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Fañomnåkan/Spring 2022, Vol. 48, Issue 2, April
By Nathaniel Dulla Tritons Call Staff
With the COVID-19 vaccine mandate lifted on Guam, restaurants, bars, gyms, and public events will no longer require people to present proof of vaccination. According to Guam COVID-19 vaccine tracker on the data news-leader website in February 2022, more than 95% of the island’s residents are fully vaccinated; about 134,754 age-eligible Guam residents. With the decline of coronavirus cases in several places in the United States, government officials have re-evaluated the mask mandate. Following this, many students
Should we still wear a mask on campus?
Campus sign located in the College of Liberal Arts Social Sciences building. Photo by Nathaniel Dulla. in the U.S. no longer wear face masks in class or on school grounds. Due to the release of new information about the
coronavirus and decline in positive cases, the University of Guam started offering more face-to-face and hybrid classes. They
are also aiming to transition into having a majority of face-to-face classes in the semesters to come. For workers, students,
and guests at the university, social distancing and mask wearing is still required on campus. Angelica Pangelinan, a current college student, expresses her thoughts on the mask mandate. “If the mask mandate is ever lifted, I wouldn’t mind the idea of having students choose whether or not they want to wear a mask, considering the amount of people vaccinated and the availability of vaccinations,” states Pangelinan. Pangelinan attends face-to-face classes and has received her COVID-19 vaccination. When asked about Continued on Page 5
Travelers to the Philippines and South Korea no longer need to quarantine
By Mikaela Yanto Tritons Call Staff
After easing travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers, the Philippines and South Korea are now more open to leisure travel. According to the website of the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to undergo a mandatory facility-based quarantine upon arrival. However, arriving travelers must present proof of vaccination and negative RT-PCR results
from a test taken within 48 hours of departure from the country of origin. In addition to these requirements, foreign travelers must have a valid ticket to depart the Philippines within thirty days of arrival, a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival, and proof of travel insurance with a minimum coverage amount of $35,000 to cover COVID-19 treatment for the duration of the traveler’s stay. Balikbayans, or foreign nationals who have old
Page 3: Burn and Detonation Pit Renewal Proposed Publisher Francis Dalisay, PhD fdalisay@triton.uog.edu
Staff Writers Atdao Natividad Eliria Sabeti Javeline Camposagrado
Philippine passports, are allowed to stay in the Philippines for up to six months. On the other hand, starting from April 1st, fully vaccinated travelers who register their vaccination history in the Quarantine COVID19 Defense (Q-Code) system before arriving in South Korea will be eligible for quarantine exemption. A negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of departure to South Korea is also required for entry. Unlike the Philippines,
travel insurance is not a requirement for entry into the Republic of Korea. Travelers to the Philippines and South Korea can buy their plane tickets online. People traveling to the Philippines can choose to book their flights in person at the Philippine Airlines ticket office managed by Goodwind Travel & Tours located in Micronesia Mall in Dededo. Travel requirements to the Philippines and South Korea are subject to change at short notice by
Page 7: UOG Student Film In the Making Jacques Masangkay Mikaela Yanto
the local government. For the latest updates, travelers can check the current requirements on Philippine Airlines’ website, philippineairlines.com/en/covid-19/ arrivingintheph; the U.S. Embassy of the Philippines’ website, ph.usembassy.gov/ covid-19-information/; and the U.S. Embassy of the Republic of Korea’s website, kr.usembassy. gov/022420-covid-19-information/.
Page 10: UOG’s 7th Film Festival Upcoming
Assistant Editor Mikaylla Alcairo Copy Editor Nathaniel Dulla
Editor in Chief Skyler Obispo Web Editor Reese Meno
By Eliria Sabeti Tritons Call Staff Guam continues to move toward a post-pandemic reality. Due to the collective progress and involvement of the people of Guam, we are able to make this step forward. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero announced that she will be lifting the mandated COVID-19 vaccine requirement for government workers and student-athletes. “Effective immediately, there no longer will be a limit on outdoor social gathering numbers and, other than health care workers, our government will no longer mandate proof of employee vaccination and weekly testing requirements,” Governor Lou Leon Guerrero stated in a video message on March 21, 2022. In other words, unvaccinated GovGuam employees will no longer be required to undergo weekly Covid-19 testing. More action was implemented by the Governor on March 11, as she
A handful of COVID-19 restrictions lifted signed an executive order that lifted the restrictions on crowds for outdoor social gatherings. Outdoor social events were previously restricted to a maximum of 100 individuals. However, the restrictions still apply to indoor social gatherings where it is capped at 100 individuals. The mask mandate and other limitations remain in place because the island is still at “high risk” for COVID-19 exposure, and the island is still seeing an omicron-driven spike, Post Guam reported on Tuesday, March 22. According to Guam statistics, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero stated that as of Friday, about 96% of Guam’s vaccine-eligible residents, or those aged 5 and up, are fully immunized. A total of 88% of the population has been fully vaccinated. About 95 percent of executive branch staff have been vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the governor. Pacific Daily News re-
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. Snapshot by Elira Sabeti ported that data collected from the Department of Public Health and Social Services states that the number of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Guam continues to decline with a seven-day average of roughly 644 instances per 100,000 people. We are still encouraged to continue our COVID-19 practices as a solution
to keeping our numbers down and our island safe.
