The Vanguard

VoLuME Li

iSSuE Xi

ThurSdAy, APriL 21, 2011

North Campus recognized by EPA Residence halls given 83 on Energy Star efficiency scale

By Lacey Nemergut

Schmitt awaits trial off campus Students and staff say lack of diversity awareness is not to blame

nEWS EdiTor

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently given Bentley’s north Campus residence halls an Energy Star rating of 83, indicating that in relation to other registered buildings in the nation, these perform in the top 25 percent based on energy efficiency. Bentley facilities Management invested a significant amount of time and focus into adding specific modifications to these buildings which would promote energy efficiency while allowing for the students to practice comfortable living habits.

“The buildings did start out in the 50s and 60s…then we did a lot with the control and made sure everything worked uniformly. The Blackout contest, those things all add up, and they got the scores into the 80s,” See EPA, Page 15

WWW.BEnTLEyVAnGuArd.CoM

Schmitt’s case opens up discussion about diversity tolerance and acceptance.

By Leslie Dias EdiTor in ChiEf

Bentley initiatives to turn ‘green’ pay off on North Campus with high Energy Star rating.

Tomer Gat/THE VANGUARD

Festival of Colors entertains

The arrest of a Bentley senior on criminal civil rights charges has sent shock waves through the Bentley community as students, faculty and staff struggle to understand how one of their own could be implicated in the April 8 assault on a black deaf man and a pregnant woman on Waltham Common.

Bentley senior Timothy Schmitt faces charges that include civil rights violation with injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with attempt to intimidate and two counts of aggravated assault

Tomer Gat/THE VANGUARD

and battery. Schmitt, who was coming home from a Waltham bar, allegedly kicked the deaf black man in the face and allegedly shouted racial epithets, then allegedly struck the pregnant woman who had tried to intervene, according to court documents.

“The incident was a shock to all of us,” said a lacrosse teammate of Schmitt’s. “Tim is such a good guy, and he would be the first person to stick up for anyone.” The teammate said he did not know exactly what happened, but thinks that Schmitt was at the “wrong place at the wrong time.”

See SCHMITT, Page 7

PRIDE’s Ally training

Student leaders participate in first annual diversity conference

By Lacey Nemergut nEWS EdiTor

This year’s theme at the Festival of Colors performance was time traveling around the world.

Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD

See Page 6

5 RELAY This year’s event had a record breaking number of participants.

on Wednesday, April 13, People respecting individuality and diversity through Education (PridE) hosted the first official ally training, encouraging students to be open minded and listen in a more conscientious matter. The goal of this event, though certainly to promote acceptance and awareness of the LBGTQ community, is focused beyond this boundary and towards generating tolerance and understanding of apparent differences.

“There isn’t a recipe [to ally training]. What we hope

Courtesy of Dan Weidel

you leave with is a sense of varying perspectives,” said dan Weidel, president of PridE. Various activities during ally training help to promote enhanced listening

8,9 ELECTION 12,13 14 VAULT The Student Leader Election candidates are running for positions in SGA, ABA, AIA and Class Cabinets. See their pictures and write ups starting on page 8.

See ALLY, Page 6

Website reveals FBI information to the public.

Police Log 2 JAS 2 Cartoon 4 Voices 10 & 11 Horoscopes 16 Falcon of The Week 20

PAGE 2

News

APrIL 21, 2011

Paintballin’ On Sunday at 6:28 p.m., officers responded to Collins Hall for a report of a student’s vehicle being shot at with paintballs as he drove by. upon further investigation, it was determined that someone was shooting the gun out of a sixth-story window. The hit party reported that a pellet had hit his car, but it was fully intact and did not explode. This story was confirmed with visual evidence.

Officers went up to the snipers’ room and were met by one male student at the door. This student said he was the only one home and no one had been home for the last 45 minutes. He did not admit to the crime, and the officers were not allowed to access the room to confirm that no one was present. This case is still under investigation and follow up with the missing roommates is planned.

Chin Up, Dude Late Sunday at 12:27 a.m., a caller reported that her friend had a deep and bleeding laceration on his chin. Officers were dispatched to Miller Hall and found the injured student outside.

While speaking with this student, the officer determined that he was unsta-

THE VANGuArd

PoliCe log

ble and slurring his speech. He was then transported for further treatment and received stitches. He will be judicially charged with being uncooperative with personnel and public intoxication.

Freshman Fun Day On friday, April 15, at 8:49 a.m. officers requested a tow in Lot 11 for a freshman in violation of receiving excessive tickets. The specific car was a black ford with no decal. After cross referencing the information, they found that the owner was a freshman in Miller Hall. The freshman had already been issued a ticket for not having a decal that very week. The specific number of previous tickets is not available, but mind you, it was surely excessive. Some kids never learn.

Not on My Tree On Saturday, April 16, at 1:02 a.m., an officer noticed an only too familiar sight. Near the falcone circle, he saw a male begin to urinate on a tree. The officer approached the male, who he identified as a Bentley student, and asked him why he decided to urinate in public. He apologized and then reported that he lived in falcone West.

Classified

Great apartment for students. Close to Brandeis and Bentley. Live with all your friends in a nice apartment in a great location. Available June 1st. Parking, laundry on site. Call 781-380-5654 or email dennisbford@gmail.com. The rent is $3675 per month which is $525 per student/bedroom. Separate utilities. Nice back yard for grilling/hanging out. No fee.

He had no answer as to why he could not just walk into the building.

The student was very determined to be coherent and steady on his feet, but the trained eyes of the officer knew better.

He will be charged with disorderly contact, specifically urinating in public.

The Cold North On Saturday, April 16, at 10:22 p.m., a “student reported walking by Orchard North and noticed a window open in the study area and was concerned that it may be getting cold in there. facilities was notified to close the window.”

Fighting Words On Thursday, April 14, at 4:11 p.m., an officer requested a set of numbers for an uncooperative party in the Police Station lobby. The student in the lobby was arguing over a parking citation that he was issued earlier in the day for parking in a general lot.Apparently, the issue was that he wanted to park in a general parking area, reserved for our respected commuter students and visitors, instead of in the resident lots.

Sometimes the two can get confusing, but this student escalated things a bit too far. He will be judicially charged with a vehicular violation, disorderly conduct and disrespect to administrative personnel based on his few choice words for the lobby staff.

Circle Time On Thursday, April 14, at promptly 5:53 p.m., an officer observed three

males sitting on the grass near the volleyball courts. There were three males in a small circle and one sitting in the middle. Once they spotted the officer, one student threw a small object into the wooded area nearby. As the officer got closer, he detected a smell of burnt marijuana. He questioned the males as to who had been smoking this marijuana, but was met with silent stares.

Then the middle man spoke up that actually no one had been smoking any marijuana.

After identifying all three of the males, they were determined to be Bentley students. during a pocket check, a marijuana cigarette came tumbling out onto the grass. All three males will be charged with possession and use of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and being uncooperative with administrative personnel.

Fox on the Loose On Thursday, April 14, at 3:47 p.m., officers received a call about a Fox News van hanging around the Copley residence halls. After quickly responding to the mentioned area, they found no evidence of media vehicles in sight. In fact, all gates were down and the metal poles situated accordingly. Officers cleared, but were sure to tune in to the 6:00 news.

By Chad Arrendell, Katie Cavanaugh & Raymer Maguire VANGuArd STAff

JudiCial aCtion Summary EDiToR iN CHiEF Leslie dias MANAgiNg EDiToR gENERAL MANAgER Tomer Gat John Karakelle CoPy EDiToR NEWS EDiToR SPoRTS EDiToR CAMPUS LiFE EDiToR FEATURES EDiToR BUSiNESS EDiToR PHoTogRAPHy EDiToR oNLiNE EDiToR EDiToRiAL DiRECToR DiRECToR oF PRoDUCTioN DiRECToR oF ADvERTiSiNg DiRECToR oF MARkETiNg STUDENT LiFE ADviSoR JoURNALiSM ADviSoR

Alyson Bisceglia Lacey Nemergut robbie LaBrie Sindhu Palaniappan Lindsay Beauregard Phillip St. Pierre Emily Silver Brian fuerst Ian Markowitz Jeff Breault Greg Kokino Brandon Schug Maria diLorenzo Judy rakowsky

fOr GENErAL & CONTACT INfOrMATION ABOuT The VANguARd, PLEASE SEE PAGE 4.

04.11.2011-04.19.2011

Total number of cases: Total number of individuals involved (violators): Number of individuals dismissed from 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: Provided by the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs

11 14 1 0 8 $775 1 6 0 3 0 0 0 0

News

THE VAnGUARD

APRIL 21, 2011

PAGE 3

CAB members discuss Spring Day concert selection process

By Tomer Gat MAnAGInG EDITOR

Every year, Bentley students revel in the Campus Activities Board’s (CAB) announcement of the Spring Day concert artists.

Although thousands will attend the popular event, very few actually know what goes into making such a large and popular event

happen.

The process, which begins at the beginning of the school year, takes many months of debates, surveys and contract negotiations to finalize in order to “ensure that our decision would reflect the tastes of the Bentley campus,” said Erin Collins, CAB secretary.

The process starts with

CAB chose Fiasco and Far East Movement based on extensive student surveys.

Courtesy of f.cl.fy

CAB members sitting outside of Seasons Dining Hall for three days, gathering written suggestions from Bentley students regarding what genre they want to hear at Spring Day, and what artists they would like to see.

“Our intentions are providing the best entertainment for the greatest amount of students, and each year we aren’t going to please every student, but based on the responses we received last fall, an overwhelming percent asked for a rap/hip-hop type artist, and Lupe Fiasco and Far East Movement fit both genres in their own way” said Ryan O’Keeffe, CAB president.

Once CAB has narrowed down which artists they are going to consider, they then take into account a number of factors that will help determine which artists will agree to come. These factors include price, availability and, most importantly, the compatibility of the artists.

“We wouldn’t want a rap artist with a soft rock opener. We really felt that Far

East Movement would do a great job to pump up the crowd before the main act, and that Lupe Fiasco would be able to keep the energy going,” said Collins.

For those who are not Far East Movement or Lupe fans, Spring Day is much more than just a concert. Since CAB understands that it is very difficult to satisfy every student with the concert selection, they offer many other events, games and activities to do throughout the day.

“It is near impossible to please every student when the student population is close to 4,000 students,” said O’Keeffe. “For those students who aren’t pleased with our choice of musician, we provide other activities, like the inflatables and outdoor concert. We are also elaborating on the Spring Day experience which every student who attends the concert this year will be able to experience once they step foot into the gym.”

When asked about the possibility of having a rock band as the Spring Day artist, Collins said, “I know

it seems like a cop-out to say that rock artists are too expensive, but it’s the unfortunate truth.

Students have suggested bands, such as Kings of Leon, Linkin Park, Green Day and Paramore, but bands of this caliber simply are not attainable with our budget. Unless students want Third Eye Blind to return to campus every year, there isn’t much that we can do in the realm of rock.”

Collins and O’Keeffe encourage students who want to voice their opinions on Spring Day or want to be part of the decision-making process to get involved with CAB. “All you have to do is em a i l GA_CAB@bentley.edu, and we will add you to our distribution list right away,” said Collins.

As we near April 30, keep an eye on CAB’s Facebook and Twitter pages to receive up-to-date Spring Day details, listen to Far East Movement or Lupe in the “Song of the Day” or enter and compete in various competitions.

PAGE 4

APRIl 21, 2011

Viewpoints

THE VAnGUARD

Quote

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 How grading is often flawed Having been raised with the Internet, the current generation of college students has access to a seemingly limitless supply of information. The knowledge that can be gained in a Bentley classroom is often available online from more knowledgeable experts at absolutely no cost. As traditional college education becomes more and more obsolete, the saying “Education is free. You’re paying for the degree” has never been truer.

