University of Guam Triton's Call November 2015, Vol 39, Issue 3

Page 2: Renewable energy at UOG Page 5: Service learning

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Fall 2015, Issue 3, November

UOG prepares for WASC accreditation visit

By Rianne Peredo Triton’s Call Staff

An on-site accreditation review for the University of Guam will occur on April 18 to 20, 2016. An evaluation team representing the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) will visit he university to conduct the review.

To prepare for the WASC visit, Deborah Leon Guerrero, director of Academic Assessment and Institutional Research, said there have been extensive discus-

Correction for reported 2016 UOG budget We recently ran a story on UOG’s FY 2016 budget.

We made an error in reporting that the fiscal year’s budget was increased to more than $9 million.

The correct figure is about $900k.

In our strive to become a premier college newspaper in the Pacific, we will continue to ensure accuracy in reporting.

sions, considerations and self-review to compare assessments in 2008 with where the university is currently.

According to Leon Guerrero, the major concerns have been addressed.

“Definitely, we’re prepared,” Leon Guerrero said.

The accreditation proces comprises of an on-site and offsite review.

After WASC’s onsite review, there will be an exit meeting during which WASC’s Accrediting Commission for Colleges and Universities writes a

Courtesy of WASC

report based on their findings.

During the offsite review, an evaluation team receives a cumulative report submitted by the institution.

The team consists of a group of selected individuals from the higher education community, while

the report consists of information such as enrollment and finances.

Additionally, a conference call is made to discuss anything that needs clarification or revision.

The university continues to comply with the Good to Great program, which

includes instituting sustainability practices and improving the quality of the institution.

Accreditation of an educational institution ensures compliance with state and federal law as well as achieving the standards of the accrediting association’s standards.

The last accreditation by WASC was conducted in 2008 and completed in 2009 for reaffirmation until 2017.

UOG has been an accredited institution since 1959, when it was known as the College of Guam.

Several bills passed during recent SGA session

By Fu’una Sanz and Ari Santos For Triton’s Call The 54th Student Government Association met for their fifth regular session of the semester on Oct. 23, 2015.

Several bills were discussed and passed.

Included among the bills passed was Bill 54-27, which designates a Thanksgiving

luncheon, cannedfood drive, and cornucopia decorating contest to be held this month.

The Thanksgiving luncheon will be open for all students of the university. It will be held on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Calvo Field House from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Inetnon Gefpa’go The University of Guam Student Government Chapter of UOG will Association disccusses several bills during also be performing a recent session. Photo courtesty of UOG SGA. Continued on page 3

University of Guam Triton’s Call, Niovember 2015

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CIS empowers the community with renewable energy

By Kevin Tano Triton’s Call Staff The Center for Island Sustainability (CIS) specializes in the adaptation and modeling of sustainable technologies.

These technologies focus on various energy alternatives and replicable research to meet the needs of the island communities in the broader areas of environment, economy, society, and education.

CIS was established in early 2009.

Since then, CIS has come a long way in providing alternative energy sources that benefit the university.

"Our energy consumption on campus, it's actually decreased a lot since

CIS began," said Phillip Cruz, extension associate at CIS. CIS has gone to the different buildings to make energy assessments in the past.

"We made retrofits and improvements in the buildings," said Cruz.

Tint has been inSolar Panels installed on top of the roof of stalled on the windows, timers on the the Computer Center. Photo by Kevin Tano air conditioning, and Insular Communities building, Humanities made recommendaProgram for various and Social Scienctions on other energy clean energy and es building, and the saving options. energy-efficiency English and CommuThese minor improjects in American nications building. provements play a Samoa, Guam, and CIS is not only a major role in energy the Northern Mariana research program but consumption.

Islands. participates outreach Some of their As result, solar as well. recent developments panels have been Some of their outincluded a $2.37 installed onto the uni- reach programs inmillion in grant assisversities library, stuclude the TASI Beach tance offered under dent center, AgriculGuides program the Empowering ture and Life Science

funded by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a coral reef outreach program where students go out to the beaches and talk to locals and tourists about the various threats the coral reefs face, which also sponsors beach cleanups.

CIS encourages students to attend their annual Regional Island Sustainability Conference.

There is a different topic of discussion every year, 2016 will mark their seventh conference since 2010.

For more information visit http://www. uog.edu/center-for-island-sustainability/ cis-conference

CNAS receives feedback during recent community brainstorm event

By Kyle Twardowski Triton’s Call Staff

UOG’s College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS) program hosted a Community Brainstorming and Information Session on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at the Calvo Field House.