Guam is one step closer to becoming a cannabis regulated territory By Mikaylla Nicole M. Alcairo On March 1st, the Guam Legislature received the proposed cannabis rules and regulations for approval. Senators will have 90 days to accept, reject, or change the proposal from the received date. In 2015, lawmakers legalized medical marijuana use. Senators approved and signed The Guam Cannabis Industry Act into law in 2019, making adult cannabis use legal, sometimes referred to as recreational use of marijuana. The public’s growing interest in cannabis has led officials to allow its use but under approved conditions. The Cannabis Control Board has overseen the development of the rules and regulations. Assigned 2
Photo captured in February 2021. Retrieved from The Guam Daily Post by the Guam Cannabis Clynt Ridgell, the primary Industry Act, the CCB is sponsor of the Cannabis responsible for regulating Industry Act, stated that all who buy, sell, pro“these rules and reguladuce, possess, transport, tions will serve to govern or deliver any cannabis the cannabis industry and items within Guam, except will regulate how cannafor personal cultivation bis is grown, how canof cannabis as allowed nabis-derived products by Guam law, according are manufactured, and to the official website of how cannabis is sold in Guam Department of Rev- licensed dispensaries.” enue and Taxation. Sen. He is in full support of
University of Guam Triton’s Call, April 2022
the adult use of cannabis for reasons such as its medicinal properties and job opportunities for the new industry on the island. “These new revenues can support various government programs and can even go towards things like substance abuse prevention and treatment,” he adds. THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is found in marijuana that aids in the alleviation and treatment of pain. However, there is also an alternative offered to THC, Cannabidiol, better known as CBD. CBD shares similar health benefits to THC, but its main difference is the lack of psychoactive effects, according to the Medical News Today website. The cannabis indus-
try also offers CBD and THC-infused products that may satisfy both needs of a user. These products are available for purchase at stores such as The ReLeaf Shop or ABC stores. You must be age 21 or older to purchase.
Proposed renewal of open burn & detonation pit permit on AAFB
Detonated bomb on Tarague Beach. Photo retrieved from Grist.org. By Atdao Natividad Tritons Call Staff The Northern coast of Guam is home to the popular beaches of Tarague and Inapsan, that sit on a porous aquifer holding 90 percent of Guam’s freshwater. About 3 miles southeast of Inapsan, there is an explosive ordnance disposal site that the Air Force uses to detonate live ammunition. The beach is again currently at risk. The Air Forces’ explosive ordnance disposal range has been in use since 1980 and permitted by Guam Environmental Protection Agency since 1982. Open detonation operations have been in effect for decades, detonating live ammunition on
Tarague. Open burning operations were suspended in 2002. For the Air Force to revamp this operation, they must renew a permit with Guam EPA to destroy up to 35,000 pounds of excess munitions each year. Defective bullets, anti-tank missiles, and grenades are just a few types of munitions to be destroyed by the Air Force. This will be done by specialized personnel detonating or pouring diesel on munitions on the beach for detonation. Monaeka Flores, an original landowner of a private family beach in Inapsan commented, “The risks to the health and safety of our community and sacred resources
are too great.” Chemical toxins could accumulate in the soil and possibly contaminate one of Guam’s important freshwater aquifers. “This activity can harm our sole aquifer which provides 90 percent of our water,” Flores added. Plumes of toxic black smoke will disperse into the air, contributing to air pollution and can cause illnesses. If granted the permit, it would allow the Air Force to conduct open burning and open detonation operations for the next Monaeka Flores at a protest in Guam. Photo by three years. Residents PLSR. will be forced to face the please visit the followand-pollute-air-land-andalarming question: How ing website and sign the water-in-guam. will this affect the health petition: of Guam’s ecosystem https://www.change.org/p/ and people? In an effort stop-the-us-air-forceto stop the permittance, plans-to-blow-up-bombs-
Guam’s residents participate in International Women’s Day By Eliria Sabeti Tritons Call Staff The 8th of March was International Women's Day, a day dedicated to recognizing women's accomplishments and advocating for gender equality. This year's theme is #BreaktheBias, and organizers aimed to encourage people to speak about observed instances of gender stereotyping and prejudice. Multiple studies show that women are currently confronted with a number of significant problems that disproportionately affect them. Access to education, job opportunities, gender-based violence,
Rally at the ITC intersection in Tamuning. Photo courtesy of Guam Daily Post . and gender equality to name a few. A rally in Tamuning at the ITC intersection in Tamuning was one way our community on Guam com-
memorated International Women's Day. There were messages shared vocally and on poster boards of their support for women. The rally was a response to the proclamation signed on Friday, March 4 by the Guam Legislature. The subject of the proclamation was healing and fostering hope in relation to the pandemic and how it affected women, reported the Pacific News Center (PNC). This proclamation is a homage to carers and frontline workers' efforts. Furthermore, the theme acknowledges the healing and hope that women of all cultures have brought
throughout history. Michelle Sablan, alumni of UOG, a social worker at Guam Memorial Hospital, shares her insights on International Women’s day. “As a woman and social worker, I feel empowered to help people in the community who are in need, facing difficulties and challenges,” Sablan says. “They rely on me to help them better themselves and their family’s lives. I find satisfaction in helping them and bringing that love and care to the community and my patients’ lives,” Sablan expresses. According to PNC news, every year there is a women’s club on the island that gathers together
to help identify answers, create opportunities, and assist women. The women’s club is made up of numerous charitable organizations that help empower local women while continuing to advocate equality as well as provide scholarships for women. The US Department of Labor received a fairgrant, and the Guam Women’s Affairs is now working on a program directed at equal pay and fairness for women in general according to PNC News.
