Call of Duty Artist Makes Career from Hobby

Twenty-one year-old Serozh Sarkisyan is a 3D artist at Infinity Ward, where he worked on the Call of Duty game as an environment artist. He began by teaching himself animation through the internet in high school and ended up working on the world-renowned video game just a few years down the line.



By GK

If someone like me, who lacks total video game playing experience, had to describe the epic war game series Call of Duty, they would probably sum it up in three words: guns, explosions, and turbulence. Also, they probably would not expect the developers of this violent virtual reality to be anything but aggressive ‘meanies,’ to use more elementary terminology. But that’s just me.

And Serozh Sarkisyan, a 2009 graduate of the Art Institute of Los Angeles, is just him: a soft-spoken, amicable lad from Glendale, CA, whose job description is that of 3D Artist at Infinity Ward, an award-winning video game developer studio. The latest project he worked on was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as an environment artist.

Serozh explained to me in very basic terms what exactly his job entails. “I basically make some of the props you see in the game.” A prop is ordered by the director or game designers, and it is then up to the artists to create it to fit into the levels of the game, which is a rather complex task. It all starts with the locale. Serozh explained that depending on where the game level is set, the props and background changes with it. “Some levels are set in the Middle East, some in America for example,” he explained. For the design to work, some of their artists are sent to the location to snap photographs in order to design more realistic props. Other times, they do research on their own.

Serozh’s favorite levels from Modern Warfare 2 are the ones set in the United States, because “you don’t play a lot of games where America is being invaded,” he said.

So how did this 21 year-old end up with such a career? While studying game art at the Art Institute of LA, where he attended on a full ride, he was awarded an internship from Infinity Ward in December of 2008. Six months later, he was offered a full-time position and has been with the game developer ever since.

It was during his internship that Serozh began fixing up already existing props for the Modern Warfare game. These background items ranged from crates to tables depending on the level and background. He also worked on vehicles, as well as props seen on the downloadable maps.

In fact, it is this part he enjoys the most – the process. “The outcome is nice, but it’s more the process I like,” Serozh insists adding that he also enjoys “actually seeing your stuff in the game, no matter how small.”

And once they have the outcome, “all we do is play,” he explained saying that they have to play the video game over and over for weeks during testing in order to catch mistakes and glitches. It was the first time I have heard a guy complain about being forced to play a video game for a living. But then again, Serozh is not just any guy. He sees the industry for what it is: an exciting field that is quickly growing. And at the end of the day, “it’s just a game,” he said.

I wondered if the nearly 100 people who worked on Modern Warfare 2 were introverted individuals who sat in front of their computers all day to which Serozh immediately countered with “Not at all; it can get pretty crazy and fun. Some people run through the hallways screaming. It is a very open environment.”

Although he grew up playing video games around his family - his favorites being first-person shooter games - the generational gap between him and his older relatives is evident. Video games haven’t been around long enough for the adults in Serozh’s life to understand his relation to the field. “My aunts and uncles think I single-handedly made the game. I don’t know how to answer that” he said smiling as he realized the humor in the situation upon the words leaving his mouth.

Serozh’s hobby began during his sophomore year of high school, when he began playing with 3D software to create everyday props such as cell phones and shoes for fun. He started working on digital tablets as well as learning how to animate through internet sites aimed at teaching the skills. Just five years later, the hobby turned into an exciting career that he wants to continue in the future. Serozh’s drive and motivation is best summed up in his own words: “If you want to do it and have the skills to do it, you can do it.”

The Man Behind The Ink: Varand Hartoonian

“I started tattooing about two years ago. A friend of mine bought a cheap tattoo machine and tried to do tats but it wasn’t working out. I asked to borrow it and went home and tatted myself on my leg; I put a cross for my uncle - typical Armenian. After that, I traded my punching bag for a tattoo kit. To make a long story short, I got a lot of help from Body Shop Tattoo in Glendale. They basically took me from the street and made me into what I am today. I love them like family. Most of the time I feel good when I do Armenian writing on my people. I feel like I’m keeping my culture alive because they can’t erase it. It’s a good feeling. A lot of the people I tattoo on are Armenian. The piece I’m really proud of wasn’t like a crazy tattoo, it read ‘feed off each other.’ At the time, I didn’t understand, but now I get it. I thought the person I did it on would always be by my side. I didn’t know life doesn’t hold any promises. He passed away. I think parents have to be more open to this shit, especially Armenian parents. It’s only a bad thing if you make it bad. Most of the time, tattoos help heal wounds that can’t be healed by just words, but then again, I see what they’re worried about. Armenian girls I can’t figure out - some are very closed to ideas; they want it really small. Some just go all out, worse than the men. I LOVE MY JOB because it lets me connect with people; I give them something that they can take to the grave with them. Best feeling is when they’re happy with their tattoo. When this happens, I don’t even care about the money.”

Armenian Genocide Studies Takes a New Approach

By GEORGE DULGERYAN
Gdulgeryan88@ucla.edu

Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian, the Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA, has hosted two on-campus events in commemoration of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The first event was a public lecture on April 13 by Matthias Bjørnlund titled “Smyrna/Izmir, 1914‐1916: A Special Case during the Armenian Genocide.” The second event, held on April 15, was a public lecture by Dr. Ugur Ümit Üngör titled “Confiscation and Colonization: The Young Turk Seizure of Armenian Property,” which is the title of his forthcoming book. In addition to these two, Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian also hosted a symposium at the Glendale Public Library titled “Looking Backward, Moving Forward.”

An archival historian from Copenhagen, Denmark, Matthias Bjørnlund has explored Scandinavian sources relating to the Armenian Genocide. These archives hold a great deal of information about the genocide by diplomats, missionaries, and humanitarians. Bjørnlund continues to research and create an in-depth analysis of specific regions during the genocide, such as Smyrna (presently Izmir). One significant point raised in his lecture was that one of the goals of the Young Turk Party was to rid the region of Smyrna of Christian Greeks and Armenians and to replace them with Muslims. This “ethnic-cleansing” was not very “clean,” said Bjørnlund. He also explained why Smyrna was largely exempt from the deportations and massacres that affected all the surrounding areas, but noted that sadly in 1922, the city would be occupied and burned by the armies of Mustafa Kemal.

One of Bjørnlund’s studies titled “A fate worse than dying: Sexual violence during the Armenian Genocide” is included in the book Brutality and Desire: War and Sexuality in Europe’s Twentieth Century. Bjørnlund argues, “There is ample evidence that the destruction of the Ottoman Armenians was characterized by distinct gendered aspects, especially the particular timing and the methods of killing women and children, that females were subjected to massive, systematic sexual abuse, and that a number of women and children were allowed to survive as Muslim Turks.”

Dr. Ugur Ümit Üngör, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for War Studies, University College Dublin and an associate of the Center of Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam, discussed several aspects of his forthcoming book, Confiscation and Colonization: The Young Turk Seizure of Armenian Property. One of his initial points was the Turks had the developing ideology of National Economy, Milli Iktisat in Turkish. Dr. Üngör states, “National economy was impossible without the disappearance of the Armenians.” He went on to explain how Young Turk legislation in 1915 used “the justice system for injustice,” in order to confiscate the property of the Armenians and distribute them to new Muslim proprietors or to escheat them to the state.Dr. Ugur Ümit Üngör, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for War Studies, University College Dublin and an associate of the Center of Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam, discussed several aspects of his forthcoming book, Confiscation and Colonization: The Young Turk Seizure of Armenian Property. One of his initial points was the Turks had the developing ideology of National Economy, Milli Iktisat in Turkish. Dr. Üngör states, “National economy was impossible without the disappearance of the Armenians.” He went on to explain how Young Turk legislation in 1915 used “the justice system for injustice,” in order to confiscate the property of the Armenians and distribute them to new Muslim proprietors or to escheat them to the state.

Dr. Üngör followed with an in-depth analysis of Diyarbakir, the ancient Tigranakert region. He spoke of its specific misfortune under zealous Young Turk officials who also enriched themselves at the expense of the Armenians. He emphasized that, aside from the businesses in the city, the plunder revolved around three major economic fields: vineyards, copper mines, and silk and textile works. His research is unique in the sense that it examines and analyzes a specific region and specific henchmen of the Turkish regime, such as Mehmed Reshid and the Pirinjizade clan.

As for the “Looking Backward, Moving Forward” symposium, more than 200 people gathered in the Glendale Public Library auditorium on Sunday, April 18, for a very stimulating discussion commemorating the 95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian initiated the program by giving a brief introduction of the history of Armenians and the modern day issue of genocide recognition and remembrance. He emphasized the fact that “the history of the Armenians is not just one of tragedy but also, and even more, one of survival and optimistic rebuilding.”