The purpose of this session was to receive input from the community on what the organizations within CNAS need to look into and put onto what’s called a “plan of work.”

“Every year, we do a plan of work, and we say ‘This is what

they said and this is what we’re going to do’” said Jim Hollyer, associate dean of CNAS and associate director of UOG’s Extension and Outreach Program.

Once the “plan of work” is completed and sent to the CNAS funding agencies, each program will select which issues will be handled by which section, including some of Guam’s agencies (Public Health etc.).

According to Hollyer, when they get the information, they send it out for review.

“Once it comes back approved, we’re

Hollyer going to send it back out because this work is not just our work, it’s the communities work,” Hollyer said.

“It’s Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and the USDA groups that are here, it’s our work, meaning all of us.”

The community was asked to participate in this brain-

storming event.

Most of those who participated included members or affiliates of organizations within Guam’s agriculture department and other agencies dealing with health and wellness.

This community outreach session was the first one held in 15 years.

Due to so many issues that needed be addressed, the program has noticed, and is working to get this sort of session designed to better engage the community.

For those who were unable to make it to the brainstorm-

ing session, there are still ways to get involved and help make a difference.

“We have so much feedback that we need people to say ‘hey, well take this thing on,’” Hollyer said. “So that’s the direction we’re going in, is getting the community involved as well.”

If you would like to contact Hollyer or would like more information on the community outreach program within CNAS you can check out www.cnas-re.uog.edu for more information.

Continued from page 1

that day as part of the entertainment for the students.

Another measure of the bill includes hosting a cannedfood drive. This drive will help facilitate the donation of cannedfoods to the families and people around the island who may not have the luxury of a Thanksgiving luncheon.

“It’s really nice giving back to the island community, especially helping those in need,” said SGA Treasurer Kevin Balajadia. “Our student government association is always looking for acts to benefit not just the campus, but the community as well.”

An added bonus to

Triton’s Call staff Publisher Francis Dalisay, Ph.D. Editor-in-chief John Mugol Assistant editor Kevin Tano Staff writers Kreeshia Aquino Rianne Peredo Kyle Twardowski Contributors Yvonne Manglona Sean Rupley Ari Santos Fu’una Sanz Email us at tritonscalluog@ gmail.com

the bill is the cornucopia decorating contest hosted by SGA. Cornucopias will be decorated and judged and a secret prize will go to the winner of the best decorated cornucopia.

Balajadia is pleased to have a cornucopia decorating contest as a way for students to become more active and involved with the activities that the SGA provides for them.

He feels it is a fun way for students to participate and have some Triton spirit.

“These activities are just a few of what we do for the student community on campus,” said Balajadia.

“We love to have an active student body.”

With 13 votes in

favor of Bill 54-27, it passed unanimously.

Bill 54-02 was also discussed during the meeting. Regarding this bill, SGA President Jericho Tobias said, in order to make it fair for all organizations, SGA can no longer pay for the entire event of a student organization.

Instead, SGA urges that student organizations help in sharing the cost for their event, while SGA will assist financially by alleviating some of the cost up to the sum of $500 each month under Bill 5402.

According to Tobias, the process in seeking financial assistance from SGA has four steps.

First, student organizations are asked

to provide a letter of request, providing an outline of the purpose for the event and a budget breakdown. The budget breakdown should include the amount requested from SGA will go towards, and the amount that the student organization would be covering.

Second, the letter of request should be emailed to uog. sga54@gmail.com, or given to one of the SGA senators.

Third, an SGA senator will write up a bill based on the letter for request, and will introduce the new bill during the next SGA meeting.

The senators ask that at least one member of the requesting organization be present to clarify

the purpose of the event if questions were to arise.

Lastly, the bill is put to a vote, and passes so long as the majority votes for it.

This semester, SGA helped fund The English Society’ English and Communication Meet and Greet held in September. SGA also helped fund the Public Administration and Legal Studies’ Zombie Pandemic event on October.

“It is not limited to one student organization, but it is on a first-come, first-serve basis,” said Tobias.

“If one SO asks for $250, then there is $250 left for any other SO. If one SO asks for the whole amount, then it would be reserved for them.”

Students express mixed opinions about Field House’s renovated Triton Fitness Center

By Kevin Tano Triton’s Call Staff

The Triton Fitness Center had undergone renovations as part of a two-phase $3 million project funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the University of Guam capital improvement project fund.

The weight room had been leveled and painted green. New lockers run throughout the walls, providing ample space for fitness center users to keep their valuables.

