VoLuME LI
ISSuE XII
SuMMEr 2011
WWW.BEntLEYVanguard.CoM
VP of Student Affairs Dr. Yorkis retires Larson Dean Shepardson will absorb responsibilities and join President’s Cabinet By Tomer Gat ManagIng EdItor
after 25 years at Bentley university, dr. Kathleen Yorkis, vice president of Student affairs, will be retiring. dr. Yorkis first joined Bentley in 1986 as the dean of Student affairs after working as the director of Career Services at Loyola university and director of Professional development at Coopers & Lybrand (now called PricewaterhouseCoopers). She was appointed chief Student affairs officer in 1999 and has held the vice president position since 2001. “It is very difficult to leave Bentley,” said dr. Yorkis. “However, I am very See YORKIS, Page 5
By Jon McColgan Vanguard Staff
After 25 years of serving the Bentley Community, Dr. Kathleen Yorkis will be retiring at the end of the school year.
Tomer Gat/THE VANGUARD
New York Times doubts business students’ efforts David Glenn asserts that low GMAT scores are a result of lack of academic rigor By Lacey Nemergut nEWS EdItor
The New York Times recently published an article entitled “the default Major: Skating through B-School.” the article, written by david glenn, focused on the apparent simplicities involved with a business education and the ease in which a student can receive their undergraduate degree. glenn referenced his collected investigative research, suggesting that Business students score lowest on the gMat entry examination due to the
lack of rigor in their college curriculum. Specifically, glenn chose to focus on the light load of work associated with both Managing and Marketing Majors, frequently engaged in abstract group projects. “Business majors spend less time preparing for class than do students in any other broad field, according to the most recent national Survey of Student Engagement: nearly half of seniors majoring in business say they spend fewer than 11 hours a week studySee TIMES, Page 7
CaMPuS LIfE EdItor
father Claude, Bentley’s Catholic priest and director of Spiritual Life for the last 11 years, has made the choice to step down at the end of this semester. father Claude will visit rome and then devote his time to his position on the Board of trustees at assumption College. Both father Claude
8 CITY YEAR Seven students revealed as next year’s City Year corps members.
and reverend Katrina arrived at the same time in august 2000, and will be leaving for different purposes this year. after being sent to Bentley by his religious order, father Claude said, “this assignment was really a surprise to me. My training is not at all in business, and I haven’t had much to do with business, so coming to a business school was rather daunting.”
after her own four-year experience on Bentley’s campus, President gloria Larson sat down with The Vanguard to reflect not only on the past, but also on where Bentley is heading next, both in the short and long term. “these four years have flown by, and it has been a truly amazing experience,” said Larson. “this has been the most personally meaningful of all my career stops, given Bentley involves training the future leaders of industry and business.” When asked what her greatest accomplishments at Bentley are, Larson preferred to examine the accomplish-
Courtesy of progressive-patriot.com
this just shows the amount of power and responsibility father Claude has graciously held for the last 11 years. after arriving on campus, he worked diligently toward broadening the Spirit Life team to be all inclusive for all religions, and was fortunate to find those people. “the Spiritual Life team has
ments as successes which all of Bentley achieved as a whole. “the community has reached many milestones, from becoming a university, which speaks volumes to audiences across the globe about our direction, to the EQuIS accreditation and being named one of the top-10 schools to combine business and liberal arts by the Stanford Carnegie foundation, Bentley has been on the move forward,” said Larson. “and let’s not forget everything our students have
See CLAUDE, Page 5
See LARSON, Page 16
The article compares business students to those of other majors regarding time spent studying.
Courtesy of indiana.edu
Spiritual Life leaders bid farewell to Bentley By Sindhu Palaniappan
reflects on past & future as Bentley President
“fortunately, I met some very interesting people here who are very supportive of my particular mission on campus as director of Spiritual Life and the Catholic Chapter here,” said Claude. Surprisingly to father Claude, and probably to many of you, half of Bentley’s undergraduate campus is Catholic. It has been this way for the 11 years that he has been here.
3 COMMENCEMENT CNN political analyst to speak.
12 WORLD WISH DAY Raises awareness for wishes.
19 BASEBALL Season continues with a mix of wins and loses for Falcons.
Police Log 2 JAS 2 Cartoon 4 Voices 10 & 11 Horoscopes 13 Falcon of The Week 20
PAGE 2
News
SuMMEr 2011
THE VANGuArd
PoliCe log
authority and was judicially charged with larceny and suspicious behavior. She had been in a dispute with a cab driver over her fare. When she got to campus, the bill was $10 more than the Bentley stud ent p lanned for. She was picked up in Kenmore Square.
Phantom Tollbooth On Thursday, April 21, at 2:14 p.m., university Police received a call from a distressed student stuck in a Jennison elevator. When officers and facilities arrived, there was nobody in the elevator. facilities then shut down the elevator and investigated it for potential repairs. The prank caller or temporary damsel in distress was never identified. The case is closed unless further information surfaces.
Citizen’s Arrest This past Wednesday, one Lincoln-esque student felt that he ought to inform university Police that he had granted two nefarious characters access to Orchard North. The student felt that it was his duty as a citizen of the Bentley community to inform the authorities of his “error in judgment.” Officers followed up the call but found nothing out of order at the scene. Case closed.
Prairie Doggin’ At 9:04 p.m. this past Thursday, Bentley officers responded to North Campus C on account of a smoke detector alarm. upon arrival, the officers realized that the alarm was triggered by a steamy shower. roger roger rubber ducky.
Makin’ it Rain On April 20 at 11:12 p.m., university Police received a call from Morrison Hall regarding a fire alarm. Officers suspected smoke had triggered the alarm.
Memento On Thursday, April 21, at 11:03 p.m., a female student ran from
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 781380-5654 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.
upon arrival, officers found that there was a smoke detector active on the second floor. They quickly found out that the sprinkler had been tripped and was spraying water. facilities was notified and responded. It was determined that there was extensive water damage, and thus the main water shut-off valve had to be used. Apparently, an A/C unit had malfunctioned and caused the entire ordeal. There was damage to ceiling tiles. There was probably more, but it was not reported to us. Electric Slide On Tuesday, April 19, at 12:06 a.m., the lights played dead for a moment. The manager on duty was notified and peace was restored. Terrible, Not So Terrible Last Tuesday at 12:28 p.m., a caller reported that her friend had a laceration on her foot which would not stop bleeding. However, upon arrival, officers reported that
the injury was no longer bleeding and that the victim did not want medical treatment at this time. The victim’s friend offered to transport the girl to Newton/Wellesley Hospital for further evaluation. The officer on duty cleared the scene without further incident. BOOM BOOM On April 21 at 11:34 a.m., when a staff member called the police, they reported that they had found something dangerous and disturbing. Jon doe believed that he had found a real bullet from a gun in a class room on the second floor of Smith. Jon had flashes of gang fights and glock-holding freshmen. Luckily, he was informed by the police investigator that the object was in fact not a bullet. Case closed.
By Chad Arrendell, Katie Cavanaugh & Raymer Maguire VANGuArd STAff
The Vanguard will be taking a vacation and will return in September!
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.
04.20.2011-04.26.2011
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
12 13 5 5 24 $225 7 6 0 1 0 0 0 0
News
THE VANGUArd
SUMMEr 2011
PAGE 3
Gergen & Lynch announced as Commencement speakers By Jon McColgan VANGUArd STAFF
President Gloria Larson recently announced the Commencement speakers for the Class of 2011’s ceremony on May 21, with david Gergen, a professor of public service and the director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, speaking to the undergraduate class. Meanwhile,
Bentley alumnus Christopher Lynch, vice president and general manager of Vertica Systems, will speak to the McCallum graduates. Gergen, a longtime political advisor in Washington to four U.S. Presidents of both parties, Presidents Nixon, Ford, reagan and Clinton, also works with CNN as a senior political analyst and as the editor at large for U.S. News & World Report.
Gergen is a professor of public service at Harvard and works at CNN.
Hailed as an independent voice in politics by republicans and democrats, Gergen, a Yale alumnus, is also a bestselling author and serves on a number of boards of directors, including those for City Year, Teach for America and duke University. “david has been a passionate advocate for our next generation of leaders. His ability to inspire and share personal and histori-
Courtesy of aorn.org
cal perspectives with our graduates will make this Commencement a special event for all of us,” said Larson in a statement. Some seniors, on the other hand, were less enthusiastic, speaking under a condition of anonymity for fear of publically criticizing the President. “i think having a political speaker is a terrible waste,” said one female senior. “We’re a business school with no political science majors; why bring a political analyst to my Commencement?” “Gergen might be great, but i’d rather have an interesting business or corporate leader,” said a male senior. “i had never heard of this person before it was announced, and that’s irritating,” said another male senior. “i wanted someone i would recognize and want to listen to at graduation.” However, not all students were disappointed with Gergen’s selection. “My good friend at Ohio State heard Gergen speak last year and said he was entertaining and worthwhile. Let’s give him a chance,” said one male senior. Lynch, who earned his MBA from the McCallum Graduate School of Business, will deliver the
Commencement address for McCallum’s Class of 2011, having worked for the last 25 years as an entrepreneur and corporate leader. Lynch started his career in sales for communications and technology companies, eventually becoming an essential leader for ArrowPoint’s multi-million-dollar iPO, as well as leading Vertica Systems into its acquisition by Hewitt Packard. Lynch served as President and CEO of Vertica during the period in which HP acquired the company, and has stayed on in a leadership role as vice president and general manager after the acquisition. “Chris is such a significant success story for our graduate school. His track record of growth and success in so many technology ventures is a testament to his versatility, ambition, and leadership skills, and he will be an inspiration to our graduate students,” said Larson. “i am confident that these accomplished leaders will make our Commencement truly memorable.” Gergen will receive an honorary doctor of Laws degree from the university, while Lynch will receive an honorary doctor of Commercial Science degree.
Saying farewell to Class of 2011 & hello to Class of 2015 By Lindsay Beauregard FEATUrES EdiTOr
The Class of 2011 will join the ranks of the Bentley alumni, consisting of CEOs, CFOs and many other notable positions. As the seniors become alumni and leave campus, the University will warmly welcome the incoming freshmen, the Class of 2015. As Commencement nears, seniors across campus are preparing for their very last finals week, the Bahamas, their commencement ball and
the real world. To seniors, the real world means attending graduate school, job hunting or joining the workforce immediately. With the knowledge they’ve acquired and experiences they’ve had at Bentley, they will be prepared for whatever comes their way. Through LSMs, double majors, minors and studying abroad, the Class of 2011 is well versed in the business world. They are moving on to bigger and better ventures. Hopefully, just like they did on campus, they will achieve
Accepted students of the Class of 2015 show their Bentley pride.
Courtesy of Undergraduate Admissions
great accomplishments and impact the business world in a positive way. Through their involvement on campus, whether it be on a local basis - Service Learning, championship sports teams, academic teams like the Fed Challenge - or on a global scale- One Goal, One Community, Bentley’s AntiBullying project, the Mmofra Trom Bead Project - the Class of 2011 has left their print on the Bentley campus, local community and throughout the world. Although the Class of 2011 will be marching across the football field on May 21 to receive their much deserved diplomas and will part their own ways after Commencement, they will only be leaving the Bentley campus, not the community. Although it’s early to make any statements about the incoming Class of 2015, we can assure that they will be a great addition to the Bentley community. As always, there will be students from across the country, as well as the world, to bring diversity and different cultures and backgrounds to the Bentley campus.
Faculty and staff got to meet incoming freshmen at Open House.
As they move into Trees, Slade and Miller on August 30, we can expect the freshmen to bring much more than just their personal belongings. With them, they will also have their personal tales of triumph, volunteerism, sports feats, incredible talents and personal traits and stories. Although it is hard for the campus to say goodbye to the Class of 2011, as it is hard for
Courtesy of Undergraduate Admissions
them to say goodbye to us, we all know that they will never truly be apart from the Bentley community. And just like every year, with each graduating class comes a new class of the same immensity of talent and uniqueness. With that, we say goodbye to the Class of 2011 and wish them luck in their future endeavors as we welcome the incoming Class of 2015.