Following a brisk discussion from a fully engaged audience, Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian concluded with these final words:

“We now are witnessing a new generation of scholars who are exploring the genocide from the bottom up, from micro to macro point of view, and we look forward to new and valuable studies of this type from a new generation of well prepared, conscientious scholars.”

Moment of Reflection: Local Armenian Students’ Associations (ASA) Work Towards Common Cause

By NUNE ALAVERDYAN
nalaverd@uci.edu

As another school year comes to a close, it becomes apparent that the commitment of Armenian students to their heritage is only growing stronger. The Armenian Students’ Associations of California colleges and universities are flourishing and upholding the dedication to Armenia shown in previous years. Their accomplishments this year are highlighted below.

UC San Diego: San Diego’s ASA organized a Genocide Commemoration week from April 19-23rd, which culminated in an event hosted by UCSD ASA, AGA, AEO and St. Garabed Armenian Church. Speakers that evening included Mark Geragos, Congressman Bob Filner’s representative Willie Blair, Professor of Sociology Gershon Shafir, and UCSD alumnus Nicholas Vartanian, who now works for Mayor Villaraigosa. UCSD is currently planning a fundraiser to send computers to a school in Hrazdan.

PCC: With the help of Camp Darfur, PCC’s ASA held its first ever Genocide Week this year. The four-day event began with a day dedicated to recalling Armenian history. The next two days were spent spreading awareness about the Armenian Genocide and educating students about other genocides. The final day honored famous Armenians around the world and focused on the current events going on in Armenia. They celebrated Armenia’s survival with kabob!

UC Berkeley: Even with their small Armenian community, Berkeley’s ASA managed to fundraise the most money from any ASA in the nation for this year’s ArmeniaFund Telethon. They donated $2,700 to the telethon, money raised at a poker tournament held in Berkeley. During their Genocide Week, they presented and passed a bill to the ASUC Senate that recognized the Armenian Genocide and designated April 24 as Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day at Berkeley. Aside from raising campus awareness for the Telethon, the UC Berkeley ASA also put on a series of week-long events in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. A Memorial was made, for which members of the ASA and campus community stood guard for 24 hours a day for an entire week. The week-long events consisted of numerous lecture speakers, including Micheal Bobelian, author of Children of Armenia. They also held an awareness concert by rapper sensation R-MEAN, a movie screening of “The Lark Farm,” and also participated in a march on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, for awareness.

UC Irvine: Throughout this school year, 5th year Aleksan Giragosian gave a series of compelling lectures at Irvine ASA meetings that educated his peers in Armenian politics, history, religion, and culture. Irvine’s ASA also put together care packages to be sent to an orphanage in Armenia. This year’s Armenian Genocide Commemoration included the participation of students from Ari Giragos Armenian Elementary School and Homenetmen Scouts, and moving speeches and performances by Irvine students.

UC Riverside: Aside from hosting various social events, such as bowling nights, Riverside’s ASA also held a Genocide Week. The week included a hunger strike, a screening of the movie “I Hate Dogs,” and a candlelight vigil. They tabled everyday to spread awareness about the Genocide.

UC Santa Barbara: One of the main accomplishments of Santa Barbara’s ASA this year has been raising awareness about problems in Armenia. Together with Act for Armenia, ASA worked to raise awareness about the conditions of rural Armenian villages. Vice President Nanor Balabanian put together a short documentary available on Youtube called “Act for Armenia - The Hidden Road,” which focuses on helping the small village of Aghbradzor. Fundraising ranged anywhere from bake sales to taking in donations to selling bracelets, all to send aid to the schools and students of Armenian villages.

GCC: Guest speaker Armine Kondakjian recently gave a lecture to GCC’s ASA regarding the condition of Armenians in the Soviet Union. She spoke of the migration of Armenians into the Soviet Union after WWII and the repression of Armenian repatriates during Stalin’s reign. She is completing a book on the topic of Soviet Union Armenians and shared her research experiences with the students as well.

UC Los Angeles: UCLA ASA commemorated the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with a performance by Asplinter, poetry recitations by member of AGA, and a speech by the founder of the Armin T. Wegner Society. Their social events this quarter included club parties and an annual banquet held at Palladio. Most recently, they held an open mic night with performances by Asplinter, Sarkistic, Raffi, Manda Paul, Goharik, and Emin.

UCLA Presents Eighteenth Conference on Armenian Studies

By JANO BOGHOSSIAN
Janoboghossian@ucla.edu

The UCLA Conference on Armenian Studies- Asia Minor by Jano Boghossian

The Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in modern Armenian history at UCLA presented its eighteenth and final international conference in its series of “Historic Armenian Cities, Provinces and Communities.” The conference was held on Saturday, March 20, 2010 in Rolfe Hall at UCLA, with the support from the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies, Center for European and Eurasian Studies, Bob and Nora Movel Fund, and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians.

This year’s event focused on the lesser known but vibrant small communities of Asia Minor, such as Izmid, Adabazar, Bardizag, Bolu, Bursa, Banderma, and Kutaya, some 50 to 200 miles from the imperial capital of Constantinople. The morning session included presentations from UCLA Professors Richard Hovannisian and Peter Cowe giving an overview and history of the region, and scholars from Los Angeles and London. The afternoon session had presentations from Yerevan State University, the Madenataran, Boston University, and Project SAVE- that archived thousands of Armenian photographs before and after the genocide.

Professor Hovannisian, one of the organizers of the event said, “I am happy that this series has turned into something of an institution for our community and that we have been able to acquaint increasing numbers of Armenians with UCLA and its resources.” He was highly gratified by the large turnout and warm reception accorded by both colleagues and community members, and was particularly please to note the presence of UCLA students right after finals week.

UCLA Alumnus Alex Khatchaturian said of the conference, “The audience participated with interesting questions and the discussions revealed a great deal of interest on the topics covered, in particular on matters of the education of Armenian girls and the Genocide.” The proceedings of each conference are being edited and enhanced by Professor Hovannisian before being published as a part of a series titled Historic Armenian Cities and Procinces. To date, there have been eight volumes published, with two more scheduled for 2010.

Armenia and the Protocols: Unifier or Destroyer?

Examining the protocols in regards to the Armenian community

By IREN TATEVOSYAN
Irentatevosyan@yahoo.com

Is this the tie that binds us, or is it the thread that pulls at our sinews? This was the underlying question of the panel discussion entitled “Armenia-Turkey Protocols: Pros & Cons.” Panelists included the honorable Grigor Hovhannisyan (Consul General of Armenia), Dr. Razmig Shirinian (Political Scientist), and Dr. Joseph Kechichian (President for the Society of Armenian Studies), with Dr. Richard Hovannisian serving as the moderator.

The Consul General began by reiterating that Armenia is an actor, not a puppet of the protocol process. Plagued by a cited 18 percent economic decline, radical reconstruction was deemed necessary. He argued that open borders, vis-à-vis the protocols, would promote the growth of a modern economy, whereby the “oligarchs” will face competition at the hands of new regional actors (e.g. Turkish businessmen). This may then mitigate the power of these monopolizing tycoons and allow for the rise of small-business entrepreneurs. A progressing domino effect may invariably lead to reduced prices in consumer goods. In this scenario, Armenia becomes an international subject, not a subservient object.

Dr. Kechichian similarly sought to assuage the audience by discussing the noncommittal nature of international protocols. Unlike treaties, he explained, protocols are not binding. Rather, protocols can become the foundation for future treaties. Hence, the protocols are less consequential than is believed. Instead, its significance lies in the fundamental concern it raises, that of the impasse between Armenia and its Diaspora. “The nation is at odds with itself”, said Dr. Kechichian. With seven million Armenian living outside of Armenia and only three million within the nation’s borders, what exactly constitutes Armenia?

Conversely, to Dr. Shirinian the differences between mainland and dispersed Armenians are trumped by a universal problem faced by all Armenians – that of a compromised Armenian history. Dr. Shirinian believed this is because the protocols were approached with the realist perspective of international relations, which considers state actors (e.g. Turkey, Armenia, Russia, etc.) in accordance to their national interest and security; leaving history, ethics, and other perennial factors at the sidelines. For Armenia, such a perspective is not ideal as our identity and our history are one and the same. To compromise our history would be to compromise our nation itself. He believes the protocols are actually “opening up space for Turkish hegemony.”

