02052015

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY SINCE 1963

THE VANGUARD VOLUME LVIII ISSUE I

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

BENTLEYVANGUARD.COM

Lombardi comes home 4/6: Pats win 4 times in 14 years

SOTU

TGIT!

Crude Markets

Get the view for America over the span of 2015.

The biggest shows return, and all people can say is Thank God It’s Thursday!

Pujit Agarwal explains his views on the crude oil market status.

NEWS 4

ENTERTAINMENT 8

OPINION 12

THE vanguard

February 5, 2015

THE VANGUARD 2015 EDITORIAL BOARD Bentley University, Waltham, MA 02452

Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor General Manager

Usama Salim ‘17 Karan manwani ‘16 Stephanie seputra ‘17

Copy Editor

evan mcardle ‘17

News Editor

jennifer wright ‘16

Campus Life Editor

brendan gerety ‘17

Features Editor Sports Editor

megan lieu ‘17 Ian Giancursio ‘16

Business Editor

Danica chugani ‘15

Photography Editor

kristin salazar ‘18

Directors of Production and Layout Director of Advertising Director of Online Services advisor

angela ly ‘17, nghiem phuong hong ngoc ‘17

Editorial CAMPUS EVENTS

Three events you don’t want to miss

1 2 3 Young VC Founders Panel Day: Thursday Time: 11:15 A.m.

Location: AAC 141 Host: Finance Department

Come meet two young and abitious VCs that have founded their own firms.

Network and learn about the growing Boston VC industry!

Carbon Nation

Day: Tuesday Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Wilder Host: office of sustainability

An optimistic discovery of what is being done, what we could be doing and what the world needs to do to prevent the impending climate crisis.

Brown Bag Lunch Day: Wednesday Time: 12:45 p.m.

Location: Smi 320 Host: Womens center & Gender studies

A faciliated discussion on gender and fashion for Bentley faculty, staff and students.

corey werner ‘17 michelle chiu ‘17 Nicole Chabot-Wieferich Director, Student Activities

Staff Writers Emily ellis ‘15, jd towers ‘17, ethan hall ‘17, jess hughes ‘14, nick toselli ‘17, stephanie seputra ‘17, megha ryan ‘14, megan lieu ‘17, cam estelle ‘17 Columnists KEVIN LARYEA ‘15,USAMA SALIM ‘17 Production AssistantS Sarah egner ‘17, JUlie Keedy ‘16, casey moy ‘17, USAMA SALIM’17 Photographers Alex yuan ‘17, Shiyu Xu ‘17, Mark Tsyporkin ‘17, Hongyi Jin ‘17, Garrett meccariello ‘17, angela su’17, amanda rose ‘17, michelle ghozali ‘17

Editor’s pick Super Bingo Day: THURSDAY Time: 9:00 p.m.

LocAtion: DANA CENTER Host: CAB

CAB’s annual Super Bingo is back and better than ever!

This year Super Bingo will be a pajama party in the Dana Center. Students dressed in pajamas will receive a raffle ticket for dressing up. The first 150 students to arrive and donate a canned good will receive a second bingo card!

BentleyVanguard.com email GA_Vanguard@bentley.edu mail Bentley University, 175 Forest Street, Waltham, MA 02452 USA phone +1 781.891.2912

...find more campus events at events.bentley.edu

The Vanguard is the official student newspaper of Bentley University. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the University administration; Bentley University is not responsible for statements herein.

The columns found in this newspaper are written by individual authors and do not reflect the opinion of The Vanguard, its Editorial Board members or the University. Comments regarding the columns may be directed to the author and/or The Vanguard.

The Vanguard is published every Thursday of the academic year, excluding examination periods and holiday breaks. It is distributed free to all students, faculty and staff of Bentley University. Circulation is 2,000 copies.

Funding for The Vanguard is provided in part by the Student Activity Fee, but relies on advertising revenue to cover the majority of its costs.

Advertising rates are available upon request by contacting (781) 8913497. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement; only publication of an advertisement constitutes final acceptance of the offer to advertise.

The Vanguard welcomes reader feedback, letters to the editor and online comments. We reserve the right to copy edit all articles for grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, libel and length.

EDITORIAL

Picking on New Years Resolutions Greetings all! It’s been a long, long time since we published anything! First of all, before we start the actual editorial, we wanted to kick it off with a welcome back to all of our fellow Falcons, as well as with a grand welcome to all of our new Falcons! Hope your stay at your new home is as comfortable as possible and that you’re enjoying it on Bentley’s campus so far.

So, onto today’s topic of discussion. We know we’re kind of late, specifically 28 days late, but there are things that need to be said. New Year’s Resolutions. The lovely “new year, new me” thing that happens every year.

If any of the regular gym goers noticed the very first day back to campus, in fact, the very first hour of that day, the gym was PACKED. We could’ve sworn that the number of people there over the span of that one hour were more than we had seen any other week. As per usual, those numbers have started to filter out and less and less people have started showing up. Surprise surprise.

And please do not get us started on food. Oh holy lord when you see people who insulted salad eaters less than 2 weeks before New Year’s wolf them down like it was no one’s business. And those who said they would stop drinking and stop smoking, or do less of either? Let’s not

Courtesy playbuzz.com

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pretend we didn’t hear Bentley going up the first weekend back. PCs were flying and so were the shots. Yes. And our smoker friends. It could be freezing outside, but a cig is a must. Why yes, who can live cig-less?

What doesn’t make sense is the reasoning behind New Year’s resolutions. Why do we have to wait till the new years to become a better version of ourselves? The reality is, we can change whenever we want to and the reality is, if we really wanted to change, we would start tomorrow and not wait till the next year rolled around.

Now we’re not against New Year’s resolutions. In fact go ahead and make them. But if you’re still stuck on the resolution you made when you were in 10th grade, maybe it’s time to rethink it.

Change. Become better people. But make that decision

to change tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month. But don’t make poor New Year’s pay for it. If you’re waiting to take that trip you’ve always wanted to take, take a leave tonight, end up in an airport, pick a destination and fly to it. Even if it’s international, we’re pretty sure most countries will give you a visa on arrival. The world is your oyster, don’t keep it closed shut till another year rolls by. Life is too short for fake resolutions.

Build a real resolution. Try to achieve a real resolve. And you’ll get somewhere then.

We promise.

Disclaimer: The editorial board is a little hypocritical as some of its members did make New Year’s resolutions and then went on to break them. Nonetheless. We apply the doctor philosophy here.

We will smoke, then tell you smoking gives you lung cancer. May God bless doctors.

BULLETIN

THE vanguard

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Jen Bennett

MaJOR: accounting HOME TOWN: Montville, NJ

What are you looking forward to this year?

Spending my last semester of college with my close friends, making time to meet new people, finally going to a women’s basketball game and the Bahamas!

What are your plans for the future?

I will be starting at PwC as an

What are your goals for this year?

Pass the CPA without becoming a social hermit, finish my first triathlon, and stay up-todate with current events.

How are you feeling about graduation?

Definitely bittersweet. Part of me feels ready to move on to the next stage of my life but I know the minute graduation ends, I’ll want to be back to freshmen year.

Advice to seniors/ words of wisdom: Five year plans don’t exist – I don’t even think 1 year plans necessarily do. There are some things in life that are completely out of your control

What can Bentley do to help you with this year?

If the rest of the student center would be open before I graduate, I would love that – it would be awesome to have senior pub night in the actual pub. I also would love it if Ellen DeGeneres would give our commencement speech – if requests are a thing. #Ellen2Bentley ?

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned at Bentley?

I’ve realized that people on campus (friends, faculty, professors, etc.) genuinely want to be there for others as a support system. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness or incompetency but actually a catalyst for strength and growth.

STUDENT CONDUCT SUMMARY December 4-February 3

Total Number of Cases Total Number of Individuals Involved Individuals Dismissed from Responsibility Individuals Admitting Responsibility Number of individuals found responsible by Conduct Board Number of educational sanctions given Number of Work Sanctions Number of Parental Notifications Cash total of fines given Number of students given a Verbal Warning Number of students put on Written Warning Number of individuals put on Probation Number of individuals put on Disciplinary Probation Number of individuals who lost 15 housing credits Number of individuals who lost 30 housing credits Number of individuals put on Suspension (Housing) Number of individuals put on Suspension (University) Number of individuals expelled

80 162 34 125 2 49 0 13 $2,813 29 40 38 7 1 0 0 0 0

Provided by the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs

HEALTH AND WELLNESS TIP OF THE WEEK: Catching a cold or the flu can have serious impacts on academics. Avoid getting sick by washing your hands frequently and staying away from sick people. If you are unable to wash with soap and water, use an alcoholbased hand sanitizer.

Stay healthy, Falcons!

Rhodes Hall - Ground Floor bentley.edu/health

LEY UNIVERSITY BENT

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What are you involved in at Bentley?

I’ve been a Resident Assistant in Collins for the past two years and it’s been an amazing experience! I am also a member of Beta Alpha Psi and Beta Gamma Sigma, which are honor societies for business students. I was also a tutor for the Office of Academic Services my sophomore and junior years.

