UOG Triton's Call Newspaper Issue 3, May 2019, Volume 46

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FaĂąomnĂĽkan 2019, Vol. 46, Issue 3, May

Residence Halls students mixed about dorm food vendor Tahira Ewatel Triton’s Call Staff Students living at UOG’s Residence Halls have expressed dissatisfaction with LSG Sky Chefs, the global airline and rail catering company that provides food services to the dorms.

LSG’s five-year contract with the University began in Fall 2017.

Students are charged $6.25 per meal and are required to purchase 120 meals a semester. “I was actually very angry when I found out that the meal plan was mandatory because I think a lot of us from the islands know how to cook for ourselves and we cook a lot,� said Michaelle Muna, a student living in Iyahami Hall. “For me, it is too much to spend on just food especially when a lot of it goes to waste. A lot of people could not finish the actual 120 meals.�

Muna said the meal plan schedule is also inconvenient. She said the two hour timeframe given to students to eat their meals is not enough to accomodate diverse class and working schedules.

Muna also said there is a lack of variety in the

Students residing in the UOG Residence Halls eat meals catered by LSG catering company. Photo by Zoe Kintaro.

food that LSG serves, and it is not what she considers nutritious. “The food is very oily and it tends to be the same,� Muna said. “Some people are finding it hard for them to follow the meal plan due to their dietary restrictions.�

Drexler Marlir, a resident from Gumata Hall, said the Residence Halls should consider implementing flex points as part of its meal plan so that they could be used

New Invasive species found on Guam. Page 2 Publisher Francis Dalisay, PhD fdalisay@triton.uog.edu

for meals on campus at the other cafes.

In other universities, flex points are an extension of the on-campus dining board plan and are accepted only in select on-campus retail food service establishments. “If only meal cards were used so that they can scan it when we feel like eating at the cafeteria because I feel like they’re cheating us with the meal plan,� Marlir said.

Molau Takeo, a resident

UOG will remain drug-free campus. Page 5

Editors-in-chief James Rupert Tahira Ewatel Luke Scott Fernandez

Staff writers, copy editors, photographers Isabella Alvia Eliza Casimbon Tahira Ewatel

living in Dorm 1, said she hopes that the new Residence Halls director would do something about the dorm’s food services in order to satisfy residents who are paying money for the meal plan.

Mark Mendiola is the new Interim Director for the Residence Halls. “Well, I have been on the job for three weeks, and obviously there are some issues our residents would like to address,�

Mendiola said. “We are

working closely with LSG to ensure that we improve on the quality of service focusing on the areas in which we need to strengthen in our partnership so that all will benefit.�

Mendiola said the Residence Halls Office will make sure that the vendor is aware of residents’ concerns and suggestions that were documented on a survey conducted in the beginning of April. “We are going to make sure that the vendor is aware and understands the provided data and evidence to support exactly the residents desires,� Mendiola said. “We will continue to work together toward continuous improvement.�

Lawrence Camacho, dean of Enrollment Management and Student Success, said they are still in the process of analyzing the survey.

Camacho said if the survey’s results indicate that requirements are not being met, then changes would have to be implemented.

He said if all else fails, the University can work to renegotiate a new contract.

Suicide prevalent among young males in Micronesia. Page 10 Luke Scott Fernandez Sophia Madlambayan Therese Martinez James Rupert Shannon Ada

Jaret Anthony Castro Audrey Meno Zoe Kintaro Michael T. Aguon

Board of Regents discusses UOG’s financial state Isabella Alvia and Therese Martinez Triton’s Call Staff The UOG Board of Regents held a public meeting on Friday, April 12 to discuss the University’s Fiscal Year 2019 audit status.

The meeting addressed the Government of Guam’s allotment shortfall and solutions, with the possibility of increasing next academic year’s tuition.

The University has been under a tight budget for the last two years, receiving $21 million out of its $30.7 million general operations appropriation as of September 2017.

During the Fanunchånan 2018 semester, there was a dip in enrollment of 1,000 students, which resulted in a shortfall of about half a million dollars in revenue from tuition.

Anne Fay Camacho, student regent, recapped the amounts of local appropriations and tuition that are used to fund the University’s general operation.

Camacho said: “As of

Vice President of Administration and Finance Randall V. Wiegand addresses the board regarding financial issues on this file photo. Photo by Kevin Tano.

Feb. 28, we received $6.6 million from GovGuam compared to what was reported at the allotment schedule as of March 29, which was at $9.9 million.

We will get a clearer picture once we get to the end of June and by then we can see where we’ll fall into with what’s being received from GovGuam.”

Possible tuition increase As the University’s

tuition has not increased since 2016, the possibility of increasing the tuition cost per credit by five percent is more likely to be a key solution to Government Guam allotment cuts.

Vice President of Administration and Finance Randall V. Wiegand advised the board members to let the budget process play out to see if GovGuam will

give the full amount.

“The increase would be effective for the Fañomnåkan 2020 semester, which is next January,” Wiegand said.

“We wouldn’t be losing anything by pushing this decision off to the Fall.”

The Board of Regents holds the overall supervision over the University and holds their meetings four times a year.

They determine which policies govern duties, conditions of employment, and are responsible for submitting an annual budget to the Legislature.

When the University submits a budget request for the upcoming fiscal year, the University must list all the possible expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year.

However, during the government budget process, if the Guam Legislature makes a decision to cut the budget from the University before it is able to pass, the University budget is reduced.

Elvin Y. Chiang, chair of the BOR’s Budget, Finance, and Audit and Investment Committee, does not want the University to maintain the status quo as he envisions UOG to move forward by improving the Nursing program and the Engineering building.

Chiang said: “Hopefully the students can also voice out their opinions to the legislature and government officials. The student’s voice is stronger than ours.”

