National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

12 The Armenian Reporter | April 4, 2009
Community
Armenians of Colorado host American University of Armenia guests
LOUISVILLE – The Armenians
of Colorado welcomed Ronald
Altoon and Edward Avedisian
to Louisville on March 24 with a
festive reception and a full table of
delicious Armenian delicacies prepared
by the AOC board members.
The group gathered at the home of
Betty and John Ohannessian to
hear Mr. Altoon describe his experiences
in designing a state-of-theart
educational building for the
American University of Armenia.
(See stories in the Armenian Reporter
for Nov. 8 and 15, 2008.)
Dr. Kenell Touryan, an aoc
member and aua’s vice president
for research and development,
welcomed the 35 guests, including
Bruce Janigian, aua’s vice president
for development and government
relations, and Dan Maljanian,
aua’s director of development.
aua’s founding chairperson
of the Board of Trustees and former
University of California official
William Frazer is an Aspen,
Colorado, resident and had hoped
to attend, but weather prevented
him from traveling.
Mr. Altoon, founding design partner
of Altoon + Porter Architects
in Los Angeles, presented slides of
the $16 million Paramaz Avedisian
Building project and described the
numerous challenges he faced in
bringing new building techniques
and environmentally sensitive solutions
to the country of Armenia.
The 100,000-square-foot building,
which doubles the size of the aua
campus in Yerevan, added a new
lecture hall, classrooms, laboratories,
research centers, faculty offices,
conference rooms, a café, and
an art gallery. The project was established
with a lead gift from the
family of Khoren and Shooshanig
Avedisian.
Mr. Altoon and Mr. Avedisian, of
Lexington, Massachusetts, were
in town to make a presentation to
the Society for College and University
Planning (scup) conference in
Boulder on March 25. Quoting William
Saroyan, Mr. Altoon remarked
that aoc had indeed created a
“New Armenia” by joining together
in the state of Colorado and providing
Armenians with the opportunity
to gather and enjoy fellowship.
He also invited the Armenians of
Colorado to join aua in its efforts
to support the future of Armenia
by ensuring the availability of highquality
graduate education. Mara
Gevorgian, an aoc member and
a graduate of aua’s business school
who now works for Standard &
Poors, closed the program by telling
of the impact her mba has had
on her career and the fond memories
she has of her time at aua.
Armenians of Colorado, Inc. is a
501(c)3 non-profit cultural organization
established in June of 1980.
Its purpose is to create a cohesive
Armenian community and to further
the understanding of Armenian
history, culture, language,
customs, and heritage. aoc actively
supports issues and concerns of the
Armenian-American community in
Colorado as well as those identified
within the Armenian diaspora communities
throughout the world.
The group facilitates Armenian
scholars and artists to share their
work with the Colorado community.
aoc also works with the Denver
Starz Encore Film Festival, the
Denver Symphony Orchestra, and
Opera Colorado in supporting Armenian
talent from many parts of
the world. It is through programs
such as these that aoc provides
inspiring events and enhances cultural
diversity within the Colorado
community.
In addition to offering stimulating
cultural and educational
programs, aoc is working toward
establishing an Armenian Cultural
Center. aoc recently purchased a
property in the Denver area and
hopes to raise sufficient funds to
build the center in the near future.
connect:
www.armeniansofcolorado.org
www.aua.am
At the Louisville,
Colo., home of
Betty and John
Ohannessian,
Armenians of
Colorado gather
to hear architect
Ronald Altoon
speak about his
experiences in
designing a stateof-the-art
educational
building
for the American
University of
Armenia. Edward
Avedisian, chair
of the building
committee, is second
from right.
Columbia U to hold conference on
Armenian Genocide April 9
NEW YORK – Andrea Kannapell
of the New York Times will
moderate a Columbia University
panel on “The Armenian Genocide
and its Relevance Today,” sponsored
by the Armenian Club, on
April 9. Prof. Taner Akçam, attorney
Mark Geragos, and Dr. David
Hamburg are the featured panelists
at the 6 p.m. event in Davis Hall.