What is your favorite event on campus?

Definitely Consent Day – it’s a ton of fun and really sends a powerful and relevant message to the Bentley community. I’ve joined the committee this year and am really excited to be able to have such a meaningful role in it my last semester of college.

and that is okay. Don’t panic when things don’t go according to your plan, they usually happen for a reason anyway.

For example, your first job out is statistically not going to be your career so there’s no need to have this pressure – it’s just a job. The only thing you can really guarantee is how you will spend today and I think it’s important to remember that.

TO

Courtesy of Jen Bennett

Audit Associate in the Boston office this fall.

D

WANTED: POLICE LOG WRITERS! Think you have what it takes to be the new police log writer?

E-mail GA_ Vanguard to learn how you can become the new police log writer. No experience necessary!

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THE vanguard

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

NEWS

State Of The Union: A new America in 2015

BY Jennifer wright news Editor

On January 20, 2015, President Barack Obama addressed the nation for his sixth State of the Union Address, where he faced a Congress divided among party lines.

Listing many bold plans of action, he continuously brought the focus back to morals – doing the “right thing” – urging Congress to work together despite their differences. After listing catastrophes that have challenged America over the last fifteen years, he said that “Tonight, we turn the page,” and began to outline a new, hopeful strategy for America.

He constantly referenced the various successes America has had recently, from more individuals receiving health insurance, higher graduation rates, less reliance on foreign oil and an end to combat mission in Afghanistan and opened his address by stating that “the shadow of crisis has passed, and the state of the Union is strong.”

This State of the Union address showcased the work of the White House to reach its more technologically-savvy audience. There were 1.5 million tweets and retweets using ‘#SOTU’ on Tuesday January 20, along with a sharp spike in followers of @WhiteHouse, showing that the office has been able to adapt to this platform and engage with its audience in a new way.

Prior to the speech, the White House office also released a variety of social media content including short videos expanding upon issues President Obama addressed in the speech. President Obama even used the word “Instagram” in his speech, a first for a State of the Union Address.

As per usual, President Obama focused heavily on the welfare of the middle and lower class. Speaking directly to the audience at home – over 1.2 million were watching the enhanced live stream – he said, “you are the people I was thinking of” when he was first elected. Although details will be included in the budget he sends to Congress two weeks after the speech, President Obama stressed the importance of middleclass economics and focused on the values at stake. He repeatedly used the example of Rebekah and Ben, an American couple who struggled to get by and had to work hard to get where they are today.

He said that they found even Friday night pizza a splurge, and stressed that the middle class are not looking for a hand-out. He said, “We don’t just want everyone to share in America’s success; we want everyone to contribute to our success.”

Having established this relatable example, President Obama outlined specific measures Congress should take to help people like Re-

bekah and Ben continue to succeed. First was affordable child-care. Rather than making it a woman’s issue, President Obama called it a “national economic priority,” and proposed tax cuts of up to $3,000 per child per year.

Next, he called for guaranteed seven days of paid sick leave for all employees, as well as a paid maternity leave program.

When discussing the wage gap that still exists between male and female employees performing equal work, President Obama simply said, “It’s 2015. It’s time.” He continued the theme of fair pay by calling for the fulfillment of overtime pay for all employees and a higher minimum wage, smartly challenging Congress: “And everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage I say this: if you truly believe you can work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it.”

Understanding that he was speaking to a divided and heavily Republican Congress, President Obama constantly praised recent and historical achievements in America to unite the room. While leading up to his call for free community college, he reminded the room of the huge impact making high school free in the 20th century and sending G.I.s to college had on America. He challenged America to continue to stay ahead of

the curve and make universal community college available to Americans for two years, as long as they graduate on time and receive high grades.

He also called on Congress to reduce monthly payments on existing student loans.

President Obama then said he would work for fair and free trade deals with other countries, calling on businesses to bring jobs back to America and continue to increase its rate of exporting.

Once again focusing on the middle class, President Obama argued to close loopholes for companies that operate overseas to escape taxes and to stop allowing the “top 1% to avoid taxes on accumulated wealth.” With a mainly Republican Congress, this was not favorably received. However, President Obama reminded the audience that these taxes are necessary for the infrastructure that both parties want.

Turning to international matters, President Obama argued that it was better for America to lead a coalition – including Arab nations – to combat ISIL, rather than “get dragged into a war.” With another memorable quote, President Obama called for the end of the Cuba embargo, telling Congress “when what you’re doing doesn’t work for 50 years, it’s time to try something new.” He stressed focusing on strengthening relationships with allies and

stated that he would veto any sanctions sent to him, as they would ensure that Iran starts up its nuclear program again.

He was blunt about his thoughts on climate change.

He called out Congress for claiming that they didn’t know any better because they weren’t scientists, and said “well, I’m not a scientist either, but you know what? I know a lot of really good scientists.” With 2014 being the warmest year on record, he cited economic reasons to work together internationally to end climate change.

Finally, President Obama called on the Congress to make the right decisions. He recalled their continuing efforts to prohibit torture; limit the use of drones; speak out against anti-Semitism; “reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims, the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace;” and “condemn persecution” of women, religion minorities, and those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. He called on Republicans and Democrats to come together and said that he still believed that “together we can do great things, even when the odds are long.” He concluded his sixth State of the Union Address with his now famous ad-lib: “I have no more campaigns to run…

I know because I won both of them. My only agenda for the next two years… is to do what I believe is best for America.”

Student Center insights, updates and more

BY Jennifer wright news Editor

According to Dean of Student Affairs J. Andrew Shepardson’s email to the student population on January 16, 2015, the eagerly awaited renovations in the Student Center are coming to a close this spring semester. After several delays due to construction challenges, many of the new offices and food options will open in early February, with the remainder of the new addition opening mid-April.

The renovations will be unveiled periodically as they are finalized in order to allow students to access as much of the Student Center as possible. First, in early February the following will open: the north entrance (near Bolyston), WBTY, Harry’s Pub, Russo’s and its associated dining area, Argo Tea, the Cultural Lounge, and the Equity Center (previously the Women’s Center). Students have already noticed some changes upon their return to campus: some of the walls were painted a light green and temporary walls were removed over Winter Break.

Though everyone else will have to wait for the unveiling, South Asian Student Association (SASA) will have a special preview tour this week, a prize they won during the Winter Activities Fair.

If all continues on schedule, the remainder of the new addition will open in mid-April, including: the Bentley Bubble, new living room, study rooms, and patio with a fire pit. Final touches will continue throughout the semester and into the summer, including signage, wall graphics, A/V, and a renovation of Seasons.

These new additions to the Center are in response to the need for additional space for student organizations, group study rooms and general lounge areas for students to use. Paul Stanish, Associate Director of the Student Center, says “students should be excited to have a truly student-centered space. From the early stages of design, we sought student feedback on what they need and want in a student center. Student input is very much part of the final product.”

During these renovations, Student Center offices were moved to Lewis Hall, which is

often used as a temporary location for any office on campus being renovated. When part of the building opens in February, Student Activities and the Business Center will move back into the Student Center on the third floor. The remainder of the offices -- the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, Residential Center, Multicultural Center, Center for International Students and Scholars, Spiritual Life, and Student Systems – will move back after the spring semester.

Due to the construction, space within the Student Center has been limited this school year. Without the Living Room or Pub, Student Activities resorted to transitioning Seasons into a meeting area for students after it closes at night. Student Event staff carry dividers and signs from the basement of the Student Center to Seasons each night in order to transition it into either the Lounge @Seasons or the Pub @Seasons (during the weekend). Late night food options, Mein Bowl and Yella’s, have been available at Mongolian Grill, and Student Activities put on a variety of events. These have ranged

from Trivia Nights, Karaoke Nights, Open Mic Nights, Dance Parties, and more. As many of the Lounge @Seasons events feature the arts in some way, it has allowed many students to show off their creative side, which they appreciate. Many of these events will continue in the new space once it opens.

Student Activities is doing more than just physically renovating the Student Center – it is also bringing in new personal to continue improving the Center as a whole.

On January 24, Student Activities sent an email to the entire school advertising the need for a Pub Programmer, who will help develop evening Pub programs in the new space, as well as a Graphic Designer. The recent emails from the Student Center have shown a shift in branding, using better designed posters for announcements, and the student Graphic Designer would help continue these new marketing initiatives. In addition, the Student Center hired three new staff this summer: one new Associate Director, Alana Anderson, and two new Program Coordinators, Melissa Mayard and

Matt Galewski.

In general, it seems students are excited about all of these new changes. Bentley has outgrown the small Student Center and needed to expand to better fit the needs of its students. Many have expressed excitement over the new food options, meeting areas, and fire pit in particular, and are happy with the efforts Student Activities is putting in to make the temporary spaces enjoyable. The Student Center started a 5-year furniture replacement plan in 2012, which led to the new lounge furniture, conference tables, and custom high-top tables with the Bentley Falcon that students have seen put in the Center over the last few years, but this major renovation was necessary to meet the needs of a growing student population.