At the conclusion of the individual remarks, panelists attempted to further elucidate their positions in light of the audience’s questions. Honorable Hovhannisyan especially attempted to clarify misconceptions about the Genocide Commission and the issue of Artsakh. In regards to the Genocide Commission, it was his understanding that the committee is to address issues of church property and other technicalities, not the occurrence of the Genocide itself. In regards to Artsakh, Hon. Hovhannisyan said it had not been an issue until Baku harassed and blackmailed Ankara. It was under this pressure that Ankara buckled and began making additional demands regarding Karabagh; the pursuit of which will lead to Yerevan’s said withdrawal of the protocol process.

Unsurprisingly, almost all of the questions were directed at the Consul General. The majority of which expressed the Diasporan outrage at the lack of dialogue that existed prior to the signing of the protocols. Many felt that their voices had been bypassed, silenced and in some cases ignored. He responded by revealing the secrecy of the entire agreement, confessing that he too was not aware of it till late. These questions he answered.

Others, like any good politician, he deflected. These included the status of Western Armenia, the solidification of boundaries and most prominently if Ararat (under the protocols) would remain with Turkey. One question, above all, represented the sheer frustration and burning indignation at Yerevan’s management of the entire protocol process. Shall Yerevan add insult to injury and sign the protocols on the Eve of the 95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide? A warranted concern considering that the protocols were revealed to the public a mere few days before the 94th Anniversary.

At the conclusion of the panelist’s remarks, the audience was both enlightened and bewildered. But such is the state of the protocols. No one on the periphery of Ankara’s and Yerevan’s dealings really understands what is occurring.
Overall, it was both an elating and discouraging experience; elating because it was gratifying to see the Armenian population expressing their concerns unilaterally and discouraging because it takes an issue of this magnitude to unify our people.

Let us hope that the next time such a discussion takes place at least two things will be different. One, the views of the panelists and academics will be more aligned. Second, the pertinent, pressing questions will be properly answered. The time is long overdue for the Armenian Government to properly face its people, citizens in Armenia and in the Diaspora alike.

Common Sense: Through Dialogue, Not Diatribe, Change Will Ensue

Construing a paradigm-shift, Armenians should educate the global community about their issues

By JANO BOGHOSSIAN
Janoboghossian@ucla.edu

“1915 Never Again”, “Get Your Hands Off Our Lands”, “Turkey Run, Turkey Hide, Turkey’s Guilty of Genocide.” Armenians recite these chants every April 24 in the streets of Southern California, and up until I graduated high school, I believed that by taking part in this form of protest, I was helping progress a cause I cared about deeply. But as of late, it seems that this somber date in our people’s history has become a showing of one Armenian organization trying to outdo the other, and for some it is an opportunity to show off their new cars and socialize with fellow protesters.

Prior to graduating high school, I eagerly awaited missing class on April 24 in order to show my solidarity with my people and make some noise in the streets of Hollywood. That day was a reminder to the people at school and in the community that Armenians are a strong, united, and persistent ethnic group who do not give up on a cause. I was not able to participate in these demonstrations my freshman year of college due to an organic chemistry midterm; everything happens for a reason. After much reflection, it was then that I realized that our demonstrations and protests are counterproductive, and that we are in dire need of new tactics in order to have our voices heard.
I did not write this article to say there is no need for protests. We need to change the way in which we protest. April 24 protests are becoming the definition of “preaching to the choir,” whether it be on Wilshire Boulevard or in Hollywood. Each year, thousands of Armenians march for justice, but the majority of these demonstrations are geared towards the Armenian community itself. You are lying to yourself if you don’t go home at night and try to watch every local news broadcast about your specific protest. These demonstrations are becoming quite repetitive; not only do they unnecessarily take place in the heart of the Armenian community, but the locals who witness the protest are already informed, and the ones who have ignored it once will chose to ignore it again.

We must to change our tactics. Simply condemning any Turk we encounter for being brainwashed is not very effective. Many Turks do not know the reason behind these protests. For example, the Orange County Turkish American Association celebrated “Turkish Sovereignty Day” on April 24 this year in Irvine. Armenians need to reach out specifically to the Turkish population and educate them about our cause. Demanding recognition, reparation, and redistribution of lands simultaneously is very regressive.

Granted we need to educate more than just the Turkish population, we also need a new step-by-step approach to educating the world, besides screaming injustice and playing the victim of 95 years. We do not need to promote education through lobbying in America as much as we need it in Turkey. The majority of the older population of Turks in the villages in Eastern Turkey knows the truth, because they live on what used to be Armenian lands and property. The younger generation is clearly brainwashed by the Turkish government, and if we express our anger at them, it will cause more of a backlash for our cause.

A small group of Turkish, Kurdish and Armenian intellectuals gathered in Istanbul to commemorate the genocide amid protests from locals. We need to encourage this type of behavior, because this is the peaceful way to light the fire for a progressive social movement in Turkey. Hypothetically speaking, if the Republic of Turkey decides to accept the genocide one day - despite decades of denial and censorship of the truth, the commoners in Turkey will be outraged. We need the support of the Turkish population if we want to make any real peaceful change.
Demonstrating obviously publicizes our cause in newspapers and media, but repeatedly having the same protest every year is futile. Not only does it anger the Turks, who have no knowledge of why Armenians hold grudges against them, but it also causes our own youth to have the mentality that we have to be portrayed as the victim in order to have our own history decided by a foreign government.

If we continue to use the same strategy that has been keeping us in the past, we will never progress as a nation. It has been 95 years since the start of the genocide, and many of us are still stuck trying to find some sort of acknowledgment for what we know is a fact. Armenian revolutionary Karekin Njdeh said, “Without renewal, a nation dies every hour, every minute. Our political parties either don’t understand this or they have no desire to understand it.” The door is open for this renewal; let us take the first step.

Kim Kardashian Has Been Keeping Up With Her Armenian Fans

By ARIGA ABRAHAMIAN
arigaab@yahoo.com

As I sat at my computer thinking about who to write about for my next article that has inspired me, one person popped up in my head: Kim Kardashian. Kim Kardashian has been a role model of mine and has inspired me to reach for the stars. I quickly turned on my laptop and frantically searched for the people I can contact in order to reach Kim. After numerous phone calls and e-mails, I finally reached the correct person to talk to. Impatiently and anxiously waiting, the day finally came when I opened my mail and there it was, Kim Kardashian, my idol, has agreed to do an interview.

Although best known for her hit reality series, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” on the E! Network, Kimberly Noel Kardashian’s contributions to business and style are the real motivators for this fashionista. Kim Kardashian has accomplished everything from modeling, acting, entrepreneurship, having her own perfume line and much more. Kim has faced many obstacles and hardships in starting her career and business, but she has looked at these obstacles as opportunities to success. Looking at Kim inspires me to pursue all of my dreams and makes me believe that nothing is impossible. With so many projects already completed, Kim has no plans to stop any time soon. As I find out more about her new business ventures, I become astonished by how Kim really does everything and still has time to have fun. When asked how she manages her time with so many projects, Kim replied “I am a business woman first and foremost so for me it’s natural. If I wasn’t working I would feel lazy.”

I was certainly proud to learn Kim and her sisters designed a jewelry line inspired by their Armenian heritage for Virgins, Saints, and Angels. These pieces will be offered at the launching of Project in Las Vegas this February, and at Nordstrom and Fred Segal Sparkle beginning in March. The jewelry line is a great way for the public to learn and appreciate Armenian inspired designs. It is impressive to see a popular and successful Armenian woman has the courage and ability to incorporate her ancestry in modern jewelry. Even though her father, Robert Kardashian, passed away in 2003, Kim celebrates her Armenian roots by spending time with her father’s family and other Armenian friends. I was really surprised to learn Kim visits Glendale, CA all the time. Although I grew up in Glendale, knowing that Kim’s favorite restaurant is Carousal really put a smile on my face.

As I sit at the coffee table reading a magazine, I come across a picture of Kim Kardashian wearing trendy sunglasses, black heels, leggings, and a black blazer and carrying her purse in one hand. It seems as if Kardashian is always picture perfect and looking her best. This inspires me to take care of myself and look my best at all times. Looking at pictures of Kim in various magazines has changed my fashion sense and has encouraged me to take fashion more seriously. Fashion has been a big part of Kim’s life, motivating her and her sisters to open up their own clothing store, Dash. One piece of advice Kim would give younger girls regarding fashion is, “Be yourself, and dress age appropriately.”

Kim has proven that if you really want something, you can make it happen. She has inspired me and many others to not give up our dreams. Many people look up to Kim Kardashian because she never gave up and still continually strives to be the best at everything she does. She is a great role model for women, urging all of us to pursue our dreams. In addition, Kardashian has helped me discover that no matter how many people try to put you down and tell you that you are not capable of doing something, you must put that negativity aside and do what truly makes you happy deep down inside.

