The Tritons faced off against Team MIBBC in the night’s first matchup. The Tritons took the initiative in the first half of the game, ending the first quarter 18-8 and continuing the double-digit lead to the end of the half at 37-20 according to a press release.

The Tritons doubled the score in the third quarter, ultimately shutting down MIBBC 80-34.

Cori-Nicole Paulino led the Tritons in scoring with 22 points, most of which came within the three-point arc. Tar Takasy led MIBBC with 14 points.

Acdavate took on BallHers in an action packed second game of the night. Acdavate ended the first quarter with a 22-9 lead against Ballhers. However, Ballhers answered back in the second quarter, ultimately taking the lead 36-31 ending the first half of play.

The second half saw Acdavate regain the lead in the third with multiple lead changes happening during the fourth quarter. Acdavate came out on top with the final run of the match, winning over Ballhers 66-60.

Jia Peters led Acdavate with 22 points while Angelique Sahagon scored 17 points for the BallHers.

Acdavate and the Lady Tritons are tied for second place in the Global Learning Super League with matching 5-2 records.

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The Tritons started the day off strong in their first game against the Outbackerz; going 44-10 in the first half. Tristan Valdes of the Tritons led the team in scoring, generating 14 points to help give the team the 75-34 victory.

The team lost to Dosidos in their second game of the day, taking a lead at half-time 22-15 according to a press release. Dosidos started the second half strong, cutting the Triton’s lead down to 22-21, ultimately taking the game and eliminating the Tritons 41-37.

The Tritons’ Logan Hopkins led the team in scoring with 16 points, with the team ranking fourth place of eight teams with a 2-2 record.

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According to UOG’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, of 122 alumni that graduated in the Spring of 2020 that received a bachelor’s degree, 54% report working a full-time job 12-months after their graduation.

This is a 3% increase from the year prior.

Furthermore, of 77 alumni, 84% received employment for a job related to their major in that year.

Finding work after graduation

Despite a high number of alumni receiving work related to their degree, some students struggle to find work.

Breanna Perez, who received a bachelor’s degree in Pacific Island Studies with an emphasis in CHamoru Studies in the Fall of 2021, applied to several organizations in the private and public sectors.

Like other students at the University, Perez utilized student loans to help pay for her tuition. Now she looks for a feasible solution to pay it back.

“The main difficulty I have right now is finding an entry level job in my field that is open,” said Perez.

She mentions that her lack of work experience related to her field reduces her qualifications in the jobs listed.

Perez owes over $25,000 in student loans. To her benefit, the U.S. Department of Education extended the federal student loan payment pause till Aug. 31 of this year.

She currently works as a part-time, retail cashier to temporarily support herself while she searches for a full-time job related to her field.

Mason Obispo, an English and Philosophy double major who also graduated in the Fall of 2021, has a different perspective on his situation.

He works as a part-time sales associate, cashier, and stock person at Calvin Klein since 2018 throughout his time in college and plans to find career growth within the company, utilizing his skills he learned from each degree.

“So the current work that I do is customer service and going to school for the past four years for [a literature degree] and then picking up a philosophy degree, I feel that there are skills that are learned that [I] can apply to customer service and I guess the whole operations in regard to retail the first,” said Obispo. “One is the ability to articulate things and to analyze them uh this is something that you learn strongly in literature in the ways that you read something and you’re able to kind of go about and deriving a meaning of something. In a similar sense, philosophy trains you to be analytical and to justify your claims and stuff like that and when it comes to

collaboration with management or with other coworkers and becomes extremely easy and in a good way like here you can your message across and have it to where you’re not jumbling everything.”

Beyond his work at Calvin Klein, Obispo is a music producer for several local artists.

Guam’s labor force at a glance

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted Guam’s labor force and local economy. The pandemic put many residents temporarily out of work for several months due to island wide lockdowns and travel restrictions.

According to the Government of Guam’s Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor statistics, in 2020, the average unemployment rate for that year of the civilian labor force was 18.2%.

The unemployment rate reached its lowest in Sept. 2021 at 8.1%.

