Triton's Call – VOL 35 | ISSUE 3 | NOV 2013

Triton’s Call IN THIS ISSUE: STUDENT FEES: WHERE DO THEY GO? / WAITING FOR STUDENT LOANS SOCIAL (NOT)WORKING / THE BROTHERS OF GRAFFITI / NIHI, FOR KIDS

FREE | VOL 35 | ISSUE 3 | NOV 2013 | UNIVERSITY OF GUAM

TRITON’S CALL: Publisher: Aristides Pereira Editor: Jasmine Stole Co-editor: Kyle Santos

Staff: Ruzelle Amparo Catherine Bungabong Sabrina Garcia Colin Leon Guerrero

Nate Macaraeg Jesse Mangham Katrina Palanca Pauline Patacsil

Bingle Pizarro Asha Marie Robles Kyle Santos

www.tritonscall.net uogtritonscall@gmail.com www.facebook.com/thetritonscall www.twitter.com/tritonscall

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Image courtesy of Colleen Weller

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as an idea STARTING over a year ago, Nihi!,which means “Let us!” in CHamorro, is a new television show produced by and for Guam's local community, aimed at the island's children.This November, the Nihi! crew is preparing to start shooting the episodes for the first season of the show — 22 episodes in total.

According to the website, Nihi! aims to "shift culture and to educate through games, stories, art and song." It also advocates character development, CHamorro language and culture, healthy and sustainable living, imagination, learning and environmental stewardship.

This is all through their pilot episode, which features quirky hosts, adorable children and meaningful songs — including one that promises to care for our island, our home.

Nihi! was created by Cara Flores-Mayes, a mother herself, who approached PBS Guam about support for creating a project for and

by Guam's nenis. Flores-Mayes was met with much support by the producers of PBS Guam.

"It focuses on local language, culture, children and teaching. It fits perfectly with

PBS' mission," said Baltazar Aguon, a producer for PBS Guam. "One of them is to support and develop local talent."

her day by people inquiring about how to get DVDs, when the next episode will air or just to tell her how great the show is.

Of course, it takes a village to raise a child and creating a television show is no different.

Flores-Mayes also recruited Colleen Weller onto the Nihi! task force, asking her to assist in the creation of the set and props for the show. Weller was quick to jump on board, also lending her hand for admin work and other tasks that Flores-Mayes needed help with.

Even PBS is receiving positive comments from viewers of the show. "People have said to me 'It's about time we have something like this for our children’,” said Aguon, and commends the show's "great first step in building something bigger.”

Weller firmly believes that the project is significant in order to sustain Guam's culture and language. "It's great to start with kids.

They are still open to everything around them, with no preconceived ideas of the world and it starts a bigger conversation for the adults in the lives of those children."

Weller hopes that one day she'll be walking around the island and will "be able to hear people of all different backgrounds speaking CHamorro as casually as you would hear them speaking English."

S o f a r, N i h i ! h a s b e e n r e c e i v i n g overwhelmingly positive feedback by those who have watched the show. Weller notes that she has been stopped in the middle of

The kids seem to be responding well to the show also, especially those who are involved with the program. "One of the best things is hearing kids speak CHamorro. Hearing it come out from the mouths of babes is exciting. Hearing their excitement and attempt to be part of the conversation is cute and makes me needs to know more," Aguon said.

Images courtesy of Jason Triplett

By Ruzelle Amparo

This is just the beginning not just for Nihi! but also for all of Guam's local production. "I hope that after this more people who are inspired to make their own TV show come to us and really make Public Broadcast System for the public," said Aguon.

For more information or to get involved: visit www.nihikids.org

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november is sanctuary month

By Nathaniel Macareg

F

amilies and friends get together and feast on and celebrate what they are grateful for in November.

But there is one group of people that want to add one more characteristic to the eleventh month of the year. Sanctuary Inc. is a non-profit organization that helps the community by volunteering their time to help the community.

Sanctuary is a community-based organization that exists to improve the quality of life for Guam's youth, to promote reconciliation during times of family conflicts, to foster the development of responsible community members, and to advocate for their needs in an effort to preserve family unity by providing a multitude of services. Executive Director Mrs. Mildred Q. Lujan is the one that currently leads this company with the help of her staff.