Vespa Tropica: New invasive species found on Guam Sophia Madlambayan Triton’s Call Staff UOG researchers have identified a new invasive species on Guam. The greater banded hornet, or Vespa Tropica, is a species of wasp, are aggressive and have caused a decrease in the local honeybee population.

Aubrey Moore, a UOG entomologist, explained that the greater banded hornet is a minor problem compared to the rhinoceros beetle.

However, it continues to affect local species.

According to Christopher Rosario, a biologist at UOG, the 2

Vespa Tropica, the greater banded hornet. The newest invasive species found on Guam. Photo by Luke Scott Fernandez

greater banded hornet is a carnivorous insect that preys on paper wasps, known locally as bonnie bees.

Because of the increasing population

University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019

of hornets, bonnie bee nests have been declining.

Due to this shortage in their food source the hornets have been attacking honeybee colonies all over Guam.

Honeybees serve as a major pollinator for agricultural food crops. They aid in the production of onethird of everything humans eat. Losing this major pollinator would devastate our diet, dramatically reducing the variety of foods available for consumption.

The grater banded hornet was discovered in July 2016 and quickly established a colony on island. A sting from this hornet is extremely painful. Prevention is key for reducing the hornet population on Guam.

“A way to prevent

hornets from harming honeybee colonies is to kill a hornet when seen foraging in the environment,” Rosario said. “That single foraging hornet could find a bee hive, mark it with a pheromone, and send half the nest to kill a whole honeybee colony.”

If you see any hornet nests in your area, please report the location to the Guam Department of Agriculture.

An invasive species causes harm to the local population and comes from a different area.

UOG dorms get new interim director Tahira Ewatel Triton’s Call Staff Students living at the dorms met with the new Residence Halls Interim Director Mark Mediola on April 1, during the floor meeting at the Iya-hami Hall study hall.

Mendiola explained that his vision for the Residence Halls is to create an understanding of the role residents contribute to campus life.

“Obtaining your degree could be costly for students on a tight budget,” Mendiola said. “Living at the Resident Halls is very cost effective and affordable.”

Mendiola holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Guam.

He worked at the Guam Economic Development Authority as a special assistant for interagency support, and served as the executive director for the UOG Endowment Foundation.

As a student at UOG, he served as a student

(Front center) Mark Mendiola, poses with students residing in the UOG residence hall after participating in a campus clean-up hosted by the Residence Life Office. Photo courtesy of Mitchell Charlamagne Johnson. government senator as well as a student regent.

Mendiola’s short-term goal for the Residence Halls is to ensure that the facility is safe and clean.

His long-term goal is to work with the University’s leadership in developing the plan for future opportunity

and growth.

Mendiola said that in the 1990s, the leaders built this Resident Halls for students abroad who wanted to come to Guam to continue their education.

Mendiola said: “To carry on that legacy is a great task.

Our goal as an institution

is to be the University that develops and nurtures regional leaders. When these individuals return to their homeland they may become presidents, legislators, commissioners of education, work in the field of finance or any professional service.

They would always have a

strong connection to UOG as it was a university that played a pivotal role in their educational and professional career.”

In his opinion, the Residence Hall plays a significant role in campus life, to provide a home away from home for our future island leaders.

Mendiola added that 24 newly renovated rooms will be available by the end of Spring 2019 semester.

“I think that our new director is a bit more strict than the previous one,” said BeeHeartly Siba, a resident at Gumata Hall from Kosrae.

Siba added that Mendiola plans to carry out more recreational activities/events for the residents.

“I really enjoyed the Easter event that happened over the weekend,” said Stewart Johnny, a resident of Iyahami Hall from Pohnpei.

“I think the director is really making an honest effort in making the dorms a good place to live,” said Telbakes Yano, resident of Gumata Hall from Palau.

Mane’lu ‘s “Art in the Ville” evokes youths’ views of village living James Rupert Triton’s Call Staff Youths who participated in Mane’lu’s art workshops displayed their works at the Guam Museum on Saturday April 13.

The artworks incorporated the essence of the island’s villages and how the participating youths viewed them.

The showcase featured live performances, a silent art auction and a spread of food and drinks.

Nayleen Yobei attended the event with her son, one of the Mane’lu participants.

“I’m so very proud of my son Ray, when I see his face light up when participating in this art show,” Yobei said. “This

Works displayed in the recent Mane’lu art show illustrate youths’ transition from home islands to Guam in artwork.

Photo by James Rupert

program is very good for him and encourages him to engage in more activities in the future.”

The workshops are an opportunity for village youths to access after school programs that are otherwise inaccessible.

Since January 2019, Mane’lu has been conducting outreach

programs in low-income housing areas to improve communities and mentor at risk youths.

“It’s something positive for them to focus on, and were happy to provide and guide them,” said Evangeline Helgenberger, Mane’lu case worker and cultural

mediator. “Youths deserve programs that develop more opportunities for them and its good for the community. “ The three-week long workshops teach youths street art and photography, and how to read and perform poetry readings. It is held in different villages every month to reach as many kids as possible.

Those overseeing the workshops are Ed Gaza and Daleon Guerrero, and Jerome Daco oversaw the workshops.

Jerome Daco provided instruction for street art.

Lewis Santos and Joe Cruz directed poetry and performing arts in the workshops.

“I never thought I would be doing this kind of work, but it is

very rewarding,” said Action Aiashy, Mane’lu case worker and cultural mediator. “Our Micronesian Resource Center and Mane’lu recently joined for a special project called the One Stop Shop program, we work hard together to provide families with services and activities they can enjoy.”

To get in contact with Mane’lu, to know more or get involved with their projects. Contact Mane’lu at 472-2227, maneluguam@gmail. com.