However, students recognize that Bentley is growing, and that the temporary sacrifices will eventually result in a better experience for everyone. The Student Center is a huge part of student life on campus, and having a Center that fits the needs of its expanding student population is worth the short-term hassle.

CAMPUS LIFE

THE vanguard

February 5, 2015

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BY brendan gerety Vanguard Staff Writer

Courtesy of Kristin Salazar

Students bundled up and made the trek through the snow and ice Sunday night (TWK) to attend Campus Activates Board’s spring semester comedy show.

Students who attended CAB’s first Comedy show during the fall semester were given a flash pass and were able to skip the line that quickly began to snake around the Dana Center.

Students who weren’t fast enough to secure a ticket before they sold out in one day on MyBentley were

forced to wait on a standby line hoping for an open seat.

CAB took the comedy show to a new level this year. The stage in the middle of the Dana center was equipped with speakers, spotlights and stoplights that closer resembled Groove Boston than a comedy show. The audience was situated on folding chairs on the gymnasium floor as well as the bleachers. At the start of the show nearly every seat was filled: an audience that could have filled Koumantzelis more than three times

Fluffy put on a great show for Bentley University.

over.

CAB’s selection this year was a change from the other comedians who have been booked for previous venues. These performers include Nick Offerman from NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Hannibal Buress, James Adomian, Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles from ABC’s “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

Gabriel Iglesias, 38, grew up in San Diego California.

In 2011, Iglesias debuted on television in Comedy Central’s “Gabriel Iglesias presents Stand Up Revolution.” Since then, he has enjoyed enormous success using his Mexican American culture and weight to make fun of himself.

Gabriel Iglesias’s current World Tour is aptly titled “Unity through Laughter.”

Gabriel’s performance included three openers who were also comedians. First, Martin Moreno made jokes about getting older, relationships, sex and drinking.

Next, Larry Omaha talked about growing up on a Native American reservation as well as the comedic differences between Native American and American culture. Rick Gutierrez, the third opening comedian, had jokes about growing

Gabriel Iglesias with CAB Comedy Co-Chair Manny and Becca. up, having children, women and relationships.

After a quick merchandise schpeal, Gabriel Iglesias took the stage. Jokes about the weather, racist gift baskets, college life and modern technology kept the audience laughing for over an hour and a halfa much longer time than he had been contracted to perform. It was clear from his performance he had tailored his comedy to the Bentley demographic. He

Courtesy of Stephanie Crudele

Gabriel Iglesias fills the Dana Center with laughter

even called New Hampshire “the Alabama of the North.”

Saving his classic and most well know jokes for the end of the show, “Fluffy”, known for his joke “I’m not fat, I’m fluffy!” did not disappoint.

When asked why the comedy show this semester was such a success Victoria Sena, a sophomore, speculated, “I think it’s because he is a very known comedian. A few of his specials are on Netflix and his jokes are classics.”

BY brendan gerety Vanguard Staff Writer

THE VANGUARD/Jennifer Wright

Strolling down the stairs of the student center at 10:22 it was already apparent that this year’s activity fair had taken on a different setting. The music is loud, the rumble of talking, dancing and drinking (for those of the student population who are above 21) set the tone. It resembled the midsemester Fridays of yester year when well over 75 students clustered around Mein Bowl. With the student center under renovation, student’s needs to socialize are

not being met. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for Bentley surely must include a space that students can socialize in the late night hours and late night seasons just wasn’t cutting it. The activities fair was a much-needed opportunity for students.

Senior Matt Gustus raved, “It’s pretty exciting and I hope they keep the activities fair in the new student center when it opens.” Jenny Lan, a sophomore concurred stating, “the activities fair was a lot more popular than I thought it was going to be. I was really happy with all the free stuff Bentley

Epsilon Psi, smiling and ready to promote!

was giving away!”

The activity fair facilitates a recruiting effort on the part of student organization of all clusters. The incentives clubs gave in return for joining their email lists reached a new height this year. Givealways include candy, stickers, bracelets, tattoos and every type of pen you could think of. Free food is another incentive that never holds as much influence than in college. The best giveaways were Bentley mugs and pendants that students customized with their names. The line for a customized mug started on the stairs leading to the backbays, demonstrated their instant success. When asked why the mugs we such a success, Sophomore Brandon Grano said, “It was free. It was personalized. And people like items that represent their school!”

It seems the best way to motivate students to come to a school-sponsored event is to make it mandatory.

While that may be an overstatement for the general population, all clubs in good standing with student activities, ABA and AIA were expected to operate a booth.

With each club asking anywhere from 3 to 12 people to help man a booth, a large

THE VANGUARD/Jennifer Wright

Going all-in with late night activities fair pays off

The Bentley Green Society excited for the night! number of the student population already planned on being there. The fair is also a time for transfer students, exchange students and students looking to try something new to make new connections.

The sense of excitement was undeniable. Maybe at a business school there is something about having so many opportunities in one room that gets us thinking about the future. It could be looking for something to put on a resume under leadership experience. This organization might be how you meet the connection that gets you an internship. That internship could earn you a valuable reference or, if you

are even more lucky, a fulltime offer. Or maybe you just want some new friends.

As I left the fair I was able to speak with Melissa Mayard from Student Activities.

I asked her, “Why hold the fair at night?” She was happy to share: “With the added additions and thinking about how we can accommodate as many students as possible while not disrupting Seasons Late Night and also trying to create a new atmosphere; we did it at night. We are always trying to look for how to make things bigger and better. We ask ourselves, how do we create an experience that is unique while also shaking things up!”

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February 5, 2015

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THE vanguard

february 5, 2015

THE VANGUARD’S FIRST GENERAL BODY MEETING DELIVERING NEWS ONE STORY AT A TIME. Sunday, February 8, 2015

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THE vanguard

february 5, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

CAMPUS VOICES

It’s time to give Jazz some credit

Falcons share their thoughts.

What’s something exciting you did over winter break?

George Craan ‘16 MaJOR: marketing

“I gave a homeless person food.”

Courtesy ofmusic.com

“Sonnentanz” by Klangkarussell.

BY Paola Sierra

Vanguard Staff Writer

norma Tumennasan ‘17 MaJOR: corporate finance and accounting

“I went to Las Vegas, Aruba, and Los Angeles.”

Essmaa litim ‘18 MaJOR: Marketing

“I beat my brother in FIFA.”

Alex Cobos ‘18 MaJOR: Finance

A fair amount of our generation tends to stick to the mainstream when it comes to listening to great songs. Only a few make our favorite playlists while many of them, we grow tired of after replaying for week over week. There is a musical void that needs to be filled and for that reason, we find ourselves scrolling down our friends’ Spotify playlists, prowling through every Sound Cloud artist and refreshing our favorite YouTube playlist channels in hopes of some new tunes. Rich music is on the verge of extinction and to find it, we must look elsewhere.

Last semester, I found myself exploring Boston’s music scene. Live concerts and underground shows is where you’d find me on a Sunday night. My friends and I had bought tickets to see Kat Edmonson, a jazz musician, who was performing at the Charles Hotel. It was Valentine’s Day weekend and failing to avoid the clichéd V-Day hotspotswhich included restaurants and parks saturated with old and newfound love- we instead fell into one of life’s

unavoidable traps as we sat encircled by couples representing years of what seemed like strong, successful marriages. Love was definitely in the air and we were hopeless.

I had never heard of Kat Edmonson before my best friend convinced me to go with her.

The staggering truth was that I had never been more grateful to have endured such a torturous wait. The whimsical tunes vibrated my ears and my skin goosed every five seconds. Particularly, “What Else Can I Do” seized my heart.

On another occasion, we explored Berklee College’s events to seek some hidden gems. Snarky Puppy has had songs listed as #1 on iTunes Jazz Charts and has played in sold out shows all over the world, yet many have never heard of them. Their lengthy songs were generated by multiple instruments that harmonized into one single masterpiece. As we sat in the impressive Berklee Performing Center, I found my favorite melody to be “Thing of Gold” which amalgamated trumpets, pianos, drums and many other instruments to create a beautiful muse.

Moving away from live concerts, I’ve explored other groups that make records with just a hint of jazz in their pieces. Royksopp, for example, is a Norweian group that makes music under the electronic genre. They have used many jazz samples like “You’re As Right As Rain” by musician Bob James to create the foundation of their piece, “Eple.” Other songs like “Fusions Alright” or “Remind Me” are not jazz but they have distinct touches of it here and there throughout the pieces to give it vibrancy. Laura Veis from Colorado, sings “July Flame” which was remixed

by Gamper and Dadoni in an indie approach to hold small bits of jazz. “Sonnentanx” by Klanglarussell and “You” by Plej are other pieces that are not jazz either, but incorporate elements of it to make them distinctly unique. Parov Stelar is famous for combining many genres in order to craft stellar pieces. “Booty Swing” and “Catgroove” are perfect examples of this. He uses jazz and electronics to somehow make a perfect medium. Hiromi Uehara is a composer that makes jazz music through her piano tunes.