And a part of the staff is the group called the Americorps. These people volunteer their time to help Sanctuary by tutoring the youth with homework

and all other things. One Americorps member said “Helping the children is not only fun but also makes a difference in the island.” There are many other Americorps members on island that help in different ways. This group consists of people that go to school and hope to have a bright future.

This November is called Sanctuary month because of all the great events to help the community. One of the events is Environmental Stewardship. This event makes Americorps clean the community by picking up trash and tidying up the areas of Guam that need help. Another action is a wave for Sanctuary to increase awareness of violence on the island. With events like these, Guam can be a better place. An Americorps member said, “There is a lot of work to be done and it can be hard…but it is worth it in the end.”

Sanctuary has been great in helping the people of Guam in many different ways to boost the morale.

With the help of the Sanctuary staff and Americorps staff, the youth of Guam can improve their lifestyle.

Image courtesy of Sanctuary Guam

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SOCIAL(NOT)WORKING

By Bingle Pizarro

THIS IS THE NEW ERA OF FOLLOWERS AND LIKERS. What's "trending" now is the plague of social networking and it's affect on millions of students and workers alike. The benefits are obvious: keeping in contact with others, sharing limitless media, and marketing and expanding businesses. But with its addictive aspect, and by accumulating every piece of information at the touch of a screen, the harms to social networking might just outweigh the benefits.

For one, private life is not safe at all on online social networking sites. One’s business is exposed to everyone. Even with the public and private page option, accounts can be hacked and personal information can be obtained by people such as sexual predators and bullies.

Many times people have been stalked, threatened, blackmailed, harassed, and even killed (after the harassing).

In 2009, teenager Ashleigh Hall was kidnapped and killed by a registered sex offender in the U.S. as a result of connecting with him through Facebook.

According to the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, there were more than 1,600

arrests have been made this year. Amongst the most common crimes are luring children into online pornography and abuse, including molestation and rape. These circumstances have led to lower grades, lower self-esteem, depression, and even suicide.

Aspiring psychology major Lorita Vilante, 19, claims that social networking distracts her more than it actually benefits her, especially at school. "It interests me more than what's going on in class at the moment."

In addition, social networking allows for profiles to mask true identities. People will stay online for ridiculous amounts of time constructing their profiles, making an “established” image that they desire people to see them as. Every post, picture, video, or comment has to perfectly reflect their 'established' image, that in reality, they wouldn't really present. According to Soraya Mehdizadeh, Facebook has promoted narcissism. Along with that inflated self-esteem, social networking gives them "complete control over how they're conveyed to the community."

Jean Twenge, a San Diego professor, further explains that, "narcissism clearly leads to more social media use, social media use leads to positive self-views, and people who need a self-esteem boost turn to social media."

Although social networking has helped her acquire a job, Diandra Villanueva, 20, realizes that avid social media users are usually negatively impacted. "When I wake up, the first thing I want to do is check my Instagram and Twitter constantly. It's like I don't even want to get out of bed; getting likes and new friends feels rewarding, but even after all that, you're not motivated to do anything."

"No one has a personal life anymore. People know what you complain about, when you're mad, when you're sad," Villanueva pointed out.

Engaging in social networking for a long period of time, can also create lower self-worth through endless competition of playing the 'one-up' game with each other's posts. It's astonishing to see the reality of how peeking into someone's head through the social media feed makes a person's day, even down to the amount of "friends" one can gain in that amount of time. Natural and healthy relationships are now substituted, and spending time together translates into everyone's eyes glued to the screen, just time wasted and none shared.

As if being an open book, the nature of social networking has taken a whole new meaning to “following” someone and “liking” every spew of information they dish out.

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By Colin Leon Guerrero

GRAFFITI KINGS

A BLANK WALL

around the village is more than just a blank bunch of concrete separating properties, graffiti artists see them as a canvas itching to get painted on with colors and letters that are manipulated in a way to create art.

Graffiti artists are renegades in a concrete jungle trying to leave their mark on any piece of wall, building, or sidewalk that is within reach. Graffiti can be found all over the world from Los Angeles to Tokyo. No matter the place, graffiti is in any street or neighborhood.

