Triton's Call, September 2017, Volume 43, Issue 1

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Fanuchanan 2017, Vol. 43, Issue 1, September

New cafeteria opens at Residence Halls

By Rita Taitano Triton’s Call Staff

UOG’s Residence Halls opened a new cafeteria on Saturday, Sept. 2. Located on the second floor of Guma’ta Hall, the dining facility is intended to serve residents who purchased the recenlty implemented dorm meal plan.

Jonathan Triplett, Residence Hall director, said this is the first time the University is offering a meal plan and the cafeteria to its residents.

“The meal plan is paid by each student,” Triplett said. “Students get lunch and dinner guaranteed everyday, and one meal on Saturday and Sunday.”

The new cafeteria is equipped with food warmers, a station for soups and salads, a water dispenser, chairs, tables, and a 65-inch flat screen television,

From left: Rosania Olgeriilm, Loma Ngemaes, Mecherang Miko, and Cherish Chin enjoy a meal at the newly opened cafeteria in the Residence Halls. Photo courtesy of Mailie Ngiriou.

with anticipated cable connectivity by the end of September.

LSG Sky Chefs caters daily meals and residents are able to utilize the dining area from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch, and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for

dinner.

Prior to the cafeteria’s opening, daily meals for students were prepared in takeout boxes and dropped off at the Residence Life Office for distribution.

David Malon, a

resident assistant and UOG student who has stayed in the dorms for four years described the difficulty of the first month of meal planning and his appreciation for having a cafeteria.

However, Malon

expressed his concern regarding the maximum capacity of the cafeteria, as it is only able to accommodate 36 residents at a time.

Other residents need Continued on page 2

After Ehlert court verdict, sexual misconduct policies remain in place

By Jase L. Sarmiento Triton’s Call Staff It has been over two months since the widely publicized conviction and subsequent firing of former UOG Associate Professor Michael Ehlert, Ph.D., but the case continues to have a lasting imprint on the way UOG deals with sexual misconduct.

“Since that’s happened, we’ve complete-

ly revamped our sexual misconduct policy,” said Jonas Macapinlac, director of UOG Integrated Marketing Communications.

Joseph B. Gumataotao, Equal Opportunity Employer director and Title IX/Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator, feels the sexual misconduct policy is adequate. However, he said it undergoes annual review to determine if

it requires amendment.

He anticipates 2017’s review to conclude within the next upcoming meetings with the policy’s advisory group.

“It’s all-encompassing,” Gumataotao said.

“However, I think it’s just a matter of trying to make the grievance process more understandable. I guess, to the average student, it Continued on page 2

Shown above is the UOG Sexual Misconduct Policy booklet. The policy is reviewed each year. Photo by Jase L. Sarmiento

University of Guam Triton’s Call, September 2017

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New cafeteria: students share their views Continued from page 1 to take out food to eat in common areas, especially during dinner time.

“As a last resort for missing the lunch meal at the cafeteria, students can go to Triton Express to get a bento box, sandwich, and a drink,” Malon said.

Happy Fritz, a transfer student from Palau, said she is glad that there is a meal plan, but she feels some things still need improvement.

She expressed multiple concerns for her fellow residents, including conflicting meal and class schedules, a lack of vegetarian options, and the guessing game for the upcoming meal.

Fritz suggested having a weekly update

A new dining facility, located on the second floor of Guama’ta Hall, is intended to serve dorm students who have purchased the resident’s meal plan. Photos Courtesy of Mailie Ngiriou

or meal schedule for residents, and to make a separate or alternative meals to accommodate the vegetarian residents.

University sexual misconduct training: its effectiveness Continued from page 1 seems like legalese in it and sometimes students might get confused.”

According to the UOG website, the policy was updated earlier this year on March 17.

In April, the University implemented a notable measure— the annual sexual misconduct

online training, which is a mandatory quiz required for all university students Gumataotao and employees.