The classics, like Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis will forever hold legacy and influence on music today in a way that has served as a milestone in the music industry. Perhaps outright jazz from last century is “outdated” but protégé, Lady Gaga has been guided

by Tony Bennett’s expertise to compose jazz singles and remixes to indie or folk songs that are beginning to incorporate not only electronic melodies but jazz ones as well.

Jazz comes in many forms and mediums- finding the right one for you is the trick to its appreciation.

“I threw a party and had fun with my friends before leaving for school.”

Jonathan yu ‘18 MaJOR: Management MINOR: marketing

“I took part in the annual Hasbro meeting in Hong Kong for the Asian market.”

Courtesy of isarabox.net

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BY kristin salazar photography editor

“You”, a jazz piece composed by Plej.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Grammy’s: Best Rap Albums

BY Evan Leake

Vanguard Staff Writer

In terms of hip-hop, 2014 lacked a decisive best album. Without records from the biggest artists in rap, the Grammy category for best rap album is a tight race between Iggy Azalea, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, ScHoolboy Q and Childish Gambino. While these artists all were nominated for their popularity, there is a clear chasm in quality and impact to the rap world.

ScHoolboy Q and Childish Gambino made attempts to innovate within the genre, while the others repeated their formulas for success.

Iggy Azalea, Eminem and Wiz Khalifa all created highly successful records worthy of recognition at the Grammy Awards, where sales determine success. However, these albums failed to bring anything new to the genre.

In particular, Iggy has faced scrutiny from rap veterans.

Blending in pop, Iggy has been played on the radio ad nauseam. Regardless of what the critics say about her cultural appropriation of rap music, her music’s success is based on her emphasized hyper-sexuality. Her irreverence to rap culture seems to prove that her adoption of hip-hop was to sell records. Beyond her doubtful character, Iggy’s music is acutely formulaic, beats and flow stolen from true Southern emcees. Nothing about her music shows any shred of originality.

Wiz Khalifa, unlike Iggy Azalea, has been a consistent chart-topping artist. Beginning his career with widely respected mixtapes, Wiz Khalifa’s Blacc Hollywood follows the disappointing trend of unsuccessful albums. Though the song We Dem Boyz is undeniably a hit single, the record lacks cohesion. The CD’s tracklist is poorly designed; flipping from “turn up” anthems to attempts at introspection. Wiz is out of his element in these introspective songs and Blacc Hollywood suffers. While the record is consistent with Wiz Khalifa’s image as one of the quintessential stoner rappers, it fails to show any thoughtfulness or progression.

Eminem’s newest album seems like a rehash. This is

no fault to the prolific career of Eminem, one of the best to ever rap. However, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 will be marked as an interesting moment in his legacy. It is a return to his roots, where he shows his verbal acrobatics and unparalleled range of rap schemes. However, it also begs the question if Eminem’s niche is still needed as a shock rapper. There is some self-awareness in the LP, where he muses on his legacy and lyrics. It still showcases adolescent themes, with misguided and discriminatory lines. Although his relentless assault of the microphone is impressive, the The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is a shadow of Eminem’s classic records.

Unlike the first three rappers nominated, ScHoolboy Q’s Oxymoron shows undeniable progress in his rap career. As a member of the Black Hippy collective, ScHoolboy Q lacked the others’ memorability. As a result, his previous LP’s were unfocused. Within the songs of Oxymoron, Q was able to demonstrate a newfound image as a modern party gangster. Unlike many traditional gangster rappers that only focus on deeply crippling reality of the streets, ScHoolboy shows that there can be fun. Songs like Man of the Year quickly became infectious and showed Q’s drugfuelled antics. In addition to party pleasers, Q also has more traditional rap songs that solidify his strength as a real emcee. ScHoolboy Q was successful in making compelling narratives of the realities of drugs. In particular, Prescription/Oxymoron, is perhaps the most compelling reason for Q’s ascension.

The first half grapples with Q’s drug-use, complete with a haunting voice-over performed by his young daughter. This immensely personal song shows Q’s duality; while drugs are responsible for his party persona, they are also personally destructive. Oxymoron is overall an impressive LP that shows ScHoolboy Q’s development as a rapper and it is a worthy reason for his explosion in popularity.

Recommended Listening: Collard Greens, The Purge, Studio Much like ScHoolboy Q’s

Oxymoron, Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet also represents strong growth. Although Gambino already had a definite cult following that appreciated his humor and emotional self-depreciation, the album proves that he can move into the mainstream.

The release of Because the Internet involved more than its music; it also had a multimedia website with a script for a journey through the album. Within the tracklist, there are five distinct numbered groupings. These indicate a large thematic shift in the script and music. It serves to also break up the listening, with interspersed interludes.

This grounds the otherwise ambitious LP; the disjoined nature of punchline rap, melodic singing and ruminations about the world is tied together through these brief respites. Indeed, the departure from hashtag rap, still found on tracks like Worldstar and Sweatpants, allows Gambino to showcase his surprising aptitude at singing. In this, Gambino proves that he is as multi-talented at music as he is at comedy. In addition, his choice of production style is unconventional. Unlike the tradition of rap beats with heavy drums, the atmospheric production on the more grandiose songs balance its themes. Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet is by far the most ambitious album nominated. Although an unconventional LP, it proves that Donald Glover is only a joke when he wants to be.

Recommended Listening: Sweatpants, 3005, Telegraph Ave. It is hard to say who deserves to win the Grammy this year; ScHoolboy Q had a more traditional and grounded project, while Childish Gambino’s LP is the definite dark horse. While it is entirely possible and even likely, that one of the two will not win, that is due to a lack of understanding of hip-hop by the Grammy judges. Beyond those nominated, it is also important that some of the best records of 2014 are not on the list. The reality is that sales are responsible for nominations and wins at the Grammy Awards, regardless of the best artistic execution of the year.

THE vanguard

ferbuary 5, 2015

CAMPUS VOICES

Falcons share their thoughts.

What’s your New Year’s Resolution?

Peter Markarian ‘18 MaJOR: management

“To become better friends with everyone in my fraternity.”

Shantilee Green ‘18 MaJOR: Management

“To focus on bettering myself and getting good grades.”

grace Litam ‘18 MaJOR: Undecided

“To build a snowman because we don’t get snow in California.”

Sereena Blum ‘17 MaJOR: marketing

“To talk to my family more.”

Cole Middlebrook ‘16 MaJOR: finance

Courtesy of consequenceofsnd.net

“To eat more because I want to gain more weight.”

ScHoolboy Q shows incredible progress in his rapping career through the rap song “Oxymoron”.

BY kristin salazar photography editor

9

THE vanguard

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

SNOW DAY FUN!

Falcons made the best out of snow storm Juno.

� MINUTES FROM CAMPUS. SPECIAL BENTLEY DISCOUNT!

Voted Waltham’s Best Gym | ���-���-���� ��� Waverley Oaks Rd | crossfitwatchcity.com

/THE VANGUARD/ Usama Salim, Kristin Salazar & Kelly Grady, Ryan Cadorette

10

OPINION Manchester, u.k.

As I am completing my first few weeks abroad, I am proud to say that Manchester is living up to my expectations. It has easily become a familiar place, despite the city’s large size.

Adjusting was effortless because Manchester makes me feel at home. The city is buzzing with college students as are the quaint little hole in the wall shops. I am already picking up the local accent and by semester’s end, I’ll hopefully have it down. Between the diversity of the student population, the college-town feel, the beautiful sights on Oxford Road and just about everything but the endless rainfalls, there is a sense of belonging. There’s even a strip called ‘Curry Mile’ filled with all South-Asian and MiddleEastern restaurants, shops and lounges.

If I had to say, the most difficult difference for me abroad is that the University of Manchester’s classes are not your typical class.

The lectures contain significantly greater content and the hones remains on the student’s desire to excel.

Only the student abroad students have classes in all majors/concentrations, as most university students declare their career path upon a conditional offer for acceptance. This way, most students have already taken the necessary pre-requisites back in ‘high school’.

Therefore, most professors hold seminar classes and workshops to better prepare the students. They even record podcasts for the largest classes. My own flat mates are all ‘freshers’

and they are all excelling, but spend most of their day in the singles studying and reading. Similar to Bentley, most students I see are active on campus and are in several clubs, while another chunk of students are keeping busy in the Library as opposed to their own rooms. The campus life is relatively similar, but there are new norms I need to pick up daily in order to feel more at home. The school and the students are nice and easy-going, but also maintain their studies.

The nightlife makes up for everything though, as the students come out and wreak havoc well into early morning. There are several different venues, each filled with different music.

Between the lively clubs, bars, pubs, stadiums and streets, this city fits the bill if you’re looking for fun times. I can’t wait for the next adventure! I send well wishes from across the pond.

february 5, 2015

11

NOTES FROM ABROAD

been What has rt of the best pa ter your semes far? abroad so

ersity Bentley Univ treet 175 Forest S A 02452 Waltham, M

Courtesy of Sagar Shah

Sagar shah

THE vanguard

Sagar Shah shares his experience from Manchester. Well wishes to you too Sagar!

FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEFS DESK

Charlie Hebdo: A Message To The Terrorists December 15th. I wake up to a slew of social media posts. Sydney was under siege; Australia had reacted.

In the defense mechanism that I inherently had learned to use over the years, I released a status update condemning the act and praising Sydney for its “I ride with you.” A little over 24 hours later, the Army School in Peshawar, Pakistan, was attacked. 145 people died that day with 132 of them being children. It was one of those rare days when Pakistan and India stood together in the face of terrorism. My defense mechanism kicked in and as is the practice in Middle Eastern and South Asian regions, I changed my profile picture to a black background, signifying mourning.

January 7. It hit again. 2 gunmen took to the streets of Paris, killing 12 people. The world reacted. But this time, not in the same way as the previous two incidents. You try and you try harder, but there’s

always a last straw. What the world saw was France’s own 9/11 with deaths and a renewed definition of a once peaceful religion. Instantaneously, defense mechanisms kicked in. My news feed filled with opinions and thoughts.

Some attacked France, others condemned the violence and some, in a state of despair, started digging deep and hard to find “dirt” against the Europeans.

I wanted to respond too. I wanted to tell the world that the religion I had chosen to continue following (my parents are Muslim) was peaceful. If only they would understand true Islam, they would know who these Pseudo “Muslims” were. Notice I never used the word “Islamists” or anything related to that word, because they do not deserve it. Alas, the world has stood with us so many times, but it grew tired. We all know the phrase: “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”.

The only difference was the

shame on me had gone on for too long and everyone had enough by now.

A few days passed and a close friend texted me asking what I thought of Je Suis Charlie. I wanted to tell her that our religion (she is Muslim too) was not like that. I wanted to tell her the Quran, the foundation of Islam regardless of sect, clearly stated: “And when you see those who engage in [offensive] discourse concerning our verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another conversion.” It never said kill.

It never said to stop associating oneself with those people.

It said: turn away and rejoin when they change the topic.

It took me two whole days to respond to that text. I tried to come up with some fancy answer, but at the end of the day, I had reached the point where I felt like ‘Je ne donne pas une m**de” (I couc ldn’t give a sh&$). I was tired too. I had to keep protecting a religion that was being tarnished

by a group of people who did not come close to representing it the way it should be.

Even worse, it felt like it was me against the world and I was exhausted of pushing through crowds of people. I have realized on one hand, I am finished speaking of these people. On the other, I want to send a message to whoever thinks that killing in the name of my religion is ok.

For some reason, you think you are a hero. You’re not.

Every little inconvenience you cause me is on you. You call yourself the protectors of Islam, but do you really think that is how every normal Muslim feels? Do you really think that by killing in “the name” of anything will cause people to respect said thing? Here’s a news flash; it does not. So go, leave me alone. Leave my people alone, because here comes a second news flash: no one wants to be associated with maniacs like you.

And if you are SO hell- bent on dying, then go jump off a

USAMA SALIM A sophomore majoring in EconomicsFinance. bridge. Maybe that will make people care.

And here is another thing: you see that woman who wants to practice her religion but cannot because people will judge her? That’s on YOU. You see that young man named Ahmed walking through the airport scared sh*&less because TSA will question him for two hours on a random select? That’s on YOU. You see that child being bullied in the middle of the playground because of his religion? That’s on YOU. But why would you care right?

You have the audacity to look a child in the eye and shoot him dead right there. And you have the audacity to do it 132 times over. So what is a little inconvenience to you?

12

THE vanguard

OPINION

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

COLUMN TITLE

The Decline Of Crude’s Price And Quantiative Easing Riple Throughs Crude has been on a downward trend in the last six months, slumping more than 50% to a 6 year low.

Causes for this decline extend from the oversupply of crude due to OPEC’s continued high rate of production as well US production, which has increased America’s daily oil production to 9 million barrels a day. The slowdown in demand for crude also has effected the low prices. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently cut its growth forecasts by 30 basis points for 2015 and 2016, which caused a slow down of oil consumption causing lesser demand than anticipated.

But other causes for this slowdown bear further inspection.

Some Economists have come up with a new interpretation for the recent negative volatility. They suggest that drastic levels of quantitative easing throughout the world have given traders and financial institutions excess of money and money market securities to invest. As

PUJIT AGARWAL A sopomore majoring in Finance.

Both the demand and the price of crude have been lowered in the last six months. commodities are believed to have strong underlying trends, crude Futures are a big betting field for these institutions. Financial institutions have accumulated massive short positions on crude, leading to a larger and longer fall than anticipated.

Volumes of Open Interests on crude futures have been significantly rising in the last six months as it breaks a new support and crapes to form a new one. The volumes of Open Interest on crude futures reached a 5 year high in January, led by a massive open interest covering as

evidenced by data showing a record weekly decline in oil drilling, resulting in crude bouncing up 8%. Economists believe that the prices are artificially low at the moment and are bound to recover as the market always reflects the correct price. They blame the massive short interest in crude for the low prices and believe that quantitative easing was responsible for funding this massive open interest. Now that data suggest that it’s unfeasible for manufacturers in the US to produce oil at such prices, it is likely that traders are going to

go long on crude futures until it reaches equilibrium. The increase in Crude prices isn’t the main point that needs focus; the increase in the inherent CBOE Crude Oil Volatility Index (OVX) is the point which should be a cause of concern. As traders and institutional investors have massive amounts of money, money is changing hands at a faster pace than ever. This is causing very volatile crude prices.

See the chart comparing S&P’s VIX to crude future’s VIX from July 2014 through January 2015. The yellow line represents the crude future’s

VIX and the other line represents S&P’s VIX. Furthermore, we are looking into a future with quantitative easing being widely used as a monetary policy.

The Euro zone is purchasing assets worth €60 billion every month with Japan and China (suspected) as other countries, which are still participating in Quantitative easing.

With CBOE Crude Oil Volatility Index (OVX) at extreme highs, these economists are still betting long on the OVX. As they believe that using Quantitative easing as an economic tool will result in increasing the volatility of all financial asset classes in the future, which will intern lead to increasing uncertainty thus increasing the required return that financial assets might be valued at. But who knows what will happen, right?

MINDFUL MUSINGS WITH KAREN WANG

The Power Of Positive Thinking ery action, I had learned more about myself and the world around me at a music festival than twenty years of schooling. We were one cohesive entity connected not by words, material possessions, social status or age, but by the indiscriminate beauty of music. As if a veil had been lifted from my shoulders, I both physically and mentally felt my insecurity, my stress and my discomfort release from the hollows of my spirit.

It was undoubtedly the counterpoint to my life, a metamorphic transition from adolescence to young-adulthood.

I am now a firm believer in the power of attraction and the cosmic energy that connects us all. You could say I’ve become a sort of spiri-

tualist. I’ve actually never followed any religion and I often actively avoid any type of institutionalized system of rules or regulations. The beauty of spirituality is that it knows no boundaries. There are no churches, no bibles or holy books, no set prayers, no pope or priest or deity, no undisclosed contract binding you to lifelong duty. My take on being a spiritualist simply means I respect the light in others as well as myself and will consistently act with positive intention, gratitude and love.

In the grand scheme of things, no matter how much scheduling, planning, checking and double-checking you do, you will never be prepared for what life throws in your

direction. I don’t care if you think you’ve got everything under control or have an intricate map of the next 30 years of your life. When shit hits the fan and you’re staring down at the tiny shards scattered by your feet, your next move will dictate the path your life continues on. You can either wallow in self-pity or get on all fours and pick up the pieces. But of course, it’s never easy. When I was 16, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. When I was 18, I had even less of an idea of what I wanted to do with my life. I am now 20 and although I may have a bit more self-confidence and intrinsic motivation, I can admit that I still have no idea what I want to do with my life.

KAREN WANG A junior majoring in Marketing.

What I realized from those precious 72 hours of my existence is that although I may never have complete control over what happens, I do have the power to emit positive energy and in turn, will receive what I put out into this universe. Call it karma, call it fate, call it whatever you want… life cannot be lived behind the shadow of unconscious actions. While I’m honestly still wracking my brain over what I want to eat for dinner, my heart sings just knowing that at this very moment, I’m exactly where I need to be.

Courtesy of pinterest.com

As I stared out the window at everything and nothing, I felt my throat choke against the emotions that had been buried deep within my chest for the past few months. My mind drifted back to the last three days under the hot Georgia sun. Our campground, littered with dreaded hippies and sunburnt hoopers, was the mecca of creative output and interdependence. Like the warm breeze that flapped through the folds of each tent, a wave of genuine smiles and understanding embraces swept over the grassy knolls.

I seemed to have uncovered an oasis seen only by those brave enough to step out of their comfort zones.

With nothing but music and good vibes propelling my ev-

Even though you cannot know what the future holds, you are in control of your thoughts and your positive attitude.