In order to justify the incredible cost of a Bentley education, the University must guarantee that its graduates’ GPAs accurately reflect their knowledge.

Unfortunately, there aren’t enough standards and regulations in place to argue that this is true.

Professors across all departments are required to provide students with a syllabus containing their course grading criteria. This simple policy benefits students in several ways. Students can better divide their effort, professors must account for the grades they post and everyone is held to the same standard.

However, there are very few regulations in place for the grading criteria itself.

General Business courses, for example, use relatively uniform grading schemes across all courses. However, courses within a major appear to

leave grading procedures up to the professors’ judgments.

In order to accurately grade students, professors must assign coursework that is directly relevant to the course.

This frequently does not occur when essays and written assignments are graded on English mechanics. Simply said, a math course should test on math, a programming course should test on coding skills and a writing-heavy course should test on writing ability.

As a general education requirement, all students must take two semesters of expository writing, which is factored into students’ overall GPA. However, grading essays is based on mechanics in technical courses, such as Web Design or Statistics, not only doesn’t gauge students’ knowledge of the course material, but puts international students at a disadvantage.

Additionally, many professors within these fields may not be properly trained to grade in such a fashion.

Another common issue is ambiguous grading criteria.

To state that participation grades are unnecessary is naïve. Attendance and discussion in the classroom are necessary to foster a wholistic learning environment. Too often, however, “participation” is left undefined and essentially amounts to the

professors’ discretion. leaving participation undefined undermines the principle of transparency Bentley set when they required syllabuses be posted.

Every student deserves to know, without any ambiguity, exactly how they can achieve a perfect grade. A granular rubric that accounts every 10 percent of the grade assigned is desirable. However, it is irresponsible to leave the difference between one or even two grade points unaccountable at the whim of the professor.

Students should have a method of evaluating their professors’ grading methods.

In its current form, the Student Evaluations of Teachers (SETs) does not ask students whether they believe their grade reflects their knowledge of the course material. A question such as this could create valuable insight for professors when developing course plans, and for students when choosing courses.

As students who will soon be entering the job market, we expect our investment of time, money and effort in Bentley to ultimately pay off fairly. Until the University standardizes its grading practices and retrains professors, it cannot guarantee with confidence that the GPAs they assign accurately reflect the students they have assigned them to.

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 still love the stamp design and would have selected this photograph anyway.”

-Roy Betts spokesman for the USPS, on a new stamp featuring what it thought was the Statue of Liberty; the photograph is actually of a replica that stands at the New York-New York Casino in Las Vegas.

Letter to the editor Dear Editor, How often do you wake up on a Saturday or Sunday morning and feel hungry?

Chances are that happens every time you get up on the weekend, but Seasons isn’t open until 11:00 a.m. If you got up before your 11:00 a.m. alarm, you have to wait to satisfy your needs. Granted that a large portion of the Bentley population is out pretty late on the weekend and up pretty late, this doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but what about the athletes?

Although athletes might be the minority in this case, many of us have played sports in the past and may recall what it is like to participate in such a demanding activity when you are hungry.

It’s tough, but this is something that happens every weekend to our athletes.

Many of our sports teams have early morning practices, as well as games, on the weekend and if they haven’t made their own breakfast, or gone off campus they have to play on an empty stomach because Seasons is not open

yet. As a member of the Bentley Men’s Rugby Club, I have had to play on Sunday morning without anything to eat, but a banana that I took from Seasons the night before, and it is just not fair to the athletes.

With this in mind I would like to suggest that the hours of Seasons be changed to help accommodate our Bentley athletes’ needs, or at the very least provide them with a breakfast option in the Dana Center where discretionary funds can be used. This is a subject that has been brought up several times in the past year at the Food Service Advisory Board (FSAB) meetings, but has been met with what seems like no serious consideration by the faculty and administrative members of the board. By providing a breakfast option for our athletes, and early risers, we are providing them with the opportunity to work to their potential and maintain their energy levels on a full stomach.

Thomas P. Smith

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

apriL 21, 2011

paGe 5

Relay for Life does laps for cancer Third annual Consent

By Angela Diaco VaNGuard staff

Bentley students are working hard to make sure that no one has to hear, “You have cancer,” again. on friday, april 15, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Bentley’s Colleges against Cancer (CaC) held the 27th annual relay for Life event in the dana Center to show support to those affected by cancer, and to raise money for research. the event had a record turnout, with over 590 participants and 66 teams doing laps for monetary donations.

Kaitlyn swist, representative

at large for the relay registration committee, was involved in the marketing and registration for the event. the original goal was to raise $32,000, “which i am proud to say we met!” said swist. “all of the funds go straight to the american Cancer society where they are dispersed to different areas such as research, education and services for those undergoing treatment.” the event began with the opening Ceremony at 6:45 p.m.

Bentley senior monica mohan sang the National Anthem, followed by opening statements from Vice president dr.

Kathleen Yorkis and CaC

Bentley students actively participated in Relay for Life.

Courtesy of Alyssa Landlot

president Karleen Herbst.

Cancer survivor and Bentley alumnus Lou Longo gave an inspirational speech about his life and his fight with cancer, followed by the “survivor lap,” where those cancer survivors who attended the event were honored. throughout the night, there were performances from the Bentley dance team, Bentley a Cappella, Bentley Jazz Band, Bentley’s own stereo fiction, Bentley sophomore Katie auger and various dJs. at 10:00 p.m., the Luminaria Ceremony was held, where those who are battling cancer, have survived cancer or have passed away from cancer were honored and remembered. during this ceremony, Bryant graduate patrick sullivan spoke about his mother’s battle with cancer and his experience with losing the woman he considered his best friend. His speech encouraged others to never give up the fight for a cancer cure. overall, the night was full of fun activities, raffles, food and a place where friends could hang out and show appreciation for the cause.

“No matter how severe or minute, when cancer hits a family it’s never easy, and to think that one day it may never hit another family was enough to motivate me to get involved and stay involved,” said swist.

Day spreads awareness through activities

Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD

Students signed the Consent Day banner on the Greenspace.

By Sindhu Palaniappan Campus Life editor

on thursday, april 7, Bentley hosted its third annual Consent day, an event that has been getting bigger and better each year. this year, it was put on by Health and Wellness, student activities and residence Life. Not only did the number of games and t-shirts increase, but the number of students and faculty who stopped by also grew. some of the popular games ranged from Consent twister to guessing song lyrics. students were played a bit of a song, and then challenged to decide whether or not it was healthy. “say, S&M is a really dirty song, But it’s all consensual!” said Courtney moore, who alongside with Jessica traue Greher, organized and supervised the big event. marketing for the event was by no means small; there were posters everywhere and

profile pictures were changed to teal, the sexual assault ribbon color, in order to spread awareness. this year, for the first time, there was a student committee for the event. Word of mouth and older shirts that sport slogans like “Let’s talk about sex, baby” also helped a bit. the new shirts flew, with the last one being won by an intense game of rock paper scissors. Not to mention the students looking for Consent day shirts the next day on fulldorm. president Larson, dr. Yorkis and the provost all stopped by the event to play games and see some of the students and staff. “student engagement was much higher this year, and for the past two years we’ve had 16 sponsoring organizations - this year we had 23!” said traue Greher.

Greher and moore were overly thankful for all of the organizations and students who worked together to make this day a success.

Representatives from the Women’s Center hosted the Wheel of Fortune game.

Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD

PAGE 6

APRIL 21, 2011

Campus Life & News

THE VANGUARD

Festival of Colors brings audience around the world in one night

A trip to Haiti followed, where Gerly Adrien put on a beautifully choreographed Haitian Ballet. This ethnic performance represented Haitians filling their spirits in response to good news; it left the audience with a sense of well-being.

Audience members were then thrilled by fun and flirty Cha Cha and tango numbers.

Performers April Gammal, Anton Panov, Katie Auger and Harrison Chan left the crowd stunned by their classy and sophisticated dances.

Madhumita Narayan was next to perform and sung a beautiful Carnatic (South Indian classical) song. She

impressed the audience with her ability to perform this difficult ethnic song.

The audience then traveled back to China where the Wong sisters (Diana, Ann and Amanda) portrayed the elegance and beauty of a Chinese culture in their dance number.

The sisters were dressed in flowy pink skirts and silk tops and utilized umbrellas as props.

Stephanie Germain and Sianie Fernandez were up next and performed an authentic Honduran Dance to Afro-Latino music from Ghana. The dance included Punta, yankunu drums of Africa and the tunes of soca and calypso music.

Jennifer Balacuit and Dillon Carlyle finished the first act with acoustic performances of Oasis’ Wonderwall and Mumford & Sons’ Hold On to What You Believe.

Kicking off the second act with swagger was Dimitry Marcelin, aka DiMi Marc, and DJ Andre Jordan performing a hip-hop number. DiMi Marc looked fresh in his white shirt and sunglasses.

Next it was back to China for the Asian Fashion Show. The show displayed fashions from the former dynasties as well as the modern era in a unique, chic style that incorporated American styles. All of the mod-

els were beautifully dressed.

Alysha Malik, Hima Chilakalapudi and Nedret Sahin, aka The Coolits, continued to thrill the audience with an acoustic mashup of songs.

The African Fashion Show followed where performers flaunted the motherland with bright colors and ethnic patterns. The fashion represented the vibrant culture of Africa.

Susie Jeong and Nick Barrameda continued with vocal and guitar performances of pop sensations Baby by Justin Bieber and I’ll Be There by the Jackson Five.

Benjamin Ortiz, Felicita Pena and Fusulenni Castro represented their Latin culture with Bachata, music and dance that began in the countryside of the Dominican Republic. The performers were dressed in spiffy outfits and inspired couples to get up on stage and dance along to their sweet vocals.

The Caribbean dancers returned next with an authentic African dance. The girls shouted out to Africa, showing respect for the motherland.

Finally, the Supreme Bhangra Unit ended the Festival of Colors with a lively and energetic traditional Bhangra dance infused with modern music. A dinner reception followed in the Executive Dining Room, including food from cultures around the world.

developed with versatility in mind,” said Weidel. “[We teach] in a way [that you] can be an ally to a lot of people and a lot of groups, whoever it is, by really developing skills that allow people to recognize differences in a way that doesn’t cause immediate associations,” said Weidel. “[Instead of] putting people in certain boxes like X and Y, [foster] a desired interest in listening, learning, experiencing and growing as a result of those support systems.”

“We talk about Bentley, the positives and the negatives. [We talk about] what people perceive as being support system, [their] views on

diversity. [It’s] not just limited to LBTQ, but it [extends] to student stuff in general,” said Weidel.

Activities at the event included a sit-down exercise, during which partners were asked to speak for two to three minutes, receiving expressionless silence from their listener. The listening partner was then asked to repeat back what the other person had said, expecting the same respectful silence.

“They were definitely able to really hear when they aren’t looking for any connections to what they know or already knew,” said

Weidel.

Essentially, the process of becoming an ally is broken down into four distinct steps that reflect your commitment and understanding of the program. The first step entails showing some sort of interest or curiosity by attending an awareness event such as ally training.

The next is following up on the information you received and conducting your own investigation by doing individual research on the subject matter.

Once you have become more familiar on the topic, the next step is to actively

share this information with peers.

The last step is to actively participate in an awareness organization through joining the organization or forming some type of association to groups, such as PRIDE. “I think the ultimate goal is to provide a structured program that is customized enough to be relevant enough to all student groups…and is easy enough to [be] followed after [current] e-board members [have graduated],” said Weidel, who hopes that this will become an ingrained part of PRIDE.

