Bentley Vanguard by The Vanguard

50 CELEBRATING

S THE STUDENT VOICE OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY SINCE 1963 1Y9E6 3A- 2R 013 VoLume LV

issue iii

tHursday, February 14, 2013

www.beNtLeyVaNGuard.Com

Falcons recognized for brain and brawn 350 Bentley student-athletes named to Commissioner’s Honor Roll By Lacey Nemergut News editor

On February 5 the Northeast-10 Conference announced the Fall 2012 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, featuring no less than 350 Bentley University studentathletes. The organization explicitly recognized the university as the highest contributor to the semester’s honor roll roster, featuring a solid 69 percent of the school’s student athletes. To be named to the honor roll, students must receive above a 3.0 for the semester. For this year’s roll, 138 student-athletes earned a 4.0, two from Bentley, and 45 percent scored above a 3.5, 136 from Bentley. “[From] my perspective, when I saw this, I was completely overwhelmed. To see that number and that high of a percentage of our student athletes…with that

kind of academic success, to me, [is] just spectacular,” said Bentley University Athletic Director Robert DeFelice. The next ranked school in terms of numbers, was

Assumption College, contributing 235 students. Bentley exceeded this contribution by over 100 students. “I cannot speak about other institutions. I know that our athletes are com-

The number of Falcons on the honor roll exceeded any other institution by over 100 student-athletes.

mitted to excelling both in the classroom and in their respective athletic venues,” said Cindy Scott, Bentley University’s Assistant Athletics Director and Academic Advisor to

Courtesy of sports information office and tomer Gat/tHe VaNGuard

Athletes. “Our athletes know the value of a Bentley degree and work very hard to achieve success in the classroom. They come here to get an education that will open doors for them when they graduate.” Bentley University, currently ranked No. 4 in Regional University North by US News, currently has 508 student-athletes. “The academic reputation of Bentley University is the biggest recruiting tool for all our coaches,” said Scott. “It does not matter how great their coaching success might be, the greatest selling point for all our coaches is the institution itself.” “I’ve been here for 31 years and used to be the Academic Advisor to Athletes, along with my volleyball coaching position,” said Sandra Hoffman, See ATHLETES, Page 6

Bentley sponsors assistant dog Students win big at CAB Super Bingo

Martin with four-month-old Kesar.

By Lacey Nermergut News editor

Bentley University students and faculty may have noticed a young black lab-golden mix puppy pouncing through the freshly fallen snow around campus lately. The almostfour-month-old puppy named Kesar is currently being trained as an assistance dog

5 HARVARD

Lacey Nemergut/tHe VaNGuard

for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). Kesar, sponsored by the University, has 18 months with Assistant Director of the Residential Center, Tony Martin. Following his 18 months in basic training, he will train for six-to-nine months with a professional CCI instructor. His CCI training includes 40 advanced com-

mands, typically out of the scope of normal dogs. CCI dogs can become one of four types of assistance dogs: service dogs, hearing dogs, facility dogs, and skilled companions. “We wanted to have a connection on campus,” said Martin. Some schools currently engage in this program, but they have their commuter students care for the dog. Bentley decided to become the dog’s temporary home and training facility. “For [President] Gloria [Larson], it was more or less an opportunity,” said Martin. “She knows individuals who have raised assistance dogs. She actually has a retired assistance dog. For her, it was a good opportunity for Bentley to be raising a dog.” The university is currently sponsoring the dog, covering all necessary costs for his 18 month upbringing. “If we’re paying for a dog to be raised on campus [then we can] get the publicity out there for the program,” said Martin. See DOG, Page 6

By Brenna O’Connell Former Campus LiFe editor

CAB proved to be unstoppable again—not even Nemo could stop it. As roughly 2,000 students poured into the Dana Center this past Saturday, it was clear that Super Bingo was well worth the treacherous journey through slush, snow and ice over the bridge and down the stairs. The prizes this year didn’t disappoint, despite the cap on prizes—see The Vanguard’s article last year for more details. “We did not run into too many issues with this problem, as Super Bingo is sort of ‘grandfathered in’ for a majority of the new rules regarding gift certificates,” said Emily Williams, CAB Traditions Committee co-chair. To those who won the Southwest gift certificates, CAB wanted to offer both to one student—worth

7 AIRLINE MERGER?

SHUTTLE

american and us airways discuss merger

Concerns and frustrations grow among shuttle users.

9 BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

$1,000!—so the winner could enjoy the company of a friend. But it’s safe to say that those winners are not complaining. What made the night even more fun were the alterations to bingo formations. In order to win some of the more impressive prizes, instead of having to complete an “X” formation on your card, you just had to get any five in a row. Not only did it keep the pace of play up, but it also made things more exciting because with each number drawn, the crowd’s tension built. It is not a CAB event without some rowdiness. Every time someone rejoiced, “Bingo!” the crowd booed, heckled and at least one yelled, “[She or he] doesn’t even go here!” In between winners, as each number was drawn, a student in the corner of the gym channeled See BINGO, Page 6

15 CAPTAIN roberson leads Falcons in her final season.

The Vanguard talks with members of the cast

Police Log 2 Tip of the Week 2 Cartoon 4 Voices 8 & 9 Notes From Abroad 11 Falcon of the Week 16

Page 2

News

february 14, 2013

the Vanguard

Police log Perfect 10 Last Wednesday, a university police officer was making rounds in the Trees lot when he discovered a car parked illegally. In addition to sliding a ticket underneath its windshield wiper, the officer ordered the vehicle to be towed immediately. Why, you ask? Because this particular vehicle had received 10 previous citations for parking violations. Yep, you read that right: 10. As in the same number of times Madalyn Mula e-mails you per hour. Wow. Now before you go and ridicule this stubborn freshman for his apparent fatuity, let me ask you a question: Did Rosa Parks get up and walk to the back of the bus when they threatened to arrest her? Did Gandhi fire up a hamburger when his tummy hurt during his hunger strike? Did Lindsay Lohan stop getting wasted and finding new parts of her body to pierce after it started to hurt a little? Answer: no. The great ones never give up, they never give in. You keep fighting the man, oh mysterious freshman. You are truly noble. Just Like Old Times Last week, officers responded to Collins Hall for a report of an intoxicated student. Upon arrival, the officers determined that the student in question was unable to complete a field sobriety test and was a danger to himself, so they brought him into protective custody. During the intoxication, however, it was determined that

the student had been drinking at an unidentified location on lower campus. As upstanding and thoroughly investigative journalists, this information of course got us thinking: What could possibly have compelled a resident of Collins (meaning probably a senior) to get drunk and wander around on lower campus…on a weekday? After some sly research, we confirmed our speculation on the matter: This poor kid just misses it down there. He misses the long walks uphill, spotty cell phone service, and nightly Currito poops. Heck, the kid is basically signing up for AARP in 3 months—he just wanted to remember the glory days! So this is a PSA for all you lower folk: if you see a lonely looking 22-year-old stumbling about your hallway, let him stay for a while. It’s tough getting older. Does it Look Like Me? Last Tuesday, a very kind member of the Bentley community was trying to do somebody a favor by returning a lost wallet to the university police station. Little did they know, they would actually be exposing this individual on a felony. When officers completed an inventory of the wallet, they discovered a fake identification. The ID was from a different state and had an age listed that was two years older than the owner’s actual one. Real tough break here… normally after you get your fake I.D. taken, you at least get to go sit in Taco Bell for an hour and

then watch all the drunken 17 year olds try to hail down cabs when they want to go home. This kid just gets to go to GB. Whoops. Not So Vanilla Ice Last Tuesday, a sophomore was injured after totally wiping out on black ice in the Forest/Kresge parking lot. In order to frame this story, let me draw on something of great societal, cultural and historical importance: 90’s Nickelodeon. New England natives in the winter are like Otto, Reggie and Twister in Rocket Power. Those from warm-weather climates are total shoobies. To New Englanders, walking on ice is an extreme sport. They’re good at it. They can balance with the best of ‘em. Other people…well, practice makes perfect. If anybody snaps a video of a shoobie taking a tumble, PLEASE post it on The Vanguard’s Facebook page. We love that. Woogedy woogedy woogedy woogedy. Wrong Number On Sunday, Feb. 3, an uncle called the police station in an attempt to get in contact with his nephew, who was on a ski trip. To the surprise of no one, his nephew did not answer the phone at the police office. Dude was in the woods somewhere. We’re sure they connected at some point. Mrs. Officer Waltham Police must have been bored last Tuesday night. They called