On Guam, the graffiti scene has seen its share of ups and downs since the 1990s. However there are two brothers that remained relevant for the past ten years. Chris and Lee San Nicolas began blowing up the scene in the mid-2000s going to great lengths to put their names out for the public to admire or hate. “It’s a crazy rush,” said Chris, the older of the two who began in middle school around the late 90s.

“There was a guy named AO, another guy named SPYE, and TEK that were around in the 1990s,” said San Nicolas as he recalled who were around the scene. In middle school is where he found the art that would be a huge part of his life. He recalled finding a specific set of markers that he knew were for tagging, and instantly started scribbling around. “I started writing on my closet and walls at school,” said San Nicolas who became engulfed in the culture of graffiti, making stickers and writing in black books.

After a trip to California, Chris the older of the two came back with the inspiration and motivation he needed to take his art to the next level. “I saw piece after piece, sticker after sticker. It made me want to paint more,” San Nicolas said. “I knew my brother would get into it, and when he did it was on.”

For Lee San Nicolas, the younger of the two, his big brother Chris and the village they grew up in were the inspiration for his art, which is a mix of traditional and urban street art.

“Growing up in Dededo it’s like city life. There’s art everywhere, more like street art,” Lee said.

From 2006 to 2010, the brothers and the members in their crew began to blow up the scene in Guam. “When we came out, we came out big. There was no one else that was doing it at the time,” said Chris. Eventually other people started to come out and that ignited some tensions among crews. “There were crew battles. It would be three people versus three other people,” said the older San Nicolas.

After all the battles, murals and brushes with the laws the brothers remain humble but motivated to stay relevant.

“Graffiti is a crazy adventure that never ends. It keeps you hungry, and me and my brother are still hungry,” said Chris.

“Everyone gets into it for the fame at first, but you have to really find the love for it,” Lee said. The younger San Nicolas brother added that graffiti is an upcoming art and will continue to grow for may years to come.

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Image courtesy of MyDaily

My Culture ISN’T YOURS to Take

By Pauline Patacsil

Native Americans are outraged about the recent misuse of their culture from famous Native Americans are outraged about the recent misuse of their culture from famous fashion industries and music icons. Nike had release a campaign in which they sold an assortment of women’s sports gear that were inspired by that tattoos of the Pacific.

It begs the question on whether or not this is culture appreciation or really culture appropriation.

Culture appropriation is the adoption or misuse of one’s culture or subcultures that include behaviors, clothing, or spiritual practices. This usually applies to a specific culture that is considered a minority. Culture appropriation usually occurs when there is no prior knowledge as to why this specific culture

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took part in these events or the true meaning behind them. As a result to having little to no knowledge about these cultures, others are subject to misinterpretation.

For hundreds of years, Native Americans have become victims of mass slaughter, tyranny and racism. For instance, in the 1500s the indigenous population of the US was more 12 million and now it counts up to only 1.7 percent of the total US population.

Now it seems that famous fashion industries and music icons are turning the Native American culture into a trend.

Famous fashion industries such as Urban Outfitters created their own take of the Native American culture and released Navajo branded clothing and accessories for women.

There was an outburst from the Native American tribe, specifically the Navajo Nations, in which they sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding a removal of the Navajo name in the Urban Outfitters fashion line.

According to an online source, Statesman, the Navajo Nation Office of Attorney published a statement demanding the removal of the Navajo name in the Urban outfitters fashion line. The public statement included the following: "Whether spoken or written, the Navajo name and corresponding marks are what make all things that are actually associated with it exceptional. So when products that have absolutely no connection to the Navajo Nation, its entities, its people, and their products are marketed and retailed under the guise that

Images courtesy of Marcio Bonetti Silva

they are Navajo in origin, the Navajo Nation does not regard this as benign or trivial. It takes appropriate action to maintain distinctiveness and clarity of valid nameassociation in the market and society."

Urban Outfitters quickly concurred and changed the names of their products that once were called “Navajo Feather Earrings” and “Navajo Nations Crew Pullover” to “Printed Flask” and “Printed Hipster Panties”.

