MANGILAO, Guam – Apr. 03, 2022 – This past Friday, the University of Guam celebrated its 54th Annual Charter Day Festival. Due to COVID-19, this was the first in-person festival held in about two years.
The theme for this year was “Charting a course for new horizons.” As the island opens again, so does the road to a new, safer approach to Charter Day for UOG.
The festivities kicked off Thursday, Mar. 31, 2022, with a limited in-person ceremony that was live-streamed on UOG’s Facebook Page. Attendees this year were also required to register with Eventbrite and digitally sign in before entering the festival.
UOG implemented additional safety precautions on the day of the event, such as event staff wearing masks.
The event was held in a perimeter within UOG’s central courtyard, with security set up at different points to redirect attendees to the proper sign-in tent.
After signing in, attendees could enjoy festivities, including food trucks like UOG staple Hooker’s Fusion, live musical performances from local bands, and various activities held by student clubs and vendors.
Gabriella Prelosky, Treasurer/PRO for UOG’s Marine Opportunities/Nature Association (MONA), has had the opportunity to attend Charter Day both as an attendee and now as a member of a student organization.
She notes the difference in the size of the event compared to previous years’ celebrations.
“It is a lot smaller, which is understandable per COVID guidelines, but there are a lot of really interesting clubs and food trucks that I haven’t seen before at other Charter Days,” Prelosky comments.
Her club runs a touch-tank for echinoderms, which features various sea cucumbers, sea sponges, and sea plants.
Kieran Rios, a member of the Agriculture and Life Science Club, states that aside from changes like the masks, the same community and crowds are back to celebrate. “The support is phenomenal,” Rios comments. “Everything looks kind of the same.”
Rios’ club has several kinds of plants for sale and a game of cornhole. Those who tested their skills got a smaller plant for participating and had the opportunity to win more plants. If a player managed to get all five beanbags into the hole, they had their choice of a large plant to take home.
Games like these make Charter Day fun for students and families as well.
One attendee and her young son have been waiting for two years to return to Charter Day. Each year, she picks him up from school, and the two get some food, play some games, and enjoy the festivities together.
“I think it’s great, and I hope they continue this year after year again,” she states.
Whether it’s a tradition or one’s first Charter Day, attendees look forward to the fun the day can hold. One of the event staff spent his first Charter Day helping others sign in. “I’m ready to feel the energy everyone here can provide,” He stated.
Despite the smaller scale of the event and safety precautions, Charter Day remains a day of food and fun that every UOG student should participate in at least once. “I believe they should experience it way more than once,” Rios states. “And even after you graduate, regardless if you don’t even go to UOG, you should come down to Charter Day. It’s an amazing experience.”