Bentley PD and requested a female officer, presumably for a straight-toYouTube video cover of Lil’ Wayne’s classic, “Mrs. Officer.” The video shoot was eventually cancelled. Let’s get real – Bentley is much more of an “old money” school than a “Young Money” school. Fake It ‘Til They Take It Bentley students waited until the next day before they got caught with fakes again. Last Wednesday, a police sergeant was called in to meet with some students who allegedly used fake IDs at a Waltham bar. Quick note to all you nimble students out there: if your fake ID says you’re 20, you still can’t buy booze. You won’t be trusted to do my taxes, either. Lose the Booze Residents of a room in North Campus C will be facing judicial charges after officers confiscated a keg, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia from their room last Wednesday. Here’s an idea: Can the police sell that stuff? With the amount of these products taken every year, we make a small fortune on the black market. We could even start a new scholarship…the “Pot of Gold Scholarship” or something. Just an idea.

Sean Harrington and Brian Shea Vanguard Staff

Judicial action Summary Editor-in-ChiEf Jeff Breault Managing Editor gEnEral ManagEr Lindsay Beauregard Brian Fuerst Copy Editor nEws Editor sports Editor CaMpus lifE Editor fEaturEs Editor BusinEss Editor photography Editor onlinE Editor dirECtor of produCtion dirECtor of advErtising JournalisM advisor studEnt lifE advisor

Ben Klein Lacey Nemergut Matt Gustus Francisco Salas Kelsey Miller Jasper Huang Melisa Kocarslan Victoria Lin Meagan Kalpokis Kevin Laryea George Donnelly Nicole Chabot-Wieferich

FOR GeNeRaL & CONTaCT INFORMaTION aBOuT The Vanguard, PLeaSe See PaGe 4.

2.5.2013-2.12.2013

total number of cases: total number of individuals involved (violators): number of individuals dismissed from responsibility: number of individuals admitting responsibility: number of individuals referred to Judicial Board: number of educational sanctions given: (includes referrals to alcohol Education) Cash total of fines given for the week: number of work sanctions assigned: number of students placed on warning: number of parental notifications: number of individuals put on residential probation: (Loss of 15 Housing Credits) number of individuals put on disciplinary probation: (Loss of 30 Housing Credits) number of individuals put on suspension (housing): number of individuals put on suspension (university): number of individuals expelled from university:

8 8 0 8 0 8 $50 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0

Provided by the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs

Looking at those Victoria Secret models and thinking 'why can't I look like that'? Don't. The average weight of a model is 23 percent lower than that of an average woman; 20 years ago, the differential was only 8 percent. Our culture places more and more emphasis on body image. Remember love your body; love yourself. Stop by Fat Talk Free Week 2/25-3/1 on the top floor of Smith to learn more.

News

the Vanguard

february 14, 2013

Page 3

IMPACT showcases broad research of Bentley professors By Yuriy Ivanov Vanguard Staff

In staying true to its values Bentley professors have begun collaboration on an opinion blog called IMPACT, which serves to highlight the varied research professors are involved in, while creating

an outlet for intelligent discourse for the student body. “IMPACT is a great way to provide additional context to those at Bentley and the broader community about what others are doing in research, teaching and practice here on campus,” associate professor of economics and director of the

The blog, located at www.bentley.edu/impact, allows for student and peer discussion.

Courtesy of bentley.edu

honors program, Aaron L. Jackson, commented. The blog showcases the diversity of ideas here at Bentley with topics ranging from the perils of skimming to conscientious capitalism. Professor Jackson, who wrote about the lessons learned during the Fed challenge sees that writing his piece was “an excellent opportunity to highlight what students at Bentley are capable of, and allows the outside world to see how truly dedicated the faculty are to student learning.” The IMPACT blog denotes dedication itself in the careful and well thought out posts. However, the student body can also participate in the intellectual discourse. Comments may be added at the bottom of each post. This feature and maintaining the blog on the Bentley home page could have “big benefits for cross pollination of ideas within campus, and help draw eyeballs externally to what makes Bentley do what it does so well,” according to professor Jackson.

Senior Director for the Center for Women and Business and professor of management, Susan Adams, noted that this attention is “a great way to showcase the relevance of the research that Bentley faculty do.” This opportunity to highlight relevant topics of interest or research has attracted professors from multifarious fields such as management, tax law, political science, history and a plethora of other areas of business studies and liberal arts. This has spawned curious ideas such as a flipped classroom wherein instead of being lectured in class and giving homework at home, the professor would post online lectures and do the homework in class. A call for full disclosure of political contributions and a commentary on a 60 Minutes report on physicians in the broken U.S. health care system. The chosen topics stay relevant to the research of the professor, as is the case with Professor Adams who chose to write about the

“bold initiative that Mayor Menino outlined in his State of the City address. His plan is a great example of what my work suggests is an effective way to prompt inclusion of women so that they can contribute more fully.” Professor Adams also wrote a piece about women’s leadership in the workplace. Both are pertinent pieces of information that go stride in stride with Professor Adams directorship of the Center for Women and Business, and they are also engaging opinions. This is perhaps the starkest distinguishing feature between the IMPACT blog and a piece published in a research journal: it is not mind-numbingly dense. The posts carry themselves with great professionalism and a light creative air which truly engages the reader in an active thought process. The transcendent power of a good idea inherently relies on its effective communication. IMPACT provides an opportunity for just that, and thus benefits all of Bentley’s academia.

Grow your own way Every career path is different. That’s why we help you design your own. We’ll provide the training, coaching and experiences that allow you to build relationships and take advantage of career opportunities. You decide what happens next—at PwC or beyond. The opportunity of a lifetime. www.pwc.com/campus

Page 4

february 14, 2013

Viewpoints

the Vanguard

Quotes of the Week

*The Vanguard’s editorial as well as the editorial cartoon are proposed at each Editorial Board meeting. They are represented as being the opinions of the Board as a whole, although drawn by individuals, and not the Bentley community.

editorial

#BentleyWickedLameConference

Let’s be honest, leadership conferences are pretty lame; about as lame as that high school kid, with long hair, a Pink Floyd t-shirt and an awkwardly skinny frame. They are filled with people you’ve drunkenly met over the past couple of years and maybe became Facebook friends with. But for all practical purposes, those relationships have deteriorated in such a way that you feel a sense of dread the next time you see them. The Bentley Winter Leadership Conference, held two weekends ago, was almost as unhelpful as all other conferences. It even had its very own hashtag, #BentleyWLC, in hopes of engaging student leaders to start spur networking. In the spirit of full disclosure, our representative at the conference was more or less required to go. Just after winter break, he showed up showered, fed and sitting in Koumantzelis Auditorium ready to become a leader! This conference featured

informative and invigorating sessions like “Building Leadership Skills on Campus for the Corporate World,” “We’re Here for You! An Open Forum with the Student Activities Staff” and “Make the Most of Social Media.” During these sessions, members of various organizations taught other members how to enhance their leadership. Thrilling, isn’t it? Kudos to the students who hosted information sessions as it must have taken a lot of courage to talk about accountability and continuity for 30 minutes. It would benefit us more to bring in professionals and leaders from outside our Bentley Bubble. This could help us broaden our horizons and become more prepared to be leaders in the “real world.” For three and a half hours we twiddled our thumbs, doodled on our info packets and occasionally checked our Twitter feeds and Facebooks in hopes of finding some much needed entertain-

ment and did our best to learn from our peers. Finally, the clock struck 5:30 p.m. and you could hear a breath of relief escape the lips of everyone in Lindsay Hall. In theory, the Winter Leadership Conference is a good idea, but in reality is it really worth that much of our time? The answer is no. As leaders, we could better utilize our time by bonding with our own organizations. What are we supposed to gain from an organized session where we talk about our own leadership styles or merely ask each other questions? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for ABA to hold retreats for individual or clusters of organizations? Although ABA worked hard to set up the conference and make sessions beneficial, it fell flat. It takes a lot of time and preparation to host an event like this and while their efforts were appreciated, the next conference should be restructured to make better use of our time.