Other fashion industries such as Victoria Secret have gone down a similar route as well.

Victoria Secret is known for it’s famous fashion shows that features models wearing a line of elegant lingerie. However, it seems like Victoria Secret didn’t quite get the Navajo memo and showcased other Native American inspired clothing items as well.

In late 2012, Victoria Secret model Karlie Kloss confidently strutted the runaway wearing nothing but a leopard print bikini, turquoise jewelry, and a Native American headdress (PHOTO). Soon after Victoria Secret faced the same demise as Urban Outfitters from the Native American community. Victoria Secret quickly apologized for its insensitivity towards the culture and agreed to no longer use their Native American inspired fashion line to further promote the company.

Even famous music icons such as No Doubt quickly jumped into this new fashion trend. In No Doubt’s new single, “Looking Hot”, No Doubt band members were dressed as poorly depicted caricatures of either cowboys or Native Americans.

The Native American people were outraged and offended by the music video and No

Doubt quickly pulled out it out and released a public apology on their website stating: "As a multi-racial band our foundation is built upon both diversity and consideration for other cultures. Our intention with our new video was never to offend, hurt or trivialize Native American people, their culture or their history. Although we consulted with Native American friends and Native American studies experts at the University of California, we realize now that we have offended people.”

These are but a few instances in which billion dollar industries or Hollywood icons carelessly adopted the culture into a fashion trend and have faced backlash or legal issues from the Native American community. There are still many others out there that still create inaccurate depictions of the culture while ignoring the fact that isn’t theirs to take.

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UNCOVE

Studen

ERING Editor’s note: This article is part 1 of two-part series discussing how student fees are spent.

A

t $68, the Internet fee is the most expensive fee that the University of Guam issues to its students. Coupled with the $24 computer fee, UOG’s Computer Center receives $92 per student for every semester.

That’s a grand total of around $495,000 in Internet fees and $178,200 in computer lab fees annually.

To get a clearer picture of where the funds go, the fees will be divided into two: the Internet fee and the Lab fee. The fees will be broken down into the top three expenditures for the fiscal year 2013.

Computer Lab Fee First is the Computer lab fee. The top three expenses of the $178,200 budget were: 1) $80,000 for the salaries and benefits of computer lab assistants; 2) $20,000 for instructional software licensing and maintenance (including Microsoft Office); and 3) $16,000 for hardware maintenance of workstations.

Under the first expense, two computer lab staff members receive $40,000 a year in salary. That is slightly above average according to Glassdoor, a US-based website that relies on “employee generated content” to determine the national average for salaries.

The second expense, worth $20,000, goes to “instructional software licensing and maintenance.”

By Katrina Palanca

software and hardware like SPSS and SAS, which researchers use for data analysis.

free access to Microsoft Office plus online cloud services similar to Dropbox.

At $16,000, the third largest expense goes to hardware maintenance. According to UOG Computer Center Director Luan Nguyen, the Computer Center has 100 workstations, 7 hilevel printers, multimedia devices and several servers for email systems and WebAdvisor. The cost for hardware maintenance goes to the people who fix these network devices. It also pays for parts to replace and repair computers and other equipment.

Nguyen said that in order to increase bandwidth, the Computer Center will have to cut the budget of something else. Right now, the budget for providing free paper to students is on the chopping block. In the future, students may have to pay for paper they use to print.

Nguyen is looking for student feedback in this matter.

Internet Fee Second is the Internet fee.

The top three expenses of the $495,000 budget were: 1) $135,000 for the Internet connection lease; 2) $100,000 for the salaries and benefits of computer lab assistants; and 3) $48,000 for software services related to networking, student email upgrading and cloud migration.

It makes sense that $135,000—the largest chunk of the budget—goes to the Internet connection lease. This is basically UOG’s Internet bill. The university’s Internet connection is hosted by GTA Teleguam. Currently, there is no limit as to how many devices a student can register on the university’s wireless network.

According to statistics provided by Nguyen, 6309 wireless devices were registered in 2012.

When the Internet fee was increased from $44 to $68 in 2008, the number of wireless devices totaled just 1856. That is more than a 300% increase in total number of devices. The devices of faculty and staff are included in those numbers.

