Glendale News Press
27 Feb 2005
College to offer trip to Armenia
Glendale Community College students will travel to Armenia this summer as
part of a study-abroad program.
By Darleene Barrientos, News-Press and Leader
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Glendale Community College students are preparing for
a summer trip to Armenia, the first study abroad program offered at the
school.
College trustees are expected to approve the travel arrangements for the
Armenia trip and another study abroad trip to Italy during its meeting
Monday.
“The kind of trip we’re doing is a formal academic program combined with a
lot of excursions and on-site lectures,” trip coordinator Levon Marashlian
said. “A lot of the lectures are not in lecture halls but at museums,
monuments and churches all over the country.”
While several universities throughout the nation have traveled to Armenia
for different programs, Marashlian said this will be the first time it has
been done as part of a formal study abroad program. It will be the first
time a trip to Armenia will be offered to students at a two-year
institution, he said
The college has taken trips to Czech Republic, Spain, Italy and France and
selected Armenia and Italy because they are rich culturally, religiously and
architecturally, Trustee Ara Najarian said.
“[The trip to] Armenia may have a special attraction for students of
Armenian heritage,” Najarian said. “It may be their opportunity to go in an
environment that’s both fun and educational. Many first-generation
[Armenian] students have never had the opportunity to go.
“We felt it was time, and there was enough interest for students to go to
Armenia,” Najarian continued. “We wanted to pick a location where we will
have a good response and good enrollment. Without the proper enrollment, we
would have to drop or cancel or postpone.”
About 21 students are scheduled to go on the trip to Armenia, which will be
from June 21 to July 21. Marashlian hopes the maximum of 30 students will
sign up for the trip.
Student Ani Daniyelian, 20, of Glendale, is excited to visit the country she
left when she was 4, and she plans to visit at least a few relatives while
she is there.
“I want to see what it looks like,” Daniyelian said. “When you’re hearing
about it, you just want to see it for yourself. I want to see Karabakh — I
want to see where so many people lost their lives to liberate the Armenian
territory.”
She would have liked to visit Armenia with her parents, but she feels she
might learn more without them.
“It’s better with students,” she said. “If you go with your parents, its
going to be more of family get-together. As part of a student group, you are
with people your age and you experience it with students who haven’t seen
the country. It’s a better way of learning about it.”