In Mar. 2021, there were 60,680 employed workers across all sectors.

Guam’s largest source of employment is the private sector. Providing over 40,000 jobs for the island’s working population. Within this sector, tourism is the island’s leading industry.

Although more recent statistics on Guam’s employment situation are not yet available, increases in the tourism industry should be expected as the island’s legislation on COVID-19 restrictions ease with lowering number of cases.

For the University of Guam’s Students

With many students entering the University directly from high school, the emphasis for students to actively build their resume and build career opportunities should be prioritized in some programs according to Perez.

“With this sort of idea or initiative it would allow students to find themselves through these opportunities for job security in the future as well as take preventative measures of possible changing of degree programs,” said Perez.

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The theme of this year’s Charter Day is “Charting a course for New Horizons”, a focus on the continued progress of the University’s work in academics, community service, and research from faculty, students and alumni.

As a part of the Charter Day celebrations, the UOG Marine Laboratory hosted 30-minute guided tours of the laboratory’s facilities and showcased some of the marine life that inhabit Guam’s reefs.

The University of Guam Marine Laboratory

The Marine Lab is an established research unit of UOG comprised of graduate and undergraduate students and faculty researchers. The University established the Marine Lab in 1970 whose mission is to provide research work on marine biology specific to the region of Guam.

Marine Lab Research

In the past decade, the UOG Marine lab made new discoveries in marine biology.

In late Nov. 2021, Marine lab researchers discovered four new Crustose Calcifying Red Algae species. Results of their research is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

According to researchers, Matthew Mills and Tom Schils, CCR algae are integral to coral reef construction.

Mills and Schils named the four species of CCR algae, Ramicrusta adjoulanensis, R. asanitensis, R. labtasiensis, and R. taogamensis, after the locations they were found: Adjoulan Point, Asanite Cove (First Beach), the seawater intake channel behind the UOG Marine Lab, and Taogam Point.

More recently, Dr. David Combosch, Associate Professor of Population Genetics and Chair of UOG’s Graduate Biology Program, visited the Rota, Saipan, and Tinian from Mar. 10 to Mar. 27 alongside several graduate students in a sampling expedition of the region’s coral species.

The purpose of this study is to compare population genetics between the species on Guam and the CNMI.

Mikay Reuter, a Graduate Student Assistant for the Graduate Biology Program, collected samples of staghorn Acropora corals.

“Corals, especially staghorn corals, are facing increased rates mortality due to global and local environmental stressors,” said Reuter. “If we know how much genetic diversity there is in Guam and [the] surrounding islands we can better determine what management and conservation strategies should be put in place to protect coral that is left form future stressor events.”

Similarly, the UOG Marine Lab offers graduate students unique research opportunities.

Leilani Sablan, a UOG graduate student in Biology, boarded the Ocean Exploration Trust research vessel, EV-Nautilus, as an ocean science intern to assist researchers in a deep-sea exploration expedition spanning the Central Pacific.

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To lessen this strain, financial support of up to $3,000 is now available for qualifying students as a result of the University of Guam Cares Emergency Grant.

Applications for the emergency aid grant began earlier late January with applications being accepted until Feb. 25 or until all of the allocated funds are expended.

Students must meet or demonstrate the following eligibility requirements to receive funds:

· Demonstrate financial hardship

· Demonstrate need

· Must be enrolled as a full or part-time student at the University of Guam anytime since Mar. 13, 2020

The awarded funds are intended for use by the student to cover any financial obligations disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examples of uses of the funds extends to tuition, childcare, food, housing or mental or physical health care.

In a statement made by Anita Borja Enriquez, the senior vice president and provost at the University of Guam, she wants students to succeed despite any financial hardship.

“We want every student, regardless of financial ability, to cross that stage at commencement,” said Enriquez.

It is important to note that all other financial aid available to the applicant will be utilized first before funds from the UOG Cares Emergency Grant can be paid out.

Payments will be made 7-14 days after the applicant notification of their reward.

Funding

Funding for the UOG Cares Emergency Grant was provided through the Higher Education Relief Fund (HEERF III). The funds for HEERF III were authorized through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 which was signed into law by President Joseph Biden on Mar. 11.