Currently, the total bandwidth for UOG’s connections is around 100MB. Nguyen hopes to increase that amount to 300MB in order to support a new email system with Microsoft Office 365. The new system will give students

The second largest expense goes to the salaries and benefits of computer lab assistants. In fiscal year 2013, the $100,000 budget supported 2.5 staff member positions.

Due to budget constraints, the Computer Center had to share one of their members with another unit—hence, the “half position.”

At $48,000, the third largest cost goes to software services related to networking, student email upgrading and cloud migration. This includes WebAdvisor, Moodle, and all of the “uguam” and “etriton” accounts. There are currently 13,224 accounts registered to the “etriton.edu.gu” email service. Less than 30% of those accounts belong to students who are currently enrolled. The Computer Center keeps accounts of former students active for 2 years to save themselves the trouble of making another email address if a student decides to re-enroll.

Are you taking advantage of the services that your money pays for? Do you think the services are worth the money that the department spends on it? How fast does the Computer Center respond to your requests and inquiries?

These are just a few things to think about.

nt Fees Think of it as software. UOG’s Computer Department pays $20,000 annually to give students access to Microsoft Office. The chunk of money also pays for statistical analysis

The next piece in this series will explore the Fieldhouse and Athletic fees.

ARIEL BUCCAT/TRITON’S CALL FILE PHOTO

CAT

WHY YOUR

STUDENT LOAN IS TAKING TO

By Catherine Bungabong

S

tudent loans allow students with no credit to borrow be able to fund their college education. These loans may not only be used directly toward tuition but also for much needed school supplies such as laptops and books, as well as school-related expenses such as transportation. Unfortunately for some University of Guam students, these loans don’t come until a couple of months before school ends.

Ace Cruz, a Criminal Justice major, had not received his loan for this semester by mid-November. Cruz said that for him and other students, it is a nuisance that they have to wait so long to get their refund. “We will be paying that back one day and we can’t even touch it,” he said.

Ronnie Deseo is also still waiting on his check this semester. “Last semester, I didn’t get my check until May,” the English major said.

Fortunately for Deseo, the wait was not too big of a problem. The reality though, is that there are students who depend on these checks.

Take R.S.* for instance, a sophomore who has needed a new computer since her last one broke. “As a college student, having a laptop is really important.” As a full-time student who doesn’t work, R.S. does not readily have the funds to purchase a laptop.

With papers to write, research to do and the need for constant connection with other students and professors, the absence of computer makes R.S’s academics a bit difficult to manage. “It’s been frustrating having to go to the computer lab where you have to wait for an available seat if you come at the wrong time,” she said. If student loans came in sooner, it would not be so inconvenient for students such as R.S.

“Due to a new process where students need further verification ... the processing of financial aid calls for a lengthier time frame.”

-Mark Duarte, Financial Aid Office director

CAUSE FOR PROCESSING DELAY Mark Duarte, the Director of the UOG Financial Aid Office here explained some of the factors that affect the delay of student loans. “Due to a new process where students need further verification based on the financial information they provide on their application, the processing of financial aid calls for a lengthier time frame.” Previously, the university was always exempt from verifications, along with other islands such as Puerto Rico and the FSM. “Other universities have a deadline that students need to meet otherwise they will not be eligible for financial aid for that semester. Here at the University, we accept applications throughout the semester so that we can help students out.

We want to make it as accessible as possible,” Duarte said. He said this measure is to keep students from becoming deregistered by helping students who may have trouble funding their education during the semester.

Image source

He explains that earlier this semester, the United States Department of Education asked the office to have students request a tax transcript from Revenue and Taxation in order to apply. Soon after, USDOE indicated that USDOE did not consider Guam’s Revenue and Taxation department to be a legitimate tax department, and could not accept the previously requested tax transcript.

As a result, the office had to ask students to come back to turn in standard stamp tax return documents.

This caused much delay for financial aid processing this semester.

Duarte said another delaying factor is when FAO is not given all the necessary documents needed in order to process students.