Publication information The Vanguard is the 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 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. The Vanguard is funded 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 at (781) 891-3497. Circulation is 4,000 copies. We reserve the right to refuse an advertisement; only publication of an ad constitutes final acceptance of the offer to advertise. We reserve the right to edit all copy for grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, libel and length. The Vanguard Office is located on the third floor of the Student Center, inside the Bentley Bubble office complex. Mailing address: The Vanguard, Bentley University, 310M1 Student Center, 385 Beaver Street, Waltham, MA 02452. Phone: (781) 891-2912. E-mail: GA_Vanguard@bentley.edu

“We jumped around, hollered, and screamed. It’s just not possible that it happened twice.” -Stephen Weaver, Scratchcard winner, after winning two jackpots ($1 million and $50,000) in the same weekend, along with his wife, Terri. “There’s no indication at all that this was caused by the halftime show.” -Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, on the stadium’s power outage that delayed the game by 34 minutes. “It involves cake, it involves love, marriage; all things I’m a big fan of.” -Duff Goldman, Ace of Cakes star, on offering a wedding cake to a lesbian couple after they were turned away by a baker who refused on the basis that he did not support same-sex marriages. Disclaimer: The opinions published in The Vanguard are submitted by readers of the newspaper, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Vanguard and its staff. We are not able to print any letters submitted anonymously.

CampuS LiFe

the Vanguard

february 14, 2013

page 5

Students let down time after time by Harvard Shuttle By Francisco Salas Campus Life editor

The Vanguard is no stranger to the Bentley Harvard Shuttle. Numerous stories have been written on how the shuttle is a fine balance between convenience and hassle. More recently, the shuttle as become a complete hassle for students that depend on timely service for jobs or internships in the city. Last year, The Vanguard’s News Editor Lacey Nemergut wrote about the increase in the frequency of the Harvard Square shuttle. Assurances were made that the increase of frequency would not impact the budget, according to the Director of Student Affairs, Paul Stanish, but somehow in the increase of service, quality and punctuality were lost. The spring semester is usually the most difficult for driving in the Boston area, due to the winter weather and heavy traffic volume, but this semester seems to be the worst for the ill-fated Harvard Shuttle. Numerous students rely on the shuttle to commute to Bentley from the Boston area and Waverley, but more importantly many students rely on it to get to work in downtown Boston and the surrounding area. Even with new GPS technology, the “Blirpit”, students have been stranded at either end, exposing them to the winter weather and the uncomfortable situation of being late to work or class. The GPS is not accurate 100 percent of the time, causing stress and a reliance on

This semester, the Harvard Shuttle bus has been arriving late, and sometimes not at all, aggravating many students who are on tight schedules.

cabs. “The shuttle has been late for me trying to get to work during the week,” said Elizabeth Kelly. “Even if it’s only 10 minutes late, that’s enough to throw off my day and can change my travel plans getting back to Bentley. The shuttle also never arrived at the 3:30 p.m. time when I needed to go to the Symphony for my class, so I was forced to pay for a cab into Harvard Square. To make matters worse, it again never showed at 11:00 p.m. in Harvard Square when I was trying to return from the Symphony and it was seven degrees outside. “What bothers me the most is that Bentley “Blirpit” is practically never accurate. I find that the

Launch ch your your in international ternation nal career thr oug gh career through Peac e eC orps service. servicce. Peace Corps INFORMATION ORMATION M MEETING EE TING N Wednesday, W ednesday,, February February 20 5:00p.m. 5:00p.m. - 6:00 p.m. p.m. LaCava LaCava Building, Building, Room Room 335 3 Bentley Bentley University Universsity

Peace P eace C Corps orps p www.peacecorps.gov w.pe eacecorps.gov -

855.855.1961 855.855.1961

most stressful when I’m trying to hurry to make a shuttle since I’d usually have to wait a full hour for another one to arrive during the week.” “Two weeks ago on a Friday, I was trying to take the shuttle into Harvard Square,” said Alexandra Rinehimer. “Although I do appreciate the value and intention of the shuttle service, the shuttle has not been very reliable in the past, but

I was hoping that it would be different this time around. “Unfortunately, my experi e nce t hi s t i m e wa s t he worst when the shuttle failed to show up at Harvard Square at two of the designated times on the schedule. Thankfully, I have a car on campus and do not have to rely on the shuttle to show up at a time that it says it will—10 minutes late is fine, but not one hour—especial-

Courtesy of 128bc.org

ly during time-sensitive situations.” The overall consensus is that the Bentley Community is appreciative to have this service available—although students pay for it with their tuition—but they would like for this important link to Cambridge and Boston, to be a reliable, timely service and when weather, traffic or a mechanical issue become a problem, ample warning be given to the users.

PAGE 6

FEbRUARy 14, 2013

NewS & CAmPuS Life

ATHLETES Continued from Page 1 Bentley University Assistant Athletic Director. “As Bentley has become way more selective and its curriculum has become much

“Our coaches are committed to recruiting student athletes that can excel both academically and athletically.” -Cindy Scott ASSiStAnt AthletiCS DireCtOr & ACADemiC ADviSOr tO AthleteS

more demanding, our recruiting has really become a challenge to find the right student athletes who can manage the rigors of their academic and athletic

requirements.” this past fall 2012 semester is a continuation of a similar record owned by the University in the spring semester of 2012 as well. Bentley had earned a spot for 351 students, exceeding Stonehill College by over 100 students. “We will certainly maintain our academic success because academic success will always be the greatest priority for the athletic department,” said Scott. “Our coaches are committed to recruiting student athletes that can excel both academically and athletically.” “When you put together our success athletically and you look at our academic success, it’s quite a statement,” said DeFelice. “it’s quite a tribute to our coaches and students who understand what the mission of the University is.”

THE VANGUARD

DOG Continued from Page 1 Bentley hopes to generate awareness for the program and thus, encourage greater participation of volunteers in the program. the more volunteers the program can attract, the more dogs that can be sent into the field of assistance to make a significant impact on

an individual’s life. Kesar has been working diligently to learn his commands. he has mastered “sit” and is progressing well with “waiting.” “Waiting” happens when the dog waits to cross through threshold before given permission from his owner. he is also currently working “down.”

Currently, Kesar, though a very social puppy, is working on his “visit” command. though students on campus might be very excited to run up and pet him, martin would like to remind them that part of Kesar’s training includes being granted permission to visit before he can play with students.

Kesar is a black lab-golden mix.

Lacey Nemergut/THE VANGUARD

BINGO Continued from Page 1 Dale from the popular show “Storage Wars” and yelled, “YUUUP!” too bad it seemed to be in vain, as that student didn’t appear to have won anything. the wonderful numbercaller, Greg Gouillart, was back after popular demand from last year’s performance. Although he lost a few of his balls in the beginning, he kept things light and entertaining with funny quips, a perfect announcer’s voice and upbeat pace. Among some of the early prizes were Bruins tickets, Bentley swag and twilight Saga package, after which rock-paper-scissors was played to see who would get stuck with it. Senior Bill Warren tried to concede the prize to the young lady with whom he tied, but she didn’t want it either. Prizes picked up from there, including two Kindle Fires and cases, an Xbox 360 and Kinect and a futon. in the gift card round, boards were not cleared and winners were screaming “BinGO!” left and right. Among the gift certificates were food venues such as Chateau and Cheesecake Factory and practical mobile gas card. two 42-inch tvs were given away to lucky Falcons and an iPad 2 was given away for a mere connect five—a downgrade from the elusive “X.” two students were given dream spring breaks, courtesy of CAB and Southwest Airlines.