By Monica Tshanakas VANGUARD STAFF

On Saturday, April 10, the International Students Association hosted the annual Festival of Colors in Koumantzelis Auditorium. This year’s theme was time travel, and host/mad scientist Joacim Borg took the audience on multiple journeys around the world in his time machine. At every stop along the way, the audience experienced the dances, fashion and music of cultures around the world.

The show began with a flag ceremony representing and paying homage to countries around the world. Following this was a dance-off where audience members competed against one other for Festival of Colors t-shirts.

The first stop on Borg’s time machine was a trip to the beautiful Caribbean islands, where the audience was delighted with a sexy carnival-style dance.

Performers Ayomide Mapaderun, Gabriella Graves, Jewel Cash, Keisha Johnson and Kira Rogers put on a spectacular performance dressed in beaded outfits and feathered hats.

Next, the audience was carried away to China where Iris Leung and Zachary Renschler performed covers of Jay Chou’s Clear Sky and Bon Iver’s For Emma.

ALLY Continued from Page 1 skills, which in turn are found to lead to a greater understanding of perspective and therefore acceptance.

“In this case, we talked about how our student leaders could individually gain awareness…spread awareness in ways that are still very comfortable and continue toward moving into the next steps,” said Weidel.

This ally training for students specifically focused on the members of ABA. In the past, these training sessions have been entirely for faculty and staff.

“This entire agenda was certainly analyzed and

The Supreme Bhangra Unit’s performance proved to be an energetic finale for the annual Festival of Colors.

Courtesy of Dan Weidel

Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD

Business & news

THE VANgUARD

APRIL 21, 2011

PAgE 7

Federal shutdown averted, now it’s time to tackle the long-term deficit

By Phillip St. Pierre BUSINESS EDITOR

How to deal with the federal budget has been one of the most discussed and argued recently, but it finally seems as if some progress is being made.

The first shutdown of the federal government and its agencies was avoided when President Barack Obama proposed a lastminute budget plan to the House of Representatives and Senate on the eve of the April 1 deadline. The plan required $37.8 billion in spending cuts for the remaining fiscal year.

If a conclusion was not reached, the 800,000 federal government employees would have been prevented from working as of midnight on April 1, the first federal shutdown in 15 years.

Not only would jobs have been stalled, but national parks would have to close, tax audits would have been halted, and military participants would not have been able to perform their daily duties.

The debate was over the short-term deficit actions for the coming months, and both par-

ties were at a stalemate on how to allocate spending cuts.

Although the issue with shortterm spending has been resolved, there is still a heated debate on how to handle the long-term deficit.

In the long term, the federal government’s main point of concern is economic growth, specifically with education, energy programs and research and development. The goal of this plan seems to be to balance minor tax increases with small amendments to discretionary health programs and spending cuts, that way no social class will be affected too harshly.

There are many discrepancies between the Republican and Democratic parties on how to handle the deficit, so it will be interesting to see what issues pose the most concern leading up to the election. The Republican plan is criticized for cutting programs geared to seniors, lower class citizens and college students, while the Democratic proposal’s main area of concern is tax increases and the danger of job losses.

The Republican Party, led by

Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, laid forth their budget plan early April, which was projected to reduce the deficit by $5.8 trillion in the next ten years. This would require large budget cuts in programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

The result is both popular health programs would take a big hit. Medicare would be converted into a defined benefit plan, where most of the weight would be put on the employers, and the funding for Medicaid would be cut by a considerable amount.

Although the Republican proposal passed through the House with not much trouble, the Senate was not so keen on such large cuts in discretionary spending programs. A less extreme strategy was needed, which led President Obama to advise a plan that involved a smaller cut in these programs.

While the President proposed only to cut the deficit by $4 trillion over 12 years, compared to the Republicans’ proposal of $5.8 trillion in 10 years, Obama’s plan offset lower cuts in discretionary spending with more tax

Schmitt has been barred from campus until his trial, which is scheduled for May 17 in Waltham District Court.

After he pled not guilty, he was released on bail as long as he remains at his mother’s house in Hingham.

Friends say they have been in touch with Schmitt via text message.

“We spoke briefly through text messages and he seemed like he was in good spirits and that when his part of the story was portrayed he would be okay,” said the teammate.

The University has fielded a barrage of inquiries from alumni and the media in the wake of Schmitt’s arrest.

Michele Walsh, director of Public and Media Relations, said the University cannot comment on the case itself.

“We can only share limited information with the public and the media, which can be challenging for us at times especially when a police report that seems to focus on one side of the story is widely reported in the local media,” said Walsh.

While the account given to the police is from the perspective of one of the victims, the teammate says that the stories do not portray the full account of what happened that night.

“Tim hasn’t had his chance to explain his half,” said the teammate.

The incident prompted discussions on campus about acceptance and diversity

awareness on campus. Several students and staffers said they see the Schmitt case as an isolated incident and not reflecting Bentley as a whole.

Seventeen percent of Bentley undergraduates identify themselves as AfricanAmerican, Latino, Asian or Native American.

Kathy Weiss, a freshman, said she feels Bentley has been persistent in efforts to promote understanding of diversity and does not attribute a lack of initiatives to the pending case.

“I think Bentley has more than enough diversity awareness events for students. I don’t really think that it was the lack of diversity awareness efforts that caused the student to do what he did,” said Weiss.

“We are all old enough, or should be, to be responsible and prepared for the consequences of our own actions.”

Claudette Blot, STEP Director and Program coordinator agreed, “It is an individual person and I don’t know his side of the story, only what’s in the news. Something else is going on with the individual student; it’s not from a lack of initiative [at Bentley].”

Blot said that she is most afraid of how outsiders will portray Bentley students. “We have 4,500 beautiful kids who will rally around causes on campus they are passionate about,” said Blot. “This is an individual person, and I am hoping our students are not painted in that one way.”

Dan Weidel, president of PRIDE, also believes that the

increases for the upper class.

There seems to be overall satisfaction with the President’s plan, as the tax increase is fairly small for the wealthy, and less cutting of discretionary spending takes some of the burden off of the middle and lower classes, as well as college students.

“Both sides had to make tough decisions and give ground on issues that were important to them, but beginning to live within our means is the only way to

case does not reflect the ideals of all Bentley students. Weidel said, “I do not believe you can attribute one person’s actions to the rest of our campus especially given that respect and diversity are community cornerstones that so many of our students, faculty and staff seek to promote.”

“When a situation like this occurs, it is natural for people to look for the cause,” said Weidel in regards to any lack of diversity initiatives on campus being connected to the Schmitt case. “Bentley may not have the most diverse student body, but I do not believe there is a correlation between diversity awareness on our campus and this specific incident. By no means am I condoning his actions, but if you generalize responsibility in such a manner it places blame where blame is not deserved.”

The school has made efforts to promote diversity tolerance which was clear to Abigail Mixer who arrived as a freshman last fall.

“My first impression was that it isn’t very diverse here.

Before coming there was so much hype about how diverse it is, so I was kind of surprised that it wasn’t,” said Mixer.

As far as future diversity initiatives are concerned, Blot says that events are presented on a larger scale to incorporate all students that evolve into bigger events which become important diversity initiatives on campus. On May 1, the MCC is hosting the event Silent Voices Speak

Courtesy of haraheta.net

protect those investments that will help America compete for new jobs,” said President Obama in Businessweek.

The upcoming months are going to be grueling for both parties, as they have different visions on how to handle the deficit and do not want to budge on certain issues. One thing is certain: Some sort of compromise is needed, but it will be a slow and stressful debate on how to tackle long-term debt.

Not Your Usual Business

SCHMITT Continued from Page 1

President Obama proposed a last-minute budget plan on the eve of the deadline.

By Kat Webber

Watching the news may seem like a waste of time, or you may think that you can find something better to watch. A lot of the time, it seems as though there is nothing but horrible world events being shown, but the news really is worth watching if you take the time to think about it from a competitive advantage standpoint.

Picture this: You’re sitting in an interview or wandering around the Career Fair; other than introducing yourself, giving your elevator pitch and then answering a menagerie of questions, why not bring something else to the table? Nothing perks up people’s ears and their memory like good, interesting current events.

Want to get in good with a tech company? Why not discuss the pros and cons of the new RIM Blackberry Playbook?

Want to impress a publishing firm? Why not ask for an opinion on James Patterson’s new novel Tick Tock?

If you know nothing of current events, how can you relate what is happening in the market or the world to what you are learning in the classroom? How can you ask pertinent questions in an interview or class without being informed of what is happening in your own state?

Being able to take coursework and apply it to real life situations is what employers today are looking for. So, if you have stuff on your resume that can only be explained in a classroom context, they are thinking: What’s the point? You need to be able to take what you know, see it in the world around you and get out of the Bentley Bubble.

Stop thinking of the news as a chore. Instead of wasting time watching Jersey Shore or keeping Friends reruns on in the background, why not flip on the news? Leave that channel on for a change and maybe you’ll pick up something worthwhile.

There’s usually a little something for everyone on the all day news stations.

Maybe watching the news is not your thing, but that does not mean you shouldn’t be paying attention to it. You can put a wiki on your desktop which receives automatic news updates from the Internet. You can set your homepage to cnn.com or foxnews.com.

Something like this can go a long way in keeping you informed.

And who knows, maybe you won’t be the last person on campus to know about the tsunami in Japan or the death of the legendary Heath Ledger.

which allows students to talk about anything that has happened this semester in which they are compelled to address with a larger group of students.

“Students can talk about anything. It [Schmitt’s case]

may come up. Students might ask ‘How does it make a Bentley student look?’ I want people to talk about it,” said Blot.

Additional reporting done

by Lacey Nemergut and Sindhu Palaniappan.

PAGE 8

ElEction

APrIL 21, 2011

THE VAnGUArD

Student Government Association (SGA) Candidates President: Vote for One

Maggy Reynolds

Jon Rockett

I wanted to join Student Government to help empower students to make their college experience exactly what they wanted it to be. I’ve worked closely with BCC and SDC to help promote diversity cohesion on our campus. This past year I’ve served as the vice president for Academic Affairs.

I’ve had the privilege to work on projects, such as the new General Business core and encouraging professors to increase their usage of the Blackboard grading tool. I have listened to student concerns and feel I have an adequate understanding of some of the underlying issues at Bentley.

What has SGA done for you? For many of you, your answer will likely be either “nothing” or “I don’t know.” If you look at almost any other university, you would find a student government with a presence and a power, with an impetus to press against the administration when necessary on behalf of the entire student body. Here we have a system that has become stagnant with the same SGA positions constantly being promoted internally to positions of higher power. The first and foremost thing I would do as SGA president is make sure the students’ voices are heard. Our voice is something that has been neglected for far too long and it’s about time it was listened to.

Executives: Vote for One Per Position Executive of Internal Affairs

Executive Vice President

Buddy Gormley

Stephen Perkins

Helia Azarakhsh

After serving on SGA as a senator for the past year, I would be honored to have you vote for me to represent YOU, the student body, for another year as executive vice president of the Student Government Association.

I am a sophomore majoring in Corporate Finance and Accounting with minors in Computer Information Systems and Management. I am in the Honor Program and am an Eagle Scout. I am a perfect candidate for the EVP in SGA because I have experience on SGA, I am hard working and I am a positive group worker. I am also a member of Bentley Ultimate Society and love being part of the Bentley community.

I would be grateful for the opportunity to serve as the executive of Internal Affairs for the Student Government Association. I have had a role in SGA since I entered Bentley University, and I look forward to continuing this experience in the semesters ahead.

To vote in the 2011 Student Leader Election

I want you!

Wednesday, April 27 On MyBentley

ElEction

THe VANGUArd

AprIl 21, 2011

SGA Senator Candidates

Jeff Breault I currently serve as a senator for the Student Government Association and appreciate the opportunity to continue serving the Bentley community by representing the voice of the students. At present, I am a member of a project group that is looking to better utilize the Hughey Center for Financial Services.