“I would say that it’s effective in that every single person that is at the University, whether

Publisher Francis Dalisay, Ph.D. fdalisay@triton.uog.edu Editor-in-chief Amanda Dedicatoria

employee or student, is aware of our sexual misconduct policy and is aware of what constitutes sexual misconduct so there aren’t any excuses for when you get into those types of situations,” Macapinlac said.

For students such as junior Matthew Miguel, however, it’s the opposite.

“No, I don’t feel [like]

Staff writers, copy editors Shannon Ada Lauren Garcia Nicole Leon Guerrero Maricia Mariano Audrey Meno Jase Sarmiento Rita Taitano

it’s effective,” Miguel said. “Plus, they’re doing that just to register, so their mind is on registering for class.”

Miguel said he recognizes the efforts of the University to raise awareness and keep students informed, but the problem lies in getting students to take the online test seriously.

Regarding future

Contributors Keanno Fausto David Malon Mailie Ngiriou Anne Marie Rodriquez

plans, Gumataotao explained that the University is looking to launch a new app in collaboration with UOG Integrated Marketing Communications to reach students who utilize technology.

Additionally, he seeks to increase sign distribution around campus, highlighting sexual misconduct prevention.

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Faculty evaluation response rates at a decline In Fall 2014, UOG changed the way it administers student evaluations of courses and faculty. Initially conducted on a paper-and-pencil format, the evaluations were changed to an online system called CollegeNet. Since this conversion, response rates for evaluations have declined, which leaves some in the University alarmed.

“The problem is now that it’s become electronic, students aren’t doing it,” said James Sellmann, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

Sellmann estimates that student response rates prior to the

The significant decline of student response rates for online course and faculty evaluations is problematic for faculty seeking advancement. Photo by Nicole Leon Guerrero.

change averaged between 90 to 95 percent.

Reports from 2014 to 2017 show that figure has dropped to 45 percent.

According to Sellmann, the information

from student feedback is used for annual increment and promotion and tenure purposes.

“Professors seem to be getting slightly lower scores now than they used to,” he said. This

could be a problem for instructors seeking advancement.

“I think we’re going to have to push more for the electronic version,” Sellmann said.

Jose Cruz, an En-

glish instructor at UOG said, “When I was part-time, I would push it [student participation] and say when I become full-time, I can use that as evidence to become full-time.”

Cruz said he uses evaluation results to improve his teaching methods and syllabi course content, as do many other English instructors. But if the decrease in student participation persists, the value of what few responses there are is questionable.

Georgiana Quintanilla, an art major who has attended UOG for five years, has experienced both written and electronic versions.

University of Guam Triton’s Call, September 2017

By Nicole Leon Guerrero Triton’s Call Staff

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Continued on page 6

CIS cultivates Green Community Garden for students

By Audrey Meno Triton’s Call Staff On an overcast day in late August, students from the UOG Residence Halls were clearing out overgrown weeds behind House 33 in Dean’s Circle.

The students were participating in one of the Green Garden projects organized by the University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability. The land they cleared, roughly 50 by 65 feet, is dedicated to promoting sustainability on campus.

Austin Shelton, Ph.D., executive director of CIS, explained the UOG Green Garden could facilitate learning about gardening and conservation techniques, and promote their use at home.

Austin Shelton, Jivan Ramachandran, UOG Residence Hall students and Raymond Shinohara at work in the Green Garden. Photo courtesy of CIS

Shelton recalled his experience of growing produce at home: “When I was in middle school my dad and I started planting banana trees at our home in Asan. Now that I have my own house, I grow

things like bananas, papayas, ates, soursop.”

Shelton also highlighted how available, though limited resources can be used to pursue sustainably.

“We’re using a small shared space,” Shelton

peppers, eggplant, and green onions. Access to local produce such as these is a vital component for having a nutritious diet, especially amongst college students.

The Green Garden serves students at the Residence Halls by giving them a place and means to grow their own food.