“We encourage students to keep in close communication with us because we send out emails to either inform them about the status of their financial aid or to request documents that they have not given that we need in order to continue,” Duarte said. Most of the time, students do not check their emails or pay attention to the content of the email. “If the email says that further verification is needed, they need to come in and work on it with us,” explained Duarte.

The financial aid office sends out student information to USDOE. If USDOE finds inconsistencies or do not have all necessary documents, they are asked to retrieve more information from students. This back and forth process is why Duarte says it is important for students to respond quickly so that their aid will be processed in a timely manner.

Once a student is awarded, it means that all their documents have been processed-but this does not mean that they will be receiving their refund right away. Processed student files is then sent out to the federal department to inform them how much funds are needed by the school. The financial aid office is then required to generate a list of names of the students to give to the University’s business office for further processing.

G SO LONG PROCESS Some students such as J.B* use their student loans to survive dayto-day life. “Sometimes I couldn’t eat at school or get money for gas to come here,” he said. Students like J.B. find it hard to put aside time for work due to the lack of flexibility of their schedules. It compelled J.B. to come into the financial aid office to speak to his adviser about his problem.

Despite the previous wait, J.B. is grateful that his adviser was sympathetic and pulled out his files which resulted in getting his check a week after his inquiry. “I’m really glad that they helped me out. They took care of it fast.”

After the business office receives this list, federal regulation gives the office 14 business days to process that batch of students, which Associate Controller from the Administration and Finance Controller Office Barbara Molarte said is received once a week. “Although a student may have been awarded, we are not allowed to pull out their files for processing until we receive that list,” Molarte explained. Only then will the student’s refund be worked on.

Direct deposit to students’ accounts Molarte mentioned that the business office, along with the financial aid office, has recently set up a direct deposit system for their loans called Cashnet in which students can sign up for through their Web Adviser. The system cuts down the time they get their checks into half from the moment the collections office receives the list. “This set up not only saves students’ time, but also that of the collections department so that other processing will be more efficient,” she says. Their office will be marketing the direct deposit privilege soon so that students will be made aware of it.

Although the university’s financial aid office admits to having encountered problems in processing student loans, they are trying to find ways to accelerate the process by encouraging students to properly file all necessary documents promptly and by establishing the direct deposit process.

“The faster the students take care of their documents, the faster we’ll be able to process them to give them what they need,” Duarte said.

*Names abbreviated to protect source identity.

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ThE KyOkUsHiN WaY

By Sabrina Fernandez Garcia

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U

FC, PXC, MMA – just a few of the threeletter acronyms that strike a familiar chord within us, a combative one that renders pure adrenaline.

It helps us picture the octagon caging two fighters ready to execute their best stand-up, takedown, and groundwork techniques. There is no doubt that the mixed martial arts scene has taken the island by storm within recent years. But one could easily get lost in the whirlwind of hype and forget that there is a distinction between one martial art and the others. This article is not meant to clue you in on the differences, nor does it aim to comment on which is best. This is about one martial art, Kyokushin, and how the stand-up karate is more than just the fight in the octagon.

Kyokushin kaikan is a full contact karate that was developed by Sosai Mas Oyama in the 1960s. With its origins in Japan, the term “Kyokushinkai” translates into “the society of the ultimate truth.” The Hagatna Dojo, the only official Kyokushin dojo on island, aims to promote the discipline’s philosophy. Rooted in modesty, ambition, and serenity, the doctrine ultimately strives for international friendship and world peace. Branch chief Anthony Rodriguez emphasizes Kyokushin’s importance for the growth of a person, and how it is a lifestyle to cultivate. “Kyokushin has always been more than just a outlet, more than just a hobby... It was always more than something I just did two or three times a week,” reflects Rodriguez. The branch chief himself refers to the 11 Mottos of founder Mas Oyama to further explain the Kyokushin Way. 11 MOTTOS OF MAS OYAMA 1. THE MARTIAL WAY BEGINS AND ENDS WITH COURTESY . T HEREFORE , BE PROPERLY AND GENUINELY COURTEOUS AT ALL TIMES. “I think the island needs this, the youth most especially. Adults these days are constantly talking about how the younger generation doesn’t understand anything about manners.

That is true in the sense that a lot of young adults act without thinking of consequence.