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Paint to post to place - showcasing Guam’s artists By Skyler Obispo Triton’s Call Staff Promoting artistic practices of local artisans in all forms of art is the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency’s mission statement and is expressed in the opening of the Si Sirena art exhibit. The agency opened the Si Sirena exhibit on Mar. 8 alongside the commencement of Mes CHamoru festivities and intends to run the exhibit until the end of March. It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday to Friday. The exhibit itself is located on the second floor of the DNA building in Hagatna. Local artisans showcased their mastery of bone, stone and wood carving, painting and glass mosaics to underline popular CHamoru myths and cultural icons. Venues for the Arts and Artists Venues are where
artists can showcase their work to the public and Guam is in short supply. For Hunter Orland, an Art Major at the University of Guam, showcasing art allows for a unique experience. “Having a space for artists to show their work allows people to fully experience an artwork.” said Orland, “I fully support the idea for more exhibits but I am even more interested for the island to someday have a public studio for artists to create their work.”In the past, the 2021 Undergraduate Art Exhibit featured Orland’s piece: the “Thinking Wig” which won Best-in-Show for Environmental Art Works and Best in 3D Design. According to Orland, the 2021 Undergraduate Art Exhibit was challenging as it was held virtually. “I never presented my artwork through a digital exhibit. In my opinion three-dimensional art-
works, like sculpture and ceramics, are hard to translate through digital means.” said Orland, “I had to really think about how my art would be communicated to the public.” Sculpture and ceramics are Orland’s focus in art and she argues that looking at those types of art pieces through camera or screen as the pieces shape, scale and color become distorted. Current and Future Exhibits Beyond digital exhibits, Guam hosts several physical galleries for art. Isla Center for the Arts The Isla Center for the Arts, located in Mangilao, started in 1980 as a commercial gallery until it was absorbed into the University of Guam in 1994. The gallery showcases arts and crafts from Micronesia and around the world. The Isla Center of the Arts is known for hosting the annual Isla Art-a-thon
among several participating schools on Guam. Central Community Arts Hall The Central Community Arts Hall will be a two-story community arts center where residents from central villages can showcase their art and host live performances. The Central Community Arts Hall will be located in Sinajana and is expected to be complete by the summer of 2022.
The Guam Gallery of Art The Guam Gallery of Art is a local art gallery located within the Chamorro Village in Hagatna. The art gallery began on Dec. 9, 1994 and continues to operate to this day with the goal to showcase cultural art from local artists through the Chamorro perspective. It is currently curated by Filamore Palomo Alcon.
Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency
Hot classrooms leave teachers exhausted, classrooms uncomfortable By Cianna Yanger Triton’s Call Staff In light of the recent thefts and breaking down of Air Conditioning Units from Guam Department of Education classrooms, the issue of insufficient air conditioning and facilities leaves teachers and students feeling the heat. GDOE Teacher George Borja is among many of the island’s educators who have dealt firsthand with the lack of comfortable, cool working environments. Around 50 classrooms across GDOE campuses currently lack working air conditioning units, leaving educators like Borja in uncomfortably hot classrooms in the meantime. “We engage in millions of dollars trying to repair and replace, but sometimes repair comes short or takes a while before repair is done, and replace4
ment sometimes never happens,” Borja states. While his AC has been assessed six times, the unit remain unrepaired. The air conditioning unit in Borja’s classroom has been out of service since December 2021 – Three months now. However, he has experienced cases where his classroom and colleagues’ classrooms have lacked air-conditioning for as long as three years. In addition to no AC, Borja’s classroom lacks windows and proper ventilation. Borja has had to procure fans out of pocket to make the environment more tolerable. Though teachers can request supplies, the availability of equipment like fans varies between schools. “If you want to make changes that provide some relief, then you
University of Guam Triton’s Call, April 2022
have to spend out of pocket, which is sad,” Borja comments. “We spend so much of our hard-earned money just to improve the conditions available to our students.” This sentiment is echoed by Teacher X, a GDOE middle school teacher. In addition to bringing in fans from home, she debated procuring a portable aircon while her air-conditioning was down. “As teachers, you already spend so much… Granted, Teachers do pay for activities they do in their classroom, but the basic necessity of having a working aircon – I think it’s kind of the minimum, if you ask me,” Teacher X states. With the Every Child is Entitled to an Adequate Public Education Act under Public Law 28-45, GDOE must keep all pub-
lic-school classrooms at a temperature no greater than 78 degrees Fahrenheit. GDOE Teachers like Borja and Teacher X have found that teaching in a room lacking air conditioning has several disadvantages. Students, Borja reports, become inattentive and are “Miserable,” which ultimately leads to them being unproductive. As Teacher X explains, this discomfort is not exclusive to the students. “They get tired, they get hot, but kids are pretty resilient, you know?” Teacher X comments. “They do complain, and I just put it in perspective like, ‘Hey, you’re only here for 45 minutes; I’m here all day long.” “It makes it difficult to be at your best and perform your best and provide the students with optimal education when the working
conditions are often either pushed aside or neglected,” Borja states. While GDOE has gotten creative with addressing the current lack of aircon in classrooms by repurposing older, working units, there is still a long road ahead for those in the classroom as the department works on procuring new, operating units. “I hope that things change for the positive and, short of praying for a miracle, that things will change, and leaders will have a greater foresight to the needs of the students and the teachers rather than of themselves,” Borja states.