CIS is partnering with the Guam Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the University of Guam’s Residence Hall, Sea Grant and the College of Natural and Applied Sciences on this project.

Raymond Shinohara, a soil and water conservation technician,

said. “There is a lot you can do with a limited property that you or your family might have.”

Vegetation Some of the vegetation that will grow in the Continued on page 5 garden includes papaya, okra, basil, boonie

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UOG students and prof. participate in Northwestern U’s music seminar

By Maricia Mariano Triton’ Call Staff

Colleen Jennings, Ph.D., a University of Guam assistant professor of music, and her students, Kayla Del Rosario and Brett O’Connor, participated in a Vocal Music Seminar hosted by Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music in Chicago, IL, this past summer.

Students from all over the United States participated in this program. There were a total of 33 students who represented various grade levels.

Like the other participants, the UOG students who attended had to first audition to earn placement in the seminar.

“They [the students] got to see how music works in the mainland,” Jennings said. “This

seminar gave the students a small glimpse of what it’s like to be in the world of music and what it takes to be a working musician.”

Jennings also taught at the seminar with Northwestern’s associate professor, Pamela Hinchman.

Del Rosario, an undergraduate UOG music major with a vocal focus, explained that although there were challenges, the students learned to over come them, and they came out with an amazing experience.

“It was a really big challenge,” Del Rosario said. “Students always had to be on their toes and produce what they trained themselves to.”

“I am a hard working individual,” Del Rosario said. As part of the training, the students had to put on an entire

opera within five days as apart of the seminar.

“The program was very intimidating,” said O’Connor, a UOG undergraduate political science major, minoring in music, who participated in the seminar. “It offered mutual respect and mutual rivalry.”

O’Connor has had experience in different school plays and programs like University Singers and has been in the play “Seasons of Love,” which was produced by the University of Guam. The students hope to experience something similar to this event in the future.

“It was nice to have access to facilities and resources that you don’t really get access to on Guam,” O’Connor said.

They felt the pressure but overall felt that it was a memorable

Athletic Program on its second year

By Lauren Garcia Triton’s Call Staff As the 2017-2018 school year rings in, the University of Guam’s athletic program is wasting no time in preparing for upcoming sports events.

This marks the second official year of the Triton Athletics program since disbanding more than 16 years ago.

Doug Palmer, UOG athletic director, is excited for what this school year has to offer.

He said there are many things to look forward to such as new basketball players from off-island, a new coach for the volleyball team, and the women’s soccer team defending their first championship.

However, the University’s athletic program still faces some chal-

lenges.

The University was able to find some funds for the teams to give partial tuition scholarships and this will hopefully help improve the quality and quantity of our players and help retain them for the future,” Palmer said.

“We are trying to build a solid sports club program out of our UOG recreation program and hopefully from the sport clubs we build more varsity programs.”

Also, Palmer said fundraising overall could be improved by making the program more attractive for sponsors and advertisers.

Additionally, Palmer explained that many of the coaches have other full time jobs, since coaching for UOG is only part-time.

According to Palmer, the program does suffer at times since almost everyone working in the athletic program has other obligations and responsibilities.

The program, however, makes use of student coaches who are still fresh athletes and wanting to be professional sport coaches in the near future.

Nevertheless, Palmer said UOG is one of the few places in the world that a Sport Club player can play in the same leagues that the varsity teams play in.

“Take advantage of what we have at UOG and the Island of Guam,” Palmer said.

The sports currently offered are men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and both men and women’s soccer.

From left: Brett O’Connor, Assistant Professor Colleen Jennings, and Kayla Del Rosario pose for a photo a the Bienen Voice Seminar. Photo courtesy of Kayla Del Rosario

experience. Although this was not a University of Guam sponsored event, the students were proud to represent the University of Guam’s music department in a positive light. or seminars offered

here on Guam that are similar to what they experienced at Northwestern University.