Turkish-born historian and sociologist
Taner Akçam holds the chair
in Armenian Genocide studies at
Clark University; he is the author
of A Shameful Act and one of the
first Turkish academics to openly
discuss the Armenian Genocide.
Renowned criminal-defense attorney
Mark Geragos led successful
federal class-action lawsuits
against both New York Life Insurance
and AXA for unpaid insurance
benefits from the time of the Armenian
Genocide.
David Hamburg, Ph.D., president
emeritus at Carnegie Corporation
of New York, was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1996;
he is the author of Preventing Genocide:
Practical Steps toward Early Detection
and Effective Action.
The panelists will highlight why it
is still important to remember and
actively discuss the first genocide
of the 20th century; how its denial
has hindered subsequent attempts
at genocide prevention; and how
lessons learned from the Armenian
Genocide can help to prevent future
war crimes and crimes against
humanity.
A reception will follow the presentations
and audience discussion.
Classified listings now available
Please call 818-955-8407 or email us at classifieds@reporter.am
Calendar of Events
Northern California
APRIL 5 - PALM SUNDAY LUN-
CHEON. Location: Saroyan
Hall, 825 Brothehood Way, San
Francisco, CA. 2:00PM Admission:
$20 adults; $10 stud. For
more information contact KZV
8th Grade Class, 650-369-5932;
hsamurkashian@yahoo.com.
APRIL 5 - POLITICAL FORUM
FEAT. CONGRESSWOMAN
JACKIE SPEIER. Location: Calvary
Armenian Congregational
Church, 725 Brotherhood Way,
San Francisco, CA. 1:30pm-
3:30pm. Admission: No Charge.
For more information contact
Armenian Assembly of America,
(626) 577-0025; ykeshishian@
aaainc.org.
APRIL 11 - HAVGETAMARD
EASTER CELEBRATION. Location:
Saratoga Community
Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue,
Saratoga, CA. 7:30pm
Admission: $30 Adults $15 Kids.
For more information contact
Homenetmen Ani Chapter, at
homenetmenani@gmailc.om.
APRIL 19 - AVETIS BERBERIAN
CONCERT. Location: Bayside
Performing Art Center, 2025 Kehoe
Ave., San Mateo, CA. 5:00
pm. Admission: TBD. For more
information contact AGBU
Silicon Valley and Hamazkayin
“Nigol Aghpalian” Chapter, 415-
706-7251; nsarkiss@sbcglobal.
net. APRIL 25 - CACC AN-
NUAL BANQUET. Location:
Calvary Armenian Congregational
Church, 725 Brotherhood
Way, San Francisco, CA. 7:00
PM Admission: $75. For more
information contact CACC, 415-
586-2000; cacc@cacc-sf.org.
MAY 11 - PETER BALAKIAN
BAY AREA BOOK TOUR. Location:
Stanford University, Jordan
Hall, bldg 420, room 041,
Palo Alto, CA. 7:00 PM Admission:
free. For more information
contact Stanford Univ. Comparative
Lit Dept and Stanford
ASA, 650-926-4444; anahid1@
sonic .net.
MAY 12 - PETER BALAKI-
AN BAY AREA BOOK TOUR
CONTINUED. Location: Lick-.
Wilmerding High School, 755
Ocean Avenue, San Francisco,
CA. 7:00 PM Admission: free
and open to the. For more information
contact FACING
HISTORY AND OURSELVES,
510- 786-2500 x227; facinghistory.org/allstate.
MAY 13 - PETER BALAKIAN
BOOK TOUR CONTINUED.
Location: Book Passage Bookstore
in the San Francisco Ferry
Building, 1 Ferry Building #42,
San Francisco, CA. 6:00 PM Admission:
free. For more informa-