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USU ARMENIAN STUDENTS GIVE BACK
http://www.usustatesman.com/armenian-students-give-back-1.2418886
The Statesman
Dec 2 2010
Utah
Group has organized more than 20 service projects By JESSICA BLACK
While some students are busy figuring out next semester's class
schedules and how they're going to manage all their finals, the
Armenian Student Association (ASA) has been working hard on more
than 20 different humanitarian service projects for the community
and throughout the world.
Gagik Melikyan, senior in political science and economics, is the
president and founder of the Armenian Student Association and said
the main goals of the club are to do service and make the world,
both local, and non-local, a better place to live for everyone.
This year they have already sent more than 65 shirts and 16 blankets
to Zatik Orphanage in Armenia. The shirts were donated by the USU
bookstore while 28 blankets were bought and given to the group by
Dr. Vijay Cannon. The bookstore donated a total of 440 game day
T-shirts to the club so that they could be sent to people who needed
them in other countries.
"The T-shirts were the game-day shirts from 2008 and 2009 that we just
weren't using anymore," said Celestyn Hollingshead, the marketing
manager for the USU Bookstore, "so because we couldn't sell them
anymore we gave them to Gagik."
The other 370 shirts along with the remaining 12 blankets were recently
given to the Red Cross Armenian Organization to be given out and
disturbed among other orphanages and places where they were needed.
Heidi Harris, costumer service representative, said Melikyan had
been working for her and when he found out about the extra T-shirts
that the book store couldn't get rid of, offered to take them off
her hands by finding places where they were needed. Harris said she
thought this sounded like a good idea and started looking into ways
the bookstore could make this happen for the club.
Harris said she's been impressed with the organization and said, "Every
one of these students are on time, hard workers, and fun to work with."
The group has a special tie with the Zatik Orphanage because this last
summer, 12 of their members went there to do service at the orphanage
along with several other service-oriented clubs from schools all
across the nation.
Mher Petrosyan, senior in business administration and the club's vice
president said, "We went there and renovated the orphanage, played
with the kids, and it was a really great group project because we
got to work with so many other groups."
The group is currently associated with the Huntsman School of Business,
and 26 of their members are Huntsman scholars. John Huntsman is a
well-known name in Armenia, Harris said. Melikyan said Huntsman has
built a hospital, a high school and apartments in Armenia and has
worked in Armenia to help people gain a better way of life. Petrosyan
said Huntsman's interested in Armenia was sparked after an earthquake
which devastated many Armenians.
The group is currently planning an anti-genocide day for April 24.
Their goal, according to Petrosyan, is to raise awareness so people
can see the harm it did in the past, and therefore prevent it from
happening in the future.
Though the club does special service projects for the people in
Armenia, Melikyan said the majority of their projects and activities
are services that provide for the local community.
"The whole idea was to have our own Armenian Student Association that
could help support and promote service," Petrosyan said. "That's the
majority of what we do, helping the community and creating a better
place to live."
From: A. Papazian
http://www.usustatesman.com/armenian-students-give-back-1.2418886
The Statesman
Dec 2 2010
Utah
Group has organized more than 20 service projects By JESSICA BLACK
While some students are busy figuring out next semester's class
schedules and how they're going to manage all their finals, the
Armenian Student Association (ASA) has been working hard on more
than 20 different humanitarian service projects for the community
and throughout the world.
Gagik Melikyan, senior in political science and economics, is the
president and founder of the Armenian Student Association and said
the main goals of the club are to do service and make the world,
both local, and non-local, a better place to live for everyone.
This year they have already sent more than 65 shirts and 16 blankets
to Zatik Orphanage in Armenia. The shirts were donated by the USU
bookstore while 28 blankets were bought and given to the group by
Dr. Vijay Cannon. The bookstore donated a total of 440 game day
T-shirts to the club so that they could be sent to people who needed
them in other countries.
"The T-shirts were the game-day shirts from 2008 and 2009 that we just
weren't using anymore," said Celestyn Hollingshead, the marketing
manager for the USU Bookstore, "so because we couldn't sell them
anymore we gave them to Gagik."
The other 370 shirts along with the remaining 12 blankets were recently
given to the Red Cross Armenian Organization to be given out and
disturbed among other orphanages and places where they were needed.
Heidi Harris, costumer service representative, said Melikyan had
been working for her and when he found out about the extra T-shirts
that the book store couldn't get rid of, offered to take them off
her hands by finding places where they were needed. Harris said she
thought this sounded like a good idea and started looking into ways
the bookstore could make this happen for the club.
Harris said she's been impressed with the organization and said, "Every
one of these students are on time, hard workers, and fun to work with."
The group has a special tie with the Zatik Orphanage because this last
summer, 12 of their members went there to do service at the orphanage
along with several other service-oriented clubs from schools all
across the nation.
Mher Petrosyan, senior in business administration and the club's vice
president said, "We went there and renovated the orphanage, played
with the kids, and it was a really great group project because we
got to work with so many other groups."
The group is currently associated with the Huntsman School of Business,
and 26 of their members are Huntsman scholars. John Huntsman is a
well-known name in Armenia, Harris said. Melikyan said Huntsman has
built a hospital, a high school and apartments in Armenia and has
worked in Armenia to help people gain a better way of life. Petrosyan
said Huntsman's interested in Armenia was sparked after an earthquake
which devastated many Armenians.
The group is currently planning an anti-genocide day for April 24.
Their goal, according to Petrosyan, is to raise awareness so people
can see the harm it did in the past, and therefore prevent it from
happening in the future.
Though the club does special service projects for the people in
Armenia, Melikyan said the majority of their projects and activities
are services that provide for the local community.
"The whole idea was to have our own Armenian Student Association that
could help support and promote service," Petrosyan said. "That's the
majority of what we do, helping the community and creating a better
place to live."
From: A. Papazian