Del Rosario stated, “Talent only gets a musician so far. You

Continued on page 6

Men’s Basketball looks to improve record

By Lauren Garcia Triton’s Call Staff

The first is what he refers to as an “offensive identity.”

“We want to get out and run in transition, have great ball and player movement in our motion offense and provide a lot of energy on the court or on the bench,” Tipton said.

The second area is what Tipton calls “defensive identity.”

“We want to get up and defend 94 feet from the basket and be very physical in our half-court defense by aggressive pressure on the ball and great help defense behind the ball,” Tipton said.

Tipton refers to the third area as “end of the year.”

Commitment and

The University of Guam’s men’s basketball team was launched in Spring 2016 after an almost 15-year hiatus.

This will be their official second season and the team is making a run for a championship title.

Brent Tipton, UOG men’s basketball head coach, is excited to incorporate new strategies to lead his team to victory.

“We learned valuable lessons through our experiences last season and want to do everything possible to put each of the players in a position to be successful,” Tipton said.

There are three areas Tipton plans to develop this year with his team. Continued on page 6

GAX and Pow!Wow! ramp up the local art scene

A week-long art extravaganza commenced in Saturday, Sept. 16, with the 10th Guam Art eXhibit (GAX) show and street festival. GAX partnered with Pow!Wow!, a global network of artists, to celebrate and sweeten the local art scene.

The Tumon street festival was filled with food, live music and live painting. Later, the art gallery showcase opened on the second floor of The Plaza. The gallery will be open until Saturday, Oct. 8.

According to Josh Agerstrand, director of GAX, majority of the GAX artists are UOG students and alumni.

“Art students are happy to have opportunities to have a place to practice their artwork and be visible in the community,” Agerstrand said.

In addition to the exhibit, both local and Pow!Wow! artists are painting murals all around the island.

Visit the art Be sure to visit the art gallery at The Plaza and the new mural sites at these locations.

According to Agerstrand, more mural sites have yet to be

University of Guam Triton’s Call, September 2017

By Shannon Ada Triton’s Call Staff

Above: Art spectators admire “Boonie Dog,” a piece by UOG alumnus Austin Domingo at the opening night of the exhibit. The GAX art gallery is open on the second floor of The Plaza until Sept. 23. Below: A map of GAX events.

Photo by Shannon Ada

confirmed.

UOG alumnus dedicates mural to Guam Austin Domingo, local artist and UOG alumnus, said Guam served as the inspiration for his design.

“My design will be an illustration of a carabao portrait but will be decorated with Guam-centric patterns and elements such as leaves, latte stone, weaving patterns and more,” Domingo said. “I love repreContinued on page 6

Cont’d: CIS garden to offer benefits for the public Continued from page 4 said, “The importance of having the garden is to teach and promote sustainability to our students especially from the outer islands that you can have a sustainable garden and you don’t need much to do it.”

Harvesting When ready for harvest, those who have tended to the garden will distribute

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the produce amongst each other and determine what they wish to do with the fruit of their labor.

They may cook and share meals with each other. If there is leftover produce they may have a small market on campus.

Green Garden benefits Jivan Ramachandran, a UOG Sea Grant research assistant, said the Green Garden has potential to be used

for scientific purposes through yield measurements when harvested.

Information regarding what types of seeds and breeds work best can be determined from these results.

This data can be useful to farmers, students and those interested in growing local plants.

This project serves as an opportunity to get the community involved and exposed to sustainable practices. Growing

your own food gives you a personal awareness to what you put inside of your body. This exposure can hopefully encourage healthier dietary and sustainable lifestyle habits.

“It’s up to them to take full advantage of it. The more time they have to put into the garden, the more they’re going to learn,” Shelton said.

All UOG faculty staff and students are welcome to participate

in the garden project and can also bring their friends and family to learn gardening techniques such as proper irrigation methods, how to utilize space efficiently, and sheet mulching to reduce weeding.