Gasoline: The need for its decrease By Mikaylla Nicole M. Alcairo Tritons Call Staff While gas prices cotinue to rise on the island, the cause for concern from its residents rise alongside it. In January of this year, the price of gas exceeded $5.00. Currently, it is close to $6.00. Marian L. Salenga is a full-time student at the University of Guam who also works part-time. When asked about how the rise in gas prices affected her daily routines, she commented, “The rise in gas prices has brought a great shock in my livelihood. I have started to be more cautious of the places I go and worry about finances.” Some residents also feel that it is affecting their basic needs: food and shelter. Danielle Luces, 20, said, “It is affecting my lifestyle. I had to change my
budget plan and adjust it to where I double my gas budget because of the price.” She further explains that the adjustment also affected her rent and grocery budget. “I basically had to choose between gas or food,” Luces added. Although military bases are know to have discounted gas prices, residents with access to military bases have the same concerns. Guam realtor and spouse to a retired veteran, Leah Alcairo shares insight on the effects of gas prices as a realtor. “As a realtor, I often show my clients homes. Since the increase in gas prices, a full tank for my car was about $30.00, but now it is $50.00,” Alcairo said. At Andersen Air Force Base, gas prices are currently around $4.00
This is a large $2.00 difference to some, when compared to gas prices outside of the base. Shawn Biven, 22, expressed his concerns about the increase because he cannot do the activities he usually does. He commented, “I am not able to go to the gym or hang out with friends without worrying about my gas.” For many, gas is a necessity which provoked the Government of Guam to offer a solution. On March 10, Gov. Lou Leon Guererro announced Prugråman Salåppe’ Ayudon I Taotao, a locally administered direct financial aid program to assist in the rising cost of gasoline. About 60,000 households may qualify for a single payment of $300.00 each. Applications opened on March 15 and are still ongoing.
Gas prices as of Mar. 27, 2022, 76 Circle K in Anigua. Photo courtesy of The Guam Daily Post.
Masks on campus Continued from Page 1 mask-wearing on campus and in the classroom, she shares her thoughts on the matter. “I wouldn’t mind seeing students walk around campus or in the classroom without masks.”
Outside of campus, the mask mandate has been lifted in the Andersen Air Force Base. It was effective immediately on March 3rd, 2022, allowing federal employees to choose whether or not they wear a mask on the base.
However once these employees go out of the Air Force Base grounds then they will need to follow the local government mask mandate. Recently Guam has gone from a high risk of getting COVID-19
to a medium risk level according to the Center of Disease control and Prevention community guidelines. This is a step towards lifting the mask mandate on the island. University of Guam is slowly getting back to
normal with a number of hybrid and fully face-toface classes and some students walking and hanging around. How do you feel about the mask mandate being lifted?
Screens or paper? The preference is clear By Javeline Camposagrado Triton’s Call Staff The development of technology has made our life so much easier, maybe even too easy, to the point where we can call ourselves lazy. The internet has ways to find out how to do almost everything from YouTube tutorials to Wikihows, theirs is almost nothing you cannot find on the internet. How easy is it to forget the other sources of information that we’ve always
had before the normalization of smartphones and the daily access of the internet? CDs, books, newspapers, or other printed mediums have now been slowly fading away. Yet with all this digital development, paper notes are the way to go on the academic road. When you take the time to write down your notes, the LED lights do not get in the way and with the notes being in your own words and style, in theory it is easier to memorize.
A similar article on the Advertiser’s Printing website quotes a study that the harsh lights of our devices cause exhaustion easier than regular eye-to-paper studying and can even mess with our comprehension abilities. It is true that with screens we may say that we read through the material faster, but can we say that we truly understand what’s being told? What details could one miss from the constant and trained “skimming” we’re used to when confronted
with an entire condensed page of text. Researcher Ziming Liu also notes that “...screenbased reading behavior is characterized by more time spent on browsing and scanning, keyword spotting, one-time reading, non-linear reading, and reading more selectively, while less time is spent on in-depth reading, concentrated reading and decreasing sustained attention.” It shows that taking the time to actually comprehend and absorb the
given information instead of adhering to our usual fast-paced skimming can only be beneficial when we have academic goals.
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The future of job-hunting for students of the COVID-pandemic. brighter than ever?
By Javeline Camposgrado Triton’s Call Staff We currently live in a life where almost everything we do is now guided by the COVID mandates. Everywhere we go and in some dire cases even in our homes, our movement is harshly restricted in fear of possibly catching the disease. Arguably the most notable changes are how education has continued with all these restrictions, in the later half of 2020 almost every aspect of education has been moved to digital means. The other change being the nosedive that the integrity of jobs has took around the same time. There has been a rebound, but the massive
drop is sure to leave people nervous for the future. The ones who would be taking the most risk would be current students as, should the COVID mandates continue, the possibility of a career they could be working towards may not be as attainable or stable as they previously believed. An interview of two siblings: one having already graduated and the other being a current freshman at the University of Guam, held questions to try and understand where the mentality for a stable financial future lies. “I was aware of the financial weight of going to college, I wasn’t too concerned about it. And I knew that my major was the main defining point
for my future job.” Says UOG freshman, Vanessa Lopez. The problem has not only been losing a job or being hired for one. The process of hiring as of course, also moved to an online platform to abide by the social distancing rules. But the drastic changes caused the pandemic has truly caused people to put serious thought into their work and future. Thoughts have been put into progression in career, continuation through digital means, and what job can align with personal priorities. After experiencing the flexibility of working from home, a sudden shift into working from the company again could very
well cause a home to be thrown into disarray. According to an article by Katheryn A. Edwards on the RAND Corporation website has shown that the labor market, in order to draw in more possible employees, job opportunities with bonuses and expectations in higher renumeration have been on the rise. While social distancing is still in effect, we cannot forget where our connections can take us. “It’s ironic that I wouldn’t be here with this job today if it weren’t for me being social. I literally got it through my connections. Other than focusing on studies, I’d say to get out there. It can take you far even if it started out with a fake smile or something.”