Students could receive a second Bingo card by donating a food item, which CAB collected for Day of Service.

last, and certainly not least, was a macBook Air, which of course needed to be competitive so “Blackout Bingo” was in effect. As the numbers were called, the hushes of the audience grew, and the excitement built. Alas, the winner was not a false alarm. CAB did a great job putting the event on and thought of an effective way to prevent eye and head trauma due to airborne bingo cards post-event. 75 Dunkin Donuts gift cards were awarded based on raffle tickets that were exchanged for the boards. Forward-thinking like this, planning since november and rewarding great prizes made this a great night that kept students from going stir crazy in the blizzard.

Melisa Kocarslan/THE VANGUARD

BUSineSS

tHe Vanguard

feBruary 14, 2013

Page 7

American Airlines and US Airways on the brink of a merger By Lubo Svetiev Vanguard Staff

There comes a point in time where most men and women out there decide to get married. It’s a lengthy process that includes purchasing rings, planning a ceremony and committing to a significant other. Eventually, the time will come for the honeymoon in some tropical location and you and your loved one will board a plane. If that plane has an American Airlines logo, be aware that you and your airline have a lot more in common than you think. The reason for that logo is a marriage, a marriage between two airlines. US Airways and American Airlines are attempting to merge. If negotiations run smoothly, this merger would create the largest airline company in the world. These two major airlines would hold onto the American name and the new company would be on pace for a market cap of over $10 billion. The deal will serve major benefit to American Airlines and its creditors by taking them out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It would also result in a better management of current high fuel

US Airways and American Airlines are looking to merge into the largest airline company in the world.

prices and labor costs. Is it a done deal? The answer is no. Although the deal is strongly backed by influential creditors, there are still a few remaining blemishes left to be taken care of. Among them is the issue of the American Airlines’ bankruptcy and the

fact that the deal must be approved by not only the United States Bankruptcy Court, but with antitrust regulators at the U.S. Justice Department as well. Another is that American Airlines still has the potential to emerge from bankruptcy as an independent airline, if they so

Courtesy of uS airways and airlinereporter.com

choose. Nevertheless, sources close to the situation believe that these issues should not serve as much of a threat and that the deal is likely to be completed in the near future. It is also in the best interest of the creditors to realize the goal of this merger. It would result in American Airlines

creditors owning about 72 percent or the airline and US Airways shareholders owning the other 28 percent. Some negatives to this deal would appear to be that airline carriers have more freedom in raising fares. This is because the market would be dominated by American Airlines and three other merger carriers that include: United Continental, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines. In the long term, it would be almost inevitable to conclude that fares will rise. The amount of airlines available would experience a 50 percent reduction rate from eight carriers to four due to the four mergers. It would also eventually yield $1.2 billion in additional revenues for American Airlines. Furthermore, fliers are not expected to see a difference in the service being provided for a long time. A lot of this has to do with the fact that the merger would need to be evaluated by the government and noticeable changes would not take place until months following the merger. However, this raise in prices has some perks, some of them being robust flier programs with Wi-Fi which would increase the customer experience.

Department of Justice declares HSBC too big to prosecute

The HSBC headquarters is located in London, UK.

By Anthony Malatesta Vanguard Staff

It was in the fall of 2008 when most Americans were introduced to the concept of “Too Big to Fail.” Since its appearance in the public consciousness, the phrase has represented the double standard that the American government has taken with regards to financial institutions that have conducted illegal activity. A distinct precedent was set four years ago that a financial institution facing insolvency would be rescued if its failure would cause collateral damage to the economy. Last December, the Department of Justice set an entirely new

Courtesy of HSBC

precedent in its handling of U.K.-based investment bank HSBC. The bank was implicated in a money laundering scandal involving Mexican drug cartels, radical Islamic terrorist groups and the governments of Libya, Iran and Cuba, among others. HSBC was implicit in moving billions of dollars through its American subsidiary (HSBC U.S.) to avoid federal antimoney laundering statutes. On December 12, 2012, the Justice Department and HSBC agreed to a settlement in which the bank admitted guilt for its role in the scandal and paid a record $1.92 billion in forfeitures and civil penalties. Despite the size of the

monetary punishment levied against the bank, the DOJ decided not to indict HSBC U.S. or any of its current or former employees criminally, fearing an indictment could cause the bank to fail and, in turn, great damage to the financial sector. Although a lack of criminal prosecution for corporations accused of malfeasance is nothing new, this situation is distinctly different. In the past, companies including Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase and IBM have settled their cases and faced monetary penalties while neither admitting nor denying the allegations against them. This lack of recognition has allowed companies to atone, in the eyes of their regulators, for their wrongdoing and simultaneously avoid damaging criminal prosecution. HSBC, on the other hand, admitted to actions that violated the Bank Secrecy Act and Trading with the Enemy Act, making criminal prosecution a distinct possibility. Instead of rationalizing the absence of an indictment with the resource burden required to apply additional penalties to a company, the DOJ took the position that there are companies that are above criminal prosecution due to their size and importance to the economy. Where do we go from here?

How can the government enforce its regulations in the future after allowing an admitting wrongdoer to escape punishment? What’s to stop any financial institution with critical importance to the integrity of the economy from breaking the law in pursuit of profits if the only real deterrent to that action is apparently no longer an option? The record fines imposed on HSBC for its illegality were calculated to be worth about five weeks of income. If fines are only tangible consequence that banks are to face in the wake of illegal activity, banks can turn the decision-making process of conducting said activity into an economic one. The DOJ’s declaration of HSBC being too

big to prosecute has created an environment where banks can treat fines from illegality as the cost of doing business— just another income statement expense to account for. It’s been clear that major financial institutions are willing to conduct themselves illegally in pursuit of profit. Regulators need to have the will to impose the penalties that are within their rights to create serious deterrents to illegal activity. Instead of adhering to the tiring pattern of wrist slapping, which has done nothing to create a more stable and ethical banking industry, there need to be reasonable consequences for corporate malfeasance, including criminal prosecution.

Need to clean out your dorm room or suite?

Bring us all your empties and get .05 per container No limit on quantity and we accept all brands of MA redeemable bottles and cans We are conveniently located less than a mile away from campus!

Waverley Redemption Center 23 Summer Avenue, Waltham, MA Phone: 781 -373-2180 Hours: M -F 9am-4pm; Sat. 8:30am -3:30pm www.waverleyredemption.org We can also provide assistance to run Can Drive Fundraisers for

your clubs or civic organizations.

Page 8

February 14, 2013

featuRes

the Vanguard

Beautiful Creatures opens nationwide

VoiCes

By Kelsey Miller Features editor

“what are your plans for Valentine’s Day?”

JaCK KeRsten CLass of 2015 eConoMiCs-finanCe “I’m going to take my date to McDonald’s in the North End.”

KaLeB DuBin CLass of 2016 MaRKeting “I’m going to take my girlfriend to the place where we went on our first date.”

Beautiful Creatures, the latest film in the growing young adult film trend, opens today. The story, a paranormal romance featuring a girl with mysterious powers and a boy desperate to escape his small Southern town, features Alice Englert and Alden Ehrenreich. Ethan Wate (Ehrenreich) has lived in his small Southern town since infancy. Unlike his classmates, he has every intention of getting out of the area, and his room is littered with postcards and travel books. His top place to see is New York City. (One wonders where his burning desire to see Boston is…) That all changes one day, of course, when Lena Duchannes (Englert) appears in his class. The niece of creepy Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons), Lena makes no attempt to

Romance blossoms between a witch and a human in Beautiful Creatures.

ship develops into something more, Ethan learns that Lena is a Caster, a witch doomed to be claimed by either the Light or the Dark on her sixteenth birthday. Lena is immensely powerful, and both Light and Dark Casters are determined to claim her as their own. As Lena spends her final

JessiCa PeteRson CLass of 2015 iDCC “Going out to IHOP with the single ladies.” Lena is torn between the Light and the Dark Castors (witches).

integrate into the small and definitely conservative community. Matters are only made worse when all of the windows in a classroom blow out without any appearance of wind. Ethan can’t help but think about Lena and pretty soon he manages to forge a friendship with the wary Duchannes. As the friend-

HugHy CRowtHeR CLass of 2016 finanCe “I’m probably just going to hang out with the guys.”