To get in contact with the Micronesian Resource Center One Stop Shop, call 6862227 or email mrcoss. guam@gmail.com.

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CLASS peer mentors provide academic assistance Sophia Madlambayan Triton’s Call Staff The University of Guam CLASS peer mentoring program provides academic guidance and advice to students seeking assistance. Established during Fanuchanan 2018, peer mentors provide confidential oneon-one advisement for all UOG students.

Kassidee Cruz, a peer mentor and psychology major states that although the program is backed by the CLASS Dean’s Office, the services are open to all students.

“We’re here to serve the community of CLASS and even UOG whether they’re struggling with maybe their academic plans or unsure of how to go about their college career,” Cruz said.

CLASS Peer Mentors provide academic support and planning for all UOG students.

Photo by Sophia Madlambayan

Students may receive assistance in creating a four-year academic plan, assistance with Moodle and WebAdvisor, and more information about course requirements for their major or minor.

Peer mentors are especially valuable for

freshman or sophomore students who may be unable to contact academic advisors or are too intimidated to seek help from faculty.

Cruz recalls her experience as a freshman and said that this program would have

been helpful to her.

“I was terrified to talk to any of the professors I know now,” Cruz said.

“I would have been cool then if a there was a resource like this, to talk to a friend or student to get their experiences.”

Yoshito Kawabata, associate professor of psychology and peer mentoring program head, emphasizes that peer mentors are not counselors.

“Peer mentors can help for academic purposes and problems.

If students are having mental health problems, we have free services like Isa,” Kawabata said.

Currently, peer mentors hold office hours Monday through Friday at the Humanities and Social Sciences Building, room 308.

Kawabata encourages all students to take advantage of the program.

“Peer mentors are very friendly and approachable,” Kawabata said. “We try to make a friendly and cozy [environment] for students seeking help.

CIS conference creates connections through shared learning Luke Scott Fernandez Triton’s Call Staff The University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability held its annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Guam from April 8 to 12.

This year’s conference theme was “Sustainable then, sustainable again?”

The conference featured discussions about art and culture, sustainable utilities and seed talks.

Myracle Mugol, UOG Endowment Foundation associate director said, “Conferences such as these enable fellow leaders and community members to trade knowledge, practices, and solutions to be a more sustainable society.”

Matt Simpson, owner of Green Banana Paper, expressed how the CIS conference brings organizations together 4

that want to see a more sustainable Guam. The conference, however, could be improved by bridging the gap between islands.

Simpson said: “The discussion about sustainability should be brought to all our neighboring islands. If we want to be a regional economy, we need to help each other and talk about what we can do with what we have.”

“Educational institutions such as GCC and UOG should work alongside the College of Micronesia setting up satellite classrooms in order to share how we can be more innovative and educated on sustainable living, “Simpson said.

Joma Santos, UOG agriculture major, said the conference is a great way to increase shared learning and relationships.

University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019

Panelist for the CIS Conference listen in on audiences questions on sustainability.

Photo by Luke Scott Fernandez.

“Dispersing information amongst our youth is important when discussing island sustainability,” Santos said.

Santos noticed that the

conference lacked the presence of outer island representatives.

“Since we are talking about island sustainability, it would have been nice to see people from the

other parts of Micronesia attending this conference and hearing what they have to say,” Santos said.

Campus reacts to legalization of recreational marijuana Eliza Casimbon Triton’s Call Staff Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed the recreational cannabis bill into law on April 4, 2019, making the adult use of marijuana legal on Guam.

With the new law implemented, the University may revise its drug testing and substance use policies related to marijuana, according to Jonas Macapinlac, UOG director of Integrated Marketing Communications.

“The University of Guam is a drug-free campus and workplace,” Macapinlac said.

Macapinlac mentioned, however, that drug testing for faculty, staff, and students will not be required at this time.

Employees operating heavy machinery and those in other positions that are safety-related may still be subject to

drug tests positions.

Students, faculty and staff can soon expect to see the University addressing the issues of marijuana, drug use, residence life, and health services.

“UOG administration has been discussing how the University can provide additional support and education about these issues,” Macapinlac said.

Ron McNinch, Ph.D, an associate professor at the School of Business and Public Administration, said, “there is a lot more to this change than the government likely planned for. UOG is a smoke-free campus and this likely covers marijuana use also. This is an emerging policy and a lot of the parts are not set up yet.”

In January 2019, UOG President Thomas Krise sent out a memo stating that UOG prohibits the use, possession and sale

No Smoking sign on the University of Guam campus. Photo by Eliza Casimbon

of marijuana on UOG property.

Students on campus are reacting to the nowlegal substance.

Patricia Rodriguez, a UOG student from the University of Guam, said, “I’m morally against the

use of marijuana because of its effects and how it can be abused, but the legalization of it allows easier access for further study.”

Rodriguez, however, said legalizing the recreational use of

the substance might help people learn and understand more about its effects and why it is abused.

EBBF conversations meant to inspire workplace policy James Rupert Triton’s Call Staff Ethical Business Building the Future organized a meeting focusing on the theme of inclusion in the workplace. The meeting commenced on Saturday, April 20 at the UOG School of Business and Public Administration Resource Library.

Michelle Sasamoto, a certified prevention specialist and grief recovery specialist and speaker, spoke at the event.

After becoming a widow, she had experienced emotional pain and grief. Yet it was her faith that guided her through the process of healing.

She now uses her experiences to help

guide others with their journey into recovery.

“You can rise above and not give any more power to your pain by making correct action steps to heal and recover,” Sasamoto said. “It may take some time, but time with correct action steps will help.”

Sasamoto added: “I was very relieved to see a group of leaders in the workplace come together on social issues, seeking how to better help themselves and employees dealing with loss, emotional pain and grief.”