It is my hope that I will continue to become involved with various SGA projects and help bring about desired changes on campus.

Colin Moriarty Overall, I believe that due to my past experience as my high school’s vice president and as a senator last year at Bentley, I am equipped with the necessary skills to assume this position. While Bentley has created a tight-knit community, I do not agree with the lack of student participation in school decisions. I believe that my determination coupled with the ideas of the student population will facilitate positive change.

Steven J. Correia Since being elected to SGA last spring, I have dedicated myself to the betterment of the student body. I was an instrumental part of the restructuring committee that has altered SGA into a more efficient governing body. I hope to be re-elected so that I can ensure the transition to this new structure is smooth and problem free. I would also appreciate the opportunity to continue to work on the Gender Neutral Housing committee, which has taken great strides towards implementing the option to students.

Zachary A. Musso After serving two full semesters on the Student Government Association’s senate, I have been able to make administrative connections and serve the student body as needed. Fulfilling my duties as a senator on a weekly basis, I collected information from the student body and spoke on their behalf in order to represent their concerns. I hope to do just that and more if reelected for another academic year.

Lucia Garcia I would like to be a senator so that I can help the student body voice their requests and concerns. Bentley students deserve someone who is motivated as well as dedicated, and I believe I have the qualities required to be that leader. If elected, I promise to fully commit myself to the SGA and fulfill the needs of the community.

Spencer Tirella As a current senator with the Student Government Association, I have learned a great deal about representing the student body. I hope to continue to serve as your voice and be instrumental in pursuing change for Bentley students. I have had the privilege to be a part of this year’s rewarding SGA projects and initiatives, and I would greatly appreciate your vote in order to continue my service to this organization.

Neha Mazhar I really enjoyed my time with SGA this semester and love that I am making a difference on campus. My aim is to reduce everyone’s stress and make their college experience as great as I possibly can. So please consider me when voting. Thank you!

Coral Trivedi I have been able to serve as a senator during the 2010-2011 school year and have worked on issues regarding the new GB core and Blackboard usage among professors. I believe that it is important to ask pressing questions and push the administration and faculty to understand the needs of Bentley students. I believe that it is a student representative's responsibility to relay the ongoing activities of the administration. The student body needs to know about hot topics taking place on our campus. I have been and will continue to fulfill this role successfully.

John Warden

Courtesy of scrapetv.com

I am an extremely hard working and dedicated student. I love this school and its entire community, and I want nothing more than to see it improve more and more. I want students on campus to feel as if they can make a difference and that their opinions matter to those of authority. As an SGA senator, I would take seriously every comment I receive regarding Bentley University, whether it be concerning academics, extracurricular activities, Sodexho, etc. I would also aim to accomplish more transparency between the students and the administration.

Courtesy of lefton49.com

pAGe 9

PAGE 10

Features

APrIL 21, 2011

Voices

THE VANGuArD

By Olivia Leclair

Between the Lines

What ice cream flavor would you create?

mArCie Dineen ClAss of 2014 unDeCiDeD “Candy corn ice cream.”

AlyssA Bloomquist ClAss of 2014 mArketing “Chocolate chip ice cream with cookie dough and brownies.”

trumAn lAu ClAss of 2014 mArketing “Honey mustard ice cream.”

Conor Grennan’s memoir Little Princes is the incredible story of one man’s fight to help the lost children of Nepal. The country was embroiled in civil war from 1996 to 2006, and many children were displaced from their homes during this time.

Child traffickers promised parents that their children were being taken to safety and a better life, when in reality they were forced to work on the streets or abandoned in the nation’s capital, Kathmandu.

Grennan wanted to go on a trip around the world.

Afraid of sounding self-indulgent to family and friends, he signed up for a three-month volunteering stint at the Little Princes orphanage in Nepal. Completely unprepared for what was ahead, Conor was quickly overwhelmed by the demands of the young children. He had difficulty telling them apart and was exhausted by their unbounded energy.

At the end of three months, Conor found himself a profoundly changed person.

He vowed to return to Little Princes in a year to continue his volunteer work.

After keeping to his promise, Conor decided that he wanted to try to find some of the parents of the children, since most of the children at Little Princes were not truly orphans. He founded Next Generation Nepal (NGN), a charity committed to reconnecting the children and their families. NGN opened its own children’s home called Dhaulagiri House.

Many of the children from Little Princes and Dhaulagiri House came from the remote region of Humla, Nepal.

Armed with the limited information he had gathered from them, Conor traveled there with a group and

Little Princes is Conor Grennan’s memoir of his efforts for the children of Nepal.

tracked down many of the children’s parents. He brought news of the children to their parents, and returned to the homes with photos and letters. The organization still continues this work, and it is trying to integrate the children back into a home life with their families.

From the very start of this book, I was most struck by Conor’s honesty about his experiences. He did not try to pretend that he had volunteered in the first place for the right reasons, but he instead let the book reveal his transformation. He did not sugarcoat the living conditions or state of affairs in Nepal, but laid it all out for the reader to digest and interpret.

Though I’ve outgrown the age of preferring picture books to those without, one of my favorite aspects of this book was that it did include

Courtesy of booksonthehouse.com

pictures. While reading, I found myself growing attached to the children who Conor encountered, and being able to see pictures of them made it all the more real. Included in the book are photographs of parents at the moment they rediscover their children, views of the villages Conor went to and, of course, the children themselves.

I’m usually not one for reading this type of inspirational memoir, but I am incredibly glad that I went outside of my comfort zone.

Little Princes is motivational and inspiring without trying to be, and it is completely unpretentious. I stayed up late into the night to read and research NGN, which you can find online at nextgenerationnepal.org. I strongly recommend this book to any and all readers.

rating: 5 out of 5

DAniel touger ClAss of 2012 CfA “Matza ice cream.”

Peter sCheunemAn ClAss of 2012 ACCountAnCy “Strawberry with peanut butter cups.”

By emily silver PHoToGrAPHy EDITor

Grennan’s three-month volunteer trip turned into a passion which led to the creation of Next Generation Nepal.

Courtesy of amazon.com

Features

THE VANGuArD

Will Ferrel replaces Steve Carell as regional manager of Dunder Mifflin

By Jessica hughes

PAGE 11

Voices If you could make up your own fortune cookie, what would it say?

VANGuArD STAFF

The Office, a popular television series, is beginning to experience a major change: Steve Carell, who plays the main character Michael Scott, is being phased out. Although this is no surprise to the fans, as he announced at the beginning of the seventh season that it would be his last, everyone has been anticipating how NBC would handle the change.

Despite Carell’s choice to leave the show, NBC renewed the show for an eighth season on March 17. In order to continue the show, NBC knew that they needed a great person to fill Carell’s shoes as “World’s Best Boss.”

The solution? DeAngelo Vickers, played by the comedic Will Ferrell. According to NBC, Vickers will appear on the show at least four times this season in order to ease the transition of saying goodbye to Carell.

Carell has played Scott since NBC began airing the show in 2005 as an adapted version of the BBC television series which shares the same name. The comedy portrays a normal day at the office in a unique manner. Shot with only one camera, the series takes a simple, documentarystyle approach at the daily lives of the employees at the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder Mifflin, a fictional paper company.

Because of the length of time Carell has played Scott and the amount of depth the writers have given him, NBC knew they needed to be careful with choosing Carell’s replacement. They also understood that they could not bring too much change or else the show’s huge fan base would be lost.

TV Guide also indicates that though a whole new character is introduced, the plot line will not suffer. Most of the

APrIL 21, 2011

AAron sheffielD ClAss of 2014 CfA “Live life to the fullest.

Don’t have any regrets.”

Courtesy of daemonstv.com

Ferrel first appeared on The Office on 4/14 as Deangelo Vickers, Michael Scott’s replacement.

staff will become accepting of him, and Dwight (rainn Wilson) will still try to become the manager and right hand man. Vickers’ personality and cluelessness will make for an entertaining new lead while still maintaining the same tone Michael Scott brought to the office.

Even with all of these changes during the end of the seventh season and beginning of the eighth season, more changes will come in the future. Executive producer Paul Lieberstein admits that Vickers may not stay on the show after this season.

“Something will happen, but I’m not going to tell you what,” said Lieberstein.

No matter what the staff on the show may think, it is the opinion of the fans that truly matters. The first episode featuring Ferrell’s new character aired on Thursday, April 14, and critics and fans are already responding.

For the most part, they were satisfied with his performance. TV Examiner’s Matt Carter mentioned that Ferrell’s role “brought some much-needed energy back to some of the characters.”

Meghan Carlson of Buddy

TV praised Ferrell for “not going over the top with the role.”

Julie Steinberg from the Wall Street Journal said that fans of Ferrell may be surprised by his performance because of how different it is from his usual laugh-out-loud roles.

The Huffington Post notes that Ferrell’s character is “confident and goofy like many of Ferrell’s characters, but with a mean streak that Michael Scott just doesn’t have.”

The variety of personality and role playing in the show is sure to make for an interesting season, switching up the dynamic of the cast. on the show, Scott is leaving to move to Colorado with his fiancée Amy, but in reality, it has been reported that he would just like to move on with his life. unfortunately, his last episode is on April 28.

Although fans across the country are disappointed in the loss of Carell, it will be interesting to see how the television show evolves without its main component. Whether or not you are an Office fan, make sure to tune into NBC on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. to see how the show progresses.

kAty roy ClAss of 2013 mAnAgeriAl eConomiCs “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

CAitlin hummer ClAss of 2014 mAnAgement “Best served before February 12, 1998.”

eriC nDungu ClAss of 2012 mAthemAtiCs “Hard work pays.”

kristen sloAn ClAss of 2014 ACCountAnCy “Everything natural— every flower, tree and animal—has important lessons to teach us, if we would only stop, look, and listen.”

This is not the first time Ferrel and Carell have worked together, as they were both in Anchorman.

Courtesy of image683.imageshack.us

By emily silver PHoToGrAPHy EDITor

PAge 12

ElEction

APRIL 21, 2011

THe VAngUARD

Asociation of Bentley Activities (ABA) Candidates Vice President of Organization Recognition

President

Vice President

Emily Strunk

Ryan O'Keeffe

Madhumita Narayan

This past year was my first year on ABA as the VP of Communications. I was able to better understand the policies and mission of ABA. I have a lot of ideas to continue making the student body aware of ABA and to help all student organizations have a successful year.

I have the time and dedication to put full energy into the position, as well as prior experience from this past year. I would love to be more actively involved in helping the student body on campus.

After serving as the President of CAB and being the representative on ABA this year, I want to take on another challenging role during my time at Bentley by running for ABA president. With all of the work and dedication I showed this year putting on and executing CAB events, I believe that I will be a perfect candidate for the position and will fulfill the responsibilities that come along with being ABA President. Thank you for your consideration.

I am organized, reliable and know I can connect the student body with ABA. Being involved in Bentley Cultural Council’s group recognition process has given me insight as to how the process works. Additionally, as a member of APO and the e-board of CAB, I have experienced some of the challenges that clubs can encounter, and working with ABA will give me a chance to improve the dynamics of Bentley’s clubs and organizations.

Allocation and Internal Audit Committee (AIA) Candidates Chair

Ryan DeChance After two years of experience and many lessons learned, I have chosen to run for the chair position of AIA. The bar has been set very high, but I am confident that with your support, the AIA board and I will have the capability and the opportunity to match past achievements and progress forward. I promise to give this position and the Bentley community an open mind and the dedication needed for success. Let DeChance Take Care of YOUR Finance!

Courtesy of indems.org

Allocation Liaisons

Joshua Brooks

Tim Dean

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the board over the last three semesters. I understand that there is a negative reputation of our board because we are the funding branch of ABA, but I honestly always make decisions in a fair and unbiased way.