PAGE 4
SuMMER 2011
Viewpoints
THE VANGuARD
Letter to the editor
*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 SETs should be better utilized in evaluating professor retention As the semester draws to a close, the age-old tradition of student evaluations of teaching (SETs) begins to kick off this week. The juniors and seniors have been doing SETs since rating was on a five-point scale, were all completed in class with a pencil and required bubbling in responses on two separate, blue and orange bubble sheets. While these rankings carry heavy weight with Bentley, there are rumors that it affects tenure and promotion, and we question whether the SETs are as effective as they could be. Although upperclassmen know the ins and outs of SETs and how the rankings work, based on our discussions with the underclassmen, especially freshmen, there seems to be a lack of understanding as to how the ratings system works. We applaud the Registrar’s Office for finally posting the newest revision of SETs on the web for students to see, but now it’s time they provide clarity to the newest incoming classes as to how the SETs work and what each question is asking. Students flock to rate-
myprofessors.com for an indepth look at how professors actually perform in class, in addition to little tidbits that you wouldn’t otherwise know. For example, Professor O’Leary loves Crab Rangoon, a tidbit you might pick up in class but something you would never pick up from reading SETs. The problem with ratemyprofessors.com, aside from it causing viruses (according to the Help Desk), is that a majority of the reviews are written by people either upset or thrilled with the professor; not too many people review professors if they were indifferent. Although SETs capture a majority of the class in their reviews, there are still areas for improvement. For example, there are some people who intentionally don’t complete SETs to have their grades withheld so that their “helicopter” parents can’t determine what grades they got. Further, let’s push professors to be at the top of their game all semester long and publish a ranking of the best and worst professors in every department. Bentley is a business
school, and as such it should adopt a model similar to the staffing model adopted by Jack Welch at GE. If the worst professors at the school consistently rank among the worst professors, it’s time for them to go, tenure or not. Tenure was an idea which was originally adopted to allow faculty to propose radical ideas in the classroom without risking their position with the school. unfortunately, we have a very difficult time understanding what crazy and radical ideas can be proposed in a business class, but if we’re wrong, feel free to correct us. Just because a professor is tenured is no excuse to retain them if they are among the worst professors at the school. We have no problem retaining all of the professors if they are all top notch and phenomenal, but each of us can name at least one professor who wasn’t even close to good, let alone phenomenal. This isn’t just a problem which plagues Bentley; it certainly plagues every higher level institution of learning, but it is something Bentley can take the lead on changing.
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
To the Editor, As outgoing seniors who serve on the Student Government Association, we were extremely disappointed to read in the April 21st Fireside Chat the opinion that in the past four years SGA has failed to make a “single positive change.” We would like to take the opportunity to point out a handful of the many positive changes that have occurred. Several of these changes have been featured in past editions of the Vanguard, often on the front page no less. In the realm of student life, in 2009 and 2010, we heard numerous concerns about people smoking right outside dorm rooms and buildings. We worked to educate students on the policy, get signs posted at all doors, and have the ashtrays permanently moved 25 feet from doors. We also worked to expand shuttle hours and create the campus loop service, added late night weekend service to North Campus on the Harvard shuttle, and pressed for the GPS tracking system that is now available to students. The fitness classes offered by the Center of Health and Wellness came from a joint partnership and work was done by SGA to add classes as attendance increased. During the 2007-2008 academic year, the Student Diversity Council (SDC) was formed with input from SGA and in the Spring of 2009, we started a yearly Diversity Roundtable dinner. From here, both SDC and the Diversity Roundtable became traditions that encouraged inclusion and integration among all cross-sections of campus. Last year, SGA and SDC worked together to put on for the first time Creating Connections in the Classroom (CCC), a diversity panel for the Wilder professors that spoke to diversity within the classrooms. This year, SGA will be participating in a panel about having an honest conversation about diversity. Diversity is an ongoing concern and SGA is cur-
rently continuing to strengthen our relationship with the Bentley Cultural Council (BCC) by helping with the planning and support of the cultural events as well as working towards strengthening our relationship with the Faculty Diversity Council at this time. While we have made progress in specific accomplishments we understand we should always be working towards striving to improve in the area of Diversity. Student Government was responsible for the idea of installing lights controlled by motion sensors or timers in many of the study rooms and laundry rooms within the dorms last year; most recently, in conjunction with RHA, we passed a bill recommending gender neutral housing be implemented beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, which developed out of an idea brought to us by a student at the end of the 2009 school year. This was an action that 89% of the student body thinks would be a positive change based on the survey that was recently done by SGA and RHA. SGA has done much additional work with academics including with the new GB core, extending library hours during finals, IT issues, and improving food service on campus, especially in Seasons, as is detailed in the food report we put out last year. We did have a column in the Vanguard last year, in which we detailed, week after week, the work that we did, including many of the above noted accomplishments. While we were no longer allowed to have the column this year and therefore, a better job could have been done communicating these efforts, it would be amiss to say nothing positive has been done in the past four years. Sincerely, Kara Bohde Sucheta Desai Erik Ginthwain Christopher Hayes Michael Kearney Monica Mohan
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.
THE VANGUARD
Campus Life & News
Carroll Center collaborates with BES By Sindhu Palaniappan CAMPUS LIFE EDIToR
The Carroll Center for the Blind, based in Newton, MA, is a non-profit organization that focuses on re-assimilating working-age adults into the population and the work force. The school works with adults from the age of 20 to 65, helping those that fall out of the work force but still want to stay engaged. The school allows them to do a residency, teaching them everything necessary to do so. Like other non-profits, the Carroll School has incredible passion but slightly lacks a business sense; in order to remedy this, the school reached out to the Bentley Entrepreneurial Society (BES). “They needed a direction, and they have a deficit they’re trying to chip away at. They wanted BES to help them find a way to employ blind individuals to help work away at the deficit the school has,” said Ben Fowler, a member of the BES board. BES held a brainstorm session with both undergraduates and graduate students, and went about solving the problem. The way BES decided to go about tackling this situation was to help the school make
a profit in a number of ways. The first is through ECommerce: Selling products that aid the blind, for example, selling lighted magnifying glasses for computer screens, and sensors for those that are legally blind. Another change BES would like to implement is distance learning: To be able to take what they do at the Carroll Center and transform it into an online or web-based program to accomplish what they do on a broader scale. This focuses mostly on convenience and fully encompasses what the school hopes to accomplish. Fowler and Molly Godfrey, along with the rest of the BES board, have been working diligently with alumni in jumpstarting the new website for the school. Some alumni have connections with search
A group of students from the Carroll Center.
CLAUDE Continued from Page 1 an all encompassing advisory team besides having contacts in the larger metropolitan area with people of all religious traditions,” he said. Father Claude and Reverend Katrina have done a ton of work here at our University, broadening the Spiritual Life advisory board and presenting on the school’s behalf at international conferences for university chaplains. “Both Revered Jenkins and I, although separately, came to the conclusion that we were leaving,” said Father Claude. “My decision came back in September when I spoke with my superiors in my religious order. Her decision came later when she was offered a position
Father Claude has been working at Bentley since 2000.
engines and have therefore volunteered to help bring the new website higher up in search results, allowing more views for the page. BES aims to develop this new website as a group, both creating an E-Commerce site that will benefit the Carroll School, and using this process as a learning experience for the younger students stepping up in the entrepreneurial world. BES hopes to make this a sustainable project so that it may be passed down for the students’ and Carroll School’s benefit. All profits will be going straight to the Carroll School. If any students are interested in helping out or sitting in on the process of starting the website, feel free to reach out to ga_bes@bentley.edu, or Ben Fowler and Molly Godfrey.
at Illinois College, a position that is very interesting and exactly in line with her pastoral perceptions. The decision was ours.” The farewell party on Monday had over 100 attendees, including the President herself, who spoke about the dedication and time both Father Claude and Reverend Jenkins have put in at Bentley. Student Angela Diaco, as well as Pierce Butler and Rabbi Jeffrey Foust, also spoke about all of the contributions both have made over the years. As for the future, Dean Shepardson has met with various religious groups on campus and has assured everybody that Bentley will continue to have a director of the Spiritual Life Center and that the religious needs of the students will be met.
Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD
Courtesy of carroll.org
SUMMER 2011
PAGE 5
YORKIS Continued from Page 1 happy and I am looking forward to having time to pursue many other opportunities and activities that I love.” Dr. Yorkis spent her time focusing on creating a connected community throughout Bentley, as well as encouraging integration of experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. She also served as a mentor for her fellow Student Affairs employees who are interested in working with college students. “Her gift has been that she has been many things to many students depending on their needs - for student leaders, a mentor; to students in a crisis, a listener and advisor; to athletes and student organizations, a champion; and to the student body, someone who encourages them and wishes them well on holidays and semester breaks,” said Andrew Shepardson, dean of Student Affairs. “Every year at Bentley has been a new set of challenges and experiences. Bentley has always prided itself in moving very quickly and accomplishing projects that some schools only dream of,” said Dr. Yorkis, when asked why she has stayed at Bentley for so long. “I have held a variety of responsibilities and I have loved my work. It is
very rewarding to work with Bentley students, faculty, administrators and staff.” Shepardson will be taking over all of Dr. Yorkis’ responsibilities, including Athletics and Counseling and Student Development. He will now be a member of the President’s Cabinet. Shepardson plans on continuing Dr. Yorkis’ tradition of writing letters to students
Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD
during holidays and at the end of the school year. “There are so many things that I will miss about Kathleen, but it is the fun she found in our work that I will miss most,” said Shepardson. “While the work at times is hard or even painful, at the end of the day working with students, and Bentley students in particular, is fun.” Please join students and staff in a celebration for Dr. Yorkis on Reading Day, April 3, from 12-2 p.m. in Harry’s Pub.
page 6
Campus Life
summer 2011
Professor Profile: Joan Atlas professor Joan atlas is a versatile professor in the english and media studies department, having taught a variety of courses to students of all years since 2002. a professor who consistently teaches expository Writing 201, with the addition of a grant writing honors embedded serviceLearning version of the course, professor atlas has also taught courses in short stories and effective speaking at Bentley. “effective speaking is a tremendous amount of fun,” she said. “earlier this week, i actually had a student wear a kilt to class.” one of the persuasive speeches sought to have the men in the class wear skirts; it was surprising to see that it actually worked (you may have seen the kilted man around campus; this explains a bit). an english major at the university of rochester, professor atlas taught high school english for two years after graduation. in college
Professor Joan Atlas has been with Bentley since 2002.
she had an inclination to teach, but wasn’t positive what direction to take. “people at that time just went to college – they didn’t really know what they wanted to do,” said atlas. “it wasn’t at all like Bentley.”
after two years of teaching, she decided to go to suffolk Law school in Boston, and then practiced law for 21 years. during this time, she worked with the Welfare department of the Commonwealth of
The buzz about Book Buzz, a Libraryrun website for book reviews & more By Sindhu Palaniappan Campus Life editor
Colleen mullally and Lisa Curtin, two reference librarians at the Bentley Library, have been abuzz about Book Buzz. Book Buzz, a website created by the Bentley Library, allows students to read and write reviews and reach out to the Library with author and book recommendations. use the site to read reviews of books in the popular reading collection, learn about the newest bestsellers in the collection and locate book groups in Waltham. for those students that follow or check up on the Bentley Library twitter
and facebook page, they may have noticed when new posts are made to the Book Buzz site. the books that are reviewed are usually from the popular reading collection featured on the first floor by einstein’s. the books are leased through a program that allows the Library to request new books and series a few months in advance. any student can submit reviews and discussion posts to the website. sometimes, the site is used to make announcements, if for example a popular title is being made into a movie and so forth. along with the popular reading collection, the
Library also has an audio book collection with a mix of both new and classic titles available on Cd and playaway formats. the playaway is a portable, digital, pre-loaded audio book. there are three bookcases of audio books which are leased the same way as the popular book titles. Nearly all of the popular reading section is leased, and most have short shelf lives, but sometimes a series will stay - for example, Harry potter. the top 10 popular reading and audio Book titles List for academic year 2010-2011 are coming soon to Book Buzz. Keep your eyes peeled for the titles in highest demand this past year.
tHe VaNguard
By Sindhu Palaniappan Campus Life editor
Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD
massachusetts and then for a private law firm doing civil litigation, with a heavy focus on medical malpractice. “in 2000, i decided i was tired of practicing law,” she said. “i was disenchanted with law for many reasons;
in addition, my children were thirteen and eight, and even though i had worked part-time after they were born, i wanted to spend more time at home with them.” after retiring from her law career, she took a graduate level course at Boston College in teaching secondary english, which rekindled the old interest. When asked about the most and least rewarding parts of being a professor here, professor atlas said, “By far the most rewarding part is working with the students. i love sharing ideas with the students and encouraging them; i love finding ways to help them to improve their writing or reading or speaking skills.” Conversely, she said, “the hardest part is not being able to get across to or accomplish what i want to with every single student. i tend to be a perfectionist, and if there is one student among 100 whom i am not reaching, i am disappointed in myself.”