Jenny Sarmiento, EBBF event coordinator, said that for each monthly meeting, EBBF chooses a topic that affects individuals in business or the

workplace.

“Rather than giving a lecture on it, a majority of the meeting is a conversation with the entire group so that it is a place of learning from everyone’s experiences and ideas,” Sarmiento said.

EBBF is a Baha’i motivated global community spread out in 50 countries. Its membership comprises of similar goal-oriented individuals and organizations that want to change the ways of business and economy through daily work. Its goal is to transform the world into a more prosperous, just and sustainable civilization.

EBBF members provide outreach and articles and presentations at hundreds of events in

Grief management specialist Michelle Sasamoto spoke on campus during a recent meeting organized by EBBF. Picture courtesy of Michelle Sasamoto

over 60 countries every year.

EBBF’s core values suggest a globalized united world, Justice, Service to all Humanity and the common good, moderation of all things, gender equality, human nobility and sustainability. Such

organizations that collaborate with EBBF are the United Nations, The International Labor Organization, the European Union, The Earth Charter and Net Impact.

University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019

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Broken elevator an inconvenience to students Eliza Casimbon Triton’s Call Staff The School of Nursing and Health Sciences Building in the University of Guam has had a broken elevator since 2017. Students and faculty have not been able to use the elevator for two years.

Demi Pomare, who frequents the Nursing and Health Sciences building at least three times a week, says, “I needed to get my daughter’s stroller upstairs so I ended up carrying it up the stairs while also carrying her.”

Pomare mentions that the broken elevator is an inconvenience to those who have

disabilities or temporary injuries.

“What happens if they have classes upstairs,” Pomari said.

“Do the professors accommodate and move the class downstairs. What are their options.”

Lisa Terry, a Nursing student, needed to use the elevator for one of her family members.

Terry said, “My dad is handicapped and wheelchair dependent and wasn’t able to attend family night my first semester of nursing school.”

For those who need to access the second floor of the Nursing and Health Sciences building, have to enter

through the Science building’s elevator then cross the walkway connecting the two buildings together.

Students who have classes on the second of the Nursing building can also request to have their class on the first floor.

The ADA describes that the standards for states should have accessible paths for travel like elevators and lifts.

UOG maintenance representatives and the dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences were asked to provides comments on the issue, but did not reply as of press time.

The broken elevator shown on the first floor of the Nursing and Health Sciences Building. Photo by Eliza Casimbon

SGA discusses upcoming events for the remainder of Fañomnåkan 2019 Isabella Alvia Triton’s Call Staff The University of Guam’s 57th Student Government Association held a regular session on Friday, Apr. 5 at the Student Center.

The meeting highlighted upcoming events planned for the rest of the semester, such as the Spring 2019 assembly.

This semester’s Spring 2019 assembly’s main theme is “Art Gala.”

The event will be held on May 24, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Dusit Thani Resort and Spa Grand Ballroom.

The event offers an opportunity for UOG students to unwind after a stressful semester. Artists are highly encouraged to showcase their talents 6

Left to right: SGA senator William Sablan, Vice President Marilea Torcelino, and President Evander DeGuzman discuss upcoming events planned for UOG students during their 14th regular session. Photo by Isabella Alvia

at the assembly.

“We will have a contest where students are encouraged to use their creativity and incorporate art into their outfit,” said SGA Senator Kenn Carlos.

Prizes will include Apple airpods, one dusit room, and other big prizes. Ticket registration is free for UOG students and

University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019

$40 at the door will be charged for overflow and non UOG students.

The registration link can be accessed on SGA’s Instagram page.

SGA announced that they are looking for a student who is willing to take on the task of filling their student regent position. In order to run for this position, candidates must have

a minimum of a 2.5 GPA, attended one full academic school year at UOG enrolled in 30 credits, and no academic probation or violation with the university. Elections for the student regent position will take place before the next upcoming SGA meeting.

During the meeting,

Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services Lawrence F. Camacho reported that a platform called uConnect is currently being purchased for UOG students to use. It is a web-based platform that is accessible on a smartphone is used widely across colleges in the United States.

It is an app that is career-path driven, providing a platform for students to receive reminders and various information about their major.

“We believe that the app uConnect will increase student recruitment, retention, and completion rates,” Camacho said.

The date for the upcoming SGA’s 15th regular session meeting is tentative.

UOG hosts 2nd Annual Graduate Recruitment Fair Therese Martinez Triton’s Call Staff The University of Guam held it’s 2nd Graduate Program Recruitment Fair on Wednesday, March 17 at the School of Business and Public Administration.

This bi-annual event showcased 15 graduate programs and other financial aid programs to entice undergraduates to pursue a graduate degree at the University.

The last recruitment fair held was held in Nov. 2018, and it targeted working professionals to pursue graduate degrees.

Troy Mcvey, assistant vice president for Academic Excellence and director of Graduate Studies, was one of the main organizers for the recruitment fair.

“One of the biggest comments we got from last years event, was that we should target UOG students and seniors,” McVey said.

This semester’s Graduate Recruitment Fair was held at the School of Business and Public Administration. It showcased 15 graduate programs available at the University of Guam. Photo by Therese Martinez

This semester, they changed the location of the fair to the SPBA building in hopes to recruit more graduates into the University.

“We had about 15 new recruits who were enrolled as a direct result of the event,” McVey said,

“we’ve had the highest enrollment for Graduate Studies in about 7 years.”

In order to graduate with a Master’s Degree, 30 - 40 credits are required depending on the degree. According to the University of Guam’s Graduate catalog, it

costs $285 per credit for resident graduate students and $650 per credit for non-residents.

“Most cohort based programs meet in cycles, and those programs primarily graduate within 2 years. And it all depends on how many courses

a student takes within a semester, but most can graduate within a 2 to 4 year time frame,” McVey said.