Upgrades were also

made to the bathrooms and shower rooms.

The fitness center held its grand opening on Sept. 16, 2015.

Since then, students who have used the facility have provided mixed feedback about the project.

Rocxanne-Cherie Angel, a senior at the university, said her experience has been enjoyable.

“The renovation is a great improvement from the old gym,” said Angel. She explained how the revamped setting of the fitness center has

made it possible for her to exercise comfortably and conveniently.

Daniel Soto, a senior at the university, expressed ambivalence toward the upgraded fitness center.

“They don’t have a variety of weights,” Soto said.

He explained how women there may be discouraged to work out at the fitness center because of the lack of specific sizes of dumbbells.

Soto said the refurbished equipment have just been re-

painted, the machines don’t lock and they are rusty. Soto goes to the fitness center about two times a week.

Soto said students have been concerned about safety issues due to the paint on the equipment.

He said the air conditioning at the facility causes the paint on the equipment to become slippery.

Soto also mentioned these concerns should be addressed before serious injury occurs.

3 University of Guam Triton’s Call, November 2015

SGA: Other bills discussed and passed

University of Guam Triton’s Call, November 2015

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VAWPP hosts Domestic Violence Awareness exhibit

By Yvonne Manglona For Triton’s Call

UOG’s Violence Against Women Protection Program hosted a “Domestic Violence Awareness” campus exhibit on Oct. 28 in the student rotunda.

The event also featured non-profit service affiliates such as the Victim Advocates Reaching Out, National Coalition ALEE Shelter coordinators set up their exhibit at the recent VAWP Against Domestic Vi- campus event. Photo by Yvonne Manglona. ​ olence, ALEE Women’s Shelter, and against domestic assist,” said Jean training. VAWPP also Healing Hearts.

Macalinao, education provides on-campus violence and abuse.

The organizations and training coordiescorts and coun“This event is to set up tri-fold displays show people at UOG nator of VAWPP. seling. The office is on tables, and disVAWPP is a prolocated at the Huthat domestic viotributed informational lence exists. If you or gram designed to as- manities and Social brochures and souve- someone you know is sist college students Sciences building nirs to showcase the in room 103 and is experiencing issues who experience any array of assistance open from 8 a.m. to 5 form of harassment related to domestic available for women p.m. or abuse by equipand dating violence, who seek informaAccording to the ping them with inforthere are programs tion and protection mation and protection National Coalition out there that can

Against Domestic Violence, domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a way to stay in power and control committed by one intimate partner against another.

“We work together with other programs like VARO, VAWPP, Healing Hearts, and ALEE shelter to help victims and try to make the transition as smooth as possible,” said Gabrielle Wusstig, a NCADV worker.

NCADV assists these non-profit affiliates by offering training, outreach programs, and printing of collateral when needed.

Suicide prevention addressed at UOG safeTalk training

By Sean Rupley For Triton’s Call Fourteen UOG students participated in a suicide prevention training on Oct. 24, at the School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The students took the training, safeTALK, as part of their Introduction to Community Service on Guam course under the instruction of Tim Dela Cruz, Ph.D. safeTALK is a four hour, evidence-based program produced

by LivingWorks that introduces suicide prevention and certifies participants, 15 years of age and older, as suicide alert helpers.

These suicide alert helpers are able to recognize the warning signs of suicide, address the person clearly and directly, listen properly and connect them to someone who can provide additional help.

Sara Dimla-Harrell is a local safeTALK trainer working as Keep-Safe during the UOG training. She explained that her role was to provide assistance to participants with any issues in the training.

Dimla-Harrell is a program coordinator with the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center’s Prevention and

Training Branch. She is a trainer for both safeTALK and ASIST conducting trainings locally and regionally.

“Because suicide is very a sensitive topic, the stories or the curriculum itself can bring up emotions or past experiences so we want to make sure all the participants feel safe,” Dimla-Harrell said.

In explaining the importance of safeTALK, Dimla-Harrel said the island faces a huge challenge in dealing with suicide.

Many people on Guam tend to avoid the topic making it even more difficult to address. This training aims to ease that un-

certainty and provide participants the tools to deal with this uncomfortable issue.

In addition to safeTALK, there are other suicide prevention related trainings.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and Connect Postvention are being offered on Guam through the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center (GBHWC).

ASIST is an intensive two-day program that trains participants in the next tier of suicide prevention, intervention. Connect Postvention is a training designed for institutions and organizations to address

the final tier of suicide prevention by having the proper procedures in responding to a suicide loss or behavior.