Dear Citizen of the World

In order to inflict less pain upon your fellow human beings, please consider the following list:

1. Don’t cry to me about how you are fat, and then go eat a ton of ice cream and fatty food an hour later, and get defensive about it when you get asked “weren’t you trying to lose weight?” If it’s not someone’s business, don’t go crying to them about it. Nobody gives a shit.

2. No matter how many times you ask me the same question, I will not change my answer. Just because youhave been brought up to say “No” at least the first five times someone asks you if you’re hungry, and then the sixth time say “alright, I guess” because you think you’re being “proper” doesn’t mean I’m going to pull the same shit on you. This isn’t Tehran, or wherever that horrible custom was created. Don’t tarof with me. If I ask you if you want something, and you say “No” I’m not going to ask again. I mean honestly, what are you trying to prove? All you’re doing is making a 10 second exchange of words turn into a five minute argument, and making everybody frustrated. Try to give direct answers for a change. You might actually get somewhere in life.

3. The fact that you’re saying completely bitchy things doesn’t change just because of your “sweet”/fake tone of voice, or your statement, “I don’t want to sound bitchy, but...” You do, indeed, sound bitchy. So either admit that you’re being a bitch and stand by your words, or don’t say anything at all. You can’t be a nice bitch, so stop trying (by the way, I totally have more respect for actual bitches who speak their minds without trying to apologize for the shit they’re about to say...I mean, at least be honest).

4. If your shoes are hurting your feet, then don’t wear them! Nobody cares! If you know that one pair of shoes always makes your feet hurt, do everyone around you a favor and don’t wear them, because we did nothing to deserve your nonstop complaining. Whose fault is it that your feet hurt? Your own. So just suck it up, and don’t wear those shoes again. Stop killing the mood for everyone else. Take your “beauty is pain” bullshit, and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.

5. Don’t be nice to people because it’s “useful” to you at the moment. And don’t act like you miss someone when you haven’t talked to them for over five months. It doesn’t matter how big of a scene you cause, or how loudly you say “Oh my God! I like miss your life!” in front of everyone watching. Everyone knows it’s bullshit, and nobody cares.

Here are some things you should do:

1. Chill the fuck out. The world will never come to an end because of one of your personal problems, so don’t act like it will. All that does is make people want to kick you in the face.

2. Stop asking if you look fat. If you’re unhappy with your weight/appearance do something about it. Stop looking for people who lie to you in order to make you feel good. I’m sure it really doesn’t make you feel any better anyway.

3. Stop yelling. If this means you need to smoke some weed or lock yourself up in your room, then that’s what you have to do. I don’t care if you tell me that you “always talk like this”...it doesn’t change the fact that I want to shoot you. Seriously.

4. Try to use some logic/reasoning skills. For the love of God, think about what you’re about to say/do and ask yourself, “is this purely an emotionally driven thing, or does it actually kind of make sense?” You have no idea how much easier your life is going to get. Just try it. Please! I guarantee that the complaining you do on a daily basis will automatically be cut in half. Thanks Bitches!!

Sincerely,

By ANI KHODAVERDIAN
anikhodaverdian@ucla.edu

The Diaspora Through the Generations

By RICHARD DAVITIAN
Bruinboy88@ucla.edu

The first Armenian to immigrate to America was “Martin the Armenian” in 1618, one of the settlers of the Jamestown colony in Virginia; his occupation was raising silk worms. But it wasn’t until about 300 years later, after the Genocide of 1915, when the largest wave of Armenians immigrated from Armenia into numerous countries, such as the United States, Russia, Lebanon, and France, just to name a few. It was through different time periods in which the Armenians immigrated to United States, leading to the many generations of the Armenian Diaspora that we have today in America.

The first major wave of Armenian immigrants came in the 19th century, after the Hamidian Massacres and the Armenian Genocide, in search of a better life, hoping for higher education, and a more prosperous future. The second major wave of Armenian immigrants into America began around the 1960s and lasted up until the 1990s. Today, the Armenian-American population is estimated to be around 1.27 million.

The first Armenians in California settled in Fresno and then moved to Los Angeles. The largest concentrations of Armenian-Americans today are found in the cities of Los Angeles, Glendale, and Burbank. Today, a small portion of Hollywood is even named “Little Armenia,” due to the high number of Armenian inhabitants there.

With these waves of Armenian immigrants came an unofficial classification system. Armenians who originated from Iran are referred to as Parskahyes, those who came from Armenia are referred to as Hayastantsis, those who came from Lebanon are referred to as Lipananahyes or Beirutsis, and those who originated from Turkey are referred to as Bolsahye. With this classification comes the division between the Eastern and Western dialects.

The current Armenian culture and lifestyle in Los Angeles is shaped and defined by the four generations of Armenians who reside there. They all have their own distinct values and beliefs. Some have stood strong to their Armenian roots, while others have slowly begun to stray far from them.

First generation Armenians can be compared to those living in Armenia today. They are the Armenians who arrived most recently to the United States. For that reason, they are most heavily influenced by Armenian culture and life.
Fourth generation Armenians represent a group of people that have mostly forgotten their language, but still hold onto key aspects of their culture. Their ancestors most likely came to America during the Genocide. Throughout the years, they have slowly lost parts of their heritage and have assimilated with American culture.

As the generations go by, Armenians are losing parts of their language but are still retaining key elements of their culture and tradition. This has a lot to do with their everyday environment, such as their family, the schools they attend, and the friends they hang out with.

Because Armenians arrive from different countries, they bring with them distinct, stereotypical characteristics. They separate themselves and identify with their own roots and values. However, the distinct Armenian communities in other countries, such as Turkey and Iran, are slowly breaking down when they arrive in Los Angeles. The differences between a Hayastantsi, a Bolsahye, and a Halebtsi are slowly fading away. Issues such as intermarriage were previously looked down upon. But now it is a lot more common to see, for example, Beirutsis and Hayastantsis marry. The Armenian Diaspora in Los Angeles is now more “open” and assimilated.

It is the idea of living and being together which makes us stronger. We cluster and form a community. On April 24, we all get together and fight for the same cause. The separation is what caused the differences, but now we live together in one place.

As the years pass by, the Armenian identity becomes more “hye” and the things that distinguish each type of Armenian start to fade away. Each generation feels we are here together and we are all Armenian. There is a broader sense of identity which allows us to grow together and secure the continuity

The Assimilation of Armenian-Americans

By PHIL PEHLIVANIAN
Pehl_iva_nian@hotmail.com

It has been over a hundred years since the first Armenian American communities formed, but a new threat emerged to the Armenians that fled to America escaping the genocide: Assimilation. Assimilation refers to adopting someone else’s culture over his or her own. So when the first group of Armenians started to arrive in America, the process of assimilation reared its ugly head towards the Armenians and their soon to be Armenian community. Comparing the forced assimilation and the extreme oppression, dehumanization, and the genocide by the Turks, America seemed like a safe haven, a “promise land” even though there was still discrimination but nothing like what they endured in Turkey and their homeland at that time.

In the first and second waves of immigration to America most Armenians landed in Ellis Island where they underwent medical examinations and cross examinations. The ships contained the first and last name of the persons and where their final destination was in the US along with 29 other questions. These questions were later again asked by legal inspectors during the cross examination. One of them being “why do you want to emigrate to America?” As an Armenian how would one answer that question at that time. Especially under the circumstances where most had left murder, torture, and rape. Imagine the pressure that Armenians were under during this process. One thing was sure they did not want to be sent back to Turkey so they had to try their hardest to show they would fit in to this new world and to show the inspectors that they would be a good product to America’s society. Some Armenians under this pressure changed their names; again they did not want to be sent back to the nightmare that had forced them out of their homeland. This was one of the first forms of assimilation that began during their arrival to the United States. I know it’s not so welcoming having and wanting to change your native name but they were far away from where some of their relatives had been murdered and they themselves escaping complete extermination but how would someone at that time explain the horrific events to a non-Armenian.