Check out the 2011 Student Leader election results on our website! Thursday, April 28 www.bentleyvanguard.com
Congratulations to all of the newly elected student leaders! Book Buzz allows students to read and write reviews about different reading selections.
Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD
THE VAnGUARD
Campus Life & News
SUMMER 2011
PAGE 7
Study abroad program in Tokyo, Japan cancelled after tsunami By Sindhu Palaniappan CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR
Although there were no Bentley students enrolled at the American University of Cairo this semester, fortunately enough, there was supposed to be a program at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan that was cancelled due to the tsunami. Christine Lookner of the Study Abroad Office compared the situation to that of the cancellation of the program during the SARS epidemic in 2003. Since Sophia University’s timeline (March to August) is different from ours (January to May), the student who was enrolled in the program, Yashika Mody, was unfortunately jostled out of attending either school. Even for the students planning to go to Japan next year, the program needs to be intensely reevaluated by the Study Abroad Office. Lookner said, “It’s really too bad for the Bentley students, but looking at the people of Japan certainly puts it in perspective.” Mody was kind enough to sit down with The Vanguard and answer some questions. Mody, after studying Japanese for the past three years, had been hoping to participate in a Japan
study abroad program to learn even more. “The Study Abroad Office has been wonderful and very helpful during this entire process,” she said. “Once the earthquake hit and news of the tsunami and radiation got out, I was in constant touch with Christine and the other staff members. As soon as the U.S. issued a travel warning for visiting Japan, the Study Abroad Office advised me to independently withdraw myself from the program” “Since it was too late to rejoin Bentley so late in the semester, the Abroad Office helped me (and is continuing to help) find ways to recover the semester through summer classes. It has been very difficult, since I am an international student,” continued Mody, who is from Singapore. “Since I was under the assumption that I would be in Japan for the entire summer, I hadn’t applied for any summer internships.” She continued to talk about how regardless, she still hopes that her experiences and travels will bring her to Japan one day. “I’m just staying optimistic and hoping I’ll get to fall in love with Japan soon enough!” she said. Another touching part of this story is that all of the CIEE Tokyo Study Abroad students
Mody was supposed to study at Sophia University in Tokyo instead of the American University in Cairo, but her plans were cancelled due to the tsunami.
Courtesy of uww.edu
have a facebook group, and have grown very close to each other after the cancellation of the trip. “It was a great way for us to become friends before the program…and when we initially found out about the earthquake, it was nice to have people to discuss and kind of navigate the situation with,” said Mody. The students have been posting optimistic articles and stories about
the situation, aptly calling it the “mom and dad, look at this!” pile. “It has definitely been an extremely heartbreaking and challenging semester, filled with a lot of uncertainty, but I am thankful that I wasn’t in Japan during the situation, and I hope and pray that the situation improves for Japan soon,” she said. “I do believe that this power to ganbaru is a strong indication
of how bravely and resiliently Japanese people have dealt with this entire situation.” Ganbaru, which means “to persevere” in the Japanese culture, has been a common word lately. Despite the incredibly unfortunate situation, Mody stays positive and praises the Lookner and the rest of the Abroad Office for being so helpful and informative.
aged over the full semester.” Chris Orihuela, an Economics-Finance Major, Class of 2014, confirmed the associate dean’s assertions. “I probably spend a good three hours a day just on GB. They throw you right into the fire. It’s a lot more challenging than other majors because there are so many areas you can learn,” said Orihuela. Glenn also states that a majority of undergraduate business students simply select their major “by default.” He supports such assertion quoting Rakesh Khurana, a Harvard professor who high-
lights the obvious perks of a business major: “Business education has come to be defined in the minds of students as a place for developing elite social networks and getting access to corporate recruiters.” Despite Glenn’s provided support, such assumptions don’t account for courses and activities beyond the business core. “Bentley is the world leader in what I refer to as the ‘crucial educational fusion’ of the arts and sciences and business,” said Daniel Everett, dean of Arts and Sciences. “We
Projects like Bentley’s GB 301 Module serve as proof that business school is not an easy way to a degree.
Courtesy of iwatchdramaonline.com
have an Arts and Sciences faculty committed to Bentley’s mission and engaged in the teaching and design of courses that offer complementary and focused contexts designed to enhance our business courses, as well as to provide a rocksolid foundation in general knowledge.” Furthermore, Glenn questioned the necessity and value of group projects, an established staple of the Bentley community. “Donald R. Bacon, a business professor at the University of Denver, studied group projects at his institution and found a perverse dynamic: The groups that functioned most smoothly were often the ones where the least learning occurred,” said Glenn. “That’s because students divided up the tasks in ways they felt comfortable with. And then there’s the most common complaint about groups: some shoulder all the work, the rest do nothing.” Professor Laura Willett, senior lecturer in the Finance Department, reaffirmed the benefits of Bentley group projects in relation to the business world, focusing on the most widely known GB 301 project. “The GB301 Project Module requires students to produce a group business plan which is designed for and ultimately presented to a live outside firm,” said Willett. “As Prof. Bacon indicates most students
do divide up tasks according to their skill sets; but this is comparable to what happens in industry where each department would contribute based on their unique perspectives.” “The best groups and the best plans, however, were those where students worked across disciplines to help one another and where all members of the group understood and contributed to all parts of the plan to ensure the final outcome,” said Willett. “This was a choice individual students made. We felt very confident that our students gained significant knowledge through the process and many former students have come back to say how valuable the experience was once they were in the work world.” Glenn focused the brunt of his assertions on the “soft fields like management and marketing” stating that “no strong consensus has emerged about what students ought to learn or how they ought to learn it.” “As a Management professor, I was taken aback when I read this assertion,” said Kamm. “I don’t know who the ‘scholars in the field’ are who have claimed [this]. Whoever they are, they clearly have never heard a group of Bentley Marketing or Management faculty agonize over fitting everything that MUST be covered into a three-credit fundamentals course.”
TIMES Continued from Page 1 ing outside class,” said Glenn. “What I am most familiar with in terms of faculty expectations for student time spent preparing for class is the General Business Core,” said Judy Kamm, associate dean of Business for Undergraduate Programs. “A review of the syllabi for all the courses in the GB Core, both the one that is wrapping up and the one that is rolling out, tells me that each course alone requires more than four hours a week of work to complete homework and project assignments aver-
PAGE 8
SUMMEr 2011
Campus Life & News
thE VAnGUArd
Bentley announces 2011-2012 “give a year” scholars By Sindhu Palaniappan CAMPUS LifE Editor
next year will mark the third year of Bentley’s partnership with City Year. it is an incredible opportunity to pair Bentley and AmeriCorps benefits with a once-in-a-lifetime experience to make a difference in schools across the country. the Bentley-City Year partnership began three years ago after a conversation between Bentley President Gloria Larson and City Year CEo Michael Brown. the partnership was established to offer Bentley benefits to civically minded students who dedicate a year of service with City Year. City Year is located in 20 inner-city locations nationwide. Bentley was the first school in the country to establish such a partnership, and there are now 32 other colleges and universities with a similar partnership, including duke, nYU, BC and many others. the program has grown in participation in each of its three years of existence, from two students in 2009-2010, five students this year and seven more Bentley students slated to become members of next year’s corps. next year’s corps members
Bentley’s third City Year group includes seven students who will spend the next academic year throughout the United States.
will be serving in Los Angeles, Miami, new hampshire, San Antonio and San Jose. After the completion of their service year with City Year, selected “give a year” scholarship recipients will receive $20,000 from Bentley towards tuition during their senior year or graduate school at Bentley. in addition to the Bentley scholarship, corps members
Two Bentley students arrested after fight at local bar By Leslie Dias Editor in ChiEf
Bentley junior, Blaine McLean, and senior, Eric dore, were arrested on April 21 following a fight that broke out at Skellig, a local bar in Waltham. McLean was charged with assault and battery and possession of a fake id used to
procure alcohol.McLean pleaded not guilty to the charges. dore was charged with assault and battery. dore declined to discuss the specific case which is still open and under investigation by Bentley University. the two students were arraigned at the Waltham district Court on friday, April 22.
receive a $5,550 education award and weekly living stipend from AmeriCorps. Bentley can award up to 10 “give a year” scholarships every year. Current scholar Kiernan Patenaude in City Year Seattle organized a talent show this past month at roxhill Elementary School. She has been directing talent show rehearsals since
Nate Marchand/THE VANGUARD
february and has had the pleasure of seeing a community of unsure students afraid to promote their talents turn into a community of confident performers. there were about 60 students, from kindergarten to fifth grade, showcasing talents ranging from beat-boxing to jump-roping. “it has been an amazing experience observing their
growth over the past couple months and i cannot wait to see them show their families, friends and teachers all the talents that they possess,” said Kiernan. “i am so proud of my students. i cannot wait to see them receive the recognition they deserve for all of their hard work.” Keisha Johnson, a junior going to City Year Miami, said, “i was drawn to City Year’s mission and the passion its corps members had for the work they were doing. i have been helped in many ways in my life, and i feel that it’s only right to give back to someone else, whether or not it’s the same person that helped me.” Sophomore Molly Godfrey, going to City Year Los Angeles, said that this experience “would allow me to evaluate my personal and professional goals while doing good and helping alleviate the educational dropout crisis our country is currently facing.” travis Vigneault, a freshman going to City Year new hampshire, talked about his peers. “i am looking forward to creating lifelong relationships with my fellow corps members while giving back to the community that has been so fortunate to me,” said Vigneault.
The Vanguard welcomes
The Class of 2015 Get ready for Convocation, the Student Activities Fair and Homecoming!
Courtesy of waltham.patch.com
Business
tHe VAnGuArd
suMMer 2011
PAGe 9
PwC’s hosts development program to get students’ feet in the door By Phillip St. Pierre Business editor
As the semester comes to a close, you may be scrambling to find that internship or businessrelated job, and for some students, a full-time internship for this summer may not be possible. Want to find a way to gain that type of knowledge and experience without having to travel to the city every day? Consider a leadership develop program. Many companies offer leadership development as oneweek programs to give students real-world business experience, as well as pave the way for a future full-time job or internship with potential employers. one company that is going great lengths to give students ample real-world application in a small amount of time is PwC. PwC is hosting 2,400 college students at disney World for career-building experiences and exercises in its “intern development Program 2.0.” the program begins on August 1, 2011, and is split up into three one-week sessions. if you are still trying to find an internship for this summer, the intern development Program could be a perfect fit.
it’s a win-win situation; not only will students participate in a valuable experience for their future careers, but they also get to enjoy the warm weather and attractions of disney World at the same time. “the intern development Program provides insight to students and enhances interns’ personal and professional skills development,” said Alexa Hamill, PwC national campus recruiting leader. “After the program, students not only perform at a higher level once they enter the workforce, they also have the skills and experiences needed to be a better hire for our company.” With over 80 PwC representatives attending, the program is a way to obtain knowledge and advice from the people who know best. interns will have the chance to meet with these PwC associates, with whom they can ask questions and gain business professional insight. PwC is expecting to hire roughly 6,000 people from college campus across the u.s., so the students who participate in the program will already gain a leg up on their peers. those who do attend the program get to experience what it’s like working for PwC, and could
PwC’s Intern Development Program sends 2,400 college students to Disney World for career-building experiences.
have the opportunity to return as full-time employees following the internship experience. “this is our pipeline to identify full-time hires and associates to enter our firm,” said Hamill. “the internship program provides a realistic job experience through real business application by working in
Not Your Usual Business the last few days of classes are dwindling, projects are coming to a close, papers and potential exams are piling up. Add in a job or internship search, finding a place to live this summer, perhaps missing your mom’s cooking and your stress level could be at an all time high. Here are some tips you may not have thought of for time management and managing your stress. the first one is simple, though it’s probably one of the most difficult things to get college students to do: sleep. if you’re not getting at least six hours of sleep per night, your body will start to hate you and your brain will
begin to turn into mush. Conversely, if you are sleeping more than 10 hours a night, you will become overtired. try to keep it around seven to nine hours a night as often as possible. And remember, power naps, 20 to 30 minutes in length, can go a lot further than crashing for a few hours and waking up more tired. second tip: exercise. Walking up the hill and back down from class twice a day does not count. studies have shown that exercise reduces stress, gives you energy and creates feelings of self-confidence. if you do not like working out at the gym or running,
With finals coming up, time management is essential.
Courtesy of pembiz.ca
then go for a walk. You can walk the loop from university Police, up around Adamian and back down to the student Center. it isn’t too difficult, and at least it gets you moving. third tip: Hydrate. no, that does not mean having an extra beer after dinner. this means water, you know that stuff that comes out of the tap; they bottle it, too. You lose approximately five pints of water from your body a day, the equivalent of about 80 ounces. this means you have to put at least the same amount back in. Your best bet is to have a large water bottle, like a nalgene or
a team and interacting with staff and partners within the firm.” there are going to be plenty of opportunities this summer to prepare for post-graduation. even if it is only for one week, a leadership program with a company you are interested in could go a long way. do some
Courtesy of piercemattierpublicrelations.com
research into leadership programs; they are an opportunity to get your foot in the door with a potential employer, and they give you a better chance of a future hire within that company. For more information on PwC’s internship development Program, go to pwc.tv.
By Kat Webber swiss, and fill it up at least twice. Fourthly: Make a to-do list. Put it on a Post-it and keep it where you can see it, know what days you have finals and concentrate on the ones you have first. if it is a paper, allot a certain amount of time per day to work on it. Make a plan and stick to it. set a time in the calendar on your phone or in outlook. Also, try dispersing other notes of encouragement around your room. Find little ways to say motivated and it will go a long way to keep you on track and more sane. Finally, when all else has been tried, get out of your
room. Go see a movie, hang out with friends or go have dinner. Just ditch the books, get your mind off of your stress and focus on something else for awhile. You will come back refreshed, less stressed and ready to focus. You can also apply these same tips to anything: interviews, job hunting, apartment searches. Moderation is the key here; too much concentration on your object of stress will ultimately make you more stressed. so get out and avoid it for awhile, then come back with fresh eyes and a new sense of determination.
PAGE 10
Features
SUMMEr 2011
Voices
The Beat
What is your advice for incoming freshmen?
catalina Pareja claSS of 2013 unDeciDeD “Don’t think you can skip classes and get away with it.”
Sam Kotch claSS of 2013 finance “Don’t be a fool, wrap your tool.”
Sarah tulliS claSS of 2011 iDcc “Make friends in your own grade but don’t just have one solid group of friends.”
SyDney BoucharD claSS of 2014 unDeciDeD “Be yourself.”
In today’s peculiar age of music, listeners play witness to the ultra-stimulating panache of industry-driven trend of audio-tuned vocals and obnoxiously repetitive lyrics. When, if at all, did the music die? It seems that music is progressing towards artificially created, sound–dubbed “synthpop.” But let’s look at the world of music as a coin and examine that other side. It was inevitable that the advent of auto-tuned music, coupled with its use by then mainstream artists like Cher – whose reclaim to fame centered on her 1998 hit single Believe – would be a game changer in the industry. TPain, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and other more recent artists may be culprit to the degree of its direction and saturation in the music industry. These days, it is not uncommon to hear auto-tune lyrics in a wide variety of genres, including punk rock and country. However, even if drag pop reigns supreme in the industry, that does not mean techno and progressive house are out. DJs and producers worldwide are finding commercial success. French DJ-duo Daft Punk did the score for Disney’s Tron: Legacy, and the Chemical Brothers (another duo; British) recently did the same for the actionthriller Hanna. Combining a gritty vibe with an occasional sing-song kind of flair, the music nearly over-adapts itself to the film’s cinematography in the urban jungle that is Berlin. Having actually seen the movie, I cringed a few times during some of the action scenes, wondering, after staggering out of Lowes, if the music was meant to emote the feeling one has when experiencing rabid, involuntary back spasms. The tracks kept the drama and tension high,
THE VANGUArD
By Nicholas Lee
Artists like Gorillaz have been experimenting with creative side-projects.
which was a fitting complement in of itself. On the other hand, when hearing the whistling of one of the recurring villain to the tune of Chemical Brothers’ The Devil Is In the Details (played once during the course of the film; the whistling, however, stays for a while), I nearly laughed out of amusement. Had they really broken the fourth wall by using their own soundtrack? The avant-garde, yet subtly sing-song nature of the film was still wonderfully intact and fun. Not too often is the scoring of a film (especially your unconventional that-cameout-of-nowhere action flick) so noteworthy that it demands equal attention to that of the magic onscreen. Attentiongrabbing, synthesized music may be the future. With hands-on producers creating music for major motion pictures, it looks like power is returning to the DJs. Other producer-DJs, such as Tiësto, ATB, Paul Oakenfold, Edward Maya and countless others, though not forgotten, were quick to fade out of the
Courtesy of viduse.com
mainstream’s limelight. Perhaps they refuse it, choosing instead to continue mixing beats amidst each of their own niche fan bases. Maybe they thrive among favorite clubs, continuously working on expanding their own territory in the music world. Some artists like DJ Danger Mouse and Damon Albarn, the often unknown mastermind behind the Gorillaz, take on a continuous series of creative side-projects (take the virtual band’s relatively quiet release of their new album The Fall, now available in stores), as well as collaborations. People admire artists when they take all aspects of their music into their own hands. Even foreign artists, such as Utada and Camille, do their own song writing, also providing their own backup vocals. In a decade or two, the norm may require A-list artists to have some experience in music production. One may hope so. Individual dreams sometimes dream bigger than industrydriven ones.
Brian mchugh claSS of 2014 unDeciDeD “Get involved as much as you can.”
By nathan marchand PHOTOGrAPHy STAFF
French DJs Daft Punk have had some success, producing the soundtrack for Tron: Legacy.
Courtesy of impactlabel.files.wordpress.com
Features
THE VANGUArD
This summer’s can’t-miss movie, music & video game By Brian fuerst DIrECTOr OF ONLINE SErVICES
film: The Hangover: Part 2 The Hangover: Part 2 is the sequel to Todd Phillips’ The Hangover, a film about four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, only to wake up the next morning missing their memories and missing the groom. The cast of The Hangover returns this Memorial Day weekend in the sequel where the stakes are higher and the circumstances are crazier. rather than being in Sin City, Allan and the gang have decided to up the ante in Bangkok. The men are celebrating Stu’s wedding, and although they have taken necessary precautions to avoid similar circumstances, things take a turn for the worse when they lose the younger brother of Stu’s fiancée. This film is expected to be the best summer comedy, although the trailers make it seem as though it will not really bring anything new or exciting to the table. music: the Wonder years – Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing Following their breakthrough album last year, The Upsides, The Wonder years return with their newest album, Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing. I understand that not many people are familiar with pop punk, but as someone who’s been involved in the scene for the past couple years, I don’t think there has been a band that evolved so quickly. The lyrics are honest and relatable as the band sing songs about their lives. There is nothing hidden, everything is straightforward, and people identify with the band’s
SUMMEr 2011
PAGE 11
Voices What is your greatest Bentley memory?
julie cooK claSS of 2011 accountancy “Joining Delta Phi Epsilon.”
The Hangover 2 is this summer’s must-see film.
lyrics. There are a lot of other people living in similar situations and dealing with similar issues, and they can relate easily with the members of the band. The Wonder years have gone from an insignificant band that only played as the opening acts for basement shows, to a band that will soon be on the cover of Alternative Press Magazine. They’ve achieved all of their success without changing who they are as musicians and the music they create. The Wonder years have set out to make a record that is true to its pop punk roots but also stretches itself in new directions because “they are fans of this genre too, so they know what we (the fans) love and hate especially when our favorite bands make follow-ups to records we loved.” Video games: LA Noire LA Noire is an upcoming video game developed by rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption). Like the name suggests, the video game is
Courtesy of comingsoon.ie
heavily influenced by film noir – a style of cinematography based in the 1940s where detectives chase after gangster such as Al Capone and Pretty Boy Floyd. In this video game, you play Cole Phelps, an LAPD officer who has risen through the ranks of the department and wants to right the wrongs he committed during World War II. Inspired by real world incidents, the player must solve crimes, plots and conspiracies and investigate crime scenes by looking for clues, analyzing evidence and interrogating suspects. One groundbreaking technology and concept in the game is “MotionScan Technology,” which allows the player to study the character’s reactions to certain questions from a blink, a smirk and blushing. LA Noire is an intense blend of trigger-happy firefights to unique crime solving cases that help the player feel immersed in Hollywood’s glory age. Look for this game on store shelves on May 17.
joSh ranger claSS of 2011 cfa “Spring Day freshman year.”
Sam mayVille claSS of 2011 economicS finance “Joining DKE.”
tyler laKin claSS of 2011 managerial economicS “Winning the Hartnett Prize in 301.”
jaKe fochetta claSS of 2011 managerial economicS “retweeted by Bentley’s Twitter account.”
LA Noir is another exciting game from Rockstar Games, the makers of Grand Theft Auto.
Courtesy of media.kotaku.com.au
By nathan marchand PHOTOGrAPHy STAFF
PAGE 12
Features
SUMMER 2011
THE VANGUARD
Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates World Wish Day By Meghan Ryan VANGUARD STAFF
Each year, in celebration of Make-A-Wish’s very first wish, the now large and very popular foundation celebrates World Wish Day on April 29. This year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation will commemorate its 31st anniversary in celebration of the thousand of wishes they’ve granted and the children, families, volunteers and staff who have been a part of the magical process of granting a wish. On April 29, 1980, Christopher Greicius became an honorary Department of Public Safety officer in Arizona. Though this would be a proud day for anyone, it was especially poignant since Christopher was a seven-year-old child battling leukemia. This event sparked the idea behind the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children who suffer from lifethreatening illnesses. The wishes range from “I wish to go” to “I wish to meet,” and “I wish to have” to “I wish to be.” The possibilities are endless and create joy in a child who is facing a rather dark life. Since the first wish more
Make-A-Wish granted thousands of wishes on their annual World Wish Day.
than 30 years ago, the MakeA-Wish Foundation has expanded to become a worldwide phenomenon. In 2010 alone, the foundation granted the wishes of some 13,580 children. The mission statement of the group reveals the passion behind the organization’s work: “We grant the wishes of children with lifethreatening medical conditions to enrich the human
experience with hope, strength and joy.” The foundation has gone above and beyond its mission statement as it has over 25,000 volunteers who have granted the wishes of more than 250,000 children. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes in four parts. Medical professionals or any acquaintance can refer a child between the ages of 30 months to 18
Courtesy of wordpress.com
years old to the foundation, where the organization decides if the child is deserving of a wish by examining the qualifications, namely if the child has a life-threatening condition. Next, the child receives Wish Granters, trained volunteers who serve as the liaison between the child/family and Make-AWish. The Granters help the child decide on a wish and
“create joy” through every step of the process. Although each wish is a celebration of its own, the foundation holds an annual event, World Wish Day, to celebrate each and every wish granted that year and to help spread awareness of their mission. To celebrate, the organization is calling for donations, volunteers and sponsorships. Locally, the Massachusetts and Rhode Island chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is sponsoring a Proclamation Ceremony at the RI state house from 2-4 p.m. Furthermore, Brooks Brothers will donate $5 from the sale of every “Brooksie Bear,” and EMC Manufacturing will donate 50¢ from the sale of every cup of coffee sold in their café to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation works tirelessly to grant the wishes of children worldwide. Shelby, a veteran of the Make-A-Wish program, can’t praise the project enough. “My wish gave me hope in the future. It gave me something to look forward to and a chance to focus on something other than my illness,” said Shelby.
Harry Potter series culminates with a final battle
The Harry Potter series will come to an end Courtesy of onlinemovieshut.com when the final movie premieres July 15.
By Lindsay Beauregard FEATURES EDITOR
For many, July 15, the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, will be a sad day as the beloved Harry Potter series finally reaches its sad end. HP fanatics across the globe will be dressing up and going all out for the last hurrah at the midnight premiere to celebrate not only the end to Harry Potter, but also the end to their childhood. Although Harry Potter fans are greatly looking forward to the premiere of the final movie, it is also a date which
is being dreaded. There are many who want to postpone July 15 as long as possible because it will be very difficult to say goodbye to our lifelong friends. Potter and the gang have been with us since most of us read one of our first real chapter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Throughout our childhood we’ve grown up alongside Harry, Hermione and Ron, and we can identify with them in our own muggle way. Although they are witches and wizards and we are just nonmagic folk, JK Rowling created characters which the world could truly love and identify
with. That’s what is so magical (no pun intended) about the Harry Potter series - JK Rowling was able to take a magical, fake world with imaginary items and creatures and create a world in which we can believe is truly there. She built and developed characters we feel like we know and made a world in which we wish we were a part of. Because of her ability to create such an immense and totally believable world, we have been able to connect with the books on a whole different level. To many of us, it’s more than just a story, it’s our childhood. Whether it was reading the books with your parents or to yourself, going to all the book and movie midnight premieres, dressing up as the characters on Halloween or giving all of your friends Harry Potter character names, the franchise was engraved in our childhood. Even with the end of the series, Harry Potter will still be engraved in our minds. Through the popularity of the books, HP will be imprinted in the brains of generations to come. Through rereads of the books, visits to The Wonderful World of Harry Potter and passing the books down to the next generation, Harry Potter
will thrive forever. Yesterday, April 27, ABC Family released a brand new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, trailer which many fans tuned in to watch. Based on the commercials, the last film looks as though it will be incredibly epic, with intense and well executed battle scenes. Part 2 will detail the events of the last three quarters of the book and will resume at Shell Cottage, where Part 1 left off. The movie will detail the discovery of the last horcruxes, as well as the final battle. Part 2 will most likely bring just as many laughs as Part 1 did, but with twice as
many tears as we experience the death of some of our favorite characters (aka Fred Weasley). All we can hope for as fans is that Warner Brothers and director David Yates do the movie justice. If this final chapter is as good as Part 1 (by far the best Harry Potter movie), then we will have nothing to worry about. As the date keeps approaching, get those unique costume ideas churning (maybe a golden snitch, Professor Umbridge, Dobby, Ollivander, etc.), buy your tickets, warm up a few of those Harry Potter pickup lines and prepare for the final battle.
We have grown up alongside the characters of Harry, Hermione and Ron.
Courtesy of peopledaily.com
Columns
THE VANGuArD
Notes from Abroad Question: “What will you miss most about being abroad?” By David Aziz HONG KONG, cHINA
With only three weeks left in my semester abroad, the feeling that it’s all suddenly going to end is beginning to set in. After four months, it feels like Hong Kong is my home. It’s incredible how my view of the city has changed since I arrived here. I will surely miss a number of things from my experience – the traveling, the food, the local culture and the nightlife. There’s really no replacing any of those back home. But most importantly, I will miss the people I’ve met during my time here. Having two distinct groups of friends, both at home and at Bentley, I sometimes take it for granted that I will always be able to spend half of the year with each, as that is how it has been for the past three years. I don’t even want to think about what it’s going to be like when I graduate. Meeting new people who
are completely different from my current friends has been one of the most interesting aspects of being abroad. I’ve been able to learn so much from each one of them, although at times I am equally surprised by what we have in common, being from different parts of the world. In just a few months, I’ve come to be as close to many people I’ve met here as I am with my friends who I’ve spent years with at Bentley. We’ve travelled together, studied together, gone out together. It’s going to be really difficult saying goodbye, possibly for good. I can’t really say I’ve ever had to say bye to so many people at once. For most of the friends that I’ve made abroad, it could be years before I see them again. I definitely hope to take a trip to Europe sometime soon to meet up with a few. However, it’ nice knowing that I have a place to stay in a few more countries now than before this whole experience began.
By Lily Ann Montemayor FLOrENcE, ITALY
Gelato. Seriously. Ok, to go beyond that – I am going to miss the food here in general. I am not even sure if my body could adjust back to American, microwavable, fullof-preservatives, processed food. Everything made here is fresh and full of flavor that it is definitely going to be hard to say goodbye. Because Italians take their food seriously, they treat it as if it was art or a precious commodity, rather than a quick dinner. I am practically crying on the inside because I won’t have a gelateria every two steps I walk. What’s more is the culture here. At my host family, dinner table talk is a must. When I am home with my family in New Hampshire, we barely have dinner together or effectively converse with one another. My Italian family, in contrast, definitely values family time every day. I will definitely miss the close family traditions here. It made me realize how much I take things for granted and how much I would like to bring back these family traditions for my own household. Italians are also very helpful. Just today, I had to print something for my classes and I didn’t have the right change. The man at the store just let me have the prints for free and I was very grateful. You don’t get that kindness a lot back in
A Fireside Chat: Farewell It’s stunning how fast four years flies by, but more on that in a moment. Some of you are probably in search of a steadfast defense of last week’s column, given I didn’t respond to the many comments online and in print attacking me or this organization, but no such defense is required. I said what I said and I meant it. However, I did not intend to sound holier than thou or sanctimonious in my tone, especially in discussing my roles on campus, and for that I apologize. I did not mean to imply that my way was the only or best way to contribute to campus in your four years here, and being a part of student governance is another excellent way. I firmly believe our leaders tried their best to serve students, but their ardent passion did not translate into enough tangible results because of the system. I also don’t intend on spending my final column on our problems, because I’ve said too much on such issues over the years. I failed to appreciate everything Bentley does exceptionally well, and in my final days here, it has come into focus what a magnificent community and institution we have. We don’t do everything perfectly, but when you look around,
Bentley is an outstanding university. We have small, intimate classes where professors get to know you and forge bonds defining your academic experience, while our campus is an utter gem to look at and live on. There is a vast variety of options to dine at, no one matches the technology at our fingertips and our career Services works miracles to achieve a 99 percent job placement rate. We have a remarkable community to be proud of, and its unique culture, though frustrating at times, forces many to strive for their best, push their boundaries and confront new challenges, which is what college is all about. My own college career has been defined by those I shared it with. When I first came to Bentley, I tried to make a false, “cool” version of myself, but after that fell apart, I found myself and my true friends. True friendship isn’t about competition or drinking, awards or accolades, but rather about fun, laughter, shared hardship, trust and memories. The people you live with, work with and struggle with inside and outside the classroom are essential, but not as essential as those you call when you need support, who visit you, call
or e-mail you when you’re having a bad day, and those who generally make your life better. They may share your bedroom or live across the country, but these are the relationships to relish each and every day. Whether you’re in your first year here and thinking about that first summer back home or you’re a graduating senior, reflecting back on this experience while also grappling with the excitement of the next step, always surround yourself with those you trust and treasure, and who cherish you. You will always have people to tear you down, and I may very well have been one of them, but who matters are those who lend you the hand to help you stand back up, who stand by your side, build your memories and frankly make every day worth living. To those who I’ve worked with through academics, res. Life, The Vanguard, cSD, rHA or otherwise come into contact with, whether I earned your friendship or not, I can’t thank you enough for helping shape my time here. It is heartbreaking to leave this community, and by community, I mean the students, staff and faculty I’ve come to love. To the seniors, I look forward to crossing the finish line with you,
SuMMEr 2011 the States. It’s something to take back with me - the “pay it forward” attitude. Probably the most culture shock I will get when I go back home is the structures. I will definitely miss walking past the Duomo or the fake David statue. Yes, I definitely hate passing by these tourist-infested areas now. However, you don’t realize how much you miss something until you’re away from it. I think this is certainly that type of situation. Every step I take in the city of Firenze there’s always art history, which is a fact that I will miss most. Lastly are the views. I love
PAGE 13
moments when you just step back and see what is right in front of you. Whether in the Piazza Michelangelo, on top of Fiesole or at a high-class bar on a rooftop, the view of Firenze is a sight that I will definitely miss. Postcards definitely don’t capture the awesomeness. Just watching the city view for hours makes me appreciate being abroad so much more. Being abroad inspired and probably even changed me in so many unexpected ways that a simple panoramic view is all I need to be reminded of my experience. I will miss every aspect, good and bad…and I don’t regret a thing.
Italians put a lot of emphasis on spending time together during meals.
Courtesy of brisbanetimes.com
By Jon McColgan celebrating the four years wrapped within our diplomas, and the Bahamas should be one hell of a trip. Finally, as well as most importantly, to robbie, rockett, Keith, Miranda, Lindsay, Murphy, Johnson, Desirée, ryaboy, Zack, Liz, Dennis, Pini, cheryl, Wiley, Lori and Steve, who have been the collection of friends that I will always treasure here at Bentley, thank you for making my college experience as incredible and unforgettable as it was. It would have been truly worthless without you.
From laser tag, Skellig and Grandma’s Boy to That’s Not What I Ordered and dings versus buzzes, with all the laughs, sick jokes, smiles, hard times and political arguments in between, I couldn’t have asked for a more fantastic group of individuals to share this journey with. I love you all. And so it ends. Thank you for reading these last four years, good luck with all of your endeavors and remember, as James cameron once masterfully wrote: “There’s no fate but what we make for ourselves.” Goodbye.
Goodbyes are always a bittersweet affair, but still quite exciting.
Courtesy of NBC News
PAGE 14
SUMMER 2011
Horoscopes By Franziska & Johanna Griecci Aries (March 21-April 19)
Neptune will transit through your house, so check all of your belongings for theft.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Venus will rise today, but she’s not going to be happy about it, so watch out.
Gemini (May 21-June 21)
The ascendant arc progression of Mercury bodes well for your chemistry exam.
Cancer (June 22-July 22)
Celestial orbs will be in opposition today and you’ll be pulled into their disagreement.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Mars will be entering the third house, and you can bet he’s looking for a fight.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Due to an asteroid shower, your future looks a little rocky.
Columns April’s Advice Your Questions Answered! Question: Between stress and having so many finals, I feel like I’m bound to mess up during finals week. I’ve worked so hard this semester, and I don’t want one final to mess up my grades. Do you have any advice for exam week? Stress is definitely a major problem when it comes to exam week. Unfortunately, it gets in the way of all the work you have put into studying. As a result, you will end up making silly mistakes and forgetting information that you know. In terms of handling stress, I would suggest taking time out of your study schedule periodically to go work out at the gym or go for a walk. Both of these activities will clear your mind and prepare you to continue studying. Studying will certainly prepare you for your exams, but over-studying may become detrimental when preparing for your exams. After you have studied efficiently, you will have to sit for your exams. Here are some tips for taking your tests. While some people are really good at taking multiple choice exams, others find them very difficult. Here are some tips on going through multiple choice questions.
-Read the question before looking at any of the answers. -Try to answer the question before looking at any of the answers. -Eliminate any answer you know is not right. -Read all of the choices before answering. -Do not keep changing your answer. Your first choice will probably be right. When you begin to change your answers, you start to over think the question and second guess yourself (this piece of advice comes from many cases of painful experience). -Usually the correct answer is the choice with the most information. Don’t you just love those professors who make you write many essays throughout the exam, so by the time you’re done you’ve lost all feeling in your hand and fingers? Here are some tips on essay writing. -Read the question carefully and make sure you understand it. -Keep track of the time. Divide your time equally among all of your essay questions so you do not spend all of your time on one essay. -Make an outline. This will organize your ideas and thoughts so your essay is logi-
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Your sign will be eclipsed by another’s, so it’s the perfect cover to cause a little havoc.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Polaris heralds your rising confidence to ask out that cute girl or boy you’ve been eyeing.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
The converse progression of Jupiter indicates that today’s a good day to just stay in bed. Courtesy of David Leclair
Capricorn The sun will make a symbolic arc progression around the moon, so you’ll have a very weird day.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Saturn will make his triumphant return and expects a party when he gets there.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Pluto’s retrograde motion isn’t going to affect you in the slightest.
Interview for Senior Spotlight Name: David LeClair Major: Management LSM: EEGS Hometown: North Naples, FL What are you involved in at Bentley? I’ve been an Admissions Ambassador all four years, and I was on the e-board for two. I’m currently chair of the Student Diversity Council, and a founding member of the Honors Program Advisory Council. I’ve previously been on the e-board of Bentley Green Society and PRIDE. I was also a FYS Facilitator for two years
and a 2008 Orientation Leader. What are you looking forward to this year? Well, the year is almost over, so I’m looking forward to my last Spring Day, and the Bahamas trip! What are your plans for the future? In the immediate future, I will be working in the Management Training Program at Enterprise RentA-Car in Boston starting in July 2011. What is your favorite event on campus?
By April Gammal
Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re prepping for an exam.
cal. -Write only two to three sentences for the introduction and conclusion. The bulk of your essay should be in the body paragraphs. -Focus on one idea in each paragraph. -Make sure each point you make answers the question you were initially asked. -Proofread your work at the end to catch silly grammar errors. -Use a pen if you are left handed so you don’t end up smudging your sentences. You have a 50-percent chance of getting the answer right. Doesn’t seem too difficult, right? True/false questions can
Senior Spotlight
Libra
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
THE VANGUARD
Courtesy of blogspot.com
be quite tricky. Here are some tips. -Every part of the statement needs to be true for the answer to be true. -Statements which contain words such as “often” or “usually” are probably true. -Statements which contain words such as “always” or “never” are probably false. In general, as you are taking your exams, make sure you budget enough time for each section. If you finish early, do not leave. Go back over your answers and make sure you have not made any silly mistakes. Good luck completing your exams!
Presented by The Senior Year Experience Committee
Aside from Spring Day, definitely SASA’s Diwali…and any event where Supreme Bhangra Unit or Bentley BizRaas perform. The dancing and music are so lively and energetic, it’s always fun to just be in the audience.
choice: We can move faster with it, or we can step off from time to time and marvel at the wonders of life around us. We have to find time to remember just how beautiful life is. Live in the moment and make every day matter.
What are your goals for this year? To graduate, to survive the Bahamas and to spend plenty of quality time with friends that I won’t get to see as often after graduation. I also want to make sure that the organizations I’m involved with are in a good place to do great things next year.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned at Bentley? Bentley taught me that incredible things can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Various students, faculty and staff at Bentley have all challenged me in different ways during my time here, and I will leave Bentley a very different, confident and better person than I was when I started. I have a long list of faculty and staff I’ve worked personally with who I need to thank – you probably know who you are. The problem is, I don’t know how to thank them enough.
How are you feeling about graduation? It hit me finally when we had our Senior Class Meeting, and it’s weird because it feels like we’re in limbo. Part of me just wants to get it over with, and part of me wants to drag it out for as long as possible. As much as I’ll miss Bentley and all of the friends and connections I’ve made here, I know I’ve got great things ahead of me. And Bentley will still be here, I just plan on being involved in a different way after graduation. What is your advice to seniors/words of wisdom? As our lives start to move faster and faster, we’re going to find ourselves faced with a
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.
Columns
THe VANGUARD
Internet Celebrities
BeenerKeeKee is back, and recording in the Bahamas.
Back so soon, you ask? Yes, just one week later I’ve returned to send this year’s Vanguard out with a bang. It’s crazy, really, that they expect me to be able to write a full 500 words in just one week. That’s at least a full 45 minutes worth of work, which we all know is about 45 minutes more work than one really wants to do come the end of spring semester. But I, being the great American hero that I am, decided to troop it out and write all of those words, and more, anyway. Since this is the last issue
Courtesy of tehstarscoop.com
of The Vanguard this school year, I figured I’d do a little backwards referencing to the columns I wrote at the beginning of the semester, when I first started writing. These videos, as exactly none of you likely remember, were those of BeenerKeeKee and CopperCab (the ginger). For the latter, CopperCab, things continue to progress at a breakneck pace. His latest video, titled “Mema and Me,” is extremely informative. In two minutes and 42 seconds, we are informed that CopperCab went to California and worked on
some videos there, and that he is not going to be upset by comments left on his channel. The other two minutes and 35 seconds of screaming at his own grandmother and at the camera are clear indications that he is indeed not going to be made upset by any YouTube hate mail. As explained in Copper’s description of the video, his mema is screaming at him because he slacked all day and was supposed to be cutting the grass, but instead made a video in that time. But this choice is not without reason. If he had chosen to do as g-ma wanted, his subscribers would have had to wait TWO DAYS without a video from him. He writes that he wouldn’t want them “thinking I was dead.” Besides, he’d been in Cali working on music vids to promote his anti-bullying campaign (what?), so it had been forever since his last post. Personally, I feel this decision not to help his old and frail grandmother with tasks she absolutely can’t do on her own makes sense given the dire circumstances. The other figure that I
Tech Talk: Technology at the Table Let’s face it: We live in a technological world. One filled with Apples, Blackberries, Androids and even HTC. And sure, these devices give us unlimited access to everything and anything we could ever possibly want. Instant communication? Check. Facebook updates? Check. Snapping a quick pic of your friends? Check, check and check. We all are constantly on our phones and computers or plugged into iPods, myself included. But at what point do these tech treasures begin to hinder our personal relationships with others? Many times we don’t realize that we are constantly on our phones and computers. Instead, it has become second nature response to grab your phone to see if anyone has messaged you. I would argue that we are so consumed with them largely because we are afraid we are going to miss out. A Harvard study showed that cell phones are the number-one items on teenagers’ nightstands, which has been a major cause of sleep deprivation. As a generation, we seem to lack the appreciation for the things our parents had to enjoy in the good ol’ days. Think of the last time you took a walk around in the city just to take in the sights
Although we may not realize it, technology may be hindering our social interactions.
and sounds? Or sat on the Greenspace to read a good book? It is pretty old school, but who doesn’t want to be retro at times? We all have had an experience where we noticed that others seemed more involved with their gadgets than the people they were with. Usually they all begin with an “I need to take this” or a lingering “what?” as you are midway through a sentence. For me, it was on the golf course with my father, whose phone would ring every other hole. And while I knew he wasn’t neglecting our time
together, it definitely affected the experience. Now, of course, technology is useful. The ability to communicate with anyone with the push of a few buttons is so easy that a toddler could do it. In the beginning, phone calls could be made coast-to-coast. Then instant messaging allowed for dialogue to be had without any vocal conversing. Most recently, Skype has taken video and sound and merged them for the ultimate conversation experience. And while they all have their quirks, how often do we
SUMMeR 2011
PAGe 15
By Dan Binder-Brantley wrote about at the semester’s start was BeenerKeeKee. Honestly, if you haven’t heard about him yet, then you are not a Bentley student. You are some sort of cave dweller who, if told to go to the Internet, would a.) look for a place called the Internet on a map, or b.) type www.internet.com into a browser in an effort to get online. In other words, this dude is big news. I’m talking the Charlie Sheen of YouTube. There are two things I notice about his latest video. The first is that it is filmed at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Ok, so this manchild has made enough money to fly to the Bahamas to record a video at Atlantis… Makes sense. I’m expecting a similar breakthrough with my Vanguard columns soon. But second, and perhaps more importantly, he is at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and he is by himself. Could this mean that he is of age to go there alone, without a parent or guardian? We then would
have an answer to the ageold question, is he a man, or is he a child? From the get go I said man, despite heated feedback from the zero emails I received in response to my column, and as is the case approximately 100 percent of the time, I was right. This fact, established as true using the undeniable evidence that is my opinion, will likely crush Beener. No more recording sessions with famous rappers or hooking up with famous babes after signing a waiver assuring them that he actually is 18, he will be stuck living the life of so many others. This life is a terrible one; one where a person can’t make thousands of dollars doing a terrible job of lipsyncing videos simply because their forehead is so large that it captures viewers’ attention and refuses to let it go for the entirety of the video. Welcome to reality, Beener. It’s going to be a tough adjustment. Please follow me on my Twitter: @DanBBrantley. I’ll be posting links to YouTube videos and my column on there.
By Zack Hoffmann
Courtesy of golocalprov.com
take the time to make that phone call instead of shoot a text? Or to handwrite a sincere thank you letter? Or the most infamous of them all: To wish someone an actual happy birthday instead of posting on their wall? The worst of the worst, though, has to be when people text in movies. Film is the art of our time and the modern method of story telling. We pay $11.50 to sit in a dark room for a few hours to see others act out narratives, and to have a little screen light up in the middle of it not only partial-
ly ruins the mood, but it also irritates all who can see it every time you receive a message. It is somewhat of an antiquated tradition, but sitting at the table for dinner and breaking bread with family and friends is, to many people, a time of legitimate interaction and symbolizes more than simply stuffing our faces with food. We talk about our day and make conversation with those special people we choose to surround ourselves with. But next time you are at the table, look around. After the usual meet and greet pleasantries, most of the time, if a person isn’t directly involved in the conversation they immediately look down to their phone. Now I am sure they aren’t trying to be rude, but it gives an impression that whoever they are BBMing is more important than the people they are dining with. So next time you are out, stop texting and look around. When you head to Seasons, have a true conversation with someone. And actually call your friends when it is their birthday. Maybe it is the ideals of an older age, but I feel we should be focusing on the things that surround us instead of the screens that are in front of us.
PAGE 16
SUMMER 2011
Campus Life & News
THE VANGUARD
The BUFFY’s: Bentley Media and Culture Department film festival By Sindhu Palaniappan CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR
Speilberg. Titanic. Hoffman. Roberts. Scorcese. DiNiro. Streep. The Godfather. These names are impossible to avoid during Oscars season as critics and fans alike banter over this season’s big winners. Will the newcomer outrun the expert? Will style outweigh story? For Bentley’s Media and Culture Department, their own “Superbowl of Film” held these very same questions. While many students are packed away in the Library balancing their debits and credits as finals quickly approach, the Mac Lab, located in the basement of Lindsay, has been abuzz with film students frantically putting the finishing touches on their projects. The big rush is in preparation for the Bentley Film Festival, affectionately referred to as the BUFFY’s. On Thursday, April 21, students and faculty gathered in the Wilder Pavilion for an evening honoring the art of film. Beginning with a 70-minute presentation, 11 films showcased the talent of novice and veteran film students alike. This year’s selection included riveting documentaries, experimental shorts, unique animated pieces, several suspenseful plots and darling love stories. The variety appealed to any audience member.
