Armenia and America: A Shared History

Local Roots of Global Peace Conference, by Hannah Presad

From June 21 to 22, Stonehill students participated in a student conference discussing peace and security studies around the world. Students and academic professionals discussed areas such as gender inequality, Syrian refugee children, the Armenian Revolution, climate change, and trafficking. There were attendees from around the world, including Iraq, Russia,... Read more →

A Hike in Dilijan, by Jack Herndon

On Sunday, we went to Dilijan national park for a hike to a 13th-century monastery. The path was steep, uneven, and muddy; at first, I didn't understand why someone would build anything up there. As we reached the top, I noticed that it was perfectly secluded and quite beautiful. The... Read more →

Armenian tradition VS Freedom of Choice, by Glendy Alvarez

On a trip to Goshavank, a monastery in Gosh it was fascinating to learn about a priest named Mkhitar Gosh who wrote the code of laws, it was a foundation of peace for statehood. He wrote this manuscript back in the 12th century, which was a patriarchal time. Gosh was... Read more →

Being LGBTQ in Armenia & in the U.S., by Glendy Alvarez

Throughout the conversations that I had with Armenians, I came to the conclusion that Armenia is a very conservative country where some but not all Armenians are against the LGBTQ community. In addition, I learned that men at the age of 18 are required to serve in the military. However,... Read more →

Local Roots of Global Peace Conference, by Nicole Buchanan

Majoring in political science makes you very aware of how the world views the United States, but it's essential to interact with individuals from different countries because you gain new perspectives about your own country. Attending this conference made this point very apparent, as I had an interesting conversation with... Read more →

Dialogue With Students From Iraq & Iran, by Jack Herndon

It is hard not to get convinced by the media that certain people are bad. Having never been to the middle east, all I know is what I read about in class and see on the news. With a president like Donald Trump, Islamophobia is widespread among Americans; even without... Read more →

IDEAS for Controversial Classes, by Brenna Kueter

This past weekend the LION participants attended and presented at the Local Roots of Global Peace Conference. While there were many interesting and thought-provoking sessions, one of my favorites was the session entitled “Pedagogy of Controversy” that aimed to explore the power of intellectual conflict and how to best include... Read more →

Security of Armenia, by David Trombly

This week I had the honor of attending a workshop that was headed by Richard Giragosian who is the director of Regional Security Studies in Armenia. Richard Giragasian is a prominent figure in Armenia and the world for his work as a securities analyst. Throughout this workshop, I learned about... Read more →

The Politics of Food, by David Tombly

One of the constantly recurring delights of this trip is the food, specifically the produce is immensely fresh and flavorful. I frequently make the observation that the food in Armenia is much better than in the United States. In the United States, food must be imported long distances in order... Read more →

Artifact: Silk Boycott Protest, January 1st, 1938

The Silk Road Hotel in Yerevan, Armenia is actually a part of a not-for-profit foundation, The Folk Arts Hub Foundation. According to its website, "the Foundation’s purpose is to revive traditional folk arts particularly textiles, to instill in the young generation the creative approach to hand made environmentally friendly products.... Read more →

Children with Disabilities in Armenia, by Nicole Buchanan

On the first day of my internship, I was invited to observe an interview at a sports complex that was organizing competitions for individuals with disabilities. It was fascinating to observe how the cameraman grabs every image and how the journalist interviewed the sports trainer. While the topic of disability... Read more →

The Monasteries, by Leo Field

The monasteries we have visited have all been unique. Each has its own history and the design of these compounds has been different every time. The monasteries are, or were at the time of their construction, located in secluded areas that are relatively tough to get to. Geghard, for instance,... Read more →

Local Roots of Global Peace Conference, by Hillary Ferreira

One Important thing I have learned from this trip is preparing for a conference is overwhelming but at the same time extremely rewarding. What I have learned from being involved at the Local Roots of Global Peace Conference is to be open to feedback and not afraid of how others... Read more →

Gender Equality Training, by Hillary Ferreira

Last week, I attended a training session discussing gender equality. One question that struck me was “describe a time when you realized you were a woman, a time you were proud to be a woman, and a time when you felt sorry to be a woman.” Before this, I never... Read more →

Conference, by Leo Field

This Learning Community has been building to a climax that was the Local Roots for Global Peace conference. The conference was not what I expected. I expected it to be like my presentation in my Research Methods course where my professor tore my report apart. I was fearful of the... Read more →

Healthier M&M's? By Hannah Presad

Chocolate is a necessity, of course. So, I brought a bag of m&m's with me from the United States to Armenia. Upon running out earlier than expected, I stopped by the grocery store for more. However, upon tasting them, I noticed a difference from my US bag of chocolate. I... Read more →

Yerevan Journal, Days 9-14

Time moves slowly in Yerevan but passes quickly. The parks, public squares, museums, music, interesting people, ethnic diversity, monocultural complexity, and fabulous café culture could keep a tourist busy for a long while. But I feel compelled to "look out the other window," toward everyday Yerevan, the living past in... Read more →

Got Coffee? By Hannah Presad

Ah, coffee! The drink that has the attention of millions of people around the world. Although even the very origins of this drink are unknown, it has traveled far and wide, and is the very source of why people can get out of bed and function in the morning. There's... Read more →

Reframing Giselle, by Brenna Kueter

Last Saturday the students and faculty of the LION Program had the privilege of attending Giselle at the Armenia Opera and Ballet Theatre. While the performance was excellent and the dancers were beautiful to watch, my classmates and I found ourselves dismayed with the storyline of the ballet. While recent... Read more →

Designers and Disparity, by Brenna Kueter

When walking around Yerevan, one of the most notable features is the number of designer stores, brands, and cars around the city. This was somewhat shocking to me, as I had been told by family and friends that I would likely have to forfeit some of the comforts of home... Read more →