When they were granted access they mostly settled in the East Coast during the mid to late 1800s and early 1900s. The first Armenian-American community was built in Worcester, Massachusetts by a small group of Armenians who were brought over by Protestant missionaries to try to get them to attract more Armenians to America, but not all Armenians went to Worcester. Some settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, New York and New England. As the immigration of Armenians rose during the Hamidian massacre and the genocide many Armenians immigrated to Fresno, California also. Fresno’s society compared to that of the East Coast’s was more discriminatory against minorities including the Armenians. They were not allowed to live beyond a certain geographic boundary, which became the second Armenian-American community in the United States at that time. Finding and keeping a job came with difficulties in California. Employers would look at their name and if it was anything but American they would consider the person with an American name rather than the foreign name no matter if the Armenian was more qualified for the job compared to the American. With this restriction many Armenians changed their first and last names that hadn’t done so at Ellis Island and some chose to move out of the community to neighboring or far off states without an Armenian-American community to look for jobs in which assimilation was inevitable. This made it more likely for Armenians to intermarry. Even in schools teachers would tell their Armenian students to change their name so it would be more American, making it easier for the teacher and expanding assimilation of Armenians at such a young age. Now how hard is it to pronounce Hagop or Sarkis? The fact that teachers encouraged young students to be called by a different name shouldn’t have been allowed but they were in America, beginning to live the American dream. In addition, most youth barely found out what their parents and grandparents went through in their homeland, or what they were told as “the old country.” Back then, speaking of such atrocities the Armenians experienced would have had people looking further down on them and further alienating them from American society, so it was thought to not speak of what had happened to them and their kinfolk, furthering the thrust of assimilation.

In the next 30 years, after the genocide, the Armenian communities implanted their roots deep in American soil. They built churches, organized youth groups and Sunday schools where young people could have a sense of identity and fight assimilation by learning the Armenian language and history, but this was only available in the Armenian communities in America. The ones that had moved away and had now began slowly assimilating because there weres no resources to keep them up to date with the Armenian community. They slowly began to adopt their surrounding society’s culture and as the new generations were born they were losing their true identity, but some having full or partial Armenian ancestry began to look a little deeper and on their own began to find out whom they really were. Some even wrote books about their journey to find out who they are and where they came from, such books as, Passage to Ararat by Michael J. Arlen and Black Dog of Fate by Peter Balakian which I highly recommend and with some parts I can relate to. Both books are non-fiction accounts of Armenian-American men who discover their true identity which they did not know they had. Though now we do not have the same obstacles that Armenians were faced with when they first arrived it is important to understand and know what they went through so we can further slow the rate of assimilation and keep our true identity

The Private Society

By ALEX MINASSIANS
Alexminassians@gmail.com

Too many secrets in this world
That overpopulate our minds
Too many secrets in this world
Which consume our precious time
This world doesn't revolve around the sun
It revolves around secrets
Round and round we run
Stealing each-others thoughts
Like blood that fills the bodies of our “friends” the leeches
Many people wonder and even more ponder
What is the point of all those secrets
Looking at all the missing pieces
Sitting and starring
Formulating contemplating
Synthesizing hypothesizing
Why focus on the latter
When you nearly have the entire platter
When the truth isn’t in what’s missing
For when you look at a puzzle
It’s not the holes you’re seeing

The Drought Season

By SEBASTIAN MILLA
Fluffyisgod@gmail.com

Aphrodite,
Pervasive girl, you are
Everywhere at once
Beckoning flesh beneath
Lush-peach skin;
Delicious, forbidden juice
Tangy, sharp liqueur that would
Seep between my lips if
Ever I had the fortune to
Lap it from the source
With my heathen tongue, my silver teeth
My banal ways of thought
I the animal, unto you,
Would tame without reward
For though my thirst is flame unbridled
Burning blisters in my throat
I, the beast, will remain unquenched
Until you will it so
Cruel mistress; apathetic,
Ruthless woman you
Taunt me from the eyes of
Every lover I could know
As every wanting gaze is yours
Noted here so named
“One Adored” as I am left
Tortured, unashamed
To not only be the bearer of
Her heavy, golden heart
But the will to keep the burden lashed
With rope and chain to wooden mast
Against siren’s songs of ancient past
All the while whilst you have
These lovers live apart

There Are No Words

By JESSE ARLEN

The sky, they assure me,
Is not the sky but the universe.
Today there are no clouds.
Its blue blue blue blue blue
Is as blank as bleached flour.
I can tell you, for I am looking at it.
There is nothing for the eyes to see,
Nothing on which to stop or rest or anchor.
The hebrews imagined waters
Above the vault of the heavens.
It is nice to imagine that behind the expanse
There is something like the ocean—
Water teeming with life.
It is nice to imagine that through sluices in the vault,
Life-water falls upon the earth
When it rains.
It is nice to imagine that beside me you are—
And even though I cannot see you—
You are here, barefoot beside me,
Playing with the buttons on my shirt,
Adorning my pockets with flowers.
But I am looking and I can tell you:
Up above, there is nothing,
Beside me, there is no one.
Scientists pretend that the earth is a globe.
The earth is flat.
If it were round, then the weight of our bodies,
The gravity between you and I,
Would stretch-sink to convergence the bent earth.
But I sink straight down.
The bleached sky.
I cannot look at it,
And I cannot look away—
Like a father staring at his stillborn child.
There is nothing living.
The sky blanches my mind.
And instead of wordfulness—
Morphemes attaching and binding,
Like ionizing particles into a little love poem molecule—
There is a single sentence,
In the four languages I know,
And the morphemes are locked in place like that.
Today is as ordinary as toast for breakfast,
As black tea in the evening.
There is no excuse or explanation
For why every nerve in my mind
Has wired itself into a linguistic loop.
But this is the poem I must write for you,
When it is like this,
And I still must explain how much I love you:
Voch parer gan.
Lo hayah dovrim.
Il n’y a pas de mots.
There are no words.

The Television: a Friend or Foe?

By EMILY BAGDASARIAN
Mmilyme52001@yahoo.com

Let me ask you this: How many television sets do you own in your home?

Chances are there is one in the kitchen, one in the family room, and one in your bedroom. That’s three already, but since you probably have siblings, let’s say four. In writing this article, I had the horror of coming across many statistics concerning the number of hours one spends watching television. For example, the average child spends approximately 28 hours a week watching television.

This makes NINE years by the time that child hits 65. With the average American life expectancy at 78, we have spent over 1/10 of our lives contemplating whether Ross and Rachel end up together. Now these statistics may be an exaggeration to prove a point or push an agenda, but the following is most certainly not: 99 percent of American households posses at least one television set. For a few years, my family belonged to the one percent who do not.

When I was in elementary school, my parents decided to eliminate the TV in our home to force us to read and play outside. At the time, I could not help but resent them for it. Many of us have experienced moments of social exclusion; when you’re eight years old, knowing what spell Sabrina Spellman cast on Libby Chessler to keep her away from love-interest Harvey Kinkle (okay, maybe I found a way to watch the episode) is more important than reading when everyone is talking about it the next day. After all, books are not magical, right?

And so I grew up somewhat disoriented and out of the loop in all things pop culture. I have absolutely no idea who the Care Bears are nor do I feel I can can relate to the Power Rangers on any significant emotional level. Patti Mayonaise and Porkchop are foods as far as I am concerned and the only Looney Tunes I was hearing were the ones in my own head. At the expense of social aptitude, I amassed a repertoire of conquered children’s
literature. How can I ever forget the lovable Amelia Bedelia? Her literal interpretation of idioms constantly landed her in hot water. But she taught me that one can sometimes make mistakes and still be likable, especially when you genuinely care for others. The Berenstain Bears, who lived in an awesome tree house, were a tight knit family that, by way of interactions with various community leaders such as the bespectacled Professor Actual Factual, offered simplified insight into social and environmental issues. Rainbow Fish became more beautiful when he gave away his sparkly scales to the plain fish, Encyclopedia Brown unapologetically applied cool logic and rationale to everyday life, and Alexander justified the occasional terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Perhaps my all-time favorite was Ramona Quimby. Ramona’s active imagination and rambunctious nature often lead to misunderstandings, and the indignation she felt upon such misunderstandings was something I could always relate to. The lessons I derived from these stories were not always ones I implemented in my own life. However,
simply knowing such characters existed, if only in the imagination of their authors,
was and remains a comforting notion.

There were, of course, countless others, as well. Paddington the Bear, Nancy Drew, Matilda, Corduroy, the Paper
Bag Princess. Each character afforded me a unique perspective in a world my own imagination could contribute to creating: a world in which my interpretation of good comedic timing is not drowned out by a studio audience’s laughter. Now that’s magical. Maybe one day I will torture my kids too...

Barev Sireli Ungerner

BY ALEXIA ANI MARDIAN
splitsensation@yahoo.com

I have been in Armenia now for almost three months. For all of you who do not know, I have taken a year off from Northridge to study in Armenia for the year. I am here studying in the Armenian Studies faculty (department) studying
Armenian as well as Armenian Literature. I will be obtaining some credits towards my Armenian Studies minor at CSUN, but my two main purposes for coming here is 1: to perfect my Armenian language and 2: to pause my life for a short time and experience something different! I know to many of you it may sound strange. “Why would she leave sunny Southern California, Americana, Mi Piace, Palm Springs (God forbid someone actually took a year off from these things) etc… to go to ARMENIA of all places!?” Some days here in Yerevan, I think the same... “It’s freezing,” “I
don’t want to take the marshutka today filled with 30 people when it really only seats 10,” “I don’t want to hear anyone arguing over someone accidently stepping on their shoe or drivers honking their horns for hours when everyone else is in the same amount of traffic as they are.”

But then I go outside of my building at 8:30 am for school and breathe the cool Yerevan air. I am greeted by one of the many tatiks sweeping my street, asking me how I am, how my classes are going and if when I get back from school I can stop by their home and have some coffee. I take the #38 marshutka to Avan, where I study; it’s about a 30 minute ride (if it doesn’t break down that is) and although it’s not always the most comfortable, I get to pass by an amazing view, near the top of the Cascade, of our beautiful Ararat and our kharnevads but one of a kind capital. On my short walk from the marshutka stop to the school campus, I pass by the army base located next to our class’ building and listen to the solider’s “dzagh ach dzagh” marches or their shooting exercises. At our break I go with some of my class friends to the small market/buffet next to our school’s building where the Russian soldiers and their families take their meals. Although not the most presentable place, it is one of my favorites , and by far the warmest! Here I get to practice some broken Russian with the women in the kitchen or even give a quick English lesson. some days we are obliged to have a shot of vodka or champagne by the cooks and soldiers and then we go off to our second half of class. In the afternoons after school I come back to my apartment, make myself something to eat, study awhile and maybe go walk to the Hraparak or meet a friend for coffee at a café. Some evenings, I go to one of the many theaters to see a play or go out with friends and enjoy the evening fountains or an outdoor concert..

Some days I miss home, miss my family, miss my friends, miss what I am used to. But then I stop and realize that life is short and the days pass quickly. At home and in our familiar and comfortable surroundings, it can be easy to forget the simple things, the important things. For the majority of people living in Armenia it is the simple things that they live and work each day for. Instead of hearing about whose Louis Vuitton bag is real or not or which club we’re going to go to next and spend $500 on a bottle of vodka, people choose to think and talk about things that we have completely forgot about. Although, on average, the working person makes only about 2,000 drams a day ($6) and would never imagine or be able to spend $80 on an Ed Hardy T-shirt, they are happier and more satisfied than ever. With healthy families, good education, beautiful parks to walk around, free concerts and plays, loud but passionate conversations, life is meaningful. I have about 7 months left of my of stay in our beautiful Hayastan but even after only 3 months I can say that my life has more meaning and makes more sense to me. Maybe not enough to write a book about the meaning of life or conquering the world, but enough to be truly thankful and satisfied with my life so far. We have so much in our lives that we take for granted and sometimes don’t even remember, but to be truly happy and have a better understanding of life we have to take a pause. We have to separate ourselves from our cars, our clubs, restaurants, cell phones, wallets and all the things we don’t think we have enough of and start to appreciate and realize the simple things.

Although in America most of us make more money in one month than some people make in a year here in Armenia, although most of us have cars (one’s expensive enough to equal several years of work for the average person), heated classrooms and bedrooms, vacations spots, fancy clubs and restaurants… we don’t seem that happy with ourselves or each other. Instead we seem continuously stressed out, tired or unsatisfied. I’m not writing to you guys to point my finger or shake my head in disappointment, I myself am easily guilty of always being on-the-go and being unappreciative sometimes. I just want to share with you my experiences so far being in our motherland, meeting and sharing enlightening conversations with people all over Hayastan. Just because the people here may not have all of the material things that we fill our lives with, does not make them strange. Armenia is not some far off backwards bubble as many of us may think. In fact it is more real and more beautiful than you can imagine or perhaps remember. I encourage everyone I know to put their life on pause, to stop and realize how much we are blessed with and how often we forget. I also encourage you to come back to Hayastan if you haven’t for awhile and experience with an open mind how beautiful and satisfying the simple things are here.

Victoria's Chronicles: Post Bond World 2

The clock struck midnight and I was still trying to park my car on his busy street. Fifteen minutes later I was knocking on his door ready for a quick trill. As I walked in his sterile apartment it hit that I was tired, sleepy, and just not that into him.

We had met four years ago at an alumni mixer; he was short, handsome, and perfect on paper. Last month he came messaging back into my world, though I knew I didn’t feel anything for him I thought I should give it a shot. Cause that is what you do when you want to find someone to love, you give them a chance. In this Post Bond world, I had found myself going back to my roots, back to my family, back to Armenians, back to being Me. The interesting thing was that dating and finding a man to be with was all of a sudden something that had moved to the back burner. It had left me tired, uninterested, and unsatisfied. Ten minutes in the door, I said I was feeling sick from my sushi dinner and went home.

“You’re that girl that Jack Johnson sings about.” Okay? I read over his text again. Who is That Girl? Doesn’t Jack Johnson sing about Curious George, the monkey? “Hope.” Fuck. Am I really That Girl??

For the past six months I had been roaming in this thing called life like a lost child. Hope? Sure. Love? Nah. Sex? Please. The Good on Paper had just compared be to a song about a woman who is lost, confused, living in a jaded existence. The sad truth was that that’s who I was slowly becoming. Someone hoping that she did not end up alone.

After hearing such a comment from a man that I was just not that into I did what any other girl would do, I changed my hair do. A cut, dye, and new style later I secretly prayed that my new do would accomplish whatever a new hairstyle was supposed to. In my case it was numerous comments around the fact that I had changed my hair and that it looked “cute!” The next step was to clean out the rut that was my closet. I stood in front of the fabulous mess that was my wardrobe and threw out everything and anything that reminded of the person that I was becoming: a bitter, empty, and confused child. It was out with the faux and in with the vrai. Three trash bags, two glasses of wine, and six episodes of “The Real Housewives of New York” later I threw on my New Balances and went out with my dad for burgers.

Having moved back home with my parents made me feel like the prodigal daughter. I had ventured off to the world of recklessness, sin, and emptiness to only find myself back in the comfort of my family. That summer I slept, ate, and relearned the process of starting over. By the end of August I had a new job I loved, a family I connected with, and a new wardrobe to match my improved self.

I met him during my first day of work, all six feet of him. He was tall, dark, and handsome. I never thought much of him only that his Armenian was too perfect. I saw him at work once a week and greeted him, very professionally. I found myself attracted to this forbidden fruit but quickly turned off any hope of him being able to handle me.

For the rest of the year I had become married to my job, which will remain a mystery in order to protect my identity. Nevertheless I was thrown into a whole new world of the Armenian community. With each project, each interview, each event I was glad that I silently decided to follow my dreams. Before I knew it, I was getting dressed to celebrate the starting of the New Year. 2009, what it year it had been and how ready was I to see it in the past. Unlike the years before me, I was ready to find love but not actively searching for it. I was tried of running, hunting, and working towards building something with nothing. I rang in the New Year with copious shots of tequila with my mom, numerous toasts with my dad, and wild stories with my brothers. At the struck of midnight I felt something I had never felt, maybe it was the fact that I was with my family and happy, maybe it was the fact that I was truly free, maybe it was the fact that I knew that life is possible, or maybe it was the fact that I believed I will find true love.

UCSD Wins Ball, Irvine Takes Soccer

The annual Armenian Students’ Association games took place in UC Santa Barbara, where fifteen teams from colleges in southern California participated in basketball and soccer games in the friendly spirit of competition.

By ELVIRA DERHOVSEPIAN
Elvira5027@yahoo.com

The annual Armenian Students’ Association tournaments took place at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday and Sunday, May 29 and 30. Fifteen basketball teams took part in the games from various schools (UCI, UCR, GCC, PCC, CSUN, CSUN ALUM, UCLA, UCSB, UCSB ALUM, LMU, UCB, USC, UCSD, CPP), and AEO. Eight of them participated in the soccer tournaments (UCI, UCR, AEO, UCLA, UCSB, CSUN, USC, CPP).

UCI won every one of their soccer games this year, their opponents including Cal Poly, USC, UCR and AEO. UC Irvine versed UCLA in the final game on Sunday and won the soccer tournament with a final score of 1-0. Unique to UCLA’s soccer team were two female soccer players who participated in the games amongst the rest of the guys.
“No mercy was our rule, and we never underestimated any of those teams out there... I think this is a start of a dynasty,” said David Grigorian about Irvine’s win.