“I was really impressed by the creativity and quality of the films,” said sophomore Katrina DeFrancesco. “I don’t think people realize that even at such a straight-laced business school, we have tons of extremely talented artists.” Professors Liz Ledoux, Heide Solbrig and Jeff Stern segued into the awards presentation. Twelve Acres, a mystery directed by senior Jim Ferguson, was the big winner of the evening, taking home the prize for “Best Cinematography,” “Best Production Design” and “Audience Award for Best Film.” Similarly, Premonition, a psychological thriller produced in an introductory film class by Jennifer Berger, Joe Susienka and David Pereira, took home the prize for “Best Narrative Film” and “Best Story.” “The award actually means a lot to me,” said Ryan MacPherson, winner of “Best Actor” for his performance in Selfless Obsession. “I’ve been acting for a long time, and this was the first time I’ve ever received recognition for a performance.” At this year’s BUFFYs, eight graduating Media and Culture Majors were honored for their four years of dedication to the program. Similarly, Christine Varriale and Jim Ferguson, graduating seniors from the Media Arts & Society LSM program, were honored with the
Media and Culture Community Award. Every year, a male student and female student are recognized for their contributions to the Media Department. These are advanced students who have shared their love for film production and studies with many others, introducing more people to their community. “I am going to miss being able to submit my work to the BUFFY’s,” said senior and BSTV cofounder Nick Aquino. “The MC program is an amazing program at Bentley University. It fosters creativity and provides students with an outstanding opportunity to study film and production at Bentley. I have learned so much from the MC courses and professors and am going to miss it greatly after graduation.” “I look forward to the BUFFY’s every year and started anticipating this year’s BUFFY’s the minute the date of the event was announced,” said Aquino. “This is my fourth time going to the BUFFY’s, and it gets better every year.” “Jeff [Stern] and I usually begin in January,” said coordinator Liz Ledoux of her preparations for the BUFFY’s. “The brunt of work happens in March and April. We also try to employ a student coordinator who is completing an LSM culminating project to assist with the curatorial process. Erica Warren was the student coor-
dinator this year. We feel it’s very important to have as much student involvement as possible, as it’s a great learning experience for all.” “Liz and I do nothing but fight for the entire month of April,” said Stern of his cocoordinator. “There’s a lot of yelling coming out of my office as we debate whether to serve turkey roll-ups or pizza.” As to all the work that goes into planning the BUFFY’s, there is much more hard work put into each film at the showcase. Many of the films were produced outside of class by advanced students, while other were made for various film courses. Hours of pre-production work, shooting and editing go into every film, often resulting in a film only a few minutes long. However, this hard work is clear to see at this showcase. “The quality gets better every single year,” said Stern. “That is a direct result of our program growing and our students becoming more experienced and passing their knowledge on to the newer students.” Though the BUFFY’s have only been running for a few years, major improvements have been made to the event since its inception. What began as an in-class screening has now developed into a greatly anticipated awards show. However, the coordinators have big plans for the future.
WINNERS Best Actor – Ryan MacPherson in Selfless Obsession Skitt Taylor Award Honoring Best Character Actor – “Database Security Man” from The Hacker Best Cinematography – Max Grigoryan from Twelve Acres Best Director – Ali Kane for Life is Fine Best Editing – Sam Weston for A Dinosaur Love Story Best Experimental Film – Unleash the Pop Quiz Best Narrative Film – Premonition Best Production Design – Twelve Acres Best Sound Design – Sam Maroon for Union Moose Best Story – Premonition Audience Award for Best Film – Twelve Acres
ate.” The President revealed that there are three major planks to the plan: A brandnew “flagship” MBA program, continued innovation in the undergraduate academic and student life experience and the establishment of “Thought Leadership Networks.” There are no plans currently in place to increase the size of the undergraduate population or the physical size of campus. “We’re at the perfect size, with good balance and high quality of teaching and services given our financial resources, which are increasingly devoted to financial aid,” said Larson. Detailing the new MBA program, Larson said, “This will completely revamp our graduate school, with an 11month program that is a boot camp for leadership development and broad management skills, which will include some international internship opportunities built in along with setting a standard to give Bentley greater national and interna-
tional presence in the MBA realm.” The new MBA program has been under development for the last several years, and having been approved by the Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees, awaits approval by a majority of the general faculty. In terms of the thought leadership networks she mentioned, Larson said, “Bentley must build relationships between academic and professional experts in the field to further research and secure funding for said research, while also yielding new innovations in the areas of accountancy, information technology, ethics & social responsibility, and creativity in the arts and sciences.” President Larson went on to detail a number of initiatives she has been working on, including a landmark women’s leadership program along with a new branding effort to be led by Bentley’s new chief marketing officer. “The new Center for Women in Business is aimed to incorporate the current Women’s Leadership
Institute, becoming one wellfunded effort to help promote change in the corporate world toward gender equity while providing our female student avenues to make a difference and gain valuable leadership experience,” said Larson. She also noted that over $5 million has already been raised for the program, which has a “soft” launch on May 10. “Our new branding effort is also exciting, being worked on by the ad agency Boathouse, and focused on not only getting Bentley’s name known outside the Northeast, but capitalizing on what we do so well, including the wonders Susan Brennan and the Career Services office staff works to achieve a 99-percent placement rate, which is our students’ return on investment,” said Larson. Larson noted that Bentley has secured David Perry, a successful marketing executive for Microsoft and the Children’s Hospital in Seattle as the leader of this effort, serving as the new
CMO. Perry will be relocating with his family to the Boston area, and he comes highly recommended, according to the President. President Larson was candid regarding how she felt about one of her top lieutenants, Dr. Kathleen Yorkis, who oversaw the Division of Student Affairs and is now departing Bentley. “Kathleen has been a blessing and I’m glad she waited to retire until now, but I’m equally thrilled to have such a well-groomed, perfect candidate right here with Andrew Shepardson,” said Larson. “Andrew is equally spectacular in his own way to Dr. Yorkis, and his potential is practically limitless.” “My goal is to continue seeing the lives our students lead, and the talented staff that guides them, and it cert a i n l y h e l p s t h a t I kn o w what I’m doing now,” said Larson. “This is a capstone to a long and wonderful career, and I couldn’t be prouder of the community we’ve built together.”
“It would be nice to hold it off campus in a real theater in Boston, but we worry about attendance,” Ledoux said. “We would like to get more outside filmmakers to help with the judging for the future, as they would provide a less biased response to the work. As faculty, we feel compelled to defend the work of our own students and that can complicate things.” As for Stern, he said, “Next year, I would love to see Wilder completely packed. If you are reading this article: Come to the BUFFY’s next year! The films! The food! The fun! It’s way better than studying.”
LARSON Continued from Page 1 achieved, from the National Fed Challenge Championship; Nassau Means Business, Moot Court and BIG successes; and our fantastic basketball teams,” said Larson. “Our faculty accolades are ever growing as well, with scholarship and research combining with great teaching, especially with the number-one accountancy academic in the world right here at Bentley.” However, with continued economic uncertainty, rising prices across the board and the business world facing new challenges, President Larson was pressed on how Bentley intends to march ahead, and what the new strategic plan, being installed currently, has in store for the community. “Bentley isn’t so much changing direction than following a trajectory,” said Larson. “The new strategic plan builds off a solidly established base in order to serve the needs of the students at every level, both undergraduate and gradu-
The Vanguard
Advertisement
Summer 2011
Page 17
Bentley University’s one and only campus newspaper is looking for new staff members!
We’re looking for just about everything: Writers, photographers, cartoonists, marketers, financial wizards, columnists, layout/ production specialists, online web designers...
You name it, we recruit it.
We run a business, you study business... Why not kill two birds with one stone?
PAGE 18
SUMMEr 2011
SportS & CampuS Life
THE VANGUArD
Bentley Men’s Lacrosse looking to finish season strong By Robbie LaBrie SPOrTS EDITOr
The Bentley Men’s Lacrosse team is in a position where they can really make some moves in the Northeast10, but the key is going to be finding a way to beat good teams. After ripping off six straight conference wins, the falcons fell to Le Moyne on Saturday, 15-6, dropping their conference record to 6-2, which is good for a third-place
tie with Saint Michael’s, behind only Le Moyne and Adelphi, the two NE-10 teams Bentley has lost to this season. The game against Le Moyne was one the falcons thought they could win coming into Syracuse, NY for the game on Saturday, but the undefeated Le Moyne squad proved to be too much for Bentley at this point. The falcons were staring at a 6-3 deficit at halftime, and things only seemed to get
Bentley Men’s Lacrosse will finish the regular season with a game against Pace University.
worse as Le Moyne ripped off a pair of goals to start the third quarter and take an 8-3 lead. Bentley did not roll over, however. The falcons fought back with three goals in a row to narrow the gap to only two at 8-6. Senior Matt Boilard started the run of three goals which were all scored within two minutes. Boilard was assisted by junior Brendan Grant, who would go on to assist in all three goals. Junior richard Travers
Courtesy of Sports Information Desk
scored the second goal just under a minute later, and it only took 16 seconds for senior Jared Kinch to get Bentley within two. Unfortunately, the falcons were unable to capitalize on their 3-0 run, as they wouldn’t score again and Le Moyne scored seven unanswered goals to win the game, 15-6. Bentley goaltender Mike O’Neil did not have a bad game, making 13 saves for Bentley compared to the combined six saves made by the Dolphins’ goalies. But Le Moyne got 52 shots off compared to Bentley’s 20, and there is no way a team can win a game when they are getting outshot by that much. Boilard actually scored two goals in the game, while Travers, Kinch, Grant and Steve Caditz each had one goal apiece for Bentley. The win gave the Dolphins a 9-0 NE-10 record and an 111 record overall. They are sitting atop the conference standings and look as if they will be difficult for anybody to catch. The loss dropped Bentley to 6-2 in conference play to go along with a 6-5 overall record. Clearly, Bentley has had an easier time getting up for these conference games, but they will need to do better at executing when it comes
time to playing the better teams in the conference. Usually, the NE-10 is a conference of parity, but this season has seen a lot of chalk and not many upsets. Le Moyne is in first at 9-0. In second is Adelphi at 8-1, whose only loss has come against, you guessed it, Le Moyne. The there is Bentley, whose only two losses have come against the teams above them in the standings. Saint Michael’s is also 6-2 in conference play and their two losses have come against (brace yourself) Le Moyne and Adelphi. Bentley will have a huge matchup on Wednesday at 7 p.m. when they take on Saint Michael’s team in a game that will likely decide who will be the third-place finisher. After that, Bentley will play their last game of the regular season against Pace in New York. That should be a win on paper for Bentley, but they will likely have to win both to lock up that third-place spot. from there, it will all be about finding a way to get through the big two teams in the tournament because the road to the title goes through Le Moyne and Adelphi. The falcons certainly have the talent to do it, they will just have to put it all together to pull out a few big wins.
BMG guest speaker Dr. Kristen Hudak discusses microfinance By Angela Diaco VANGUArD STAff
On Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m., Bentley’s Microfinance Group (BMG) hosted its first of many microfinance speaker series in Lacava 325. The event featured Dr. Kristen Hudak, a Global Studies professor at Bentley University who has had experience working in microfinance abroad in Nepal and Sri Lanka. The focus of Hudak and BMG’s presentation was on defining what microfinance is, what the challenges of the industry are and what Bentley students can do to
help the cause. So what is microfinance? Much of the world does not have access to typical financial services, leaving millions of people without a support system when they simply cannot make ends meet. What many of these people need is a small loan that can be used to help jump-start a sustainable livelihood in areas of the world where people may be living on less than $2 a day. Microfinance offers a way to lend out a series of small loans to these people at little to no interest, allowing them to gain financial grounding and start small
Dr. Kristen Hudak discussed how students can use microfinance to make a difference.