The University received $6.09 million in total from the American Rescue Plan.

In the past, the University paid a total of $2.03 million to 3,498 students with another 495 students receiving $1.24 million in other additional emergency aid grants during the Fall 2021 semester. During the Summer 2021 semester, the University paid $704,800 to 901 enrolled students.

Higher Education Relief Fund

The Higher Education Relief Fund is an economic aid grant provided by the federal government directed towards the assistance of postsecondary education institutions and their student populations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

So far, there has been three instances of the HEERF grant.

In 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) which awarded the Office of Postsecondary Education $14 billion as HEERF I.

For HEERF II, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021(CRRSAA) authorized $81.88 billion to postsecondary educational support. Congress signed CRRSAA into law on Dec. 27,2020.

HEERF III provided $39.6 billion in financial support to all national postsecondary educations.

UOG received $4.56 million from HEERF I. Half of these funds ($2.29 million) were directed disbursed to 3,254 students in 2020.

UOG also received $2.28 million from HEERF II where all of the allocated funds were paid out to 3,061 students in 2021.

Students looking to seek more information regarding HEERF III or the other direct aid grants can visit https://www.uog.edu/cares-act.

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With the spread of COVID-19 on Guam, fitness centers and gyms closed their doors to help curb the spread. Recently, these facilities reopened under strict guidelines. One of these facilities is Baller’s Gym.

Located in Harmon Industrial Park, Baller’s Gym is a basketball training facility that assists in the training of local basketball players from high school, college or recreational leagues.

The facility hosts state of the art training equipment, to hone every aspect of the players skill set from shooting, dribbling and passing.

Sed Linsangan, an employee at Baller’s Gym, said that the facility has been doing well despite the restrictions COVID-19 has on the basketball community on Guam.

Since the pandemic, Baller’s Gym focused on sanitization and the health of the players at their facility.

“[We are always] trying to make sure everyone really is healthy,” said Linsangan.

The facility routinely disinfects its court and equipment and ensures that players have facemasks and their temperatures checked upon entering the facility.

Those looking to schedule a training session with Baller’s Gym can message them on their Facebook or Instagram or through their cell at (671) 649-6997.

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Mass was held at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 24, 2020 and was presided by Father Val Rodriguez, the Parochial Administrator of the church.

Inside, parishioners prayed for those affected by COVID-19 and for the safety of frontline workers

Blue masking tape cordoned off sections of the chapel’s pews. The subtle tone of the church’s infrared thermometer chimed as more worshipers joined for Mass.

Outside, speakers and projectors played the sermon for residents attending from their vehicles.

Immaculate Heart of Mary reopened their doors in early October at 25% occupancy in accordance to Pandemic Condition of Readiness 1 protocols.

For the church, the changes COVID-19 made were difficult, however, Rose Marie Edquilane, a member of parish staff, says that the church was able to adapt.

 “We’ve met every challenge admirably to bring spiritual comfort to the maximum extend possible with the protocols set forth by out archdiocese,” said Edquilane.

Edquilane noted that a major issue the church faces are finances but remains strong in her faith in God and in her congregation to face this challenge. 

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Evangelista began ownership of the business back in December of 2017. His aunt entrusted him with the business after a few years of helping her operate the stand.

“The previous owner who introduced this first ever business to the island of Guam, I believe in 2002, was my uncle Mr. Frank Mateo. Mr Mateo passed away in 2015. The business was closed for a few months until my aunt decided to bring the business back up and operate to continue [his] legacy.”

COVID-19 put a strain on Evangelista’s business. One of the major setbacks for Evangelista is finding funds to pay his part-time employees.

The stand would normally be set up at festivals and events such as the Chamorro Village Wednesday Night Market, but restrictions from Pandemic Condition of Readiness One and lack of tourism slowed down business. Despite these setbacks, Evangelista believes that operating under PCOR-1 is a step forward for his business which he can gain experience from.

According to Evangelista, he is optimistic for the future of his venture and aims to continue to provide the best possible service during the pandemic.