Courtesy of warnerbros.com

days before her sixteenth birthday trying to find a way to keep from “going Dark”, Ethan does everything in his power to convince her it will never happen, which proves to be difficult when people start dying. Beautiful Creatures has a well-known and talented cast, with Jeremy Irons, Emmy Rossum, Emma

Courtesy of warnerbros.com

Thompson and Viola Davis crowding the screen. This serves to elevate Beautiful Creatures from an ordinary teen flick to veritable film. The actors’ considerable skills will inevitably draw a wider audience than just the teenage demographic. The film is based upon Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s novel of the same title. As it is the first in a series of four, this film may just turn into another Twilight franchise—it’s been compared to it already. While the plot of the novel is rather long and dense—it’s over 500 pages—the events of the film have been considerably slimmed down. This divergence allowed director Richard LaGravenese to put his own spin on the story. Beautiful Creatures is a plot-driven paranormal thriller that explores the dark places of one’s mind. Lena’s literal struggle between becoming a Light or Dark Caster provides a nice parallel for any audience member experiencing turmoil of her own, which was inevitably the major purpose of the novel. The film is narrated by a teenage boy, however, so do not expect any teenage mushiness. The action and male protagonist may serve to draw many young men to the theaters, as well.

anisH JosHi CLass of 2016 unDeCiDeD “Me and my friends are going to watch a movie together since we have no one, but we’re going to make it fun.”

By Melisa Kocarslan PhotograPhy editor Courtesy of warnerbros.com

the Vanguard

fEaturES

The Vanguard sits down with the two stars from Beautiful Creatures By Kelsey Miller Features editor

February 14, 2013

VoiCes “if you could have a celebrity valentine, who would it be?”

Last month, The Vanguard had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable interview with Alice Englert and Alden Ehrenreich, the two stars from the movie Beautiful Creatures. Below is a portion of the interview with the two stars. Roundtable: How did you guys get involved with the project? Englert: Well, it’s kind of funny, isn’t it? We only did one audition, we never met before, and then we met in rehearsal. Ehrenreich: I read the script and then auditioned. And then a week later I got the part. I got the part at 8 in the morning and then by 4 in the afternoon I was on my way to New Orleans. A week later we started shooting. Roundtable: Did either of you read the book before filming the movie? Ehrenreich: Not before. I read it while we were shooting. Roundtable: What did the authors think of the movie? Englert: To be honest, I don’t know how you’d ever know what they’re thinking. It must be a weird experience. I know they wrote the part of Macon with Jeremy Irons in mind. Ehrenreich: They were pretty involved with the script. They were thrilled to have it made into a movie. They came to the set and were crying. Roundtable: What attracted you guys to these roles? Ehrenreich: Just from the first few pages I knew I wanted to do the movie. I just really liked the character. I have the narration in the beginning of the film. Within the first pages you get an idea of who Ethan was and I liked that. That’s what really drew me to it, his ambition. Englert: For me it was interesting; I have always been attracted to fantasy as a child. I like making massive metaphors. I really liked Lena, that she wasn’t just an angsty teenager. People forget what it is like to be a teenager, and I just thought that Richard LaGravenese had written such a charming story. For something so supernatural it had such humanity. Ehrenreich: The best musicals are when characters sing because words aren’t enough.

odElia XinG ClaSS of 2016 Cfa “Justin Timberlake.” Englert and Ehrenreich describe their filming experiences and what drew them to the film.

Courtesy of castergirls.com

That’s the thing about the film; the magic is linked to the characters, what they’re going through.

performance is so important because you don’t know what will end up in the cutting room.

Roundtable: What was the dinner scene like? Didn’t they make a working set for it?

Roundtable: Were you afraid you guys would be compared to Twilight?

Englert: That was the thing. A lot of the effects were pretty minimal. Richard wanted to shoot a lot of it in camera. We had three days where we were in this room where the floor went one way and the table went another and the chandelie r sp un a ro und . E m m y Rossum and I spent three days strapped to table spinning around.

Englert: Oh, but we are!

Roundtable: Do you have any plans to act in the theater? Englert: I just want to do anything I’ll like and they’ll like me for. Ehrenreich: I went to NYU for their acting program. I’ve put on a few plays; that’s what I like to do in between films. I would like to act every day, so acting in plays gives me a chance to do that between films. Roundtable: Do you think there is a big difference between theater and screen acting? Englert: I totally agree with that. It’s so literal. In film, you can use your normal voice. It’s just so different. It just a different performing level. Not all theater actors make good film actors and not all good film actors make good theater actors. Ehrenreich: I just think there’s a lot of acting programs that don’t treat it differently; they don’t treat them as different techniques. I learned a lot from editing. In editing you learn so much of film acting. You cut on a person’s blink and it just teaches you the different rhythm of it. Englert: Giving a variety of

ChriS aCKErMan ClaSS of 2013 PhiloSoPhy “Justin Bieber.”

Roundtable: What was your favorite scene from the movie? Ehrenreich: I actually saw the movie dubbed in Russian at the premier. Englert: I think it’s probably the snow scene, it’s got my song in it. It was such a fun day to shoot, most of the day we’d do each take in one shot. There’s only like two, three shots in that one scene.

MitCh hadfiEld ClaSS of 2013 aCCountanCy “Mila Kunis.”

Ehrenreich: Yeah, I like that scene too. It’s was just two people talking, acting. That was the first scene we did together. Roundtable: Much of the movie Ethan deals with feelings of entrapment, and Lena deals with the Light and Dark sides of her. Have you had any experiences that helped you act with that? Englert: Yeah, just struggling to reconcile your image of how you want to be with who you are, and how that’s never going to happen. That you don’t want it to happen. And also finding a choice that isn’t given to you. I went through a lot of that when I was in school, trying to find something that wasn’t an option. Ehrenreich: We’ve all been in situations. I’ve had that in school before, being precocious or ambitious. Being ambitious always implies not being where you want to be and wanting to be somewhere else. That fire in the belly feeling was something that probably drew me to Ethan the most. Beautiful Creatures is released nationwide on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

EMily WilliaMS ClaSS of 2015 aCCountanCy “Adam Brody.”

StEvE GEntili ClaSS of 2016 Cfa “Melanie Inglesias.”

By Corinne Kelly PhotograPhy staFF

Page 9

Page 10

February 14, 2013

Features

the Vanguard

Boston-based Passion Pit continues to grow fan base By Kelsey Miller Features editor

The second band to be featured in The Vanguard’s Spotlight Series is Passion Pit. The Boston-based band just performed to a crowd at BU’s Agganis Arena on Sunday. Passion Pit was forced to push the date of its performance back a day because of the blizzard. Passion Pit got its start in 2007 when Ian Hultquist approached Michael Angelakos at one of his solo concerts—he was performing songs he’d written for his girlfriend—to start a musical group. They decided to name the band Passion Pit after reading that the term

referred to drive-in theaters—since it was a favorite place for teenagers—in the Hollywood Insider. The band’s first EP was released in 2008 under the title Chunk of Change. One of the songs of this track was fan favorite Sleepyhead. At the same time that their EP was released, the band was named “Best New Local Act in 2008” by WFNX/Boston Phoenix. Two years later, the band began to gain major popularity. It released its first full length album, Manners, which included well-loved tracks The Reeling and Moth’s Wings, which was featured on an episode of Gossip Girl. Sleepyhead also made a

return. Fans of Passion Pit had to wait three years later for the band’s second album, Gossamer, which was released last July, and featured Take a Walk, which the band performed along with Carried Away on Saturday Night Live last October. The band had to cancel many of its tour stops last year in order for Angelakos to undergo treatment for bipolar disorder. Passion Pit is an indie rock band, which has elements of synth pop and alternative music. The band’s interesting sound has led to a devout following. These fans are waiting impatiently for Passion Pit’s next work.