I am a hard worker and have put a lot time and effort into all my AIA responsibilities. I know the ins and outs of AIA policy and am strongly dedicated to the organization.

I have served on AIA the past school year, and I believe I can continue to allocate the Student Activity Fee to its best use next year. If I am elected again, I will continue to represent Bentley students the best way I can.

Ali Kane

Ashley Wu

In just one year on the AIA board, I have learned so much as a liaison about the importance of communication and organization, as well as the inner working of our student activities. I hope to return to this board, as I believe it is a very important board for all students. As a liaison, I assure you that I will allocate your Student Activity Fee with much care and thoughtfulness, going towards meaningful events and causes.

Having served on the board for the past several years here at Bentley, I have developed an understanding of the inner workings regarding the SAF. I have had the opportunities to serve as a liaison as well as vice chair, and have gained extensive knowledge and understanding for the workings of AIA. Returning for my senior year this fall, I would love to leave a lasting impact on the student body through my success and dedication in AIA.

ElEction

THE VANguArD

APrIL 21, 2011

PAgE 13

Senior Class Cabinet Candidates: Vote for Seven

Alecia Coleman

Helen C. Longvall

Ally Malonis

Hi everyone. As a returning member, I will continue to work on your behalf in uniting our class and promoting student involvement here at Bentley. I’m eager to make our senior year unforgettable by planning annual events as well as new ones so we can look back on these years with fond memories.

Because Senior Class Cabinet is responsible for arranging several university functions, eventplanning proves a vital skill set.

As a member of the International Buddy Network's e-board and Delta Phi Epsilon's social coordinators, I currently promote, plan and manage events for up to 150+ people in a given day. I am a driven leader whose organization and fresh outlooks would prove beneficial.

Let me help to ensure our last year together is as memorable as possible.

Hey Class of 2012! I am extremely excited for the opportunity to continue representing our class as a member of the Senior Class Cabinet. As most of you know this is an important and eventful year for us, and we have already begun planning many fun and informative events for our final year at Bentley. I look forward to making our senior year the most memorable year yet!

Bobby Reardon

Elizabeth Sisson

Courtney R. Smigiel

Lauren Zinn

Events such as our Bahamas trip, Mr. Bentley and the Halloween Dance won’t just happen; they require hard work, dedication and experienced leadership from your Class Cabinet. I am asking to be re-elected as I feel I have the experience and am up for the challenges ahead.

Let’s work together for a great senior year.

I was in Class Cabinet freshman and sophomore year and took a year off to study abroad, but I am excited to be back for our final year. I would love to be involved in the planning of senior year activities – I’ve seen it/done before, and I’m eager to do it again.

As the president of the Bentley Women’s Center, I have helped plan numerous events and guest speakers. As the VP of Marketing for Alpha Phi, I organized a school-wide karaoke event and informal get-togethers throughout the year. I want our class to have an amazing final year and promise to be fully committed to our senior class. I will listen to and assist with organizing as many events that will better unite us in our final semesters here.

After this year on Junior Class Cabinet, my passion for the Bentley student body has only grown. For senior year, I plan to focus on events that promote grade unity and a fulfilling senior experience. I hope all of you are as excited as I am for this next year!

Natalie Caldwell With already three years of experience under my belt on Class Cabinet, I will be a valuable asset to the Senior Class Cabinet. I know the ropes, how things are supposed to work and, most of all, I know how to make our senior year one that you will never forget.

Junior Class Cabinet Candidates

Lindsey Albert

Christopher Avino

Patrick Rielly

Shauna Sarsfield

Kim Sok

I am currently the treasurer of the Sophomore Class Cabinet. I am running to be re-elected to the Junior Class Cabinet with several of the other current members. Please vote for us as we will strive to make the events during our junior year as successful as, if not more successful than, the events held during our sophomore year. Keeping the current members on the Class Cabinet will ensure wellplanned, successful events for our junior year. Thank you.

I was on Freshman Class Cabinet, but was not re-elected. After months of sadness, I decided to man up and go through training to become a better leader and a real man.

So now I'm the best candidate for the job.

As a member of this year's Cabinet, I believe that next year will be THE year to increase Cabinet’s prominence within the Bentley community. With several philanthropic efforts in planning, I am welcoming the opportunity to devote all of my energy toward enhancing the bond between the Class of 2013, the Cabinet and the community. Have a great idea for an event or initiative? I will personally meet with you to make it happen.

As current secretary of the Sophomore Class Cabinet, I am committed to helping the Class of 2013 succeed both academically and socially as our time at Bentley passes. As a cohesive group, our current Class Cabinet is enthusiastic about continuing to plan events that will benefit the class and unify us as we move towards graduation.

Although the Class of 2013 is unbelievably almost two years through college, there is still much to look forward to.

My goal is to work with the rest of the cabinet in order to organize events and programs that specifically benefit juniors. I am hoping that our last few years will be both successful and fun.

PAGE 14

Features

APRIL 21, 2011

tHE VANGuARD

Website “The Vault” provides information on past FBI investigations

By Lindsay Beauregard FEAtuRES EDItOR

From Guantanamo to uFOs, Hells Angels to Saddam Hussein and the Gangster Era to Helen Keller, these are just a small number of FBI investigations now contained on the new FBI website, “the Vault.” the website was created in order to release declassified documents to the public eye and to provide easier access to investigations and cases. the sight is a gold mine for history buffs across the nation.

Digital copies of the original reports from FBI investigations can be searched for either by key words or subjects, such as “violent crimes,” “pop culture,” “fugitives,” “unexplained phenomenon,” etc.

Files are always being uploaded, so there are always new cases to look at. Although many of the reports have been released before, there are many investigations and information that’s being released for the first time.

For example, reports on numerous investigations pertaining to rapper Notorious B.I.G.’s murder have just been released to the public for the

very first time. these investigations look into the possibility that Los Angeles police officers were involved in the rapper’s death in 1997.

Other interesting files include insight into a bomb that was allegedly sent to Princess Diana as a wedding present in 1981, Jimi Hendrix’s numerous possessions of marijuana, Elvis Presley’s death, the beloved Lucile Ball of I Love Lucy and the 9/11 highjackers.

However, over the past few days, the documents containing information about uFOs have stirred up the most attention. the extra-terrestrial drama has gone viral, causing fanatics and scientists alike to take a closer look at the memos.

Debbie Dujanovic, from the FBI Salt Lake City office, said, “We’ve added thousands of documents and we’ve added more documents, and it’s truly fascinating information.”

Although the documents were released to the public domain in 1977, their resurrection has brought a whole new perspective to the paranormal lovers across the nation. But people need to understand that these memos and letters were written over

half a century ago and the claims, although written by members of the FBI, are not classified as true and verified – they’re all still conspiracy.

But, of course, as a result of the rediscovered information, Google and all the other popular search engines have been hit with a huge increase of searches having to do with aliens, uFOs and the popular Roswell, New Mexico.

Although some of the information contained in the documents is not feasible during this day in age, it’s fun to see what people believed in years ago.

During the 1940s and early 1950s, the united States as a whole was engulfed by the idea of aliens coming to Earth. uFOs were being spotted everywhere, and not only was the FBI actively involved in investigating the claims but the Air Force was as well. the documents on the website do not prove that aliens and uFOs exist, but they do provide us with the knowledge that people truly believed in life on another planet and that there were legitimate investigations occurring in New Mexico.

Other important documents include memos detailing the

“The Vault” has information on past events like the alleged UFO sighting at Roswell, NM.

Roswell crash and a letter written by special agent Guy Hottel on March 22, 1950. this letter not only describes the appearance of the exterior of the uFO, but also what was contained inside: “Occupied by three bodies of human shape but only three-feet tall, dressed in metallic cloth a very fine texture.”

Although some critics view these quotes as “proof” of alien existence, many view the doc-

Courtesy of wikia.com

uments as being part of a hoax on a larger scale. Whether you’re an alien lover, history buff or just curious about the FBI, “the Vault” provides a platform for knowledge, entertainment and possible new discoveries and conspiracies to interest everyone, not just the paranormal lovers. to read the memos on your own or to request a specific investigation to be posted, visit vault.fbi.gov.

Independent film I’m Just Saying takes on hypocrisies of society

By Lindsay Beauregard FEAtuRES EDItOR

In light of the upcoming Independent Film Festival in Boston, I have taken the time to watch and review an independent film, I’m Just Saying, written and produced

by Brian Douglas. the film follows a night of revelations as a group of college students flirt, laugh, argue, learn and bond while working on a class project.

Douglas recently left his full-time job in order to follow his dreams as a filmmaker and writer, and I’m Just

Saying is his first full-length film. the movie boasts the tagline, “A unique and comedic jab at life as five clever college friends probe the laughable hypocrisies of society, politics and culture.” the tagline is right about one thing - the film does include all the hypocrisies of life. In only a mere 94 minutes, the film encompasses homosexuality, abortion, religion, government, war, love and lust, sex, drinking, drugs and what seems like 5,000 other hot topic subjects.

Although each argument is

I’m Just Saying depicts college students as they debate over a number of popular topics.

interesting and written with an in-depth look at the subject, it is all too much for one movie.

Each debate is interesting and consists of great writing content, but the discussions are too forced and unrealistic for a group of five college seniors to be discussing. Because of the overwhelming amount of controversial arguments, the meaning of the movie and the relationship between the characters lose most of their meaning.

Now, I can’t completely bash the movie because parts of it are very good. Each

Courtesy of facebook.com

debate is interesting and mind stimulating, but in general it just isn’t what I expected. I was looking forward to a Breakfast Club-like movie with humor and characters I could identify with, and I got none of that because the characters were too generalized.

Although the characters were interesting, they could have been developed and made much more complex instead of being the obvious stereotypes they were. there are tyler, a persnickety and judgmental lesbian; Eden, an extreme hippie who carries a plant everywhere; Sky, the asshole friend who is the ultimate hypocrite, the kind of guy you want to punch; Rene, the typical college male; and Sylvia, the conservative girl who is very modest and prim. though there really is no actually plot line, as the whole movie consists of heated debates, the basic plot line is Sky and Eden trying to rekindle their romance, which was shattered by cheating and lies a few years earlier. this storyline creates some truly awkward moments during the movie as arguments arise between the two during other debates and arguments.

I have to give the producer, director and actors all credit because they did a good

job making the movie with the script and plotline they were given. Although the writing wasn’t great, they made the movie bearable to watch. For an apparent lowbudget film, they were good actors and it was produced fairly well.

Others have found the movie to be a true gem, as it dons many awards, including Director’s Choice Bronze Medal for Excellence at the Park City Music Festival in 2010, winner of the Gold Kahuna Award at the Honolulu Film Festival in 2010 and Honorable Mention at the Los Angeles Reel Film Festival in 2009.

As I wrap up this review, I do need to say that the film had a lot of potential. If the writer had taken one or two of the topics that were in the movie and focused on just those two, then the movie could have been much more interesting.

Overall, the movie was interesting and provided a mind warp of ideas and views on the world. It’s an interesting film to watch if you’re in the mood for debates. It’s definitely not your typical Saturday night flick, but it’s still something interesting to watch.

For more information, visit imjustsayingmovie.com.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Columns & news

THE VANGUArD

Notes from Abroad Question: “What has been the most meaningful part of your time abroad?

Whether it was a lesson you learned, a place you went or a person you got to know, what was the most significant part of your trip overall?”

By Courtney Gallagher MELBOUrNE, AUSTrALIA

Well, this is a tough question. The most meaningful overall experience has probably been the complete independence I’ve had while I’ve been over here in Australia. I take a different route to class every day, winding through laneways and passing different local cafes. It’s been a complete change from Bentley, a relatively small school with a defined campus, to a very large school in the midst of a city.