The RJR Nabisco Buyout BY jacob zimmer VC & PE Staff Writer

American conglomerate RJR Nabisco, Inc. which provided services in the tobacco and food industries has earned its place in private equity history as the largest leveraged buyout of all time. In short, a leveraged buyout (LBO) is when a company is acquired by a private equity firm using a significant amount of debt.

LBOs have become increasingly popular because of the high returns on the equity, but also they provided a way for turning average companies into outstanding firms.

The RJR Nabisco LBO was the largest ever at $25 billion.

The events of the takeover has been captured in the book Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco.

RJR Nabisco was an attractive LBO candidate because of the company’s exposure in several industries as well as having popular brand name products such as the famous Oreo cookie.

However, the company’s

performance was not meeting the required expectations. Therefore, CEO Ross Johnson decided to take the company private to spend their efforts focusing on operations rather than increasing shareholder value. In October of 1988 the battle for who would take control of the company began. Originally an announcement from Shearson Lehman Hutton, a prominent U.S. investment banking shop, indicated that they would be in charge of taking the company private at $75 per share. Once the news broke out, every major player on Wall Street wanted a piece of the action. This included Saloman Brothers, First Boston, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Forstmann Little, Merrill Lynch and lastly Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR). Each firm attempted to submit a bid before November 18th which was the last deadline.

KKR, a PE firm that specializes in LBOs, was handed financial data of the com-

pany’s operations from RJR management and was viewed as the leader in the running. During this period of negotiations, RJR Nabisco’s stock price increased considerably from the public speculation of the company being sold. In the end, there were three offers on the table that were more than $100 per share. KKR prevailed in the bidding war with a $24.88 billion ($109 a share) offer.

Controversy did arise due to Johnson’s golden parachute deal where he pocketed $53 million from the takeover (but only $23 million after taxes).

Many view the RJR Nabisco LBO as a prime example of corporate and executive greed. However, the LBO market was forever changed as this historic deal paved the way for the LBO boom that we are still currently in. The private equity market has grown exponentially over the past few decades, but one has to wonder if we will ever see a deal that surpasses the RBR Nabisco buyout.

The Incubator/Accelerator Structure

BY Pawan varyani VC & PE Staff Writer

Accelerators, incubators, combinators, coworking space, idea factory, virtual incubator, corporate incubator. At the end of the day what are we even talking about? They are all incubators or organizations that are setup to nurture startup enterprises, by providing them with certain resources and access to certain networks that appeal to enterprise founders, allowing them to accelerate their growth with a refined and direct focus.

However there is a noticeable difference worth clarifying. An accelerator will take equity in an externally developed idea/ start-up in return for capital and mentorship, which usually last 3 months long.

A good example would be Boston based TechStars.

An incubator will bring in an external team to work on an in-house developed idea/ start-up without having a prior knowledge of the time structure, but it usually takes more than 3 months and a much larger equity stake. A good example is California based idealab.

Typically an accelerator will invest roughly a $100K for a 3%-10% equity stake in the start-up. The equity stake will be lower if the start-up has had previ-

ous rounds of funding or if they have revenues over $1M. Furthermore the equity stake will be higher for investments made in startups outside the US region, as valuations outside the US are substantially lower.

The average seed/series A stage valuation, which is typically the funding stage at which incubators are trying to get involved, is $4.8M in Silicon Valley. However if you take the average price that incubators are valuing the start-ups that join their 14 weeks program. Let’s take 7% equity for $75K that gives us a valuation of roughly $1.07M, which is under the average seed/series A in Silicon Valley. What justifies the well-below average valuations? The mentors? The ambiance? Surely the mechanics of the incubator has struck a goldmine here.

To understand the evolution of the process that led to the incubator business model, we need to first understand the history and the growth of the VC business model – from a primitive source I must disclaim.

VC’s organically sprung up due to the need for financing and primarily access to capital for early stage companies. Historically money was their differentiating factor. However, nowadays, access to capital is everywhere from crowd funding

to Angel List. Therefore, in order to differentiate themselves the VC’s shifted and invested in the collaborative workspace - incubator model, in which they promise to streamline your start-up business model and get you to your next stage of funding, all within a 3-months period. Chris Lynch from Atlas Ventures and Bentley University Alumni, criticized accelerators at the MIT VC conference in December of last year. His arguments are that they don’t make the jump from a seed round to a series A, B, or exit, a fool’s errand. People who come out of the 3-month program have a warped sense of what their value is. They’re pitted against their investors quite early on the process (3 months from seed funding) and on valuations. Dave McClure of 500 Startups rebutted, his arguments were that some accelerators could help entrepreneurs figure out the industry and get higher valuations. The gap between seed and series A, B are true in all start-ups. He went on to say that some accelerators are providing value, but he agreed that most are probably not. An interesting debate lies ahead that could impact the future of VC, but for now accelerators and incubators are no where sort of candidates.

THE vanguard

february 5, 2015

13

Is Israel the next Scilicon Valley?

BY christina wu VC & PE Staff Writer

When it comes to the hottest startup hubs, the first location that comes to mind for most people is Silicon Valley, the home of tech giants like Google, Facebook, eBay, and so many more. However, Silicon Valley is not the only startup hub that is grabbing all the attention nowadays. Israel is another fast-growing startup location that is captivating the interests of many venture capitalists internationally.

Just last week, several Israeli startups raised $910 million in one week. $770 million came from acquisitions and $140 million came from funding rounds. U.S played a large role in the acquisitions with Amazon’s purchase of Annapurna Labs, a semiconductor company for $370 million.

Ravello, a cloud-based testing company, and AppsFlyer, an app promotion campaign tracker, were two of the biggest focus last week, raising almost $50 million from funding. (Moss) Many large Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Yuanda Enterprise Group, and China’s Bright Food, are also interested in Israeli companies.

In September 2014, Yuanda Enterprise Group acquired AutoAgronome, a smart agriculture technology system, for $20 million. China’s Bright Food acquired 56% of a dairy firm Tnuva in early 2014. Israel is rapidly capturing worldwide focus as a growing source of promising startups. (Mitzner) Looking back at some of the newest, groundbreaking innovations of Israel startups in 2014, it’s quite obvious to understand the reasons why it’s

growing at a fast rate.

Consumer Physics was able to raise $2 million in an astonishingly short period of 30 days for their new product “SCio”, a USB molecular scanner that can scan materials to analyze their chemical makeup. For everyone’s purpose, it can analyze the organic composition of an apple and tell you if it’s ripe or scan your plants and tell you the hydration levels. The future holds endless applications for this technology. (Wolf) StoreDot may also be the next big breakthrough with its nano-dot technology to develop batteries that pack enough punch to charge your mobile phone for about 30 seconds.

This idea has already raised $48 million in two rounds and has attracted leading phone makers in Asia. (Wolf) CyberArk is also a prominent startup and the first cyber security company in Israel to go public in the U.S since 1999. As a leading cyber security that eliminates the most advance cyber threats, it was able to raise $85.8 million on its first day of trading, with an estimated valuation of $473 million. (Wolf) With so many novel and ingenious ideas, more and more Israeli startups have successfully developed and expanded as we see an increase in exits.

According to PwC, there was a tremendous growth in exits for 2014 compared to 2013.

In just one year, exits through mergers and acquisitions and public offerings grew $13.8 billion dollars, from $1.2 billion in 2013 to $15 billion in 2014 (Mitzner).With a continuing surge of ideas and investments, Israel may become the next Silicon Valley.

Courtesy of www.techrepublic.com

VC & PE

Intel’s new facility in Haifa, Israel.

14

THE vanguard

SPORTS

february 5, 2015

Bentley Women’s Swim Team wins against Babson

Courtesy of Sports Information Office

BY Thomas day Vanguard Staff Writer

Senior Nadine Edwards leads in the meet against St. Michael.

Courtesy of Sports Information Office

Freshman Emily Niemiec leads in the 200 yard freestyle.

While everyone was enjoying their winter break from classes, the Bentley women’s swim team was hard at work preparing for its two important meets.

The first came against NE10 foe St. Michael’s College on January 7th. The Lady Falcons edged out a nice conference victory against a solid St. Michael’s team by a final of 169-112. Leading the way for the Lady Falcons were sophomore Kaitlin McGahie and senior Nadine Edwards, both of whom were winners in their respective events and carried the Falcons to the victory.

Carrying this momentum into their next meet, the Lady Falcons hosted Keene State on January 11th.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, the Owls of Keene State proved to be a dominate force, routing Bentley by a final of 215.582.5. However, it should be noted that senior diver Paige Wilde dominated in her diving competitions.

The senior led a 1-2-3 finish off the one-meter board, recording a score of 234.44.

She also posted a winning score of 268.19 in the threemeter board.

As the first day of classes commenced, the Lady Falcons were poised to get back to their winning ways with a home meet against rival Babson College. The Falcons simply crushed Babson by capturing all thirteen events. One of the stars of the meet was freshman Emily Niemiec, who swept in all of her three events. Niemiec explained how Coach Samko stressed the importance of this rivalry match: “She wanted us to show up and perform with a lot of energy. I swam my races so that I could contribute to the positive energy so teammates could feed off of that and we could win.”