Michelle Santos, program chair for the Master of Arts in Secondary Education, described how course in Secondary Education are fit to match a 5 days a week working schedule.

“As a cohort based program, we start on October and classes are primarily on Saturdays so that people can teach during the week and attend classes on the weekend,” Santos said.

In order to complete a Master of Arts in Secondary Education, 39 credits are required.

“We hope to continue to do more events like this every semester, in order to target working professionals out in the community, as well as undergraduates who are ready for graduate school,” McVey said.

Job fair attracts students, community members seeking employment Luke Scott Fernandez Triton’s Call Staff The University of Guam hosted the Fañomnåkan 2019 Job Fair at the UOG Calvo Fieldhouse on April 24.

Prospective job seekers attended the event in search of new opportunities.

Organizations such as KUAM, the Guam Army National Guard, and the Government of Guam were present.

Nicole Mesa, Docomo Pacific representative, said the job fair assists in linking businesses and the community together in order to build a stronger workforce. “It’s important for the community to be exposed to the different job opportunities being availed here on Guam.”

“We hope to get more people involved

UOG Fañomnåkan 2019 Job Fair at the UOG Calvo Fieldhouse. Photo courtesy of UOG.

here at the job fair and have a diverse group of applicants,” Mesa said.

Rachel Sayers, Pacific Islands Club activities training

manager, applauded UOG for hosting another successful job fair for the community.

“Guam is amazing in building a great culture as

well as workforce,” Sayers said. “As businesses it’s important for us to know the people in our community who could be our potential employees.

We also get a chance to know the different businesses around us and the rolls we play here on our island.”

Liza San Augustine, a job seeker, expressed her appreciation for the University’s initiative to assist not only students, but the community in career development.

“As a job seeker meeting this job fair helped me gain more information than what is presented online or in ads,” San Augustin said.

“It’s a friendlier environment here and it breaks the barrier of going into a big business and feeling like that you’re wasting their time,” San Augustin said.

“Businesses here are generally more helpful and inclined to give you the information you need before applying.”

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UOG students not graduating on time, completion rates falling short Shannon Ada For Triton’s Call College students are failing to graduate in four years. This is a prevalent national problem.

Graduating in five or even six years has become the new normal.

UOG students already know this.

At UOG, college courses are not offered regularly, so students could miss an important prerequisite and get a semester behind. A student could also be placed in developmental courses, leading them to fall behind schedule.

Having a full-time load all four years doesn’t necessarily mean one will graduate on time. To be considered full-time at UOG, a student must be enrolled for 12 credits in a given a semester.

After completing eight semesters, a student would have only completed 96, yet 124 credit hours are needed to graduate.

If a student took 15 credit hours a semester, that still only puts her at 120 after four years. It is possible to graduate on time if you take intercession or summer classes, but that is not always financially feasible.

Plus, most students these days are working while going to school, which makes being a part-time student the only option. Or, maybe they have to take a semester off because they have a hold at the Bursar’s office.

Student loans are no joke.

According to Deborah Leon Guerrero, assistant vice president of Institutional Effectiveness, the different colleges at UOG cater their programs for a four-year completion time.

“When the curriculum is designed, and when the courses are offered, the expectation of the faculty is [to develop] a four year program,” Leon Guerrero said.

But students still 8

aren’t graduating in four years, because the programs are designed to succeed given that the student is not placed in developmental courses, and they declare their major during their freshman year.

Scott Ishizu, a UOG sophomore, plans to graduate in six years.

Ishizu came to UOG in Fall 2016 and declared as a business major in Fall 2018.

When I asked him if he thinks UOG helps students graduate in a timely manner, Ishizu said: “They try, but with the change [in the Business program], it really messed things up.”

According to Ishizu, factors like changes in academic programs and times when classes are available prevent him from graduating sooner than six years.

Because of all the aforementioned factors, and because UOG is an open-enrollment institution, five or six years is a more realistic number for student completion.

“Because of open admissions, there’s going to be a portion of that time where [students are] in developmental courses,” Leon Guerrero said. “But that’s okay, because we are...here to serve the community, right.

And so we don’t want to discourage anyone.

Just because you’re not college ready doesn’t mean, you’re not able to

University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019

go to college.”

Lawrence Camacho, dean of Enrollment Management and Student Success, welcomes open enrollment.

“It’s a wonderful thing,” Camacho said. “A lot of those are those first generation students and we’re attracting because it’s an open enrollment.

It’s affordable. It’s convenient, it’s here and we want them to come.”

It’s not a bad thing that students take a little longer to graduate, but compared to national averages, the six-year graduation rates for UOG are alarmingly low.

UOG is not completing as many students as it should be.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the total completion in six years at the same institution for four-year public universities is roughly 55 percent.

UOG’s six-year completion rate for the 2011 cohort (the highest it’s been in recent years) is only about 35 percent.

That means only 35 percent of students in that cohort graduated within six years.

According to Leon Guerrero, UOG compares itself to three different types of universities: open admission peer institutions, an aspirant list (universities that are doing well that UOG aspires to), and off-island schools that

a lot of local high school seniors decide to go to.

Leon Guerrero agreed that UOG’s six-year completion rates are low in comparison to national standards, but said they are closer to other open enrollment institutions.

“Those open enrollment are not really at the 50 [percent], they might be at the 40 percent,” Leon Guerrero said.

“We are still lower than we want to be,” Leon Guerrero said. “We want to increase [our rates] and in fact, our accreditors said to focus on that as well. That’s one of the recommendations that they had is ‘focus on completion.’”

It’s important to note that transfer students are not considered in this data, and there is a large percentage of students that transfer out. Below are the transfer and stop-out rates from the UOG Factbook after for students at UOG after six-years.

