October 17, 2007

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Graduate Student Association at UCLA
Kerckhoff Hall Room 316
308 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles CA 90024
Email: agsaucla@ucla.edu
Web:

Armenian Graduate Student Association at UCLA Welcomes Students at its
First Annual Meet & Greet and Launches its Literary Series with Shant
Kenderian’s `1001 Nights in Iraq’

September 27th marked the Armenian Graduate Student Association (AGSA)
at UCLA’s first annual Meet & Greet on the UCLA campus. As the first
official event of the academic year, roughly 75 members and friends of
the AGSA had the opportunity to meet the AGSA executive board, members
and notable UCLA faculty like Dr. Richard Hovannisian and Dr. Peter
Cowe. `The Meet & Greet was an effective first event for the AGSA,’
said Raffi Kassabian, Executive Officer for the organization. `It
brought together current and incoming graduate students and faculty
and helped build a stronger bridge with the greater UCLA graduate
student community.’ Other invited guests included board members from
the undergraduate Armenian Student Association at UCLA and the
Graduate Student Association, the graduate student government.

During the course of the evening, the executive board introduced the
various projects that the membership was planning on organizing for
the academic year. `The AGSA is a unique organization in that it is
membership driven,’ said Nareen Hindoyan, Project Coordinating Officer
for the AGSA. `Most of our projects are initiated and planned from the
ground up by the membership.’

One such project, which is planned for October 25, 2007 is a book
reading and signing with the author of 1001 Nights in Iraq, Shant
Kenderian. The event dubbed, `Conversations with Shant Kenderian:
1001 Nights in Iraq’ is part of the AGSA’s Armenian Literary
Series. The series showcases Armenian authors or books that focus on
Armenian culture, community, and issues. The series also provides an
excellent opportunity for literary students to interact with and learn
from their published colleagues.

Kenderian’s 1001 Nights in Iraq highlights his personal traumatic
story of how his simple visit to Baghdad at the age of seventeen
resulted in his forced recruitment into the Iraqi army only to be
released after capture by American soldiers ten years after grueling
service. The book has received notable reviews from the New York Times
and Entertainment Weekly.

`This event – we hope – is going to be a great stepping stone for
literary and all students alike to be able to first hand interact with
a an individual who has been able to take a life-changing experience
and effectively touch so many through the use of word.’ Andrew
Behesnilian, Project Director for the event.

The event will take place in Bunche 3178 on the UCLA campus on
Thursday, October 25, 2007 from 6:00-8:00 pm.

The Armenian Graduate Student Association at UCLA, established in
2002, provides a forum through which graduate students in the various
programs at UCLA can make use of their field specific skills to
promote academic as well as professional development by means of
participation in events that increase awareness of Armenian culture,
communities and issues.

When: Thursday, October 25, 2007, 6:00-8:00 pm
Where: UCLA campus, Bunch Hall 3178
Directions to the UCLA campus:
From 405 South
Exit Sunset Blvd., make a left
Make another left to get onto Sunset
Hilgard, make right
Wyton, make right
Purchase parking pass for lot 3 from parking kiosk
Proceed to Bunche Hall

Contact: Andrew Behesnilian: agsaucla@ucla.edu

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress