Experiencing the 2004
ARS Summer Studies Program

By Ani Saryan

The 2004 Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Summer Studies Institute was held from June 6-26 on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs. ARS Summer Studies Institute is a three-week program with intensive lessons in Armenian language, history, and literature. The Armenian history course is actually worth three credits through the University of Connecticut. There are additional mini-courses in Armenian film, Armenian music, and topics of current interest such as Armenians in Iraq or the region of Javakhk. The program is a wonderful experience for anyone who attends and they will learn a lot about their culture and history.

This year there were four students and six instructors for the program. Here was our typical daily schedule. Our first class was held from 9:00-10:30 am, which was Armenian literature taught by Marc Nichanian. We read excerpts of novels and essays by Diasporan Armenian writers such as Daniel Varoujan and Zareh Vorpuni.

Our next class, Armenian language taught by Jirayr Beudjekian, was held from 10:45 am-12:00 pm. The language skills varied amongst the four students, so we began with learning the Armenian alphabet. By the end of three weeks, we could write sentences in western Armenian.

After eating lunch, we had the Armenian history course taught by Dikran Kaligian from 1:30-4:00 pm. In three short weeks, we were able to cover the entire history of the Armenians, from the origins of the Armenian people until the country today under President Robert Kocharian. Our textbook was George A. Bournoutian’s A Concise History of the Armenian People, and because the class was worth three credits, we had a midterm and final exam as well as daily reading assignments from the book.

Between 4:15 and 5:3 pm, we had a mini course: either Armenian film taught by Anahid Kassabian or Armenian music taught by Ohannes Salibian. After dinner we would attend a screening of an Armenian film, such as “The Color of Pomegranates” by Sergei Paradjanov or current short films by Armenians in both the Diaspora and Armenia. The rest of the evening was usually devoted to studying, reading, and homework.

During the weekends, we took trips to both New York City and Watertown, MA. In New York, our group visited the Ellis Island Museum and Statue of Liberty where we learned about the immigration process for travelers in the 19th and 20th centuries. In Watertown, we toured the Hairenik building and met with the ARS Board of Regional Directors for lunch. We also visited the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center and went to downtown Boston for the afternoon.

The ARS Summer Studies program is a rewarding experience that all college-age students should participate in. It is held each summer in June, so anyone attending will still be able to work at Camp Haiastan, hang out with friends, or travel to Armenia for the rest of the summer. The three-credit history course will most likely transfer to any college or university and attendees will be able to learn directly from scholars in various fields of Armenian studies.