It’s good to see that in recent years, the transfer and stop-out rate is slightly decreasing. But the numbers are still high - higher than the six-year completion rates.

The Institutional Effectiveness Office disseminates surveys for students that stop-out to take, to figure out why they aren’t coming back.

“We found that there’s a handful of reasons,” Leon Guerrero said. “One is they have said is for

financial reasons, that the courses that they wanted to take are not available, or that they had personal obligations that they needed to fulfill.”

According to the survey, when undergraduates were asked what led to their decision for not returning to UOG, the top reason was financial aid issues.

“So no doubt that this is recognized as an area that is a priority,” Leon Guerrero said. “And that’s why we’ve got all of these initiatives going on.”

At EMSS, Camacho is working to implement initiatives and strategies that help students complete on-time.

“We want to make sure students are graduating, because why? Because they’re paying more, you know, and we don’t want them to pay more,” said Camacho.

High impact practices are strategies that have been studied and proven to increase student success.

According to Leon Guerrero, intrusive advising is a big indicator of student success because it helps students feel a stronger connection with the university.

When looking at the top performing colleges at UOG, intrusive advising is a key component in all of them, which is a big reason why the ID180 course was replaced with the FY101 course.

Another recent initiative is the Bounce Back program, which aims to engage with students placed on academic probation.

Ishizu was placed on academic probation before the Bounce Back program was started. He said that all he had to do was go in to the Student Center, sign some papers, and tell the office how he was going to better his GPA. There was no follow up afterward.

Now, according to Camacho, students Continued on page 9

Opinion: Gap exists in home healthcare for cancer patients on Guam Jaret Anthony Castro For Triton’s Call There is a gap in the island’s ability to provide top-notch health care to terminally ill cancer patients.

There needs to be a better way to provide service for the different and unique cancer patients that are living on the island. We need to increase the number of specialty doctors and medical professionals.

Locals are having to work with multiple companies such as hospice care and home health care to seek out the best health care they can find on the island.

The University of Guam’s Cancer Research Center maintains a Guam Cancer Registry. The registry indicates that 736 new cancer cases were reported over the span of five years. From 20082012, cancer mortality rates grew 7.4%.

From 2008-2012, cancer female mortality

rates at 95, while cancer mortality rates for males was 182.

University of Guam, Cancer Research Center, and Guam Cancer Registry also reported that prostate cancer is the most frequently reported site for men, while breast and cervical cancers are common with women.

Elizabeth Asuncion is a former caregiver for her sister, Antoinette Castro.

Elizabeth began caregiving for her sister in 2010 when Antoinette was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.

Antoinette Castro was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.

She underwent a breast mastectomy.

Antoinette was in remission for four years until she was diagnosed with breast cancer that metastasized in 2010.

Antoinette was a patient at the Cancer Center of Guam receiving care from Dr. Samuel Friedman.

Antoinette’s conditioned worsened over six years,

which then led to her death in 2016.

During the final months of her life, Antoinette received home health care and eventually hospice.

Antoinette was receiving weekly to biweekly chemotherapy treatments for about six years, which was easy at the beginning with her mobility, but then became challenging when she broke her legs and her family had to outsource medical transportation.

During this time, Antoinette was receiving home health care from Guam Nursing Services to treat her wounds and recover from surgery with physical therapy, but had to outsource medical transportation to commute to her chemotherapy appointments.

Asuncion shared that during this time, it was challenging and chaotic working with two different companies to provide the best care the island had to offer for her sister.

Asuncion shared that

outsourcing multiple companies to aide in her sister’s care was challenging mainly because she believed she could work with one company to provide all the services her sister needed.

In the midst of Antoinette battling cancer, Asuncion had to build a relationship and become comfortable with the different medical staff from various local healthcare organizations.

At the time, Guam Nursing Services was providing wound care and physical therapy for Antoinette, but they didn’t provide medical transportation.

As cancer rates continue to grow on island, it is crucial that home health services team up with an oncologist center on the island too try an implement an at-home chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients who are terminally ill and would prefer to be in the comfort of their own home.

Asuncion shared that

while her sister would be seeking treatment at the Cancer Center of Guam, located in Tamuning, Antoinette was limited to one visitor at a time while receiving treatment.

“It would’ve been really nice to have her granddaughters visit at the clinic to bring up my sister’s spirits while she was receiving treatment,” Asuncion said.

According to the Oncology Nursing Society located in Pennsylvania, medical professionals have shared that it is possible to receive chemotherapy at home, which improve the patient’s quality of life and outcome.

Something that Asuncion has shared is that surrounding her sister with family and friends really helped keep Antoinette’s spirits up.

Asuncion also believes this helped prolong her sister’s life.

Stark contrast: UOG versus national completion rates Continued from page 8 placed on academic probation are sent regular emails and given workshops and tutoring services to engage with students better. This initiative aims to get students out of academic probation faster.

Leon Guerrero and Camacho believe that increasing student services like these will help the on-time completion problem.

But, one problem area Leon Guerrero cited is the amount of money allocated to student services. Compared to the open admission peer institutions and aspirant colleges, the money that UOG spends on student services is “fairly low.”

“That means the resources that the university is able to put

towards more of the the high impact practices is not as high as our...our peer institutions,” said Leon Guerrero. “So that’s one of the things that the university is looking at is ‘how can we increase the resources that we put to student services?’”

So, like everything, it all comes down to money.

There’s a huge budget crisis in education on Guam right now, but

Leon Guerrero believes it’s possible to find the resources UOG students need.

“That’s life. You do the best with the resources that you have,” said Leon Guerrero. “But if other institutions that are relatively in our same profile are able to to do that, you know, we’re going to look to our legislature or to the endowment foundation...

something to help boost the resources that they have in there.”