Courtesy polisci.neu.edu
businesses that maintain their income. While the effectiveness of microfinance has recently come under scrutiny with the controversy surrounding Muhammed Yunis’s Grameen Bank, Dr. Hudak and BMG hoped to shed light on the concept of microfinance and how it can still be viewed largely as a way to help eliminate poverty on a global scale. Hudak claims that a loss of the initial social mission (to help the poorer population and not to become a for-profit institution) has contributed largely to the problems faced
within the industry. A stronger focus on the original message of microfinance and an establishment of “best practices” for the industry as a whole could help the cause remain on track. What can Bentley students do to help? The BMG operates as a completely studentrun business that lends microloans to small-business owners in the local community. The group is currently helping Lucner Charles, a Wentworth graduate, attain a $10,000 loan that would fund the supplies and labor for his construction company in Boston.
“The concept of helping someone rise up and be the best that they can be is obviously a very inspiring thing,” said junior James Haight, incoming BMG president. “There’s a lot of opportunity for any Bentley student, regardless of major or class code, to get involved and start helping people out in the community.” In order to get involved or learn more about microfinance, there are more BMGsponsored even ts coming, as well as many available sites that feature news and ways to help, such as kiva.org and microfinancegateway.org.
SportS
THE VANGUArD
Baseball aims to overcome ups and downs Falcons currently ranked 12th in the NE-10 Conference By Louis Sherman
SUMMEr 2011
PAGE 19
Recent ReSUltS Results from 4/20 - 4/26
VANGUArD STAFF
Bentley Baseball has had an up-and-down season as they move toward their final stretch of games. With 12 games remaining on the schedule, Bentley looks to improve on their 11-22 overall record and 5-11 record in conference play. Bentley has had their most success at neutral sites, going 6-5 in games in which no team has an apparent home-field advantage. Just four of the remaining 12 games are going to be played in Waltham, but they will all be against conference foes and can all be considered winnable. The Falcons are set to play Southern New Hampshire once more and Saint rose, New Haven and Saint Anselm each two more times. They will also be playing Assumption on May 4, and finish the season with three games in two days against Adelphi. The Falcons’ last game was a loss to Southern New Hampshire in the first game of a home-and-home series. The Penmen won the game 6-2 and will host Bentley on Thursday night. Bentley’s most recent win matched the Falcons up against Assumption College on Monday afternoon. The Falcons came out on top in this one, 6-2, as Bentley moved to a 5-10 record in conference play. It was also their second conference win in a row. Sophomore up and comer John Yohe picked up the win for Bentley, moving his record up to 3-4 on the season. Yohe pitched a complete game, scattering 10 hits, all
Result Baseball (11-22, 5-11 NE-10) Merrimack (4/20)* at Tufts (4/22) Assumption (4/25)* Southern New Hampshire (4/26)*
W 8-0 L 4-1 W 6-2 L 6-2
Men’s Lacrosse (6-5, 6-2 NE-10) at Merrimack (4/19)* at Le Moyne (4/23)*
W 9-8 L 15-6
Men’s Tennis (13-7, 10-1) at Merrimack (Northeast-10 Semifinal) (4/21) Southern N.H. (Northeast-10 Final) (4/23)
The Falcons fell short to Tufts in a 4-1 defeat at the Jumbo’s ballpark.
singles, while dropping his ErA to 3.15 on the season. Senior third baseman ross Curley went 3-4 at the plate while scoring two runs. Fellow senior and right fielder Chris Hardy added to the Falcons’ production with two rBI and a triple. Hardy also scored the game’s second run off a heads up play, scoring off of a passed ball. Junior catcher Greg Baggett and sophomore second baseman Logan Gillis also added an rBI for the Falcons. Gillis was three for four on the day while adding a stolen base. Junior shortstop Vinnie Eruzione, freshman center fielder Sean Keady and Baggett each
Junior C Greg Baggett added an RBI and a run for the Falcons.
Melissa Huston/THE VANGUARD
Melissa Huston/THE VANGUARD
scored a run for the Falcons on the day. Since the Falcons’ two games against New Haven over the weekend were postponed until next week, Bentley’s most recent game before Assumption came against Tufts on April 22 in Medford, MA. Bentley took on Tufts last Friday in a tough game. The Falcons were only able to put together four hits in the 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Jumbos. Tufts is a rough team for Bentley to face, as they are the 20th-ranked team in Division III baseball. Bentley scored their only run in the fourth inning in a mini two-out rally. Baggett led the push with a triple to deep left. Hardy came up next and drove Baggett in to make it a 2-1 game. The Falcons were unable to do much else the rest of the game, however, and the Jumbos added 2 more runs in the bottom of the seventh to seal their victory. The only other threat Bentley put on was in the top of the sixth as junior left fielder Mark Lane got on base after being hit by a pitch. Curley singled to left before the Jumbos got out of the inning by turning a double play off an unfortunate line drive. Bentley has a bumpy road ahead of them in a season that has seemed to be more of a transitional year for the Falcons. Bentley currently sits in 12th place in the Northeast-10 Conference (Division II for baseball, ladies). They hope to continue to develop their younger players as they will be losing some key seniors from the roster for next year.
W 5-4 W 5-4
Men’s Track & Field Larry Ellis Invitational (4/22) Tufts Invitational (4/23)
No team score No team score
Softball (14-20, 7-17 NE-10) UMass-Lowell (DH) (4/20)* Pace (DH) (4/22)* At Merrimack (DH) (4/26)*
W 5-4, L 11-1 W 2-1, W 4-0 W 3-2, L 9-1
Women’s Lacrosse (8-8, 6-5 NE-10) at Adelphi (4/23)* Saint Anselm (4/26)* Women’s Track & Field Larry Ellis Invitational (4/22) Tufts Invitational (4/23)
L 22-2 W 21-13
No team score No team score
*Northeast-10 Game
Upcoming SchedUle April 29 Women’s Lacrosse vs. Southern CT State* 7:00 pm May 1 Baseball vs. New Haven (DH)*
12:00 pm
May 2 Men’s Tennis vs. Southern NH (NCAA) Baseball vs. Saint Anselm*
10:00 am 3:30 pm
May 3 Men’s Tennis: NCAA Tournament
12:00 pm
May 4 Baseball vs. Assumption*
3:30 pm
May 7 Baseball vs. Adelphi (DH)*
12:00 pm
May 8 Baseball vs. Adelphi
1:00 pm
PAGE 20
SportS
SUMMEr 2011
THE VANGUArd
After a strong season, outlook is good for Bentley Basketball Teams look to pass the torch to younger players as men graduate four of five starters & women lose Brennan By Robbie LaBrie SPorTS EdITor
Both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams dazzled this season, going beyond the already high expectations set for them before the season. Coach Jay Lawson’s men’s team entered a season in which they lost 2009-10’s division II Player of the Year, Jason Westrol, and still came just one game shy of an Elite Eight appearance come March. The team was not without a solid core of veteran leadership, with four regular starting seniors in Brian Tracey, Tom dowling, Mike Quinn (a graduate student) and Joe Fremeau. Although they fell in the NE-10 Championship game, this foursome led Bentley to a regular season title and the regional Final in the NCAA division II Championship. This was a team that shifted from the mentality of being based around one player, Westrol, the season before, to the kind of team where anybody could step up on any given day. Tracey led the team in many categories and was the most consistent all-around player, while Quinn often quarterbacked the offense and dowling was capable of going off on any given night. Unfortunately, the Falcons have now graduated all four of these players, meaning that only Sam Leclerc, who transferred before last season and will be a senior next year, will return to the starting lineup. Leclerc is a deadly shooter who averaged 7.8 points per game as the fourth option on offense, a role which will be expanded next year. It may seem scary to lose 80 percent of the starters, but it is an exciting opportunity for the talent that Bentley has stored on the bench for the
Bentley’s young talent looks to continue the success both teams have had the past few seasons.
past few seasons. The player who will be asked to step it up the most will likely be Greg Jacques, who will be a junior next season. He first broke into the Bentley rotation during the tournament two years ago when he was a freshman, showing off his speed and hustle which helped the Falcons reach the semi-finals of the division II Championship that year. This past season, Jacques primarily came off the bench, starting only five games, but led all bench scorers with 6.6 points per game. Jacques may only be 5-9, but he is a solid player with dangerous quickness, a solid jumper and the ability to create offense. He is no stranger to getting playing time, and now he will finally get his shot to make this team his own with two years to start for this squad and establish his own legacy. Joining Jacques and Leclerc
in the starting lineup could be Jasper Grassa, who enjoyed a nice freshman season this year, providing a spark off the bench for much of the season and played exceptionally well during tournament time. It is also possible that Mike Torpercer takes that other guard spot alongside Jacques. Torpercer started seven games last season and looked pretty good in his 17 appearances. Torpercer has seniority over Grassa, as he will be a junior next year, so it remains to be seen who will take that spot. Look for Kevin Kettl, who will be a senior, and dan o’Keefe, a junior next season, to add some size in Bentley’s lineup. Kettl has waited three years for his chance and could play a nice role for the Falcons next season. o’Keefe played very well off the bench this year, playing in every game and averaging 6.3 points to go along with almost three boards per game. He could surprise people and be
Falcon Fact
Falcon
260
oF the
Bentley’s Tara Fogarty has excelled as the Falcons ace so far this year, with a 13-12 record and a 2.88 ErA. did you know that Fogarty is already Bentley’s alltime leader in strikeouts with 260 and she is only a junior? Fogarty and the Falcons only have six games left to secure their spot in the Northeast-10 tournament.
Week
Courtesy of Sports Information Office
Tomer Gat/THE VANGUARD
one of Bentley’s top options next season. This is a squad that will most likely need some time to get together, but Coach Lawson has been around long enough that he knows what a team needs to be successful. This is the most turnover Bentley has seen for a while, however, so it will be interesting to see what this year brings. The women’s side doesn’t exactly have that problem. While they lost Kim Brennan, one of the best basketball players Bentley has ever seen, there was already the feeling of the torch being passed last year, as star freshmen forwards Jacqui Brugliera and Lauren Battista carried the team for most of the season. Bentley also graduated Elise Caira and Caralyn Hart, but Caira missed most of the season with an injury and Hart did not see much action, so there won’t be too much turnover there.
Brennan played a huge role as always, providing veteran leadership and plenty of scoring when it was needed, but Bentley made it to the Elite Eight in St. Joseph, Mo primarily on the backs of their forwards. Brugliera and Battista should lead the charge again next season, while Katherine Goodwin will reclaim her point guard spot. Courtney Finn should get plenty of starts as well. She will be a junior and she provides length and athleticism as well as a good shot from the 2-3 spot on the floor. It will then be interesting to see what Coach Barbara Stevens decides to do with her last starting spot. It should either go to Meghan Thomann, a wing player who is a deadly shooter, or Shatasia Kearse who provided some nice energy off the bench down low in a few tournament games. Both players are seniors. The problem is that Kearse is a forward as well and may crowd the front court a bit with Battista and Brugliera down low as well. It is more likely that Thomann fits into the starting role, while Kearse continues to come off the bench and give Bentley what is likely going to be the best trio of forwards in the NE-10. These are good problems for Coach Stevens to have as she also has some very talented players coming off the bench. She just needs to keep this team thinking forward and striving to get better. If they have the right mentality, they have the talent to go even further next year. Basketball season may still be several months away and the teams may shake out a bit differently once the coaches get their recruiting classes together, but it guarantees to be another exciting season with two successful teams looking to go a long way.
Junior Tennis Player Victor Suski Junior Victor Suski of the Men’s Tennis team is the Falcon of the Week. Suski helped Bentley win its second straight Northeast-10 championship on Saturday over Southern New Hampshire 5-4. With the match against the Penmen tied at four, the winner of the final singles match in progress between Suski and Southern’s Tim Hamilton would decide the winner. Suski defeated Hamilton in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, to give the Falcons the title. Suski had an overall record of 3-3 throughout the tournament’s three matches. He won both his singles and doubles match in the 5-0 win over Le Moyne in the quarterfinals. The Falcons earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the NE-10s. It will be their third straight appearance and fifth in six years.