Passion Pit recently started their latest international tour.

Courtesy of facebook.com

Blizzard Nemo provides snow day fun

Courtesy photos

ColuMNS

THe VanguarD

Notes from Abroad Question: “Describe an experience in which you overcame a challenge in your host country.” By Marcie Dineen rouen, franCe

It would be easy to talk about the language because no one tells you how insane a language barrier is. I mean, in a world where communication dominates our every move, being somewhat muted by the inability to speak the native tongue is terrifying, especially for a chatterbox like me. How do you advocate for yourself in a society where others easily take advantage of those less able? How do you assimilate into a culture when you are unaware of the way you are being perceived? But that’s obvious and frankly a little boring so I’d rather focus on the change of lifestyle. Like most Bentley students, I live through my Outlook, attend countless meetings, class and activities and have every minute of my day accounted for. Here, it is the exact opposite. Classes fill approximately 10 percent of my time and there

is little work associated with them. The other 90 percent of my time, I’m given an incredible, yet terrifying, opportunity; to figure out who I really am, through the medium of travel, free time and solidarity. It sounds cliché, but without the safety net of friends, family, classes, organizations and Netflix, there is a gap that pushes me into this world where I am completely in control of how I spend my time. For four months, my purpose is solely to live. When are you given an opportunity like that? So, while there are many challenges I face on a daily basis, the most daunting one has been figuring out what I’m making of my life. In the meantime, I’m settling down with a baguette, bottle of wine and cheese, slowly embracing the reality that I’m living in, and the incredible opportunities that lie ahead.

By Morgan Croce Cape Town, SouTH afriCa

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is trying to answer a resurfacing question: what is this idealized concept of race, and more specifically what does it mean to be white? I could go so far as to consider what it means to be a white American young woman, but that would require an essay and not a few paragraphs. I’m not confused as to why this question is on my mind because the concept of race is everywhere here in South Africa: apartheid only ended in 1994, making race a current issue and by no means the ‘history’ of the country. What baffles me most is that race is something I rarely thought about in the states, and

february 14, 2013 now the questions will not stop coming. Who created this concept, what gave it purpose, and how did we let these issues grow to fuel a fire which started many wars and too many struggles among countries, communities and families? I recently watched a video that said the markers of race (skin color, texture, etc) mean nothing until we give them social meaning—physical differences don’t make race, but laws that affect chances, opportunities, and experiences—that creates race. So who created race and why? Now the question turns back to myself and my skin color and what it means to be white. Here is my biggest challenge: trying to understand white privilege. What I mean by that is this imperceptible racism - we’re

Courtesy of Moussa Hassoun

One of the most troubling policies of the Obama administration has been its continuation of certain aspects of neoconservative policy. While Obama has shifted on issues such as international engagement and global military leadership strategies, he has endorsed Bush’s preemptive attacks in “unofficial” warzones, such as Pakistan, by massively expanding the drone program and continually extending the Patriot Act which violates privacy rights for “our protection.” The recent leak of the Department of Justice’s legal paper justifying the killing of Americans working with Al Qaeda or its affiliates has amplified the discussion around the issues once more. It highlights

the defining characteristic of the “global war on terror” that Bush and Obama have been part of: Ambiguity. Nearly every aspect of the post-911 world has been ambiguous. Who are the enemies? A global network of guerilla fighters who dress up like civilians. Where is the battle field? Every country or area that has connections to that network. Can Americans be killed as enemies? Yes, if a “high level official” decides so based on his or her vague and incomplete information about a possible association with a terrorist network. Must the attack be against America? No, “American interests” of which many have interpreted to be anything and everything the U.S. is involved in. Must the attack be imminent? Yes, but if the official doesn’t know if the attack will happen, it qualifies as imminent and the “perpetrator” can be killed whenever or wherever. What justifies an attack? Anything. Seriously. No threat to the U.S. is needed. Is there oversight? Yes and no depending on the subject. Phone and email tapping requires none for the most part and secret

court decisions can decide anything that needs to be known. Assassinations (that may include Americans) are decided by the President with his “hit list” every Tuesday. Neither the courts nor Congress play any role, even a small part to ensure that there is no abuse. Who are the terrorists again? Any person who actions intentionally or unintentionally help a terrorist labeled organization. As you can see, nothing is set in stone; it is subjective. Perhaps the nature of this war, or all war, is such ambiguity. The Iraq and Afghanistan war are finally winding down, however, the war still rages across the globe with drone strikes through Pakistan and the Arab Peninsula and government crackdowns everywhere. Even if we assumed the President could assume such massive powers on a constitutional basis during times of war, when will the war end? The administration still believes such powers are justified because America is still in a state of war, but if we are in a state of war today, This is important because it allows the administration to maintain its excessive executive

By Moussa Hassoun

power using a very vague definition of what constitutes war. Will the government always be allowed to tap our phones and check our emails? Are we willing to continually surrender our privacy rights for a security that for the most part already exists? Will one branch of government forever be given powers unequal to those of the other branches where Americans can be killed without even the slightest oversight? I’ve been conflicted on the issues for a while and their logistical and moral complexity can be intimidating. Unfortunately,

Ambiguity is a major issue in war and politics today.

taught to see racism as individual acts of meanness, not an invisible and long-standing systems particular to my group. So I’m constantly questioning what I was raised to believe and the way I’ve acted. It’s interesting how the experiences I’m having now affect experiences I’ve already had in the past, and will continue to impact many of my future decisions. What I’m learning from this particular experience is how to use my always growing understanding of what white privilege is to educate those around me to recognize their privilege and to challenge what they’ve always believed to be true, and to continue to educate others so we can foster generations ahead of us that do not see color, but see human beings.

Courtesy of Morgan Croce

In Cape Town, South Africa, apartheid only ended in 1994, making race a still very current cultural and political issue.

Scratching the Surface: Politics and Ambiguity

page 11

Democrats have gone silent on the issue after President Obama embraced it and Republicans were never opposed. A minority of liberals and majority of Libertarians seem to be the only ones sounding the alarm. We can no longer allow our fear of another 9/11 to cripple our inherent right to court, privacy, and respect. It may not affect you today, but as all conservatives agree: Government grows far faster than it shrinks. When it continues to reinterpret legal words to be so ambiguous they will eventually be used against everyone.

Courtesy of afghanistanstudygroup.org

PAge 12

FebruAry 14, 2013

ColumnS

Alumni Experience

Courtesy of Ann Marie Sheridan

Ann Marie Sheridan Class of 2001 What made you decide to attend Bentley? I knew at a very young age that I was going to run my own business one day. I have always been involved and passionate about athletics, and also knew I was going to play field hockey at the collegiate level. I attended a summer field hockey camp throughout middle and high school that was hosted at Bentley. I felt I already had a sense of the campus and facilities (the stairs on campus kept me active!). I was

considering primarily Division 1 schools, but Bentley had a reputation as a competitive Division II field hockey program along with a great coach, Kelly West McGowan. After going on some recruiting trips, I knew the business program at Bentley was the right choice for me. I was also attracted to the size of Bentley. I liked how the classes were smaller; I could connect with fellow students on group projects and reach out to professors on a personal level. The proximity to Boston was another attractive feature. Do you have a favorite campus memory? Just one? Aside from the fun campus atmosphere, living in the suites and apartments with friends, I’d have to say some of my fondest memories are practicing with the field hockey team. From the hot August days of preseason camp throughout the crisp autumn months and competing in postseason play every year, fall in New England is a unique experience that brings me back nostalgically to the memories of those days every year. Many lessons and life-skills

can be drawn from my experiences working as a member of a team. I was fortunate to be a part of a very talented team and I consider my athletic career to have been successful. I would have to say the daily practices with the team and working to improve day in and day out are some of my fondest memories. What do you miss most about your college days? Everything! From owning my first laptop and doing homework together with 7 other suitemates, to having the campus experience of Spring Day and the spending time on the “Green Space”. From playing field hockey under the lights on a clear fall night to winning 4 Northeast-10 Championships and participating in the National Tournament two consecutive years. I will always cherish my days at Bentley, and grateful for the education and relationships I made and have maintained through the years. How did your Bentley exper i e n c e i n f l u e n c e y o u r career path? Bentley gave me exposure to