There have been many recent initiatives started by the EMSS office, but we won’t know their true effect until time passes.

As the university compiles more data over the years, we can look to see if the graduation rates are increasing.

“Institutions are data driven,” said Camacho.

“They look at the numbers to be able to see that right, because then we have nothing. There’s no other force that’s out there to tell us that.”

Like many other problems, the low ontime completion rates are going to take money and time to fix. It’s the institution’s responsibility to engage and help the students more.

But Ishizu said that

it’s also on the students to be involved with the programs.

“They can offer so [many programs] but as students if we don’t take advantage of it, then I see no point,” said Ishizu.

So make sure to be on the lookout for events, programs or opportunities that UOG advertises.

Services like the writing center, the math tutor lab, and financial aid workshops are available to help you.

This upcoming spring semester, there are currently 383 graduation applicants, which according to Camacho, is the largest graduating class for UOG yet.

I wonder how many of those students are graduating within six years, and I hope that number continues to grow.

University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019

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Suicide prevalent among young males in Micronesia Audrey Meno For Triton’s Call According to a study led by the Guam Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, suicide is the fifth leading cause of death on Guam.

Suicide is an issue that deserves attention and intervention.

Records of suicide on Guam date back to the mid-19th century. A sharp rise in local suicides took place after the 1960s, which became alarmingly high by the 1980s and declined after the year 2000. However, suicide is still prevalent in our community today.

Of these suicides, 60 percent occur among those under the age of 30.

In comparison to the U.S. mainland, this statistic is unusual. Suicides in the states usually happen late in life after a loss of a spouse or a diagnosis of cancer to those who surpass fifty.

In Micronesia, the majority of suicide victims are young males between the ages of 15-24. These suicides often happen suddenly without external signs of suffering or downward spirals of depression.

“The narrow focus among young men 15 to 24 does not fit into Western notions or patterns of suicide,” said Don Rubinstein, Ph.D., UOG professor of

anthropology.

Rubinstein has studied suicide throughout Micronesia since the 1970s. He has lived with families and communities affected by this issue.

Rubinstein has found that suicides in the islands are impulsive and usually a result of something that seemed so trivial like a scolding by a parent when the child was late to work the land.

Suicides in Micronesia tend to be episodic—they come on suddenly, with the victim showing few warning signs that he or she is suffering.

Hanging is a popular choice of method for suicide among young males, whereas ingesting of poison is more common among women.

Death by hanging accounted for 90 percent of suicides in Micronesia during the 1970s.

However, it was not suspended hanging and instead leaning backward.

This meant that the victims died from a lack of oxygen not air. It is a very passive method and can reveal questions and insight to the pattern of suicide as a cultural issue.

According to Rubinstein, suicide rates in Micronesia were three times greater than the U.S. rates of suicide during the Reagan presidential campaign, which at the time considered suicide to be a national crisis during the 80s.

Rubenstein explained that sometimes suicide attempts are not intended to end in death.

Sometimes a suicide attempt is a dramatic cry for help.

For every 100,000 males aged 15 to 24, 20 to 25 Americans lost their lives to suicide, while in Micronesia, 250 out of 100,000 died for that same demographic.

This statistic is staggering in comparison.

In Micronesia, the rates of suicide were three times higher than those in the U.S. states.

In 2009, the Guam Youth Suicide Prevention Grant provided funds to create a profile of suicide on Guam to provide a baseline measurement for the focus on life.

According to this report, from 2000 to 2007, suicides accounted for one death every two weeks.

And while we have these statistics recorded, we still do not have a clear sense as to why they happen.

Indeed, reports on suicide do not go in depth with solutions.

TU;MA, a social movement spearheaded

by Jesrae Moylan, who lost her brother to suicide, formed to help reduce suicides within the local community.

Moylan is passionate about this issue as she lost her brother Ray to

suicide. Taking Up Mental Awareness is named after Ray’s nickname, “uncle Tuma.”

Moylan explained that while the TU;MA team is not a group of experts, its members have been affected by suicide. They aim to provide a safe place in the community to “talk up” this issue and prevent it.

The social movement hopes to reach those struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide through the use of social media and outreach events.

They held their first suicide awareness wave in 2018 and was met with great support.

“There is a lack of suicide awareness in schools and that is where it starts with the youth” Moyland said.

Moylan aims to reach the youth to educate them on outlets and options to express their emotions.

“Sometimes kids just want attention,” Moylan said.

Moylan wants to see more teachers and law enforcement who are trained in suicide prevention.

Organizations such as TU;MA and health centers provide the community with a safe space to share their experiences with suicide and heal from mental illness.

Opinion: More surveillance cameras worth considering Michael T. Aguon For Triton’s Call With recent crimes occurring on the island, it is important that the University of Guam takes precautionary measures to ensure that its students, faculty and staff remain safe.

Although an increase number of surveillance cameras will not be a longterm solution in preventing crime, it can be a solution in resolving crimes such 10

as burglaries, vehicle damages, and intruders which on campus can be reduced with the help of installed and monitored surveillance cameras that act as a deterrent.

Currently, only a handful of locations on campus have installed surveillance cameras. These areas include the SBPA, the dorms, and the English and Communication building.

In an article published on Tritons Call in May 2018, Felix Mansapit, UOG safety

University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019

administrator, mentioned that “most crimes that do occur on campus are cyclical.”

An increased number of surveillance cameras would help decrease the number of crimes as a short-term solution and offers benefits such as an increase in areas that will be monitored, preventing theft and vandalism, and intruders.

Some students at UOG have had their cars damaged while parked in

broad daylight. Without any surveillance cameras installed in the parking lot, there were little to no evidence that were to their benefit.

According to a study by the Urban Institute, cameras also increase the risk of detection that can aid investigative efforts.