On Sunday, May 30, the basketball game between UCSD and UCI grew very intense with 16 seconds left on the clock and a close score of 38-36. UCI called a foul and was given two free throws. After missing one of the two, UCSD won with a final score of 38-37, moving on to the championships.

It was especially notable considering the fact that UCI had won the title 3 years in a row prior to this year. Meghry Chopurian, the only female basketball player for GCC, mentioned her team’s close call to making the finals against UCSD. However, CSUN Alumni made it to the finals. The finals caused great commotion among the crowd as Tritons won 53-41.

“It was a big challenge for our team but we pulled through and got the win,” said Gevork Demirchyan, a second-year at UCSD. “Armand Rostamian dominated, and he drove in the ball very well,” Demirchyan said. Arakel Poladian also contributed a great amount during the game as UCSD’s Point guard. “He was able to [effectively] run our offensive plays, staying aggressive and attacking the basket as well as shooting well from three-point land,” said Rostamian. “A lot of teams doubted us in the beginning, but we were able to play as a team. It just shows how far you can get with a lot of determination,” Rostamian added.

Overall, the ASA games were a success in both soccer and basketball. Teammates and opponents got along and supported each other throughout injuries and wins. Fans and athletes celebrated together during this memorable Memorial weekend at clubs Sharkeez and Sandbar with Artin Sarkissian, also known as DJ Bert, spinning hot tracks both nights.

Sports With Manouk: A Rivalry Revival, Los Angeles vs Boston

With the fierce competition between the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers basketball teams heating up faster than a Los Angeles hot summer’s day, the next few weeks will certainly be a spectacle for sports fans across the nation.

By MANOUK AKOPYAN
Manouk.akopyan@gmail.com javascript:void(0)

It’s starting to feel a lot like 1984 again. And 1985. And 1987.

While most of us were dunking cookies into milk, scoring Flinstones Vitamins, rejecting mouthfuls of pureed carrots and running fast breaks in our diapers, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics were playing the greatest and most exciting games of basketball in league history.

Fast-forward 23 years of this history-rich series, and the days of Magic Johnson vs Larry Legend have evolved into Kobe Bryant vs Paul Pierce. Kurt Rambis being left for dead on the parquet floor has turned into Pierce being wheeled off in a chair. Stiffs like Bill Walton have turned into stiffs like Luke Walton. Okay, maybe things haven’t changed one bit. Los Angeles still hates Boston. Boston still hates LA, and the love is mutual.

As both teams convincingly steamrolled through their playoff competition, they now meet for the second time in three years for the Larry O’Brien trophy, and fans are abuzz for the anticipation of the rivalries next chapter.

While most of your memory goes as far back as seven minutes ago – let alone the 80s – let’s make an effort to backpedal to 2008 – the year Kobe won league MVP honors, and the year Lakers choked away the title.
The Celtics rallied from a 24-point deficit in game four to beat the Lakers on the road and take a commanding 3-1 series lead. They would go on to win their 17th championship in team history five nights later against a debilitated Lakers squad by 39 points with the Boston crowd chanting, “Where is Kobe?”

Adding insult to injury, Paul Pierce danced on the Celtics bench during a timeout and then drenched Coach Doc Rivers with the first Gatorade shower in basketball history – on the court... with 30 seconds left to play in the game. I guess Kevin Garnett was right, “Anything is possible.”

That’s like a little leprechaun sneaking up on you from behind, snatching your gold chain and kicking you in the balls – twice!

Not much has changed in the two years since they last met. The core of the rosters is still intact. The mainstays have aged, Rajon Rando has evolved to more than just a weird-sounding name and Paul Pierce looks like he can really use a razor blade. Pierce looks like he drunkenly passed out during a college party, and the frat boys glued pubes on his face. Speaking of face, what’s up with Doc Rivers’ grill? Looks like you can deep-fry a whole chicken on those oily cheeks.

Talkin’ shit is nothing new between Boston and L.A. If you are looking for some trash, look no further past Boston’s bench, which still employs former Trojan Brian Scalabrine.

If sports weren’t enough, Boston’s significant Armenian population also mirrors that of Los Angeles’ - at a significantly smaller population of course. Boston’s Armenian contingency is somewhere around 60,000, while the Armenian population in the state of Massachusetts is around 120,000.

The hatred between these cities has grown even more over the last two years through baseball as Manny Ramirez now roams the green grass in the Dodgers Stadium. One month after the Celtics won the title in 2008, the former Boston Red Sox outfielder spurned the city, its fans, and everything the team stood for. He forced a trade that eventually landed him in Los Angeles.

At the moment, both baseball and basketball for these cities are coming full circle. I wonder how Ramirez will be received and treated when the Dodgers visit Boston from June 18-20 for a 3-game interleague series. Will he run into the Green Monster and take his usual leak in the glorified, rat-infested shithole that is known as Fenway Park?
As if the basketball rivalry wasn’t enjoyable enough, now comes the baseball aspect of it.

With the Celtics and Lakers heating up faster than a L.A. summer’s day, the next few weeks will truly be a spectacle for sports.

It’ll all start with a victory parade down Figueroa. Can yooouuuu dig it? (Lakers in seven).

Cameron Hovsepian Brings Jazz Back

By Tereza Yerimyan
Terezayerimyan@ucla.edu

Beginning his music career at the tender age of six, Cameron Hovsepian is now striving to bring back the love for Jazz music to both the UCLA community and the musical world at large. A third year music major, Hovsepian feels that it is necessary to mold Jazz music to fit the current music stream, but also allow it to maintain its essence as soulful music.

In his musical experiences, Hovsepian has noticed that musicians are often discouraged to approach jazz tunes, saying, “People don’t seem to want to bring jazz back, so the musicians simply don’t.” Hovsepian points out that “most of the music listened to today is garbage, and jazz needs to be reintroduced to mainstream music in order to differentiate from what the general public listens to today.”

In addition to jazz music, Hovsepian enjoys Armenian folk music. As many of us can relate, an Armenian gathering is not complete without the traditional sounds of the dhol, zurna, and various other Armenian instruments. In fact, his family has always surrounded themselves with the love of art: “There are always performances going on in our home, from playing the piano to singing to reciting common sayings,” Hovsepian explains, “considerably creating an environment for me to gain interest in music.”

He was drawn to music after listening to a jazz recording at the age of eight after accidentally downloading the wrong song off of Napster. Luis Armstrong’s “Westwood Blues” caught his attention. “It was the first time I had ever heard jazz music, and it was so different,” he said. No one in his family had played a jazz recording up until that point. An accident turns out to be a sign of fate as this recording became his inspiration to follow a career in music specialized in jazz.

According to Hovsepian, his family didn’t take him seriously at first, but grew to accept and support his son’s choices. As an artist, he finds it important to “have a real grip of reality” because many artists fall into the trap of their art without considering the commercial factors of life. He feels inspired by his father to work hard to attain success through rationality.

Hovsepian’s composed music has extraordinary blends, much like the person himself. Originally, he entered UCLA as a double major in both Music and Physics. “It seems like an odd combination of interests, but in actuality, math and music go hand in hand,” Hovsepian states. His favorite pieces to compose are strictly mathematical, much like classical music.

He believes that artists come up with their music beyond its math orientation. Much like how we daydream in the middle of lecture, Hovsepian, in a sense, writes an imaginary story with his lyrics and music all stemming from a small occurrence in his daily life. He believes that the imagination could take a single event and fantasize something better than reality, which is exactly what happens in his song called “Sunshine”. Hovsepian feels that his songs emerge from a pure interaction between himself and the experience and believes that they become an interesting story once he is finished with producing them in the studio.

Hovsepian does everything for his music tracks, from composing the music to writing the lyrics and performing his own songs. When in need of other instruments or musicians, he will pull them from the music department to help record a song, accrediting them for their input.

The music industry is one of the hardest modes of entertainment anyone can become a part of, which makes us wonder what expectations this Bruin holds. Like many artists, Hovsepian hopes to land a record deal and in doing so, realizes that they will suggest alterations. Hovsepian wants to make a living off of his music, but he’s not limiting his options to just performances or record labels. Hovsepian sees a future in writing scores for films (and possibly winning an academy award for best music) or applying his musical genius to similar modes of entertainment.
You can check out Hovsepian at http://www.myspace.com/cameronhovsepian to listen to his latest releases and keep an eye out for his performances at De Neve Plaza and other UCLA musical events.