Also, sophomore Kaitlin McGahie and senior Paige Wilde assisted in the effort by winning in both of their respective events. McGahie won the 200 individual medley and the 100 free, while Wilde swept both of her diving events. The Lady Falcons also swept both the 1000 and 500 free in 1-23 fashion, with junior Kelly Culkin and senior Nadine

Edwards leading the way for Bentley.

This was an impressive win for Bentley and one that delighted Coach Mary Samko, who commented on the victory, saying: “The women’s meet was not as challenging as the men’s meet, which had close races throughout. Each team (women and men) swam well with some personal best times along the way.

It is always great to beat a rival team, as Bentley and Babson compete to attract the same student athletes to our teams, because of our strong business programs.”

Samko continued by adding that, at the conclusion of the meet: “The opposing coach approached me to complement our team and our effort saying how impressed he was with our total team effort and that even he was ‘proud’ of our team and the way they competed.”

The Falcons now have their eyes set on competing in the NE-10 Conference Championships, which will be held on the campus of Southern Connecticut State February 5-8th.

Courtesy of source source source

Bentley Men’s Swim team takes two out of three

Bentley’s Men Swim Team must prepare for the upcoming NE-10 Conference Championships.

BY joseph greeley Vanguard Staff Writer

The Bentley men’s swim team wrapped up its third meet over break last Tuesday with a 140-99 victory over Babson. Junior Sebastian Bury led the way, winning both of his freestyle races with times of 22.23 in the 50 free and 49.39 in the 100. Bury also swam the opening leg in the 200 free relay to lead Bentley to the dominating win. Impressively, Bentley recorded two 1-2-3 finishes in the 200 free as well

as the 100 backstroke.

Bentley won the 200 medley relay to improve to 6-4 on the season.

Bentley also faced St. Michael’s and the undefeated Keene State over break, defeating St. Michael’s 149.5-130.5 but falling 208-90 to Keene State. Bentley recorded six 1-2-3 finishes and captured 12 out of 16 events overall in the win over St. Michael’s. The Falcons raced their best times of the season in the 400-yard medley relay, recording a time of 3:46.29. Bentley

also took the 50 backstroke, 50 breast-stroke, 200 butterfly, and 200 individual medley. Junior Colton Bridge was able to continue his streak of sweeping both the onemeter and three-meter diving events with scores of 166.05 and 240.90, respectively.

Bridge was able to extend his seven-race winning streak to eight against Keene, as his victories were the only ones Bentley was able to secure at the Dana Center. Bridge defeated Keene’s Cody Fitzgerald in

the one-meter by 66 points with a score of 267.75. He also beat Fitzgerald in the three-meter board with a score of 274.57, compared to Fitzgerald’s 241.94. A main highlight of the match overall featured Keene junior Shahar Resman, who broke two pool records with a time of 1:43.93 in the 200 free and a time of 4:40.67 in the 500 free.

Along with the races, members of the men’s team were recently recognized by the NE-10. Colton Bridge took Diver of the Week honors for his eight-

race win streak. He was recognized for the fourth time in the last five reports and the 12 th time in his career. The Men’s Relay Team won Team of the Week for its performance against St. Michael’s.

Bentley was scheduled to wrap up its dual-meet schedule Tuesday hosting Bridgewater State, but the meet has been postponed due to the storm. The team must also prepare for the NE-10 Conference Championships at New Haven, CT which will be held from February 5th to the 8th.

SPORTS

THE vanguard

Men’s Basketball stay strong

BY Russell Cloon

TEAM SPORTS STANDINGS FOOTBALL

Vanguard Staff Writer

NE-10 STANDINGS

School NE-10 Overall American Int’l 8 1 0 8 3 0 Stonehill 4 5 0 5 6 0 New Haven 6 3 0 6 5 0 Assumption 6 3 0 7 4 0 Merrimack 4 5 0 4 7 0 Bentley 3 6 0 5 6 0 LIU Post 7 2 0 8 4 0 Southern Conn.

2 7 0 2 9 0 Saint Anselm 5 4 0 6 5 0 Pace 0 9 0 1 10 0

FIELD HOCKEY Courtesy of Sports Information Office

NE-10 STANDINGS

Senior Keegan Hyland defends the ball from opposing team. vens explained that the Falcons lack of experience, coupled with injuries, is the prime reason for Bentley’s unfortunate streak: “Basically, we have a very young, inexperienced team.

Losing seven key performers from last season’s undefeated National Championship team certainly impacted us. Unfortunately, we have had some injuries to some of our key players, most notably freshman point guard Macchi Smith, who is out for the season with an ACL tear. We will also be without senior forward Carlene Kluge and freshman guard Trevena Bennett for an undetermined period of time as they have also suffered recent injuries.”

Despite the Falcons’ results thus far, Stevens is still optimistic and happy with her team’s effort considering the obstacles.

“Having said that, our team is holding together very well,” Stevens said. “Despite the challenges we face, our players continue to work very hard every day to get better. I am pleased with their effort. However, we realize that we will need improvement in all facets of our game as we go forward in our Conference play. Our goal is to make the NE-10 playoffs and we are focused on doing that.”

Courtesy of Sports Information Office

The winter break told a tale of two stories for the men’s and women’s basketball programs: The men’s basketball team, sitting at 11-7 overall, went 6-2 over the break. Capped by their most recent win at home against New Haven, they defeated the Chargers 65-56. The Bentley women’s basketball team, however, was less fortunate over break. They lost sixstraight games to place 7-11 overall.

The men’s team used an amazing onslaught of threepoint shooting to defeat New Haven last Friday, nailing 13 three-pointers in 23 attempts to post an impressive 57 percent from beyond the arc. Seniors Keegan Hyland, Andrew Shaw and junior Alex Furness each made three from beyond the arc. Hyland lead the way, posting an impressive 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the victory. The Falcons offensive production beyond the arc proved to be the difference in the game; as the Chargers outscored by the Falcons in the paint 30 to 14, while also out-rebounding the Falcons 37-30. Bentley was able to win in spite of this disparity, with junior Tyler McFarland also posting a team leading three blocks and notching three steals.

A key factor to the Falcons success was the amount of points off turnovers. Bentley topped New Haven 13-4 in this category, forcing 11 turnovers while committing only 9 themselves. The Falcons posted a 36-27 lead headed into halftime off a Shaw three-point shot to beat the buzzer, extending the gap between their opponents to the biggest of the half. The Falcons then matched New Haven’s 29 points in the secondhalf to seal a nine-point victory.

On the flip side, the Bentley women’s basketball team lost to nationally ranked New Haven 78-54 at home last Wednesday to extend their losing streak to six-consecutive games. After winning at home against Saint Anselm 65-51 to start the New Year, Bentley has fallen to LIU Post, Le Moyne, Southern Connecticut State, Adelphi and American International.

Head Coach Barbara Ste-

february 5, 2015

Sophomore Brittany Gregory prepares to shoot the ball.

Currently the Falcons sit in last place in the Northeast Division of the NE-10 Conference.

In order to make the playoffs, the Falcons must finish at least fifth in their division.

Last Wednesday, the women’s team started off strong and competed with New Haven, ranked 23rd in the nation.

Sophomore Brittany Gregory gave the Falcons a 15-14 lead halfway through the first half.

However, the Chargers fought back, scoring 11 unanswered points on their way to a 4624 run to finish the half, while the Falcons went four for 20 in the last 12 minutes of the half.

Although the Falcons played well against New Haven in the second half, scoring 30 points to New Haven’s 32 points, the damage was already done.

“As for the New Haven game, I thought we started off very strong and competed very well with an extremely talented New Haven squad,” Stevens said. “We had some trouble scoring which led to New Haven building a good sized lead in the first half. However, in the second half I thought our team played very hard and again, I was very pleased with their effort. One area of improvement that I have seen in our team is in our overall competitiveness - we are staying focused and remaining competitive which is a good sign.”

The Bentley women had won a staggering 21 straight games against New Haven, but the loss put them at 2-10 in the NE-10 Conference. Finally, on Saturday the Women’s Basketball team rebounded, defeating Pace 68-57 to snap their seven-game losing streak.

Gemma posted 29 points and 12 rebounds on her way to a double-double. The women’s basketball team is back in action at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4 at home against Assumption.

The men’s basketball team was able to build upon its success in its last game versus Pace, winning its third-straight game 75-53 behind a seasonbest 23 points from junior Alex Furness. Now at 8-6 NE-10 and 13-7 overall, the team will be back in action at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 4 at home versus Assumption.

School NE-10 Overall LIU Post 10 1 0 18 4 0 Merrimack 5 6 0 9 8 0 Stonehill 9 2 0 17 4 0 Bentley 6 5 0 10 9 0 Adelphi 8 3 0 14 7 0 Saint Anselm 3 8 0 8 9 0 Southern Conn.