Says UOG graduate, Victoria Lopez. The future of job seeking has not fallen, only has become for refined. Previous job experiences, special skills, and what education was received are what should make a sturdy resume but having an inside connection in the company can really bolster the chances of securing a position. There will be numerous opportunities now that the labor market has become more flexible due to the major setbacks it has had during the pandemic. College life now is still strained, struggling to return to normal, that shouldn’t discourage students from facing the future.
Joe Garrido revitalizing the CHamoru language through his music By Atdao Natividad Triton’s Call Staff You have probably heard his blend of CHamoru music on Spotify, or on the radio, and one thing for sure is that Joe Garrido’s music career is on the rise. Originally from the village of Dededo, University of Guam alumnus Joe Garrido has been pursuing his fusion of CHamoru music for nineteen years. His first original song on a platform was “An Hu Atan Hao’’, featuring Stacia Guzman. Garrido’s inspiration for music came from his dad’s brother, who is the former drummer in the band ‘Para Isla’. “I would go to his house often and watch his band practice and was immediately inspired.” says Garrido. He then learned how to play the drums, guitar, and ukulele. Using music and song is one of the most common ways to learn a language Garrido states, “ people who listen to my music can feel personally connected to want to 6
learn the song and the meaning behind it.” He aims to make music that is modern and relatable to his audience. “CHamoru music will only add value to the longevity of the language in which it is being used”, Garrido says. One of Garrido’s most famous songs, “Kåntan CHamoru” was written in a few different contexts. It was written about how CHamoru music brings all CHamoru people together despite their differences. This song, like many others of his, connects his listeners to culture and language through music. Garrido claims to have responsibility as a CHamoru musician to assure that the words he uses are comprehensible and correct. Garrido said, “CHamoru music will assist in the revitalization of the CHamoru language as music plays a big role in people’s lives.” Joe Garrido’s music continues to want to make his listeners get up and dance and has his newest song “Lånchon Chångao” out now on music plat-
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forms.
Bottom: Joe Garrido performing live. Right: Låla’la’ i Fino’-ta; a new album by Garrido Photos courtesy of Joe Garrido
University of Guam student film underway By Jacques Masangkay Triton’s Call Staff On Mar. 19, 2022 University of Guam students in the Independent Filmmaking class began filming one of their student films. The films produced in the class are set to premiere at this semester’s upcoming film festival. The film being produced is a drama thriller called “The Run”, set on Guam, that follows the story of a young man currently running away from a conflict that happened in his life. Under the supervision of Dr. Raymond Anderson, filming began with a tech rehearsal, where the crew and actors rehearse a few selected scenes to act out and get more familiarized with the technical aspects of the film. Tech rehearsals are mainly for the crew, but actors also benefit from getting a chance to get more acquainted with their surroundings on set. In this case, it was everyone’s first time on the
UOG Communications Students readies a shot. Photo by Kai Rekdahl set location for the film, which was both challenging and a good learning experience for both the actors and crew. “It’s my first time producing a film and it’s been very stressful so far, but I like it. I like knowing what’s going on- it’s just a little hard to put all the parts in motion since we’re dealing with a bigger team than we’re used
to, but it’s a good experience because if we’re going to go into this career field, we’ll be dealing with much bigger teams so it’s a good experience right now.” Producer Kyra Perez explained. Working closely with the producer is the director, Kin Guerrero, in charge of the more creative aspects of the film such as the actors’ performances.
“I’ve never done anything like this before, and I think it’s really fun to work with the actors and try to squeeze out the performances that we want. Sometimes I do feel a lot of pressure, but I’m looking forward to everything and I trust we’ll be able to produce something we’ll be proud of.” Guerrero said. The role of director can
be especially stressful at times due to the immense responsibility and having to make decisions that will impact the film, but it also has the potential to be very rewarding. The feeling of accomplishment after seeing a film finally comes to life when production is done is truly inspiring and is a feeling many filmmakers can relate to. With production underway, “The Run”, is forecasted to finish shooting around the first week of April and will be one of the movies students can watch at the Film Festival in May.
Recap of Mes CHamoru 2022 By Reese Meno Triton’s Call Staff Beginning in the 1970s, Mes CHamoru has been a time for the island to come together and celebrate the native culture. It begins on Guam Heritage day which is always the first Monday of March. Government, local businesses, and even hotels participate by displaying what the culture means to them for everyone to see. For example, when you walk into certain Payless supermarkets displays of CHamoru artifacts can be seen. Oka Payless displays the outfit of Shoichi Yokoi, who was one of the last members of the Japanese Army in the Second World War to be found in the jungles of Guam years after the US regained control in 1944. A popular non-profit organization that show-
cases indigenous videos on YouTube is called, Nihi!,that celebrates Mes CHamoru by recapping their most popular videos. In their latest video, kids are shown a sign language poem in CHamorro. In another video, kids talk to a survivor of Mañenggon, the concentration camp during the Japanese Occupation of Guam. In the video Tab Lula describes her experiences as a young girl, and allowing the young kids to ask her questions. When asked if the war was hard on her family she responds, “Yes, it was very difficult because there were many deaths, for the people of Guam, and the same for other places. Many died.” Cali CHamoru hosted a Mes CHamoru event on March 26, where CHam-
oru artists performed live and vendors were able to set up shop. Families were invited to come and celebrate the culture away from home.
Oka Payless celebrates Mes CHamoru with a display at the entrance. Photo by Reese Meno.