PAUL: Not Every DJ Can Have an Armenian Flavor in All the Right Places

By SHAHANE ARAYI
Shahanem@ucla.edu

Paul Yedalyan wants to be a pilot one day, or maybe a lawyer like his brother, or maybe he can get his scrubs on and be a doctor. His ambitions are endless, his dreams eternal, but today, for now, he is everyone’s favorite DJ Paul. While he may be in his late teens, his years of experiences DJing puts him among some of the best DJs in the Armenian wedding scene. He is known to all the banquet hall owners and is one speed dial away from any bride-to-be or a young almost 16-year-old girl.

Growing up in the valley, this young Los Angeles native admired music from an early age. He discloses that he views music differently, as if it is even possible to see music, but he sees it. DJ Paul experiences all his favorite songs at a level that most of us with average ears are not able to understand. Or even if we understood it, his judgment on it sounds much better.

He began playing around with DJ equipment for the very first time when he was only eight years old. Yedalyan was right away hooked on playing music. In fact, he has been practicing the craft of DJing ever since.

Although his parents do find his non-stop loud music mixing highly annoying, they have come to accept the fact that their son’s passion is important. In fact, Yedalyan credits his parents for the musical influences. He states that growing up, both of his parents always played the piano for him. His father always improvises the music he hears on the television. The sense of improvising music – the one, most important aspect of DJing – seems to be genetic as Yedalyan mixes all music to produce the international feel every Armenian wedding craves. He mixes Armenian, Hip-Hop, Russian, House, the Classics, and even hints of country music to make sure that his clients are satisfied because after all, DJing has a great deal to do with the people who are listening to the music.

Yedalyan spends an enormous time concentrating on the selection he will play at the event where he DJs. Prior to attending the event, he meets with the clients and discusses with them their style and taste in music in order to be appropriate at the actual event. After the meeting, Yedalyan spends some time practicing the selection in his room, which he has converted into a studio for work. At the actual event, Yedalyan uses his acquired skills in improvising to fully provide an enjoyable event for the attendees, helping the party-throwers create memories that lasts them a lifetime.

For this article, I spent some time with Yedalyan at a coffee shop in Sherman Oaks, and throughout the entire interview, I could not help but notice how incredibly professional this young man actually behaved. His manners were fitted for someone at least ten years older than him, and his ability to communicate to me about how serious he takes his job wooed me even further. I noticed a sense of concentration when he was discussing every aspect of his job, from mixing to speaking to the clients and his relationship with the owners of the banquet halls. I thought that if the tape-recorder was off, I would see someone more relaxed, not a serious business man but a young man trying to figure his life out.

To my surprise, the recorder on or off, Yedalyan was the same genuinely ambitious young man who is willing to work very hard to accomplish his goals. Yet, with the recorder off, we talked about more personal matters – his relationship status and about being Armenian. For all the ladies out there, he is definitely single and DJ Paul – one of the cutest DJs ever, is the ‘romantic guy.’ He enjoys Michael Buble and takes advices from women because he deeply admits that men, just don’t understand women.

On the subject of being Armenian, Yedalyan credits his Armenian roots for his love of music since he believes that listening to Armenian music is what drove him towards DJing. At the Armenian Chronicles party, Pleasure, Yedalyan was asked to keep the Armenian music to the minimum since it was at Joseph’s in Hollywood. However, after waiting for people to take a couple of shots and taking into consideration that the entire crowd was Armenian, Paul begin mixing some Armenian music with the House and hip-hop he had played the entire night. The party went out of control; the Armenian music brought every single person to the dance floor including the non-dancers who had spent the entire night sitting around drinking.

While Yedalyan has not DJed too many club parties since he mainly DJs Armenian celebrations, he still knew exactly what would guarantee a successful event. DJs make the party since the invention of the word disc jockey, DJ Paul makes every party, any place, any time.

Quick facts: He likes to have many friends, so Facebook him at DjPaul Yedalyan.

Rapper H1, A Remix on Life

I once asked this rapper if the song he was humming was a remix of its original version. To this he responded: “I’m doing a remix on life.” And doing the remixing was Patrick Antonian: an eclectic blend of several characteristics all in one human, which is also his stage name – Human1, or more commonly, H1 da Yung Gun.

His versatility as an artist and his multi-faceted personality comes through in his past works as well as current projects. His first EP from 2004, Heavy Grounds (title inspired by Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”), is filled with intricate instrumentals and substantive lyrics that ponder life and the human condition. “The album was my understanding and interpretation of the world,” Antonian said, explaining that he wanted to introduce himself through his perspective and share what pains him and what makes him happy.

Today, his music is happier, more radio-friendly, which is appropriate considering the heights that his artistry has reached. The rapper now has his own label called OPM, which has the option to nonexclusively distribute through Sony Music Entertainment. In addition, he is currently writing music for several TV Networks, whose names cannot be mentioned as the episodes for which he has been writing have not yet aired.

Despite career successes, Antonian still felt the sting of the social stigma that comes with being a rapper in the Armenian community. Although he’s always had close Armenian friends, his best friends have been of different backgrounds, and Antonian’s nonjudgmental attitude is a confirmation of that fact. He has been accused of “trying to act Black” and “not being Armenian enough.” Yet he prides himself in representing Armenians among his non-Armenian and underground communities.

“The underground community is more about love and acceptance,” Patrick explained, adding that they think it’s ‘dope’ that he represents his people. The most obvious example being “Holy Grail” off of his Heavy Grounds EP, which is a collaboration with the Armenian painter, author, playwright and actor Vahe Berberian and deals with genocides, the Armenian in particular.

Antonian’s circumstances and inner drive converged to create the artist that he is today. Born in Beirut, Antonian grew up in the Valley, CA but frequented Hollywood throughout his childhood. Having experienced a street life, Antonian grew up break dancing from the age of 12 in local circles as well as tagging graffiti from the age of 10. “I started out writing my favorite hip-hop verses while tagging and eventually I started writing my own lines.” This prepared him for the cyphers he would join at the age of 15 – cyphers meaning freestyling in a group setting. “Freestyling came naturally to me,” Antonian said. “I used to battle older guys as a kid,” something that is made believable by his quick comebacks and smart mouth.

Around the age of 16, he and his friends put up money in order to buy studio time and release songs under the name Backwash Foundation; “backwash” in the sense of being the outcasts of society. “I was in that zone where I had to question authority to find my peace of mind,” Antonian said explaining the name and also the essence of the group’s music.

Antonian’s parents were always supportive as the hobbies “kept me out of trouble” Patrick said, adding that “I already knew right from wrong; they let me figure it out.” Still, there was tension at home when the struggle to succeed became overwhelming. And it still is: “I think about music 24 hours a day. When you’re not getting there, the setbacks slowly drive you crazy,” said the obsessive-compulsive perfectionist. His other option is to finish up his degree at California State University of Northridge in Business Management, where he specialized in the business aspect of music.

But looking at his track record, it doesn’t seem as though Antonian’s journey has been in vain, or that he should give up. Currently acting as his own manager, he juggles several projects ranging from recording two tracks with Dr. Dre’s Hitman called “New West Affiliates” and “Stripclub,” which will be released through Aftermath Entertainment, as well as features on the Bone Thugs Mo’ Thugs Project. He is also working on Armenian collaborations, one of them being the “IAN-YAN Connection” with producer Zarotek.
Though H1 is mostly known for being a lyricist, he is an artist at heart, with a wide range of talents. “I always wanted to be a drummer,” he said, nostalgically looking over to an empty corner of the room where he had played on his drum set of over 10 years until it was recently sold. And if he wasn’t busy drumming, he was painting – a hobby that stemmed from graffiti art.

“On canvas?” I naturally assumed. “No,” he answered, “On interesting pieces I find in the backyard, or alleyways; like awkwardly shaped wood, table-tops, or couches. Sometimes I would make collages of faces, or take pictures and drawings and create the mood of that day and tell a story.” He has thus far sold all his work at either his shows or yard sales. “I would just put them out on the table and people actually picked them up,” he said adding that he would run out of supply to fulfill the demand. The rapper has also dabbled in acting, starring in movies including County General (2005), in which he had several lines.

You always wonder what drives people like Patrick, and from where they get their inspiration and work ethic. According to the rapper, he gets his artistic edge from his mother who has always been very supportive of his work. His father, also his only role model, offered him a credo which he now lives by: Never let a man borrow three things: your car, your gun, and your wife. “Everything I know about money, the street business, I got from my dad,” Antonian said, “I never took role models from the entertainment industry.” But he did take musical influence from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Tupac, and the Wu-Tang Clan, to name a few.

It is hard to explain a person like Patrick; it is something he did best when he said: “I keep my feet on the ground, but my head in the clouds.”

Antonian is releasing a mixtape titled H1 &1, and his album is slated to be released sometime in 2011. For more info. search H1 on iTunes or google H1music.