The VAnguArd

Presented by The Senior Year Experience Committee many aspects of business, with courses in accounting, finance, economics, web design, marketing, even courses specializing in public speaking, public relations and crisis management. I was able to figure out which course I was best suited for, what excited me, and which ones were more challenging. I knew I enjoyed sports and was chosen for a marketing internship with the Boston Bruins Hockey team for two semesters. Bentley provided me with the tools to thrive in the business world today. Having this business background, I have been able to bring my own talents and skills and apply them to whatever job I am doing. With a specialized degree in Corporate Communication and Information Design from Bentley, I had the confidence to pursue my passions for both business and sports. It is because of my Bentley experience that I now own and operate my own business. As an alumnus/a, what makes you most proud of Bentley today? Bentley has continued to develop and prove itself, being recognized as one of the top

business schools in the country. It’s been exciting to witness what the school’s first woman president, Gloria Larson, has been able to achieve transitioning into a University. I could not be more proud to say I am an alumnus of Bentley and am regularly encouraging high school students and their parents to consider Bentley. It has provided me with a lifetime of fond memories, a keen business sense, a network of like-minded peers, and a strong business background with real-life experience that is applicable in my day to day work. I hope I can continue to evolve in my own career as Bentley is evolving as a powerhouse in Business and Education.

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 Bentley University. Comments resulting from the columns may be directed to the author and/or The Vanguard.

We are looking for News writers, Campus Life writers, Features writers, production staff, & event photographers. No experience needed!

TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT GA_VANGUARD@BENTLEY.EDU

CoLumNs

The VaNguard

February 14, 2013

The International Report: A 20/20 Vision Prescription

In the G20 annual forum, nations collaborate on issues relating to the global economy.

The meeting this week of central bankers and finance ministers from the G20 group of nations is a reminder to the regular person that the G20 actually exists. Whether the regular person particularly appreciates this reminder is a question for a different day. The G20 nations collectively represent above 60 percent of the world’s population and over 80 percent of the world economic output. In light of the Great Recession, the usefulness of such an organization to debate and attempt to implement financial and economic policies to aid recovery is arguably inarguable.

Courtesy of foreignpolicyblogs.com

However, the effectiveness of the G20 since the economic crisis has been quite low. This and other significant factors make it possible that the greatest result of the Moscow meeting may be a good week for some Moscow hoteliers. Pre-meeting talk is concentrated on Japanese yen devaluation. Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party December 2012 general election victory was unsurprisingly founded on the promise of reviving the long ailing Japanese e c o n o m y. E l e c t e d P r i m e Minister Shinzo Abe, in collaboration with the Bank of Japan, has made statements

and initiated economic policies aimed at halting deflation and reaching a 2 percent level of inflation. The Bank of Japan’s strong expansionary monetary policy aimed at achieving the aforementioned has had the partially positive side effect of weakening the yen. Thus Japan’s exports are cheaper and importation has become more expensive. The effect on other countries is Japanese imports becoming cheaper while exports to Japan become less price-competitive and thus creates the possibility of currency wars. This situation illustrates the benefit of an annual formal forum where such issues with subtle but significant multiplier effects on the global economy can be discussed and resolved. The G20 is one of those things whose value is realized more in absentia. However, the understandable competitiveness of participatory countries in the G20 structure, especially in the current economic climate, means that its aims of “restoring economic growth, strengthening and reforming international financial systems and institutions” is sometimes an afterthought to

Briefcase Banter: Snow Good

Courtesy of Nick Vasiliadis

If it hasn’t become abundantly clear over the past week, we have a very strange connection to snow here in New England. Of all the different kinds of inclement weather we experience in this region, our feelings towards snow are the most complex. While rain is a pain and sunshine is fine, New Englanders seem to have a profoundly conflicted lovehate relationship with the powdery stuff. People generally hate the cold, and with good reason; Cold weather is inconvenient, uncomfortable, and it makes us depressed. Bitterness towards the cold is often merely a passive agitation of ours however; we endure its overstayed welcome with hostile chagrin. Most of us agree that rain is similarly awful, and the fact that it can come suddenly and seemingly at the worst times, causes some of our most hate-filled

feelings towards Mother Nature. Combine the two and you’d expect to see people vengefully shooting revolvers into the sky like Yosemite Sam every time the forecast calls for frost. Oddly though, snow is somehow pretty alright. There are a lot of possible explanations why people take kindly to the snow, although none of them really outweigh the facts in favor of us hating it. Sure, we associate snow with Christmas, and that psychological connection is whimsical before and during the holidays. After December, snow isn’t magical anymore; it’s just a reminder that it’s going to take about a year before anyone is “jolly” again. Snow is also fun to play with, but that’s only applicable if it’s just fallen and you’re under the age of ten or an idiot. And even I’ll admit that snow is “pretty,” but only because it blankets our imperfect canvas of a world in a clean looking sheet, and that sounds like an obsessive compulsive’s wet dream. But that postcard perfect winter wonderland aesthetic only lasts a few days and then the stuff turns poobrown and forms sickly looking puddles lining the edges of streets. After our recent storm, it seems to me the primary reason we enjoy the snow is

actually because it sucks so much. Like being unexpectedly struck in the testicles, snow has no inherent value or redeeming qualities. And like the occasional unfounded groin bash, there’s still a kind of subtly pleasurable humor surrounding snowstorms that’s all in good taste. It’s because snow is so utterly undesirable that we can’t help but react by laughing at the fact that we’re all in this together—and that’s kind of a strangely beautiful thing. That point serves as the basis for one of the most eccentric phenomena I’ve experienced, and the most profoundly complex weatherbased subculture in existence: snow culture. Snow culture surely isn’t only a “Massachusetts thing” in the same way that being an unfriendly jerk is, but it’s definitely prevalent here nonetheless. Snow culture is what happens when there’s a particularly big storm a-coming and everyone has to hunker down and wait for copious amounts of frozen deadweight to flutter majestically down from the sky. Once God’s scalp is dandruff free, we go outside and begrudgingly gather it all into misshapen heaps in order to continue with business as usual. When I went to purchase a

improving a member country’s state of economic affairs. 2008 and 2009 are widely acknowledged as the best examples of what a fully functioning effective G20 can do. Its synchronized response to the near apocalyptic financial crisis at the time partially prevented the world economy from imploding. Since then the G20 and the world economy have moved in different directions. The world economy is sluggishly improving; however, the G20’s reputation has diminished markedly. Commentators have criticized many aspects of the G20 from its membership to its relevance and these critics are increasing in number and voice. Public protests at G20 gatherings are now a given. As nobody really benefits from an ineffective G20, its condition is of importance to us all. Thus the hope is that the Moscow meeting starts G20 soul redemption. Russia’s presidency of the G20 should be quite beneficial to an improved G20 due to the Kremlin’s hunger for Russia’s importance and relevance in the world to be spotlighted and secured. Positive significant resolu-

Page 13

By Kevin D. Laryea t i o n s a t t h i s w e e k ’s G 2 0 meeting and the main G20 summit in September are high on the agenda of Vladimir Putin, the Russian President. As the only country with membership of the G8, G20, BRICS and recently the WTO, Russia is strategically well placed to push for reforms and action. Of additional benefit will be a rejection of suspicions of a looming currency war. Such action will calm jittery markets and banks slightly improving the economic climate. The closed door discussions that are the essence of G20 finance ministers and central bankers coming together should end with statements on how weak fragile growth in the global economy can be collaboratively stimulated without compromising the economic states of different countries at different stages of recovery. Monetary policy, deficits, unemployment and financial regulation will be particular areas of debate. The Central Exhibition Hall Manezh will either be the venue of a turning point gathering or a meeting of such consequence that this article is trivial. Let’s hope it’s the former.