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Breathe in, Breathe out – Time to de-stress By Mikaylla Nicole M. Alcairo Triton’s Call Staff It is 6:30 a.m. Your alarm clock goes off, but you snooze. 9 minutes later, it goes off again. You want to continue snoozing it, but you know that you have a class at 8 a.m. that you cannot be late for. Finally, you get out of bed and head to the bathroom to take care of the hygiene routine. You go back to your room and sit at your desk. Class begins. That is an ideal-typical day in the life of a college student during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the unfortunate reality is, many of us log onto our Zoom sessions with our webcams turned off and hop back into bed. We are now halfway through the semester and many of these unhealthy habits are hard to get rid of. The amount of stress that school, work, and my personal life had on me is probably very relatable to all of you. So, I decided to ask my friends how I should handle my stress. Here are some of their
Bhradley De Leon poses with his gaming setup, one of his ways to de-stress. Photo courtesy of Bhradley De Leon. stress. Photo by Bhradley De Leon. suggestions. Bhradley De Leon, 22, is currently working as a restaurant server. “Currently, I get stressed when there are last-minute changes to my schedule. Also, when work gets super busy [because] it’s hard sometimes,” states DeLeon. To deal with his stress, he goes to the gym, hangs out with friends, and plays video games. Like De Leon, Angela Diaz, 20, also goes to the gym to release stress.
“Putting my workout first [in the day] before anything helped my mindset; to put myself first before anything or anyone else,” Diaz says. My friends also offered advice for those feeling stressed. Alexandra Lekites, 20, says “Your mental health is more important than what’s stressing you. Make sure you give yourself a break and be kind to yourself because you’re making small progress every day towards your
Alexandra Lekites relaxing on the beach and reading her favorite book. Photo by Alexandra Lekites. goals in life.” Jordan Barnes, 22, also known as Koreo, is a Twitch streamer and content creator. His current stressors include burnout, lack of creativity, and unnecessary drama. “Deep breaths and finding something you love to do whether it be eating your favorite meal or
Life returns to the Campus Cafe
By Nathaniel Dulla Triton’s Call Staff The University of Guam has provided more hybrid and face-to-face classes as coronavirus cases have declined and many people are now vaccinated and educated about COVID-19. With students and faculty back on campus, Campus Cafe is busy again. Campus Cafe is located in the university’s School of Business and Public Entrance to the Campus Cafe, located in the University of Guam’s School of Administration building. Business and Public Administration building. Photo by Nathaniel Dulla. The cafe has been open “I remember during my makes coming to school recommends people to as early as 2015 and is freshman orientation we more convenient and try out Campus Cafe’s hot still operating up to now. passed by Campus Cafe exciting for both students taro tea whenever they Every semester they exand just thought it was and staff.” get the chance to stop by perience a new surge of so cool how close it was Campus Cafe sells a it. fresh faces and new stuto my classrooms. Now, variety of food and drinks, Kevin Ferrer, one of the dents coming to school. the cafe saves me a lot including but not limited workers at Campus Cafe, Business Administraof time. I don’t need to to, sandwiches, fruits, has a list of things he rection major, Jarina Marie leave or walk far to get salads, coffees, and teas. ommends people to try. Sablan, shares her experisomething to eat or drink Mia Alvares, a student If you’re looking to have ences with the cafe. between classes. I think it attending the university, an expresso, he recom8
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watching your favorite show. Going outside and breathing really helps too. Remember that stress is a temporary feeling and that you can exacerbate that feeling if you do anything rash during stressful moments,” Barnes advises.
mends the white mocha. But if you’re looking to get a blended drink, Ferrer recommends the Matcha flavor. If you don’t know what to try out of all the flavors, there is one that Ferrer highly recommends. The lavender milk tea seems to be the go to drink that he recommends for people to try. Although the cafe is located in the business building, it is not just for business students and staff. Many people from all parts of the university are familiar with and enjoy the cafe. For more information on Campus Cafe visit their Instagram, @uogcampuscafe, or visit them from 8:00am-6:00pm on Monday-Thursday or 8:00am2:00pm on Friday.
An update on the Triton’s basketball league By Reese Meno Tritons Call Staff The Triton’s Men’s Basketball League for the Fañonmåkan 2022 semester began on Mar. 7, with the Lady Triton Basketball Super League following shortly after with their first game on Mar. 8. The Men’s league consists of 6 teams, competing in a 10 game regular season which can be seen live on the Triton Athletics Facebook page until April 16. The playoffs are scheduled to start April 18 and the championship game for April 22.
The M.B.I 4 stars are set to go against the OG Team, today at 6:30PM, and UOG Tritons challenging team Wu Tang at 8:15PM. Standings for the Men’s league have the MVP Stars in the top seed, KFC Bombers at second, Team Wu Tang at third, Team O.G. at fourth, M.B.I. Four-Stars, at fifth with UOG Tritons in last seed. The Lady Triton Basketball League began their second half of the season yesterday, with Team Fuetsa defeating the Lady
Tritons 67-22. This makes Team Fuetsa’s record at 3-3, while Lady Tritons are at 0-5. Last week the Women’s league was put on hold for reasons related to COVID-19. For updates on when their season will resume and the latest games and standings, visit https://m.facebook.com/ UOGTritonAthletics/.
University of Guam Women’s Leauge Basketball. Photo by Victor Consaga.