This first motto says a lot about our place on Guam.”

2. FOLLOWING THE MARTIAL WAY IS LIKE SCALING A CLIFF - CONTINUE UPWARDS WITHOUT REST. IT D E M A N D S A B S O L U T E A N D U N FA LT E R I N G DEVOTION TO THE TASK AT HAND.

“This is something we preach all the time.

There are going to be times when you want to stop, when you want to quit. Everybody feels that way. But the thing about training karate is that taking a break isn’t necessarily a good thing. When you get burnt out that means

you’re focusing on the wrong thing. Do not get comfortable with your training, with your rank.

Always strive to grow, to keep learning.”

3. STRIVE TO SEIZE THE INITIATIVE IN ALL THINGS, ALL THE TIME GUARDING AGAINST ACTIONS STEMMING FROM SELFISH ANIMOSITY OR THOUGHTLESSNESS.

“We are very fortunate to have very supportive families and friends within our dojo. We could not have built such a strong community if any of us acted out of selfishness. There is no unity with thoughtlessness.”

“In a nutshell, training should make you a better person. You should take whatever you feel your inadequacies are, what you feel you lack, and toss that into your training. That makes your training pure. At the end of the session, you have accomplished something.

That should help you see that you are capable.”

4. EVEN FOR THE MARTIAL ARTIST, THE PLACE OF MONEY CANNOT BE IGNORED. YET ONE SHOULD BE CAREFUL NEVER TO BECOME ATTACHED TO IT.

9. THE MARTIAL ARTS BEGINS WITH A POINT AND END IN A CIRCLE. STRAIGHT LINES STEM FROM THIS PRINCIPLE.

“Getting a job is what deters most of the adult students from training. If Kyokushin gave you the strength and courage to go out and get something, and now that you got it, is training no longer valid? No. You have to make it so that training still means something to you. You need to have passion. We stop doing things when we are no longer passionate about them.”

“This one is a little more technical and difficult to explain, but simply put, a circle never ends.

Once you start karate, you should never stop.”

5. THE MARTIAL WAY IS CENTERED IN POSTURE. STRIVE TO MAINTAIN CORRECT POSTURE AT ALL TIMES.

“A lot of people can talk about how they are experts in certain martial arts. A lot of people can talk about how they’ve trained in the past.

But really, the only people who can talk are those who continue to train. It is through experience that we can begin to understand the martial way.”

“I think this is more than just the physical, literal meaning of posture. I think it can also mean a person’s standing in society. It goes beyond just being genuine and proper, it means doing the right thing. The Kyokushin student should be strong in more ways than just physically to maintain this correct posture.”

6. THE MARTIAL WAY BEGINS WITH ONE THOUSAND DAYS AND IS MASTERED AFTER TEN THOUSAND DAYS OF TRAINING.

“This was a concept that I couldn’t wrap my head around until my later years in training.

One thousand days, basically, is around 3 years. If someone trained everyday for one thousand days, it would take them from white belt to black belt. After you’ve earned your black belt, when you continue to train everyday, that’s when you start to master karate. It’s the ideal of training as much as you can and as often as you can.”

7. IN THE MARTIAL ARTS, INTROSPECTION BEGETS WISDOM. ALWAYS SEE CONTEMPLATION ON YOUR ACTION AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE. “In training, you always need to be aware of what you are doing. And in that awareness, you can think of ways on how to be better. You need to constantly challenge yourself.”

8. THE NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE MARTIAL WAY IS UNIVERSAL. ALL SELFISH DESIRES SHOULD BE ROASTED IN THE TEMPERING FIRES OF HARD TRAINING.

10. THE TRUE ESSENCE OF THE MARTIAL WAY CAN ONLY BE REALIZED THROUGH EXPERIENCE. KNOWING THIS, LEARN NEVER TO FEAR ITS DEMANDS.

11. ALWAYS REMEMBER: IN THE MARTIAL ARTS THE REWARDS OF A CONFIDENT AND GRATEFUL HEART ARE TRULY ABUNDANT. “In training, what you put in is what you get out.

There is no question that you get some sort of relief, or recalibration perhaps, after a session.

And the rewards do not yield there.”

