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  • Birthright Alum Get Organized Nationwide

    PRESS RELEASE
    May 22, 2006
    Contact: Linda Yepoyan
    Phone: 610-642-6633
    [email protected]


    BIRTHRIGHT ALUM GET ORGANIZED NATIONWIDE

    William Saroyan once said that "when two Armenians meet anywhere in the
    world, see if they will not create a new Armenia." Probably this is most
    true when it comes to students. Or at least that's what University of
    Chicago sophomore and Birthright Armenia alum Nishan Bingham set out to
    prove when he and three of his friends decided to establish the University's
    first ever Armenian Students Club.

    "We all got together one night and talked about it," says Nishan. "Then we
    networked and kept an eye out for Armenian names." In fact, Nishan and his
    three comrades went through the entire Face Book looking for the signature
    "-ian" that marks Armenian last names. "It was difficult," says Nishan,
    "because Chicago doesn't have a huge Armenian population. But we came up
    with more than 30 names." After establishing a mandate, decorating the
    campus with posters, and publicizing the new group, the Armenian Students
    Club had its first meeting on February 18, 2006 and plans to hold elections
    this semester.

    While Nishan's concept for the Armenian Students Club was realized on the
    University of Chicago campus, the idea began much earlier, across the
    Atlantic, during his summer experience Armenia. As a volunteer for the Land
    and Culture Organization (LCO), a group dedicated to bringing diasporan
    volunteers from all over the world together to dedicate their service to
    restoring, reviving and maintaining Armenia's land and culture, Nishan spent
    time in Yerevan as an active participant in the Birthright Armenia program,
    as well as the outlying region of Shushi with LCO. "Being in Armenia made
    me feel entitled as an Armenian and obligated to represent Armenian culture
    in America, in my community, and especially at my school," says Nishan.

    Among Birthright alum around the U.S., it appears that Nishan is not alone
    in his quest to bring Armenians together. Two other Birthright alums have
    begun similar projects on their own campuses. Over the last several months
    Los Angeles-native Varty Defterderian, a sophomore at University of
    Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and Aline Alexanian, a student at University
    of North Carolina Chapel Hill, have both been working hard to form on-campus
    Armenian student organizations.

    When asked what prompted her to begin her venture, Varty says "I miss my
    Armenian community." She goes on to describe how her own experience as a
    volunteer in Armenia through the Armenian Students Association New York and
    Birthright Armenia participant helped shape her desire to bring a bit of
    Armenia back to Philadelphia. "I really felt a longing for my language and
    my culture. Philly was starting to feel like home, but it was definitely
    missing an integral part for my life and with this club and the handful of
    Armenians that Birthright Armenia introduced me to, I'm beginning to fill
    that void here," she says. Already, Varty, who currently serves as Vice
    President of the UPenn ASA, has helped organize a viewing of the April 17th
    PBS documentary on the Genocide, as well as participation in a Hoke Hankist
    on April 24th at a local church. She has also been working with other local
    area university Armenian student groups to coordinate joint activities at
    Drexel, Villanova, Temple, Saint Joseph's and Rutgers.

    Aline Alexanian, a student at University of North Carolina, who volunteered
    in Armenia through the AYF Summer Internship Program shared similar
    experiences with Nishan and Varty through Birthright Armenia. While the UNC
    group began as a simple dinner club among friends, Aline, along with two of
    her fellow classmates, has dedicated herself to making the group a
    recognized campus organization. Aline says that her focus for the group is
    to spread the word about Armenian culture in the South. She also hopes that
    once the group is officially recognized by UNC, they will be able to
    participate in the many international events that already occur regularly on
    campus, and even push for the addition of an Armenian culture class into the
    current curriculum.

    Nishan has been working on similar events for the University of Chicago
    campus. Although the group is still in its beginning stages, Nishan has
    high hopes that soon the club's activities will include kefs, cultural
    shows, and fundraisers for Armenian charities. He even plans to host an
    Armenian film series at the campus theater, featuring films by Parajanov and
    Atom Egoyan, director of the landmark film Ararat. "I am really proud and
    excited," says Nishan. "My experience over the summer with LCO and
    Birthright is really what got me going."

    In fact, Nishan's dedication to the new students club was part of a written
    continuing involvement promise required by Birthright Armenia prior to
    receiving a travel reimbursement.
    Linda Yepoyan, Executive Director of Birthright Armenia, believes that at
    the end of their stay in the Homeland, "something in these young Armenians
    just clicks when forced to think about how they can promise to stay involved
    and give back to their diasporan community. Perhaps it never occurred to
    them that they themselves could be the one to provide the action. However,
    their time in Armenia doing rewarding volunteer service and seeing
    additional work that needs to be done is the motivating factor. I am so
    proud of our alumnus and am convinced that amongst them are some great
    future leaders and activists of the Armenian people and nation."

    As alums of one of the first Armenian organizations to financially sponsor
    young diasporan Armenians in their service to the Motherland, Nishan, Varty
    and Aline have set a path that many hope other diasporans around the world
    will follow. "It's really important to get people involved. So many
    diasporans are disconnected," says Nishan. When looking around at her own
    campus, Varty agrees wholeheartedly. "There are a lot of Armenians on
    campus that are only part Armenian and all they know about being Armenian is
    some of the food or that one of their parents or grandparents was Armenian.
    It's absolutely amazing to be able to share with them a bit of their culture
    and give them a taste of their history."

    Looking at the success of these three distinct programs, one can truly see
    the legacy that Armenia instills in her descendants. These three talented
    diasporans brought back more than stories and great photos from their summer
    in Armenia - they brought home the future of a rich culture and the
    beautiful people that comprise it. As William Saroyan would attest, they
    established a new Armenia.

    For those interested in learning more about Birthright Armenia, please visit
    www.birthrightarmenia.org or email [email protected] .
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