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To prevent the spread of the virus and put in danger the seniors, doctors have decided to use portable stage trailers to move around and be able to take care of their patients in their homes.

Students made the transition to the online format on March 30, 2020, and since then have been attending classes through video conferencing programs such as Zoom, BigBlueButton and Skype for Business. Vince Fabian, a biology major, said the transition to online lecturing was smooth. He however felt that his lab courses were not meant for the transition online.

Fabian said his class would normally conduct experiments and field work at UOG, but now his labs have resorted to online modules and data analysis.

“Although computational biology/data analysis is useful, the lack of hands-on experimentation/field work does take away a big portion of the experience,” Fabian said.

Fabian says that in addition to the concerns he has for the classes he is taking during this semester, he also worries about his plans after graduation.

 “My initial plan prior to the effects of COVID-19 was to spend my summer preparing for grad school and looking for a job to take in my gap year,” Fabian said. “Although I still plan on doing that, I worry that looking for a job during this time will be significantly harder, and if this job were to be deemed non-essential, I would be unsure as to how I would support myself or my family in the coming year.”

In addition to this, Fabian was also concerned about his options for graduate school.

“With the current situation nationwide, many universities have shut down and are uncertain when they would reopen. Some have even proposed not to open until 2021, which would majorly affect the timeline I’ve set out for myself career-wise,” Fabian said. “However, I understand that these postponements and closures are for the sake of everyone and I will do my best to adjust my timeline accordingly.”

For graduating seniors, an online commencement is scheduled for June 18, 2020 at 7:00pm.

The virtual Commencement Ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook and the UOG website.

UOG’s President Thomas Krise said in a news release by UOG, “Despite the circumstances caused by the coronavirus, proceeding with a virtual commencement ceremony allows us to honor the accomplishments and perseverance of our students.”

According to the same article published by UOG, Fañomnåkan graduates will also have an option to walk in any future commencement ceremony that occurs after the end of the public health emergency.

UOG’s Student Government Association President, Marc Bituin, wanted to congratulate this semester’s graduating seniors.

“All their hard work, sweat and tears have finally pulled off. Especially for getting through this unusual situation and fairly new platform,” said Bituin. “We want to congratulate them for their success! To all the graduates, congratulations and good luck.”

Additionally Bituin would like to recognize SGA senators, Darlene Gatchalian and Lilian Billimon for their exemplary service.

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 The project is a collective of  six undergraduate university students from Guam and the United States to assist those affected by the spread of COVID-19.

According to the Wonderkids Project GoFundMe page, Guam experienced an unprecedented change with the spread of COVID-19 and low-income and frontline workers struggle with the new norm.

The current beneficiaries of the funds include the Guam Memorial Hospital, Harvest House Guam, St. Dominic’s Senior Home and families seeking assistance from the organization.

Eries Moreno, the project coordinator of the Wonderkid Project, mentions that the fundraiser allowed the team to help the community easily and safely.

“Just being stuck at home [feels] that we are not really able to do much.” said Moreno, “It’s an easy way for us to help out the community while practicing distancing and staying safe.”

The Wonderkid Team

Created in March 2020, the Wonderkid Team comprises of undergraduate students from the University of Guam and Penn Foster College.

Steven Kho, one of the project’s finance and logistics managers, said that the team wanted to help as it is a key component to “inafa’maolek” in Guam’s community.

“Overall, we all just wanted to participate because we wanted to help. It’s a big thing in our community; assisting one another in times of need,” said Kho.

For donors, the sense of unity is what drives them to support the Wonderkid Project.

Ernie Samelo, a student at the University of Guam, said, “Times like these are when we as a community, as an island, need to stick together and do our part to help resolve the situation.”

For those looking to donate to the fundraiser, you can visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-wonder-kid-project-covid19-relief to make your donation.

If you or your family is seeking assistance or want to contact the Wonderkid Project, you can email info.thewonderkidproject@gmail.com. 

Additionally, you can also learn more about the Wonderkid Project by following their Facebook and Instagram: @thewonderkidproject.

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