There’s so much to do and so many choices to make…

Am I going to get coffee? From where? Should I run in the park today? Should I take the tram to the beach? Or head over to the royal Botanical Gardens? I put my headphones on and walk out the village entrance into a city that I’ve gotten to know pretty well over the past few months.

Classes are composed of lectures and tutorials, some of them scattered through the

city, next to tram stops and street musicians. The people in Melbourne are extremely friendly, outgoing and happy.

The laid back feel and sunny weather have put me in what has been an extremely

long good mood. Sometimes I want to punch myself in the face to make sure this is real life. I can’t believe how fast it’s gone, and I can’t believe I only have a couple more months here.

There are parts of me that don’t want to leave, but there are other parts of me that miss the people from home. I look forward to stepping off the plane into a Maine summer on the coast, and of course I can’t wait to get my first legal U.S. beer at a bar in Portland with my Dad. That being said, I’m not wishing my time away here in Australia or counting down the days until I leave.

Melbourne is an incredible city with so much to offer, and I’ve only brushed the surface.

A popular site in Australia is the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Courtesy of localyte.com

A Fireside Chat: A Broken Government I know the title of this column makes you think about the state of affairs in Washington, but no, that dysfunction is child’s play compared to the government we have right here on campus.

I’m going to make myself plain: I have never seen a more ineffective system of government in my life compared to the student governance of Bentley University. In fact, I’d be willing to bet my life that 85 percent of students here, if not more, could not name the four major governing groups here on campus, let alone what their actual purposes are.

Our Student Government Association (SGA), Association of Bentley Activities (ABA), Allocation and Internal Audit Committee (AIA) and Class Cabinets represent all of the undergraduate population, and I find this multi-group approach to be a huge obstacle for student efforts.

To start with the positive, I actually find that AIA is seemingly an utter success story.

Whether it be from effective leadership to the business-minded population knowing how to allocate funding, AIA seems to be the most efficient and well-

managed of the groups. While I question some of its funding choices, each decision is justified and well explained to each organization in question.

That’s pretty much where the positive ends. Now I know that a few of our elected leaders will stay one of the following statements: 1.) You’re a jerk who just doesn’t like us personally. 2.)

You never ran for election yourself, so shut up.

First, I’m not friends with many in student governance these days, but that’s not intentional nor why I think these groups are failures. The system’s design is a failure, which sets up any student in it for such failure.

Secondly, I think a college career spent being a head resident assistant, newspaper editor, peer educator and food advocate has had a far greater impact on campus than me sitting in a tie rambling about recycled paper, but that’s my opinion. Either way, I vote, thus I have the right to criticize you.

SGA, the worst of these groups, is similar to the Queen of England. Apparently obsessed with honor and tradition, its members sit in profes-

sional attire and rubber stamp unpopular policies from those who have actual power (the administration), but like the Queen, accomplish next to nothing that you, its citizens, know or care about. Ask yourself this question: When was the last time SGA did anything for you?

Other than explain and support administration decisions, I can’t think of anything. In reality, SGA is a body of power in name only, leading to the next sad fact.

SGA is simply ineffective, and has become an insular social club at best that argues for “more SGA social gatherings” in its own internal review, and while they publish reports and send out e-mails, I can’t name a single change they’ve actually made in four years that’s positive. The organization is just a doormat for the administration, and you probably can’t even name its leaders. Fantastic.

ABA has suffered from a regrettable revolving door at its presidency, though Grace Seme has been solid, and has the purpose of governing organizations on campus. First question: Why can’t SGA do this, like every other student senate does at American universities? This

APrIL 21, 2011

PAGE 15

EPA Continued from Page 1 said Jessa Marshall, Bentley Energy Star systems engineer.

“Being able to schedule the building without adversely affecting the residents [is key],” said Amanda King, Bentley’s manager of Sustainability.

These types of courtesies include controlling the temperature in rooms when students are away. This was achieved by installing occupancy censors in the North Campus residence halls which detect when a person walks into their room and immediately works to get the room to its optimal comfort temperature.

“We do probably one-and-ahalf buildings a year. If a building needs a lot of work, [meaning that] it doesn’t have the backbone [for the system] in the building, then it takes a lot more to update,” said Marshall.

“Other times, we’re just doing upgrading. Sometimes, we can do those in a month or two.

Normally we only do one to two buildings a year.”

Now that North Campus has achieved this recognizable energy rating, deliberate actions must be taken to maintain it.

Marshall explained that the sustainable standard for carbon emissions and energy efficiency will begin to increase as more and more organizations participate in this initiative. A major factor in maintaining this rating is the plug-load, or the amount of electronics that students bring to campus and use outlets to charge.

“The plug-load could end up

hurting our ranking if people continue to plug in LCDs and lots of electronics that use a huge amount of energy. We [could] lose our rating,” said King.

In addition to plug-load, vampire power also drains unnecessary energy from buildings.

“When you leave stuff plugged in overnight and not on, [they’re on] standby power, designed to help them turn on quickly,” said King. “You end up turning something off and it’s not really off.”

To avoid vampire power, students can purchase smart strips which contain both master outlets and slave outlets. The slave outlets automatically turn off when the master outlet is switched off. For example, if a computer is in the master outlet and the printer, speakers and monitor are in the slave outlets, when the computer is switched off, electricity stops flowing to the computer as well as the other amenities.

In order to raise student awareness about this issue of maintaining the high rating, Marshall released the poster contest. The contest awarded the student whose poster design could most effectively congratulate the recognized building and raise awareness. First place went to Praveen Gottumukkala, a resident of North Campus A, class of 2010.

Second place went to Vinay Lakhwani, resident of North Campus C, class of 2011. Third place was given to Melissa Huston, a resident of Miller Hall, class of 2014.

By Jon McColgan organization has taken one of the real powers SGA should have, and beyond the occasional creation of a new organization and the Activities Fair, I see no reason why SGA can’t handle ABA’s responsibilities. Less government is sometimes more effective, let’s start here.

Lastly: Class Cabinets, who usually get confused with SGA anyways. I do think my Class Cabinet works very hard and is quite popular, but that’s not the point here. We need an effective government that fosters progress and success rather than student leadership positions for anyone who wants one, and so I turn to the Bryant model of Student Senate for a solution.

Each class elects a delegation of seven senators, who are, in effect, the current Class Cabinet, charged with being SGA senators and putting on occasional class events/trips.

The campus elects an SGA executive board, including a president, executive vice president, speaker of the senate (VP Status), secretary and treasurer (has the powers of the AIA chair; so long AIA). Each committee of SGA elects a chairper-

son, eliminating SGA VPs, while the EVP serves as the head of organization recognition (bye-bye ABA). ABA and AIA would be senate committees within SGA rather than separate groups.

In effect, I not only consolidated our government in a simple, workable model, but also automatically assured better governance. How? Think of all the current government positions now (roughly 100 in all)…poof!

Now, instead of uncontested elections, student confusion over who does what and enough leadership spots for all, we’ll have competitions and campaigns.

Would it be a serious, timeconsuming commitment to be an SGA senator now?

Absolutely, but it would also be an honor and a privilege, with enormous responsibility and campus impact, and to handle this workload, the best, most qualified candidates will win elections properly, by beating opponents and proving themselves to you, their constituents.

It’s time to stop pretending like the status quo of our government is acceptable. It’s time for a change.

PAGE 16

Columns

APRIl 21, 2011

Horoscopes

By Franziska & Johanna Griecci

Aries (March 21-April 19)

That smell in the dorm means you didn’t find all the eggs during the egg hunt.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You’re not a fan of pastels…unless we’re talking about pastel-colored M&Ms.

Gemini (May 21-June 21)

Don’t eat lunch outside today unless you want your carrots stolen by local rabbits.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Throwing Cadbury eggs at houses is not fun; it’s a waste of chocolate.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

like dying your hair, dying Easter eggs is an art form, so take the time to do it right.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

If people ask why you’re hopping, tell them you’re wicked excited to eat chocolate eggs.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

I know they’re easy pickings, but don’t steal Easter baskets from children.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Take the initiative and start an egg rolling event like they have at the White House.

THE VANGUARD

April’s Advice Your Questions Answered!

Question: I’ve noticed that the new style around campus is to wear leggings with a short, tight shirt. Is this fashionably acceptable? I’m not sure I can pull off leggings by themselves, but I definitely want to keep up with the fashion trends. What do you think?

Fashion Rule Number 12: Wearing no pants is never acceptable. leggings are NOT pants. And by applying the transitive property we have, leggings are NOT acceptable.

First of all, let me change your thinking: No one can pull off leggings, not just you. let me say this again…

No one can pull off leggings alone. Are you kidding me?

You might as well go out of the house with no pants on and call it a day. No one wants to see that.

One of the biggest no-no’s is wearing leggings with a suit jacket and trying to pull it off as business casual.

Absolutely not.

While I do embrace the concept that self-confidence is great and all body types are beautiful, I am not endorsing showing it for the entire world to see.

I wonder what these unique individuals think when they walk into class and make their way to the back of the room, most likely clueless that the professor is probably going blind in the process. Some of your professors are much older, and if you wore that when they were growing up, you would probably have been arrested for indecent exposure. So, if anything, be mindful of your professors when you get dressed in the morning.

From the front as you look at yourself in the mirror, it may look acceptable. From the side when you look at yourself in the mirror, it may look slimming. But from the back, where you cannot see yourself, it does not look ok.

What is even worse than black leggings is colored leggings, like lime green or

By April Gammal

Next time you wear leggings, make sure to cover your read end.

white. Yes, I have seen both of these colors and I can only wonder what that person was thinking. Who knows, maybe they were just tired in the morning, forgot to put on a pair of pants and walked out of the house.

However, leggings are acceptable in some situations, such as under a dress that covers your rear end. Or you can wear them under a long sweater. However, in both situations, your back side is covered and not hanging out.

Courtesy of zincboutique.com

So, stay fashionable and be sure to put some pants on before you leave the house.

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.

Procrastinating at its best with some fun diversions

By Brian Fuerst

and the good ole outdoors.

DIRECTOR OF ONlINE SERVICES

let’s be honest, every college student is feeling some sort of spring fever as the days become longer and the weather gets nicer. Although we should be studying and preparing for those last few weeks of school and ultimately finals, we always find better things to do.

Some of the best procrastination techniques include engaging in the following: Netflix, recreational activities, video games, Wikipedia

Netflix Netflix is awesome; it allows the subscriber to watch countless hours of ondemand video streaming over the Internet.

It offers a flat-rate, online video rental service which allows users to receive newly released DVDs. Many college students flock to Netflix simply because there is nothing else like it. It is the only place on the Internet where you can watch all six seasons of Lost

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

The rabbit from Donnie Darko is more Halloween than Easter, so save the costume for later.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Releasing bunnies in the Bentley hallways will only get you in trouble with PETA.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Go see Hop at the movie theater and get into the spirit of the season.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

If your teacher asks why you’re so jittery, admit that you may have eaten too many Peeps.

Try procrastinating with video games from your childhood.

Courtesy of macworld.com & wallpapers-diq.com

without ever having to sit through a commercial. Plus, the service is compatible with all video game consoles, laptops, DVD players and iPods.

Recreational Activities This idea may be the worst one out of the bunch, but hey, we’re college students. It’s in our job description to at least experiment in these areas of counter culture. Whether it be drinking to celebrate the end of a long week of classes, or a smoking session midweek to get those creative juices flowing, most college students can at some time or another say that they tried these things.

While these activities are a lot more entertaining than preparing for the big final coming up, it is important to remember that getting too involved can destroy your future.

Throwback Video Games Remember when we were kids and video games were simpler and more enjoyable?

Fortunately, we can still replay these classic games (Backyard Soccer, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Crash Bandicoot) over and over again on our televisions and computers.