To participate in future garden meetups or make donations, contact Northern Guam Soil and Water Conservation technician Raymond Shinohara at greenvalor22@gmail. com.

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Men’s basketball looking to a succesful season

Continued from page 4

lots of practice will help the team form the best versions of themselves.

Team members are also excited and determined to be victorious this season.

Andrew Carlos, point guard, has been playing since the team relaunched.

“I feel like the team is coming along,” Carlos said. “We finally have the size we lacked in the past seasons.”

“Our goal is trying

to compete for the top spots and eventually make it to the playoffs”.

Rafael Sablan, shooting guard, also shares similar sentiments about the season.

“We all bring something different to this team so everyone is going to be learning along the way,” Sablan said. “Our goal this season is to take one game at a time and make some noise this year.”

A UOG men’s basketall player takes a jump shot at a recent win against the Andersen Bombers. . Photo courtesy of University of Guam Triton Athletics

GAX: Local artists have plans for new murals on Guam Continued from page 5 senting the island so I chose an iconic animal that is important to the island. The carabao is a symbol of hard work which I think relates to this year’s GAX event.”

Domingo commented on the thriving art scene.

“Throughout the

years, the contemporary art scene has grown because of the continuous efforts of encouraging new artists to showcase their talents. GAX has been the cornerstone behind the movement. The appreciation for the arts on island has increased and it’s exciting to see more and more local artists coming up.”

Domingo graduated

from UOG in Spring 2012 with a BA in Fine Arts – Art. Local artists meld culture and lifestyle Local artists from Opake, Ed “Lerk” Gaza, Rome Daco, Shaun Juan and Tim De Leon Guerrero, revealed plans for their mural.

“For our design, we are covering the wall in a blue teal background,

dressed with Opake’s signature floral pattern that Rome designed.

We will be constructing an original script font of the word ‘Hafa Adai’,” according to De Leon Guerrero.

De Leon Guerrero adds that the design is inspired by the group’s urban culture and island lifestyle.

“You can see our love for the beauty of

the islands with the floral patterns and the teal background, then you see the graffiti influence with the style of typography the ‘Hafa Adai’ will be. The design brings together the island life and urban culture that us four artists have grown to love.”

Northwestern experience highlights importance of music education Continued from page 4 have to take the time to become educated

in the craft in order to excel. There are things you learn when taking university courses that help you use your instrument, which is your voice to its fullest

potential.”

The UOG music department provided them with a base of education that helped them progress in the seminar.

Jennings, who is in her third year of teaching at UOG, is from the state of Missouri. At UOG, she offers courses in Voice Lessons, Intro to Music, Class

Voice, and Acting 1.

She also teaches applied music (voice lessons).

An alarming decrease in rates of responses for student evaluations Continued from page 3 When asked if she continued to participate in the online evaluations, she replied, “Not always—simply because I or the instructor wasn’t concerned.”

However, Quintanilla finds the online evaluations easier to do and has witnessed instructors improve their teaching methods based on the feedback she provided in the evaluations she did complete.

Cruz gives fellow

instructors a possible approach to achieving higher response rates.

If his students do not participate in the evaluations, he takes them to the computer lab to complete the evaluations.

Considering the many factors that are

affected by student participation, all university instructors may want to take a page out of Cruz’s book.

Anita Borja Enriquez, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs said, “Conducting evaluations during

class time improves participation rates.”

She encourages this to faculty.

“It would be good if the students took it seriously and recognize that we really do use it,” Sellmann said.

Upcoming events

By Keanno Fausto For Triton’s Call The Dancing Earth indigenous dance company will speak and perform at the University of Guam Fine Arts Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Humanities Guåhan is sponsoring the event.

Rulan Tangen, the company’s director and choreographer, will headline the program.

The dance production will feature a total of seven performers showcasing Dancing Earth’s grand mission of revitalizing appreciation for the biocultur-

al diversity of Native Americans.