By Nick Vasiliadis

New Englanders faced with a snowstorm adopt a “we’re all in this together” attitude.

shovel before winter storm Nemo little-finned the hell out of campus, the hardware store manager noticed me eyeing his products. Wideeyed and smirking sinisterly, he remarked, “I hear we’re getting three feet!” What he really meant by that was, “This is highly inconvenient for both of us and therefore funny!” Even the NewEngland meteorologists were struggling to hide how giggly they felt about the potentially “historic storm.” That’s snow culture at its finest. Our peculiar reactions to snow comes as no surprise, probably in part because while the notion of a “winter storm” is a pain, it’s also as non-threatening as a pile of

Courtesy of imwx.com

kittens. I mean who’s really going to freak out about a lot of snow? People seem to react to snow more according to how funny it will look than how much of a nuisance it will be to move, and the humor is graphed like a cosine curve where pi is equal to a foot of snow. A few inches is no problem, a foot is quite a nuisance, and two feet might as well be five because that’s just utterly ridiculous. It seems like once you hit the twelve inch mark it’s just frosting from then on, and the snow becomes a caricature of itself. At that point, nobody really has much of a right to complain; we’re all equally screwed and nobody likes a winter whiner.

PAGE 14

fEbRUARy 14, 2013

SpoRTS

THE VANGUARD

Roberson uses Final Four experience as motivation By Emily Ellis VANGUARD STAff

The Bentley women’s basketball has reached 20 wins for the 28th time in the past 30 years. They are in first place with a flawless record, 17-0 in the NE-10 conference and 21-0 overall. Senior captain Kelsey Roberson is responsible for a great deal of the Lady Falcon’s success this season. This 5-foot-7 guard from

Arlington, Mass., received Bentley’s Most Improved Player last year. Now, this experienced player leads the team both on and off the court. “As an upperclassman, sometimes it can be hard to motivate younger players but fortunately, although we’re kind of a young team, we’ve experienced what it’s like to play and win on a national level and that leaves everyone with moti-

The Falcons continued their undefeated record with a win over St. Michael's.

Suzy Hallak/THE VANGUARD

vation to improve over the summer,” said Roberson. Recently, the Lady Falcons trumped Southern Connecticut State University, 94-52, beat out Merrimack College, 72-58, and only allowed St. Anselm College to score 21 points, compared to Bentley’s 61. All of these wins have come on their opponents’ home courts. “This season as a whole has been pretty surreal,” Roberson continued to say. “Finishing as one of the Final Four teams in Division II last year left us with high expectations this season. That type of pressure can weigh on a team, but we’ve been able to channel it as motivation and run with it.” Roberson said that the day Bentley got back from San Antonio last year, the Falcons were itching to play again. “Our goal after last season was to get back to San Antonio,” Roberson said. And the Lady Falcons are certainly on their way. Roberson credits the seasoned coaching staff for much of their success as well. She continued to say that although “each player has a lot of individual drive to improve and win, the key

Roberson has led the team to an undefeated record of 21-0.

Suzy Hallak/THE VANGUARD

to our success is definitely our coaching staff. They’re always looking for perfection and they never let us settle.” Hall of Fame Head Coach Barbara Stevens is in her 27th season at Bentley. After 35 years of experience, she has recorded the most wins for any coach in the history of Women’s Division II Basketball. Overall, Stevens’ record shows an astonishing 695 wins to only 153 losses.

“The best part about being on the team for me is having 12 friends around you at all times,” concluded Roberson, neglecting to mention any sort of record. “We have great team chemistry and a strong bond which makes things like training and long practice sessions easy. Off the court we have a lot of fun together and have built a trust that definitely translates to our success on the court.”

Feeling the effects of Nemo, Falcons look to rebound at home By Ian Giancursio VANGUARD STAff

The Bentley men’s basketball team is hoping to recover after three straight losses on the road, in which their last game was delayed by the blizzard dubbed “Nemo.” In Bentley’s game against Southern Connecticut State University on February 2, the Falcons came up just short after exploding for a 17-2 run near the end of the second half, losing 83-81. The first half was a back-and-forth

battle featuring 12 lead changes and 10 ties, but the second half told a much different story. Southern Connecticut ran out to a 79-64 lead with just under six minutes to play thanks to a 20-2 run spurred by junior Greg Langston’s seven points. Just when it appeared as though Bentley had thrown in the towel, the Falcons suddenly came alive, scoring 11 straight to cut the deficit to four with only two minutes remaining. After a basket by Southern

Bentley men’s basketball fell short on Tuesday in their first game after Nemo, losing to St. Michael's College, 66-62.

Connecticut, freshman forward Tyler McFarland scored on a layup and converted two from the foul line to bring Bentley within two. Freshman forward Shakir Phelps stole the next inbound pass and tied the game, but unfortunately the excitement did not last. Langston drove through the lane and hit a falling shot with only two seconds on the clock to put away the game for good. Although they did not win, the Falcons received a great game from Phelps, who scored a career-

Melisa Kocarslan/THE VANGUARD

high 16 points. Bentley then went on the road again to face Merrimack College, a team they had beaten 18 straight times since 2005. The Falcons could not make it 19, however, as Merrimack used a pair of 110 runs to pull away for a 7162 victory and end the streak. After a hot start to go up 12-8, Bentley went cold for nearly six minutes, allowing Merrimack’s first 11-0 run. Following five straight points from sophomore guard J.P. Koury, Merrimack buried a three that would put them ahead the rest of the game. Merrimack used its second 11-0 run in the second half to take a 63-43 lead with nine minutes left. Although Bentley attempted to come back, the Falcons were simply outmatched. The team did have a few bright spots, however, as junior guard Jasper Grassa and Koury scored 16 and 14 points, respectively. The Falcons actually had a 17-4 advantage in free throws and also had five less turnovers, but could not turn those numbers into a victory. In what should be called the “Nemo” game, the Falcons took on nationallyranked Saint Anselm College this past Sunday in a stormdelayed game that featured a

career night for McFarland. Although the Falcons lost, McFarland’s amazing game ignited Bentley’s second-half comeback that fell just short. McFarland recorded a careerhigh 26 points and 12 rebounds, with 18 of those points coming in the secondhalf. The Falcons got off to an awful start in the second half, missing 12 shots in a row to fall behind 58-43 with less than 11 minutes remaining. With an 11-point deficit and just under seven minutes left, McFarland’s three-point play spurred the Falcons to a 120 run to take a 65-64 lead with three minutes to go. Both teams traded baskets until a three-point play put Saint Anselm ahead by three with 42 seconds left. Behind by five with 11 seconds to go, Grassa buried a three to regain the momentum. With three seconds left, McFarland caught a long inbounds pass with the chance to tie the game. Unfortunately, his threepointer just missed, sending Saint Anselm to its sixth straight win. McFarland led the Falcons in scoring with Grassa following with 17 points and five assists. The loss gives Bentley a 5-12 Northeast-10 record and a 714 record overall.

SporTS

the VangUaRd

TradeSports taking off at Bentley The perfect mix of business and sports By Matt Gustus SpoRtS editoR

TradeSports, a game produced by Binary Event Network, is quickly taking over the Bentley campus. By combining sports with finance topics, the game has created a way to watch any sporting event with excitement, regardless of the teams involved. The concept of the game is fairly easy to understand. Throughout the course of a sporting event, each team has a percent chance of winning, which is ever-changing. TradeSports uses this percentage to determine the price per share of each team. For example, if during a Boston Celtics game the Celtics have a 34 percent chance of winning, then their price per share is $34 (in virtual currency). “The price is set by a combination of two factors,” says Bentley senior Pat McNamara, who has worked closely on the game since its inception. “It takes into account statistical history from the last 10 years of what is expected to happen, and also, which is kind of cool, how people are buying and selling, so you can also affect the price.” As the percentages change, the prices of the teams change as well. The aim of the game is to buy “stock” in a team before they gain momentum and cash in as their chances of winning increase. The best way to fully understand how the game works is through an example. In last weekend’s fiveovertime college basketball thriller between Notre Dame and Louisville, the score went back and forth. Near

FebRUaRy 14, 2013

page 15