GBHWC hosts these trainings as a free community event once per month.

Aside from these trainings, UOG also offers suicide prevention related information and services.

The Isa Psychological Services Center received a grant to create and manage the campus suicide prevention program, I Pinangon. This program offers services including one-on-one counseling and mental health screenings.

By Kyle Twardowski Triton’s Call Staff

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Lecture Hall filled to capacity with standing room only during the first-ever screening of “Manenggon, March and Concentration Camp Survivor Accounts,” a film by Rlene Santos Steffy on Tuesday Nov. 10.

The film’s overall premise was to present collected audio and visual archives The audience pours into the University of Guam’s Lecture Hall for from Steffy of varithe premiere of Manenggon. Photo by Kyle Twardowski ous survivors of the Manenggon Concennot knowing what it gon survivors and rewarding 12 years, tration Camp, which would become. document accounts and a very frustrating was operated under as part of project to “This process has 12 years.”

Japanese command taken over twelve help preserve these Steffy relied on her during the Second words for generayears,” Steffy said. knowledge, access to World War. tions to come. In “It’s been a very resources and expeSteffy was asked in difficult twelve years, rience in various me2003, Steffy began 2002, while working her journey in gather- a very enjoyable dia outlets to create with K57 Radio, to ing these accounts, twelve years, a very the film. interview Maneng-

Spanning a little over two hours, the film took the viewers on a journey through the words of the people who lived and breathed through these troubling times on their way to Manenggon, and also through some of their time spent within the camp.

The film is filled with the hardships, the feeling of personal loss, and experiences of how it felt to march to Manenggon.

The film, which includes over 50 accounts of Manenggon survivors, was not an individual effort.

Jessi Jon Santos, Steffy’s niece, and UOG graduate of communication and journalism, also edited the film.

University continues to prioritize service learning

By John Mugol Triton’s Call Staff

According to its mission statement, one of the University of Guam’s objectives is setbe, which is “to serve” in Chamoru.

Serving our island and community—in ways such as participating in volunteer work, doing a field outreach, painting bus stops and coordinating food drives for the homeless, to name a few—is beneficial to the university’s standard of teaching.

Prior to the Good to Great plan, the uni-

versity did not require any service learning or community service.

Community service and service learning were only being done within student organizations.

According to Dr. Angeline Ames, associate professor in sociology and a member of the faculty senate, students coming to UOG were a bit shocked that middle and high schools on Guam offered forms of services, but not at the university.

“Through the good to great process, we

were given an implementation report or a plan, that required courses in our program to have a service component,” said Ames.

With the Good to Great process, there are now some programs on campus that require community service.

Examples include internships in sociology that work closely with nonprofits, communication majors with a track in public relations also work beside nonprofits, social work majors take part in the homeless count and do

Sociology students delivering donations to Guma’ San Jose last November as a service project. Photo by John Mugol ​ field work off-island, and plenty of others courses.

“It is important for college students to participate in community service as a

way to learn, and we all live in one school, one community, and one island,” Ames said.

5 University of Guam Triton’s Call, November 2015

“Manenggon” fills Lecture Hall in Nov. premiere

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Campus Profiles MARC director Monique Storie continues family tradition in library sciences

By Rianne Peredo Triton’s Call Staff Monique Carriveau Storie, Ph.D, is the director of the Richard Flores Taitano Micronesian Area Research Center (MARC) and Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Library.

The MARC is comprised of a library with a reference section centered on Guam and Microne-

sia, as well as the manuscripts and Spanish documents collections.

There is also a research section with publications related to Micronesian studies.

Storie began working at the University of Guam in 1995 as a reference librarian and was later promoted to the position of director.

Being in charge

Storie

of the budget and organization of materials are a few of her responsibilities as the director.

She completed her undergraduate stud-

ies in Spanish, but later pursued library sciences because it is a family tradition.

She grew up with constant exposure to libraries, and found it to be an obvious career path.

“It can be a puzzle,” Storie said in reference to the application of library sciences at the MARC and RFK Library.

The MARC has recently created a

website to process and catalog the manuscripts via a two year grant awarded in 2013 by The National Archives grant program through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

“Our next step will be to scan in documents that can be accessed online,” she said in regards to the website.

Afghanistan war vet transitions to full-time UOG student

By Kreeshia Aquino Triton’s Call Staff Kinno Dizon is currently a biology major at the University of Guam. He is also a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

Dizon was deployed to Afghanistan in 2013, serving as a surgical technologist for the U.S. Navy. He describes this deployment as the most memorable experience of his military service career.