Classic games like Oregon Trail and Backyard Soccer make perfect time killers because you can quickly download them on your computer and blast back to the past within minutes or even seconds.

Better yet, dust off that

old Nintendo 64 and invite some of your friends over for an afternoon of Mario Kart 64 or Mario Party and the hours will fly by.

Get Lost on Wikipedia Wikipedia is a massive source of useful and useless information. Although professors have discouraged using the site, it has some of the best information on the Internet. The sight usually joins the ranks of stumbleupon.com, Facebook and ratemyprofessors.com on everyone’s bookmarks tab.

Of course, Wikipedia’s main setback is the diversion factor. Every time you get on to research a subject, it is difficult to stay on just that one article.

You’ll be doing a research paper about stalactites and stalagmites, then you head to the page about the chemicals they’re made of, and before you even realize it you’re reading the article about South Park’s episode “ManBearPig.” By the time you realize this, multiple tabs are opened and that paper and is not any bit closer to being finished.

Spend the Day Outside After a long and cold winter, things start coming alive again. The trees start to bud, the grounds crew is in full force making campus beautiful and the Greenspace explodes with life as people spend their day tossing footballs, talking to friends, sunbathing or attempting to do homework.

Columns

THE VANGUARD

Internet Celebrities

“Denver the Guilty Dog” is about a dog who eats a bag of Friskies.

After a three-week hiatus, I have returned to bring you more of YouTube’s finest in the most disrespectful and crude of fashions. Before I begin my rant, however, I would like to give a shout out to DKE and all of my brothers, because we, collectively, are awesome. Here’s to hoping that makes it past the fine editorial staff at The Vanguard.

There are two videos worthy of mention this week, both pertaining to the animal kingdom. If you don’t like animals, then this week’s column isn’t

Courtesy of abcactionnews.com

for you, but then again, you’re also a complete jerk.

The first video is that of “Denver the Guilty Dog.” The video begins with the camera focused on a curiously opened package of Friskies Party Mix, contents not included. The narrator, a ruthless detective, begins surveying the room for suspects immediately.

The noticeable problem is that while Friskies are a treat meant exclusively for cats or their much more appealing version, kittens, neither of these types of creatures can be

found in the room.

Rather, there are two dogs present. Dogs are the far more superior animal, but this does not mean they have the right to consume Friskies without permission. A crime is a crime, after all. Suspect number one is Macy. If Macy had indeed been the culprit in this case, there’s not a chance she’s getting busted. The dog goes stone faced as soon as the camera points her way, showing absolutely no emotion when faced with the ultimate question, “Was it you, Macy?”

Luckily, Macy doesn’t have to do too much deflection, as suspect number two would falter under pressure like Bill Buckner in the ’86 World Series. This second suspect is Denver, and Denver is guilty.

The narrator begins by approaching Denver with the Friskies package. Upon seeing the dog’s reaction to this approach, I was torn between laughing and crying, but I sided with the laughing considering I was watching the video in the library and obviously being emotional and loving animals is for wimps.

In all seriousness, though,

Elephant in the Room

Gay marriage is illegal in 45 states.

A conservative and a liberal, who happen to be roommates, weigh in on current affairs.

What is your opinion on gay marriage?

Brian Shea In our culture, the word “gay” carries a certain stigma. It is often interpreted as derogatory, insulting or repulsive. However, most people in our society agree that homosexuality is not a choice. This apparent contradiction may explain the volatility of the gay marriage issue here in the United States.

Courtesy of wordpress.com

To be honest, I’ve completely changed on this issue. I previously believed that marriage is for pro-creation, and therefore gay marriage should be illegal.

A couple of years ago, however, I realized that the institution of marriage is not about a couple’s actions; it’s about the couple. If two people love each other, then they deserve to have the right to get married.

My opposition will say that the marriage issue should not be decided by government, and this is a fair point. Nevertheless, as long as it is decided by the government, and as long as

gay marriage is illegal in 45 states, challenging the government’s judgment seems to be the only viable option.

Also, I’m a pretty religious person, but I have trouble seriously considering an argument against gay marriage that is grounded in religious doctrine. Sure, if there is some logical sentiment that backs up religious belief, that’s legitimate. But merely citing the beliefs of say, my own religion, Roman Catholicism, makes one come off as uninformed and ignorant. After all, this is the same religion that doesn’t allow gay marriage, but promoted Cardinal Law after his inability to combat sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston.

It has gotten to the point where gay marriage must be looked at as a civil rights issue. I mean, forbidding it is purely discrimination.

Black people, white people, rich people, poor people, young people, old people, ugly people, skinny people, fat people, Jews, Christians, Muslims, men, women and heterosexuals can all get married – so why can’t gay people?

Undeniably, marriage is a big step in a person’s life.

People who love each other enough to take this step deserve to get married, no matter if they are gay or straight. All citizens of the

APRIL 21, 2011

PAGE 17

By Dan Binder-Brantley the dog is devastated. I would compare it to the look on a The Biggest Loser contestant’s face after they are shown hidden camera footage of them mowing down a 10-piece meal at Mcdonalds. Pure disappointment.

Upon further questioning from the seemingly nice, but probably abusive and heartless narrator, the real agony begins to show. Denver can no longer hide his disappointment by staring directly at the ground, and he decides it is time to show some courage and look right at the camera.

Eyes squinting, teeth fully exposed, Denver takes the blame. There’s really no way I can express how amusing the look on this dog’s face is, so I will only tell you that it is in your best interest to watch the video ASAP. After a minute or so of further inquisition and guilt-tripping, the narrator has had enough and sends Denver to the penalty box.

Within moments, Denver is out of sight. Not to be outdone, the narrator then returns to Macy and, while he doesn’t punish her with a dreadful trip to the penalty box, he makes

sure she knows that it won’t be all smooth sailing on her end. After all, inaction in this matter is a crime itself. Macy should have been barking up a storm the second Denver started housing Friskies on the living room floor.

The week’s second video is that of a baby penguin…a baby penguin that gets tickled, that is. The noises the baby penguin makes will either melt your heart or, if you hate animals but are still reading for some reason (probably because you didn’t read my introduction paragraph), make you want to go find every penguin out there and relieve them of their vocal cords.

Again, I’m pretty bad at my job, so I can’t adequately describe the sounds that you will hear in this video, but go ahead and search “ticklish baby penguin” and have yourself a good laugh. You deserve it as a reward for reading this far into anything without losing focus. That’s nearly 700 words… I wouldn’t have made it through the first 200 without at least one status update, nap and trip to Einstein’s.

By Sean Harrington & Brian Shea United States supposedly have the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It’s about time our government gets with the program.

It is a right to be officially recognized as a married couple, and infringement upon this right is, frankly, a wrong.

Sean Harrington I’m going to be straight up with you, homies, gay marriage is bona fide enigma for me. It brings two of my most sacred principles into heated opposition: Respect for the individual and small government. To be honest, I don’t really take either of the two “sides” on this issue. I’ve sort of come up with my own answer, and if there are any smart people in Washington, they would be well advised to take note.

First, I am all for gay rights. In fact, I consider myself an advocate. It is my core belief that no person should be treated unfairly in our society over things they do not control. I do not prescribe to the petty belief that being gay is some sort of “disease,” and I certainly oppose religious bigotry on the matter. Being gay is a matter of expression, and I for one have no problem with it. Just because I’m not gay myself doesn’t mean I can’t support those who are.

HOWEVER, bringing the subject of marriage into the game things changes matters a bit (Liberals - please don’t storm off at this point.

Just read me out). The problem is that marriage in our society is governed by two separate institutions: Religion and the government. Since religion is not a public forum, it is safe to say that people who advocate gay marriage are advocating that the government actually do something. And therein lies the problem.

The government should not govern marriage, plain and simple. Why do we have to be approved by a couple of lousy bureaucrats for our weddings? The same people who take lunch breaks at the DMV while I’ve been waiting for four hours for a new license APPROVE MY MARRIAGE? That’s stupid.

Here’s my proposal (pun intended): Government gets the hell out of marriage law.

Out like Ricky Martin. We are all approved for “civil unions,” no matter your orientation, and marriage is left to be celebrated in its rightful place: The church. If two gay people find/make a church that will marry them, that’s great. Send me an invitation - I do a mean Cha Cha Slide and YMCA. Ah, compromise… It feels good, doesn’t it? Let’s give it a shot, America!

pAGE 18

SportS

ApriL 21, 2011

tHE VANGUArd

Bentley Falcons making a splash in NE-10 tournament

By Robbie LaBrie SportS Editor

Most spring sports are in the thick of their conference schedules right now, but finals are approaching as the semester’s end is hurtling toward us faster than a rodrigo ribeiro serve and Bentley tennis has already begun their NE-10 tournaments. the men played their first matches of the tournament and advanced through the quarterfinals with a 5-0 sweep of Le Moyne on tuesday. ribeiro won his singles match with ease, 6-1, 6-2, in the top singles match, while Victor Suski was even more dominant, winning his match, 6-0, 6-2.

Bentley’s doubles teams fared just as well. Lucas Wever and ribeiro won the number-one matchup, 8-6, while Zach tuckman and Alec Spycher took an 8-2 victory. Suski and Andrew Waddington finished the sweep with an 8-3 win.

Bentley came into the tournament as the third seed in the NE-10, and the victory brought their record this year to 11-7, while it dropped Le Moyne to 7-9. their conference record,

Sophmore Rodrigo Ribeiro was named NE-10 Player of the Week.

however, is as good as anybody else’s. At 10-1 in conference play, Bentley is tied for the best record in the conference with Merrimack and Southern New Hampshire, who found out tuesday that their star, Mitchell dobek (no relation to dale), was named NE-10 player of the Year, and their head coach, Greg Coache (really), was named NE-10 Coach of the Year. the Falcons will now look to their semifinals matchup against Merrimack on thursday. the Warriors swept pace on tuesday to advance to their matchup against the Falcons.

Unfortunately, the Lady Falcons did not fare as well as the men in their first tournament game. After winning their last two matchups in the regular season, it looked like Bentley was coming in with some momentum, but they drew St. Michael’s in the first round, which would be a tough matchup for anybody. the two teams were close on paper, as both teams came in with 8-3 records in conference play, but St. Michael’s was better on tuesday, earning a 5-0 win over the Falcons and bouncing them from tournament

Courtesy of Sports Information Office

play. it was a good season for the Lady Falcons nonetheless, as they finished fifth in the Northeast-10, which was the same spot they finished in last season.

Unfortunately, it was the last match of the season for seniors Cheryl Martin and Aimee tetu, who have both enjoyed successful careers with Bentley and will surely be missed. only graduating two players is not a huge hit, however, as tough as it may be, and the Falcons should be restocked and ready to go when fall comes around and

next year’s season begins.

Head coach Alex Wong will still have a team ready to contend.

Fortunately for the men’s team, they still have another match this season to worry about. they have had an incredibly successful spring, g oing 7 -1 a g a inst NE -1 0 opponents since starting play back up after the break. they have had players winning matches in abundance and have some lofty individual records. ribeiro (15-3), James rindo (8-0), Alec Spycher (18-2), Victor Suski (8-2), Zach tuckman (8-3), Andrew Waddington (17-3) and Lucas Wever (173) have all had incredible springs and will look to carry their winning ways into a win over Merrimack and a trip to the NE-10 finals. the Falcons actually played Merrimack in their last match of the regular season on April 16 and snuck out a tight 5-4 win. they will take the victory any way they can get it on thursday, but they will certainly be looking to play even better this time around and take the match from Merrimack with little doubt. the match will be held in Merrimack at 2 p.m. on thursday.

SportS

tHE VANGuArd

Falcons rip off three straight wins Team looks for win against Le Moyne in key conference match up

ApriL 21, 2011

pAGE 19

Recent ReSUltS Results from 4/12-4/19

By Robbie LaBrie

Result

SportS Editor

Bentley men’s lacrosse came into the season with big expectations and they are doing everything they can to live up to those.