Saint Paul Warriors keep pushing forward By Eliria Sabeti Triton’s Call Staff The Guam Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association has been around for 20 years directing the sports here on island. They recently announced the playoffs and championships schedules for high school boys and girls basketball seasons in late February 2022. The championship game was hosted by the University of Guam in the Calvo Field House on March 2 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The first and second places, respectively in the boy’s high school league, the Warriors from Saint Paul Christian School, and the Friars from Father Duenas Memorial School competed that night. For the last 6 years, the Father Duenas Friars and Saint Paul Warriors have been competing for the IIAAG championship title. For the last 2 years, the Warriors won the IIAAG championship title, making this year their third winning, beating the Friars 55-45 in overtime and
Simon Sanchez Sharks 66-53. It was far from simple for the Saint Paul Warriors to achieve the victory that night. EJ Cruz, varsity player, and senior at Saint Paul Christian School expresses his devotion to the team. “The relationships we have with each other help us to be better players on the court. During practices and games, we all help each other stay focused and keep pushing. ” Jacob Miranda, varsity player, and senior at Saint Paul Christian School conveys his thoughts on his team achieving the championship title, “We definitely feel blessed to have won”. “Our strengths as a team are comradery, consistency, and motivation to keep pushing and win games,” Miranda and other team players expressed. Their bond with each other as a team and with their coach, Julian Canovas, is the most important aspect affecting and con-
necting them all together in a positive way. Julian Canovas has been the head coach for the boy’s Saint Paul Warriors for 2 years with experience in coaching for 9 years before that. The feedback and guidance that the team receives from Coach Canovas have been effective in moving them from a current to desired performance and goals. It has been, however, a bit of a challenge for Coach Canovas to keep the team focused as they are so youthful and energetic. Young adults can play an important role in advancing our civilization, and communities and elders can provide environments like these in which young people can thrive. “I will do everything I can to prepare them and help them to just be their best,” Canovas states. Certain strategies and concepts have been developed over time for the Warriors to use during practices that help them
St. Paul Warriors Men’s Basketball team celebrate their victory at the UOG Calvo Field House. Photo courtesy of the Pacific Daily News to understand their opand motivated for the love ponents better and have of the sport, will always an upper hand in winning have a special place in their games. the Warrior’s hearts. “We like to focus on “In our own way, we who we are challenging will always carry baswith that week and make ketball with us and hope certain adjustments - the to impact the basketball harder the offense works, community in some way,” the harder our defense EJ Cruz expresses. works and it will naturally translate into our style of play,” Canovas states. No matter, if it’s a victory or loss, staying focused University of Guam Triton’s Call, April 2022
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University of Guam 7th Film Festival coming soon
By Nathaniel Dulla Triton’s Call Staff The University of Guam will be hosting its 7th Film Festival this semester, featuring films created by students. These films will show the hard work and dedication students have put into filmmaking as well as their creativity. In recent years, COVID-19 has affected the UOG Film Festival and has pushed it back a few semesters. However, in November of 2020, the 6th Film Festival was held online and was organized and conducted by students in the Communication department. The festival had to be conducted online because of the strict health and safety regulations at the time. With the Film Festival operated online, there were some problems that the team faced. Muturwan Choay, a student at the University of Guam and a member of the 6th Film Festival team, shares some of the challenges she and her classmates faced as they hosted the event on an online platform. “Some problems we faced were promoting the
Photo of audience attending UOGFF 2019. Photo courtesy of the University of Guam. virtual event to an audience large enough to the past festivals, and organizing judging criteria and results virtually.” However, this semester’s 7th Film Festival will be different from the previous one in that it will be held face-to-face. Because the event is face-toface, it brings another set of challenges as well as opportunities for students running the event.
Choay expresses her thoughts on this semester’s film festival being held face-to-face. “That’s awesome. I plan to participate since I won’t have any films to enter but it’s a great opportunity for Comm students to bond and for the UOG community to come out and support.” This semester’s Film Festival theme is, “One Step Forward.” Its name
stems from the idea that we, as a community, are moving on from the coronavirus pandemic and taking steps towards recovery. The Film Festival aims to display students’ works all while bringing people together in a fun and joyful environment. The Film Festival is set to take place in the beginning of May 2022. Be on the lookout for more information on the
event, either on the UOG website or on the UOG film festival account found on Instagram.
UOG Theatre hosts first live production since start of COVID By Jacques Masangkay Triton’s Call Staff
The pandemic was the reason for the cancellation of numerous things in the world. Many of which were probably a decent part of our everyday lives. As students, the transition to remote learning threw a wrench in a handful of extracurricular activities such as the theatre. Known for hosting live plays, theatre students had to get creative in their approach to productions. UOG theater productions had to be released online in the form of radio plays and recorded on-stage plays. However, with things slowly going back to normal and as UOG transitions back to face-to-face, the theater program plans on doing a live production. “It is the first theatre play back with a live audience, but 10
The UOG Theater. Photo by Jacques Masangkay there was a live music concert last week” Troy McVey explained. The play in the works is the “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, a musical written by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin. Auditions for the play were held on March 15 and 16, and the production is scheduled to
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hold performances from April 21 to 30 on weekdays. Due to the long absence of live productions, students have since faced certain challenges. Experience was the biggest challenge, there is a lot of rust to shake off and new blood to show the ropes. Habits that were normal before the pandemic have been
somewhat forgotten, or at the very least became less part of the routine. “We’ve all forgotten how to do a show. Everyone’s kinda coming at this with freshman level expertise, and they’re sort of related to that because of the pandemic. People just aren’t in the habit of going out and working like we used to.
The pandemic’s been great because we have all these different ways of working with each other that we never did before.” McVey said. “But no, we need to be here, we need to be in person. It’s the basic things like setting up rehearsals, traditions, and routines- we don’t really have any of that.” The hard work of the theater program also would not have been possible without the help of the SGA, that grants the program the funding they need to do productions like this. According to McVey, it was the SGA that encouraged them to return to live, in person events and that they are quite supportive of the theater’s works.