The 30-minute performance will be preceded by a panel discussion led by Tangen at 7 p.m., which will focus on the role of women and dance in the perpetuation of indigenous art within a contemporary landscape.

Recognized as one of the country’s premier intertribal dance ensembles, Dancing Earth has traveled across the nation in efforts to bring greater awareness to the issues, triumphs and creative spirit of indigenous communities.

Their previous pro-

grams have explored themes of animism, nature and decolonization.

Tuesday’s show is among the several stops scheduled in Dancing Earth’s weeklong tour around Guam, which includes a HITA presentation at the Guam Museum on Thursday, Oct. 12, and a performance at Humanities Guåhan’s benefit dinner on Saturday, Oct. 14.

Although the public event is free, seats are limited. For more information, visit www. humanitiesguahan.org.

Residence Life Office hosts Movie Night

By David Malon For Triton’s Call

The University of Guam Residence Life Office will be hosting its second annual Movie Night at the Micronesian Mall Theaters on Friday, Nov. 10.

The Residence Life Office will provide tickets and transportation for dorm residents.

The Movie Night program is scheduled during the evening hours. Students can enjoy any movie of their choice.

“It needs to actually be an event where its

an all UOG students movie night at the theaters,” said Jonathan Triplett, the director of Residence Life.

The Residence Life Office feels the need to show appreciation toward students for all their efforts.

This is an event where students get to unwind and enjoy a night off campus and away from academic stresses.

For more information, please contact the Residence Life Office at 735-2260 or uogresidencehalls@ gmail.com.

SHRM to hold leadership conference in October

By Nicole Leon Guerrero Triton’s Call Staff

The 2017 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Guam Chapter is holding its annual conference on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort Royal Ballroom. There will

also be a networking hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Cellar of the Dusit Thani.

This year’s theme, “Languages of Leadership” highlights the qualities needed to improve and maintain effective leadership skills.

John Decoteau, divisional director of the West SHRM Nation-

al Chapter and Julie Felker, Ph.D., faculty affiliate and senior organizational development consultant to the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan, are the conference’s featured speakers.

This conference has attracted human resource management professionals and

business owners from Guam and Saipan.

The organizers of the conference offer exhibit space for companies to promote their products and services.

SHRM is the largest human resources conference in the world.

The organization holds a national conference in the United States every year. The Guam Chap-

ter continues to host annual local conferences with different themes that focus on human resource management.

The 2017 SHRM Guam Chapter invites guests to register for the conference at guam.shrm.org. For further inquiries, email Charlotte Huntsman at shrm.guam.chapter@ gmail.com.

UOG Theatre presents “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”

By Anne Marie Rodriguez For Triton’s Call The UOG Fine Arts Theatre opens the Fanuchånan 2017 semester with Christopher Durang’s Tony award-winning play, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”

Evening show times are scheduled from

Thursday, Sept. 28 to Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 at 7 p.m.

Matinee performances begin on Friday, Sept. 29 at 9 a.m. and Sunday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m.

The box office opens 30 minutes before showtime.

Tickets can be purchased at the box office on show nights.

UOG and GCC students can enter with free admission as long as they show a valid student ID or class schedule.

General admission is $10. Non-UOG/GCC student tickets will be sold for $7.50.

Winning a Tony Award for Best Play in 2013, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is a

hilarious Chekhov-centric story about how the quiet life of a pair of jobless, middle-aged siblings, Vanya and Sonia, is disrupted by the unannounced visit of their movie star sister, Masha.

Accompanying Masha is her young, dim-witted lover named Spike and her threats to sell their Pennsylvanian home.

What critics call, “one of the funniest plays Broadway has seen in seasons,” Durang’s work presents itself as a frenzy of wacky family nonsense.

For more information, contact Michelle Blas at mcblas@triton.uog.edu.

University of Guam Triton’s Call, September 2017

Acclaimed dance ensemble to perform at Fine Arts Theatre

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