After winning three straight games against Southern New Hampshire, American international and Merrimack respectively, the Falcons are sitting in third place in the NE-10 with a 61 record in conference play and a 6-4 record overall.

Junior Brendan Grant has been a beast for the Falcons, scoring 11 goals over the course of the streak, even earning the Northeast-10 player of the Week Award, which included the games against Southern New Hampshire and American international, but not Grant’s three-goal effort against Merrimack on tuesday. tuesday’s matchup against Merrimack was the closest of the three games, as the Falcons barely pulled off a 98 victory over a Merrimack team who came into the game with a 4-3 conference record, good enough for fifth place at the time.

Although Grant recorded a hat trick, he was not Bentley’s leading scorer, as freshman Nick Astarita put up four goals in the contest to lead the Falcons to the win.

Bentley found themselves trailing 5-4 heading into halftime and things got even worse when Merrimack scored just 12 seconds into the third quarter. Grant went out and tied the game on his own, however, scoring two unassisted goals to tie the score.

Astarita followed that up with an unassisted goal to give Bentley a lead that they would never relinquish.

Grant scored the next goal of

Baseball (9-20, 3-10 NE-10) Saint Anselm (4/14)* American int’l (dH) (4/16)* at Merrimack (4/18)*

L 8-6 L 8-7, W 2-1 (10 inn.)

L 17-6

Golf uMass-Lowell river Hawk invitational

5th of 13

Men’s Lacrosse (5-4, 5-1 NE-10) Southern New Hampshire (4/13)* American international (4/16)*

W 15-10 W 15-7

Men’s Tennis (11-7, 10-1) at Merrimack (4/16)* Le Moyne (Northeast-10 Quarterfinal) (4/19)* Men’s Track & Field Husky invitational (4/16)

Junior A Brendan Grant earned the Northeast-10 Player of the Week Award.

the game, giving Bentley an 8-6 lead before Merrimack finally found their way back on the scoreboard.

Astarita scored one more to make the Bentley lead 9-7 with only a couple minutes left. the Warriors made it close with a late goal to bring it within one, but 9-8 would be the final. the game before that was the matchup with American international, who has been one of the bottom feeders of the Northeast-10 all season.

Bentley had no problem generating offense against a weaker team, easily disposing of American international, 15-7.

Grant put on a clinic, scoring five goals, while Astarita, richard travers and Zach paz each had a pair of goals of their own. the game was actually tied at halftime, but the Falcons won the second half 10-2 and left little doubt that they were the better team.

Bentley has to claim victories against two NE-10 tivals to rise in the standings.

Nathan Marchand/THE VANGUARD

Courtesy of Sports Information Office

once the teams came out of the locker room at halftime, it really wasn’t even close as Bentley got off 60 shots to Ameircan international’s 23 in the game. it was likely that some of Bentley’s good play was the result of the momentum picked up from their victory in the game before against Southern New Hampshire. this was a similar game in the sense that the two teams were tied at halftime, but Bentley separated themselves as the dominant team in the second half and ended up earning a 15-10 win.

Grant and Matt Boilard each recorded hat tricks for the Falcons, who put up seven goals in the first quarter, as well as seven goals in the second half to close out their opponents.

A 4-0 fourth quarter was really what swung the game in favor of Bentley and they didn’t look back in the fourth, closing out the game easily.

Bentley will still have to overcome Le Moyne and Adelphi if they wish to move up anymore in the standings.

Both teams are undefeated, with Le Moyne at 7-0 and Adelphi at 6-0. the Falcons have already had a chance to take on Adelphi, but were unable to earn the win. that game came back in March and it was Bentley’s only loss in conference play this season.

Bentley will now look towards their biggest game of the season when they get their crack at Le Moyne on April 23. Whichever team earns the win will get the inside track on second place overall in the conference and a leg up in tournament seeding. if the Falcons and their stars continue to play well, they will give Le Moyne a run for their money.

W 5-4 W 5-0

No team score

Softball (10-18, 3-15 NE-10) at Saint Anselm (dH) (4/14)* L 11-0, L 2-1 at New Haven (dH) (4/16)* L 5-2, L 5-2 at Southern Connecticut State (dH) (4/17)*L 5-0, L 6-0 at Stonehill (dH) (4/18)* L 5-0, L 12-4 (6 inn.)

Women’s Lacrosse (7-7, 5-4 NE-10) Merrimack (4/12)* Assumption (4/16)* at Southern New Hampshire (4/18)*

W 12-8 W 17-4 L 18-13

Women’s Tennis (9-11, 9-4 NE-10) at Merrimack (4/16)* W 5-4 at Saint Michael’s (NE-10 Quarterfinal) (4/18)* L 5-0 Women’s Track & Field Husky invitational (4/16)

No team score

*Northeast-10 Game

Upcoming SchedUle April 22 Softball vs. pace (dH)* April 23 Baseball vs. New Haven (dH)* Softball vs. Adelphi (dH)*

3:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m.

April 25 Baseball vs. Assumption*

3:30 p.m.

April 26 Baseball vs. Southern New Hampshire* Women’s Lacrosse vs. Saint Anselm*

3:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

April 27 Men’s Lacrosse vs. Saint Michael’s*

7:00 p.m.

April 29 Women’s Lacrosse vs. Southern Ct State*7:00 p.m. *Northeast-10 Game

PAGE 20

SportS

APrIL 21, 2011

THE VANGuArD

32 teams fight for basketball B-League championship As Playoffs begin, intramural basketball players fight for the coveted B-League title

By Louis Sherman VANGuArD STAFF

It’s that time of year again - basketball playoff season.

No, I’m not talking about ray Allen’s ice-cold veins as he drains threes in crunch time or Dwight Howard scoring 46 and taking down 19 rebounds in an epic loss. I’m talking about the Intramural BLeague Playoffs at Bentley.

Every year, 32 lucky teams battle it out to be crowned the best male B-League Intramural Basketball team on Bentley’s campus. You could call the champs “The Best of The Worst,” but they are so much more.

B-League Intramurals are more about having fun than about playing basketball. The sport is for the occasional basketball player. The relaxed business students who just want to go out and play some less competitive hoops on the same court that the varsity Falcons win Conference championships on in the winter months.

Last year, The Playmakers took down the championship after completing an impressive season at 13-0. The 2009 champions were the team who called themselves 4XL 3L 1M. This team, which came in all sizes, finished their season with a 10-3 record, but did not lose a game in the tournament when the pressure was on.

The Tommy Points are a team who thought they had what it took to go far in the post season. Well, they were wrong. The Heinsohn supporters were unable to go past the first round after picking up a top seed in the northeast region of the bracket.

The Tommy Points were filled with mediocre talent from the likes of Matt “Pirate” Larmore and robbie “The Soup Isn’t ready Yet”

This year’s competition is stiff, with teams such as Brick Squad Monopoly, Miller 4 and Milk Was a Bad Choice competing.

LaBrie. Some more talented ball handlers filled the backcourt for the Tommy Points, as the former Alder 111 duo of Mike “That’s My Throne” Thomas and Phil “Buckets” St. Pierre broke a combined 14 ankles during the regular season.

If there is any team “hungry” for victories in the BTeam postseason, it’s probably “5 Guys.” Ironically, this team features a core of six players, including ryan Onorato, Vinnie “Clifford the Big red Dog” McDougall, Brandon McLeon, Jeffrey roberts and the Turkish sensation that is Sercan Lir. Captain and all-around great guy Chris Andrews believes 5 Guys can fry the competition.

The Amsterdam Haha’s are another team, ironically, that needs to be taken seriously in this tournament.

They are an all-around team that splits the load among all of the players. Their top scorer is Gerard “The Guard”

Bernazzani, and Kevin “Big Kev” Landers pounds the ball in the paint.

The Haha’s motto is “We fight for the win.” Captains Brian Donahue had this to say about the strategy put forth by his team: “Our team is all about smoking those threes and stroking them trees,” whatever that means.

In the first round, 5 Guys took down the Hobgoblins to move to their second-round matchup against Team Truffle Shuffle (game played after publication). The Amsterdam Haha’s moved on by defeating Swaggagewea.

Another team that made a nice run to reach the playoffs was Chris Kaman Her Eye. This “ambitious” squad snuck into the playoffs, their first ever, as the team is filled with flopping freshmen.

Tony “T-Stitch” Phillips is “often imitated but never duplicated” as the top performer, by far, on the “exciting” team. Sid the Kid has led

Falcon Fact

Falcon

20

oF the

Despite a 3-10 record in NE-10 play, the Baseball team has had some solid individual performances and looks like it could be a team to be reckoned with in the future.

Did you know freshman outfielder Sean Keady currently has 20 steals, which is good for second in the Northeast-10? Keady has shown plenty of promise, hitting .262 and leading the team with 23 runs. He will be a staple on the team for a long time.

Week

Courtesy of mountainhome.af.mil

the team in field goal percentage this season, finishing the year shooting 4-4 from the field. Sid’s biggest impact on the team has been on the defensive side of the ball, as he has picked up 27 steals along the way this season.

Chris Kaman Her Eye also features a pair of twins who have been able to hurt the team’s chances of victory on multiple occasions. Dave “Don’t Call Me Chris” Desisto and Chris “Don’t Call Me Dave” Desisto have struggled from the field in recent games, and they have “failed to live up to the preseason hype,” said Captain Phillips.

T-Stitch also said that teammate Mac Miller “has been a dominating presence, but his lack of playoff experience and ball-hogging tendencies may lead the team to an early exit from the 2011 BLeague Playoffs.” T-Stitch couldn’t have been more right.

The playoffs are not always

what they are set out to be, however. The Tommy Points were upset by “Ball Don’t Lie,” a team that made sure that the truth came out about their skills. Chris Kaman Her Eye was unable to pull the miracle upset, as they fell to The Miami Cheat.

The favorites this year may be The Miami Cheat. They received the overall numberone seed in the tournament, and as mentioned, have already cruised to a firstround victory. Other top seeds include Team Truffle Shuffle, Flower Power BC and the Tommy Points (who already lost).

Not all teams make the playoffs, and those who are able to cope with that reality are the ones who play the sport for what is all about: Having fun. 3 Point Hookshot is one of those teams who couldn’t put enough wins together to sneak into the 32team playoff bracket.

“We focused more on making complete fools out of ourselves rather than winning, which apparently is not the strategy if you want to be in the playoffs,” said Hookshot captain Zach renschler. They probably should’ve focused more on the 2-point layup.

The tournament continues on Tuesday with the Elite 8, as the games will be played at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Dana Center. The Men’s BLeague 2011 Champions will b e crowned on Thursd a y night of next week, in a game set to be played on the Main Court at 10 p.m.

Who will stand tall as the best B-League team at Bentley university? Will it be the Amsterdam Haha’s or 5 Guys? Or will a team, such as Milk Was a Bad Choice or D Wade and Friends, reign supreme and take home the glory? Tune in next Thursday night to find out for yourself.

Sherman. Out.

Junior Lacrosse Player Brendan Grant Junior Brendan Grant of the Men’s Lacrosse team is the Falcon of the Week. Grant was named the Northeast-10 Player of the Week on Monday after helping Bentley to a pair of wins over Southern New Hampshire and American International last week.

Grant had three goals and one assist in a 15-10 win over Southern on April 13, and five goals in a 15-7 victory over the Yellow Jackets on April 16. His five goals are the most scored by a Bentley player in a single game this season, bettering the four he scored against Assumption on March 30.

As of Tuesday, Grant leads the team in goals (20), assists (9) and points. He’s 17th in Division II in points per game (3.22) and 18th in goals per game (2.22).