The study explains that the installation of the cameras is benefited by the strategic placing of them. They were to work cohesively with law enforcement.

When considering the benefits of surveillance cameras, there are also factors that make them less appealing, such as the concern for privacy or the maintenance cost.

Past crimes that occurred on Guam, such as the recent robbery at a convenience store, had surveillance cameras installed within it.

The cameras did capture the whole incident, but with

Continued on page 11

Dealing with sexual violence on Guam Trends in reported rape crimes on Guam

Zoe Kintaro For Triton’s Call

Source: Uniform Crime Report

On Guam, crime stories take up a significantly large space in reported news. Crimes involving sexual violence appear to be on the rise, at least anecdotally.

For instance, the Pacific Daily News reported an estimate of 30 articles of sexual violence dating back to December to April, alone. Of these articles reported, the cases ranged from sexual assault to cases of molestation and rape.

Crime is inevitable in any society. As true as this statement may be, crime is also an agent that works against the advancement toward a more civil society.

Seahara Cruz is a supervisor of clinical psychology at the Violence Against Women Prevention Program. The program aims to address the prevention of violent crimes against women on campus, particularly domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and to provide services for victims of these crimes.

“There seems to be more reporting of sex crimes lately,” Cruz said.

In Guam, sex crimes are on the rise, whether they are being reported or not.

The Uniform Crime Report is a report done by the Guam Police Department’s Planning, Research and Development office that details crimes committed and reported on Guam.

The 2017 report analyzes data of crimes brought to GPD and those that

are known to police that year. The UCR Program examines data in increments of five years in to formulate trend information. The 2017 UCR looks at data that date back to 2013.

Violent crimes In 2017 alone, 369 violent crimes were reported to the Guam Police Department. Violent crimes, as defined by the UCR, include four types of offenses: rape, murder and manslaughter, aggravated assault and robbery.

These are crimes that typically involve force or threat of force.

Of the 369 violent crimes reported in Guam in 2017, 8.7 percent were cases of rape.

The UCR states that compared to 2016, violent crimes committed and reported in Guam in 2017 increased by approximately 8.2 percent. That same year, rape decreased 69.0 percent.

Sexual violence/rape The UCR defines rape as penetration, no matter how slight, of the genitals or sexual act inflicted upon a person without

the consent of the victim.

In this definition, physical resistance on part of the victim is not required to demonstrate a lack of consent. This entails any form of sexual assaults or attempts to rape.

The data presented by the UCR details trends of the crimes that took place on Guam from 2013 to 2017. The number of reported rape crimes decreased compared from 2013. Reported crimes went from 106 in 2013, rising to 118 in 2014, rising higher to 160 reported rape crimes in 2015 then decreasing to 103 in 2016 and decreasing drastically to 32 in the year 2017.

The report breaks down the crimes even further by analyzing the type of “rape crimes” committed, categorizing these crimes as either “forcible rape” or “attempts to commit forcible rape.”

In 2013, of the 106 rape crimes reported, the GPD saw a total of 95 cases of forcible rape and 11 cases of attempted rape. Of the 118 sex crimes reported in 2014, 109 were cases of forcible rape and 9 were

cases of attempted rape.

The year 2015 presented 121 cases of forcible rape and 39 cases of attempted rape in the 160 sex crimes reported.

In 2016, 57 of the 103 sex crimes reported were cases of attempted rape while 39 were cases of forcible rape.

Lastly, 2017 showed a significant decrease with two of the 30 cases reported being cases of attempted rape while 30 were cases of forcible rape.

Yet one may ask—how does Guam compare with other places?

Maui, Hawaii is an island that might serve as a comparison, at least when both island’s population sizes are compared.

In Maui, a similar UCR shows that in the year 2016, there were 77 cases of rape reported.

That same year in Guam, there were 103 cases of rape reported to the GPD. In 2015, there were 94 cases of rape reported in Maui, and 160 in Guam.

In 2014, the Maui police department recorded 89 cases of rape while the

GPD recorded 118. Guam displays more cases of rape compared to Maui.

The sex crimes committed on Guam within the five-year increment of 2013-2017 may be viewed as more heinous as they were committed by members of the victims’ family.

Incest is sexual activity between family members, or persons of blood relations. In the case of this article, it is merely sexual abuse committed by members of the victims’ family.

The report classifies several the sex crimes committed as family violence. 17 of the 106 rape crimes committed in 2013 were classified as family offenses. Of the 118 cases in 2014, 21 were classified as family offenses.

In 2015, 23 of the 160 cases were family offenses. Thirteen of the 103 rape crimes reported in 2016 were family offenses. In the latest report in 2017, 18 out of the 32 reported crimes were classified as family offenses.

Sexual violence is an ongoing social problem for the island of Guam.

Despite showing a decrease in numbers over the course of the fiveyear period, sex crimes are, nonetheless, still happening.

It appears a new story about sexual abuse or rape breaks through the media each week. If these numbers only paint a picture of the crimes being reported, imagine how much more sex crimes are being committed that have not been reported.

Surveillance cameras may help deter crime Continued from page 11 the criminal’s face covered up with clothing it made the investigation difficult to identify the suspect.

Suspects who vandalize schools are most likely

to conceal their identity with clothing to prevent identification. Another con from using cameras are the students’ privacy and their attitudes towards an increase number of cameras.

The lack of trust the students will feel can negatively affect their educational experience.

In summary, the safety for the students, faculty, and staff are very important.

The use and installation

of additional cameras needs to be thoughtfully planned out that includes the placement, management, and budget for these tools.

The students’ thoughts on cameras are highly

valuable as well regarding this process.

It is better to have a camera and not need it than to need a camera and not have it.

University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019

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University of Guam Triton’s Call, May 2019