up as well, both sides discussing the possibility of a committee made up of Armenian and Turkish academics that would investigate and discuss the events of 1915.

The most important event, however, which Hrant Dink himself would be proud to see was one that took place in Turkey and the Turkish parliament itself late last year. Turkish academics and intellectuals came together and established an internet-campaign to apologize to the Armenians.
The campaign, titled "We apologize to Armenians," brought thousands of Turkish citizens to its website to sign a petition condemning what they called "the Great Catastrophe" of 1915. This apology was unprecedented in Turkey’s history.

The campaign sparked mass controversy in Turkey, to the point where the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, publicly condemned the campaign as damaging to the State of Turkey and Turkish identity. The campaign also sparked a verbal bout in the Turkish Parliament between parliamentarians when a group of politicians demanded an apology by the government for the crime against humanity.

But with the Turkish government struggling harder than ever to keep a lid on the truth, it seems that Hrant Dink’s efforts were not in vain and that justice for both the Armenian and Turkish people is within reach. Members of Turkey’s government are now beginning to question the state’s version of history within the very institutions that have denied the Armenian Genocide for so many decades. This is an unprecedented development.

"He was occupying a huge space as a person. Therefore, his absence will leave a massive emptiness; which may be compensated with the togetherness of millions. And we will strive to accomplish this." -Ali Bayramoðlu (Turkish Writer & Journalist)