Princess Mononoke, a darker fairytale Camposgrado Triton’s Call Staff I believe many of us have at the very least heard of a famous Ghibli movie: My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Ponyo, It’s hard not to have a Studio Ghibli movie as a precious memory, the soft colors and vivid art styles along with whimsical themes are things that any child would have burned into their memory. Princess Mononoke, written and directed by renowned Hayao Miyazaki, takes a drastic turn from the classic light-hearted stories to tell a more towards a deep, detailed story. The premise of the movie follows the stance of the main character, Ashitaka, being an outsider looking in on his home and surrounding nature being overtaken by
an industrialist town, Iron Town, that is trying to deal with its own problems. In short, the movie takes place in 14th century Japan. The harmony between humans, nature, and the supernatural starts to crumble when one side tries to tip the power balance. Ashitaka gets caught up in the middle of the conflict while traveling to find the Deer God to undo his “curse of hatred”. The movie gives a watching experience that is both frustrating and eye-opening as the position of Ashitaka is similar to the watcher. A position where we have enough information to understand but the question lies, do we have any right to interfere? Ashitaka suffers from “the curse of hatred” which starts to eat away at him more and more as
Princes Mononoke (1997) Studio Ghibli the forces of nature and the people of Iron Town continue to clash. According to an interview with Miyazaki, he did not want the distinction of the characters to have a fine line between good and bad. He states,
“That’s how people are.” The complex characters and story make the emotions all the deeper. The rich historical references still make it a fantastic watch even today.
Time to learn self-defense By Reese Meno Tritons Call Staff Considering the recent news, now is as much a good of a time as ever to take up self-defense precautions. Earlier this month, two young males were ambushed at Dededo skatepark by a group of drunk males age 19-23. The two victims were transported to Guam Regional Medical City, where one received 7 stitches to his left eye and the other victim lost an eye completely. Local stores and businesses have been victims of robberies, some even being held at gunpoint. While one can’t anticipate when they will find themselves in a dangerous situation like these, it’s still a good idea to be prepared for one. Local small business, Pretty Little Thing by Candy, offers self-defense keys chains for customers who are 18 years or older. The shop offers sets of different products from safety alarms, portable pocket knives, portable window breakers and many more. All products can be useful in dan-
gerous situations, but are strictly for defensive purposes. ...Customers are encouraged to do their own research on these products before use, to avoid even further harm. To learn more or to place an order follow @prettylittlethingbycandy671 on Instagram, or visit their shop at Agana Shopping Center on the second floor, stall #41A. ...Another local business, Steel Athletics offers self-defense classes from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to Kickboxing, and more. ...Beginners are encouraged to sign up and come into classes early to learn mat etiquette. Visit https:// steelathleticsguam.com/ martial-arts-classes/ to see the different pricing plans and class schedules they offer.
Two athletes from pracice kickboxing. Photo courtesy of Steel Athletics Guam
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Handshake provides students access to jobs By Mikaela Yanto Triton’s Call Staff Students can now access Handshake, a platform partnered with the University of Guam, to connect to an internship, part-time job, and full-time job opportunities. In a 2017 survey, 87% of UOG undergraduate students said their internships helped prepare them for the workplace and using Handshake makes this more easily accessible for us students. To use the platform, students simply need to create an account on UOG’s Handshake website, and fill in the information as accurately and as complete as possible. New signees can provide basic personal information upon sign-up, such as gender and race. Career questions asked upon signing up personalizes available job and internship recommendations for each student.
Homepage of the Handshake website. Photo courtesy of Mikaela Yanto. Cities preferred to work in and fields of interest are some questions that curate these recommendations. I personally answered that I am open to work in any city and chose to be connected to companies in the field of Media and Journalism. Handshake also asks students to provide which company traits they look for in an employer,
job positions they may want, and of course any academic courses and skills that can add to their portfolio. Handshake is simple and easy to use. Students can open the website on their browsers or download the application onto their mobile devices. After answering the questions and creating their profiles, students can chat with
their potential employers directly on Handshake. The availability of different opportunities on this platform makes it an ideal stepping stone for students who might not have options for jobs or internships yet. In addition to its accessibility, Handshake is not only limited to students but open to employers to sign up and find people to recruit.
UOG students can start making their profiles as early as now using their student email on uog. joinhandshake.com.
Guidelines for attaining a successful internship
Snapshot of the University of Guam’s website page on internships and programs. For more information, visit https://www.uog.edu/career-development-office/internships-volunteer-programs.php. Photo by Eliria Sabeti By Eliria Sabeti Tritons Call Staff College can serve as an excellent opportunity to gather the knowledge and expertise that students need in order to start a new job. As a result, going to college and getting an internship frequently go 12
together. Internships are threeway collaborations between a higher education institution, a job (internship) site, and a student intern. Internships allow students to apply what they have learned in class to a real-world situation
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while also working in a professional environment. Lei, Simon A., and Yin, Dean conducted a study in 2019 that stated that this hands-on learning experience allows students to work directly with a college course instructor and an internship employer,
fostering community-college relationships. Internships can be an excellent approach to demonstrate to institutions that you have prior experience in your chosen industry. It can either be an advantage on your resume or a red flag if your internship has nothing to do with what you are studying or accomplishing professionally. Internships can be difficult to come by, and the majority of them are unpaid. Of course, if you have the time, you can work and volunteer at the same time. Oftentimes, students are required or highly encouraged to write periodic learning diaries, a final written report, and a final oral presentation in order to acquire internship credit hours at the end of an academic semester.
Here is an overview of some of the guidelines from a study done by the Ohio State University to help achieve successful internships: https://newark.osu.edu/assets/newark/uploads/Student%20 Life/student_internship_ handbook.pdf 1. Evaluate your career goals 2. Make the time in your class schedule 3. Build a resume 4. Explore and attend job fairs 5. Practice interviewing 6. Be professional 7. Form relationships 8. Follow up and keep in touch with your internship coordinator/instructor