Life itself is a series of fights that we have to power through to get what we want. Kyokushin acknowledges this truth and strives to be the medium through which one can realize that they are capable. “If you have a goal in life, use training to help you harness the strength you need to pursue it,” says Rodriguez.

As every Kyokushin class ends with reciting the dojo oath, it is only fitting to close this piece out the same way. Perhaps one could get a sense of what it takes to be a Kyokushin student through the oath. It reads: “We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm unshaking spirit.

We will pursue the true meaning of the Martial Way, so that in time, our senses may be alert.

With true vigor, we will seek to cultivate a spirit of self-denial. We will observe the rules of courtesy, respect our superiors, and refrain from violence. We will follow our God, and never forget the true virtue of humility. We will look upwards to wisdom and strength, not seeking other desires. All our lives, through the discipline of karate, we will seek to fulfill the true meaning of the Kyokushin way.”

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TRITON’S CALL

More than A

SPORT

By Asha Marie Robles

S

urfing can be recognized as one of the oldest outdoor sports ever practiced in history. Riding waves is a combination of athleticism and the knowledge of the beauty and power of nature. Surfing is also known to be one of the every few sports that creates its own culture and lifestyle.

“The surf community on Guam is slowly, but surely, growing,” states Michael Benito, a former surfer and lifeguard. “I check out the spots where me and my brothers used to surf when we were younger and there are a lot of young, new faces. It’s nice to see that the sport is still well alive and growing.”

Here on Guam, surfing may not be as popular as most other sports on island, but like everywhere else, it is the oldest. Men in their early 60s still charge waves when there’s a good swell. Like around the world, surfing remains to carry the lifestyle that it has generated throughout the years in Guam. With the older generation passing down the knowledge and skills to the younger generation.

These new faces have been making quite an impact in the local surf community as well, getting to compete in off-island competitions, the most recent being the upcoming 2013 Melanesian Surf Cup in Fiji, which is to be held from December 6th to the 8th.

Over the past few years, surfing on Guam has become more popular with events like the wellknown Rick’s Reef Classic surf competition, which is held every year and is open to both surfers and body boarders. Every year the competition gets more entries than the previous. Surfers from around the island get together to compete in this one-day event, share their competitive spirit as well as their love for the sport and the spectators who support them. “The competition is so family oriented that it feels more like a get-together rather than a competition,” said Chad Cruz, a 19-year-old who has been surfing since he was 14. “My father got me into it and ever since I caught my first wave, I never wanted to stop.”

SURF CAMP The gain of media attention certainly works well with getting more locals to learn the sport, the youth to be more specific. Kids all over the island have been more informed about surfing in the recent years and are now able to take a shot at their surf dreams by checking out the latest surf camp, which is held at the Onward Beach Resort wave pool.

The camp is broken down into four structures: the first is an introductory to what surfing is and beginners are pushed into the waves at the pool. The second stage lets students begin catching their own waves at the pool.

The third is where the introduction of directional training, going right and left on a wave, begins. The fourth and final stage is taken place in the ocean, in which the instructor takes out students who he believes are ready for open water.

For those who are a bit older, a better alternative would be to stop Lotus Surf Shop in Tumon and take their surf lessons, which start on the beach and not a pool.

Most young surfers might look up to the professionals who are constantly pushing all limits to modernize the sport. Surfers like Kelly Slater, Taj Burrow and Laird Hamilton are a few of the many who push themselves to ride the biggest waves, jump the biggest airs, and take the biggest risks.

But by the end of the day, after a worthwhile surf session, the youth surfers on Guam look up to the ones who got them into the hobby. “It was all because of my dad that I go out and surf almost every day now and I really do thank him for showing me how much I could love it,” says Cruz.

Although magazines, documentaries, and advertisements all contribute to the mainstream popularity that surfing has today, most soul surfers and those who can appreciate the stoke, or natural high of riding a wave and being part of the ocean, the passion always remains.

Father, firefighter, and surfer, Pascual Robles shares, “Nothing in the world compares to getting barreled. The view looking out from the inside is one that has ruined many relationships, caused immeasurable financial hardships, and proved itself as one of the most time intensive activities man has ever sought.”

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