PRESS RELEASE
May 22, 2006
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633
info@birthrightarmenia.org
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
or email info@birthrightarmenia.org .