1 10 0 3 15 0 American Int’l 7 4 0 12 8 0 Assumption 7 4 0 12 7 0 St. Michael’s 5 6 0 9 9 0 Franklin Pierce 5 6 0 8 10 0

MEN’S BASKETBALL NE-10 STANDINGS - NORTHEAST DIVISION School NE-10 Overall Franklin Pierce 7 6 0 12 8 0 Saint Anselm 10 4 0 13 5 0 St. Michels 9 5 0 13 6 0 Bentley 8 6 0 13 7 0 Southern N.H. 11 3 0 13 5 0 Merrimack 5 8 0 10 8 0 Assumption 5 9 0 8 11 0 Stonehill 9 5 0 14 6 0

NE-10 STANDINGS - SOUTHWEST DIVISION School NE-10 Overall Southern Conn.

10 3 0 15 5 0 New Haven 7 7 0 12 8 0 Le Moyne 7 7 0 13 8 0 St. Rose 3 11 0 5 16 0 American Int’l 10 3 0 15 4 0 Adelphi 1 13 0 4 16 0 Pace 1 13 0 5 17 0

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NE-10 STANDINGS - NORTHEAST DIVISION School NE-10 Overall Bentley 3 11 0 8 12 0 Stonehill 12 2 0 16 2 0 Assumption 6 8 0 11 8 0 Franklin Pierce 9 5 0 11 6 0 Merrimack 6 7 0 10 8 0 Saint Anselm 4 10 0 6 13 0 Southern N.H. 4 10 0 10 11 0 St. Michael’s 3 11 0 8 11 0

NE-10 STANDINGS - SOUTHWEST DIVISION School NE-10 Overall New Haven 11 3 0 17 3 0 Adelphi 12 2 0 19 2 0 Le Moyne 8 6 0 14 7 0 Southern Conn.

9 4 0 12 9 0 St. Rose 5 9 0 9 11 0 American Int’l 7 7 0 12 10 0 Pace 5 9 0 10 11 0

VOLLEYBALL NE-10 STANDINGS

School NE-10 Overall New Haven 11 3 0 24 9 0 St. Rose 10 4 0 18 9 0 Bentley 11 3 0 19 12 0 Adelphi 10 4 0 16 15 0 Franklin Pierce 8 6 0 15 13 0 Stonehill 11 3 0 21 8 0 Merrimack 9 5 0 17 8 0 American Int’l 2 12 0 7 14 0 Southern N.H. 9 5 0 17 11 0 Southern Conn.

3 11 0 7 22 0 St. Michael’s 2 12 0 7 14 0 Le Moyne 7 7 0 10 13 0 Assumption 5 9 0 8 14 0 Saint Anselm 6 8 0 14 12 0 Pace 1 13 0 4 23 0

HOCKEY NE-10 STANDINGS School NE-10 Mercyhurst 10 7 3 Bentley 11 7 3 Airforce 10 8 2 Robert Morris 16 3 3 Canisius 11 4 5 Niagara 3 15 2 Rochester Inst.

9 7 4 Holy Cross 9 7 5 American Int’l 3 12 7 Sacred Heart 6 10 6 Army 6 14 2

Overall 12 10 4 13 11 3 11 15 3 19 5 4 12 8 6 3 21 2 10 12 4 10 12 5 3 18 7 7 15 6 6 18 2

15

16

THE vanguard

SPORTS

February 5, 2015

Captain Alex Grieve keeps a close eye on the puck.

BY Christopher Mella Vanguard Staff Writer

The men’s ice hockey team returned home to the JAR over the weekend for the first time since December 6th, after playing six straight games on the road over the winter break.

The team was welcomed by a surge of fans on both Friday and Saturday night, in which Bentley squared off against RIT for a two-game series and then returned to the road to play Mercyhurst the following weekend. Before taking on RIT, Bentley stood in a tie for fourth place with division rival Holy Cross in the Atlantic Hockey League. As postseason hockey approaches, the Falcons will look to remain in fourth place or higher in order to secure home-ice advantage and a first-round bye once the playoff season begins in March.

Friday night’s contest against RIT featured some of the most physical hockey played this season, an atmosphere under which Bentley is known to perform particularly well. Both goalies kept

their bids for shutouts alive until the closing moments of the first period when freshman Ryan McMurphy lit the lamp at 18:58 for his third goal of the season. The play came off of a shot from McMurphy deflected off of a defender’s skate back onto his stick, a stroke of luck that he capitalized upon with a devastating deke past RIT goaltender Jordan Ruby to make the score 1-0. The goal brought a complete turnaround in momentum heading into the second period, a swing the team needed after throwing only four shots on goal for the first frame of play.

Bentley used the momentum swing to their advantage by making the score 2-0 only two minutes into the second period. Freshman and Missouri native Matt Sieckhaus netted his first of the season after defenseman Charlie Donners’s slap shot from the point deflected off of Sieckhaus’s stick and into the back of the net.

Brutality between the two teams intensified as play continued, with after-the-whistle action eventually becoming

expected after every save made by the goalies. Both teams combined for 29 minutes in the penalty box and resulted in a combined total of nine power plays for both teams, yet neither club could reach the back of the net while on the man-advantage throughout the entire duration of play.

RIT gave Bentley a scare in the opening minutes of the third period, as junior forward and alternate captain Andrew Miller cut Bentley’s lead in half at the 5:06 mark. The score was all goalie Gabe Antoni would allow, however, as he remained stone-cold for the remainder of the game with 14 consecutive saves to secure the win. Antoni came up especially big with just over a minute left in the third when Bentley was placed on the penalty kill after high sticking and slashing penalties sent Max French and Andrew Mcdonald to the penalty box. RIT was able to put another attacker out on the ice by pulling Ruby, making it a 6-on-3 man-advantage.

Bentley’s special teams division was put to the test and an all-around defensive effort eventually led to Bentley leaving with a regulation victory.

“In the college levels teams live and die by their special teams,” Bentley captain Alex Grieve said following the win.

“I wasn’t shocked with how amazing [Antoni] played and how he gave us a chance to win.”

The following night, however, was a different story. RIT would not accept a weekendsweep, and stole a win from the Falcons with a decisive 5-2 victory. Bentley opened up strong, once again by scoring the first goal at just the 3:32 mark of the first period

by Grieve. The goal was es-

FALCON FALCON OF THE WEEK FACT:

136

KEEGAN HYLAND BASKETBALL

NCAA Division I Hockey Most Career OT Goals, Active Players 3 Jack Eichel, Boston Univ. (23 GP) 3 Brett Switzer, Bentley (136 GP) 3 Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech (141 GP) 3 Kyle Rau, Minnesota (145 GP)

K. HYLAND YeAR 2015 HOMETOWN PORTLAND, ME POSITION G

Hyland averaged 2 2 . 5 points, eight rebounds, five assists and 1.5 steals while shooting .607 overall in wins over Saint Rose and Pace.

He made 10 of 15 shots during a 25-point, eightrebound, seven-assist performance in an 8769 win at Saint Rose and followed that up with 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 75-63 victory over the Setters.

pecially satisfying, as this was Grieve’s first goal after returning from an injury he sustained midway through the season.

Up 1-0 at the beginning of the second, Bentley did not keep their lead for long, as RIT forward Matt Garbowsky evened the score 1-1 just 34 seconds into the second off of a neutral-ice-zone turnover.

The score remained tied until the latter half of the second, when RIT forward Andrew Miller netted his sixth of the season at 15:02 to make the score 2-1. Bentley was given a golden opportunity to tie it up on a 5-on-3 power play, but was unable to get past goalie Mike Rotolo.

Bentley showed heart as the third period went underway, evening up the score at 2-2 off of a beautiful setup pass by Grieve to junior defenseman Matt Blomquist, who lit the lamp from the gorgeous feed. That was Blomquist’s second of the season and it appeared that the momentum had returned to Bentley’s side.

Unfortunately this was not so, as RIT took care of the rest

of the scoring with the Tigers being able to put three additional goals behind Antoni in the final seven minutes of play.

Josh Mitchell made it 3-2 at 14:13 and, to add insult to injury, just as Bentley was about to pull Antoni for the extra skater Garbowsky scored his second of night to give RIT a two-goal lead. Mitchell also got his second goal just 50 seconds later by putting the puck into the empty net, making the final score 5-2 and ultimately splitting the weekend series, 1-1.

Bentley knew that they needed to step up their game the following weekend. It showed, as the team earned a weekend sweep over the Mercyhurst Lakers, placing the Falcons in sole possession of the third seed in the AHL. “The conference right now is so tight and every point is extremely crucial,” said Grieve after the weekend victories.

“We will need to be prepared to execute for every game, as we have seen in our league that anyone can beat anyone on a given night.”

Courtesy off Sports Infomation Office

Courtesy of Sports Information office

Men’s Hockey Looks to Finish Strong this Season

Junior Goalie Gabe Antoni defends Bentley’s net.

UPCOMING EVENTS FEB

Men & Women’s Basketball vs. Assumption 5:30 PM

FEB

Hockey vs. Holy Cross 7:05PM

FEB

Hockey vs. Sacred Heart 7:05PM

FEB

Women’s Basketball vs. St. Michael’s 12:00PM

FEB

Men’s Basketball vs. St. Michael’s 2:30PM

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