While serving in Afghanistan, he had done things an average citizen would never experience.

As part of his job, he

had also seen a lot of trauma and handled situations normal hospitals do not.

“There [was] good and bad that came out of this experience,” Dizon said.

The bad things are PTSD and insomnia.

A good thing is the bond that he developed with fellow veterans of the war.

Dizon graduated from Simon Sanchez High School in 2009.

A year later, he joined the U.S. Navy to follow the footseps of an older brother who also enlisted.

Dizon left active military duty in 2014, but remained a navy

Dizon reservist.

Dizon said it took him a while to adjust to civilian life and becoming a full-time college student.

He was apprehensive at first. For one, he was older than most of his classmates. He adapted quickly, however, and is now comfortable with being a student.

His advice to people going through a similar experience is to stick it through.

“There may be times when you miss the military, but it will pass. Focus and reward yourself,” he said.

Dizon plans to graduate in Fall 2017 and wants to pursue an advance degree in either the dental or the medical school at Ohio University.

“I’ve always wanted to do something in the medical field,” Dizon said.

But one of those things wasn’t to become a nurse, he said, so he decided

not to pursue a nursing degree at UOG. Before enrolling in UOG, and working full-time in the military, Dizon took online classes.

Now, as a civilian student at UOG, Dizon takes primarily offline classes.

The main difference between offline and online courses, he explained, is the pace.

Online classes were a faster pace and four weeks shorter.

The workload was also self-paced and assignments were typically due within a week.

By Kreeshia Aquino Triton’s Call Staff The Campus Café has recently opened at the Student Business and Public Administration Building.

Formally known as IP Coffee, the business is run by Di Xiong and his partner Shaun Murphy.

Some changes include are more space and a higher wall divider built between the customers and the workers. This was placed for health safety precautions.

The Campus Café s coffee is brewed fresh using high quality Arabica beans called illycaffé, also well known as illy for short.

Besides the list of coffee customers can choose from, the café has a variety of food made fresh

daily in the shop or delivered from other local sources such as Proa and Pâtisserie PariSco. “We put a lot of quality into our products. We pride ourselves on giving customer service and as much as possible to accommodate our customers’ needs,” said Di Xiong.

“The food is good, fresh, and high quality. The service is faster and they have really good customer service,” said senior student Rachel Bongato, an accounting major.

Di Xiong encourages people who like good coffee and good food to come and try it out.

Di Xiong is a recent UOG graduate and majored in Entrepreneurship. He strongly supports local busi-

Owner Di Xiong and his employee, Matt Putnam smile for a photo during their afternoon shift at the Campus Cafe. Photo by Kreeshia Aquino nesses.

The operations hours are from Monday to Saturday.

From Monday to Thursday, the shop opens from 7:30

a.m.- 7:30 p.m.

On Friday, the shop is open from 8 a.m.3 p.m. On Saturday, the shop is opened from 8 a.m.- 12 p.m.

For more informa-

tion, visit uogcampuscafe@gmail.com or follow the shop on instagram: @uogcampuscafe.

Santos-Bamba named CLASS acting associate dean

By John Mugol Triton’s Call Staff Sharleen Santos-Bamba, Ph.D., has stepped up as the acting associate dean of UOG’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

Santos-Bamba, who was an English composition teacher since 2003 at UOG, was given an acting capacity as the CLASS associate dean for academic year 2015-2016 “So far, I’m enjoying

what I’m doing,” said Santos-Bamba.

Santos-Bamba has a lot on her plate, as she tackles the roles of the associate dean for CLASS, while also serving as an associate professor for the advanced composition course in the English department.

Santos-Bamba is content among the university campus and their students.

“I want to see students embrace what they’re learning, and to acknowledge and

Santos-Bamba recognize that learning doesn’t just happen on campus,” she said. “They need to take what they learn here and extend it off campus.”

The associate dean also had some advice to students not only in her college, but also to the student body as a whole.

“We need to take the initiative to find opportunities to improve ourselves, to improve our learning, even just to try new things,” said Santos-Bamba.

As associate dean, Santos-Bamba has aspirations.

“We’ll continue to grow our major base, so that students who

complete a degree program out of CLASS – this idea of liberal arts,” said Santos-Bamba.

Santos-Bamba wants to see a difference among students in her college.

“That they’ll go out and make a change, use their creative expression, use what they learn about people and culture, to further progress our community and communities outside our region.”

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New “Campus Cafe” opens at SPBA Building

University of Guam Triton’s Call October 2015

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