VoluMe liV
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tHurSday, noVeMBer 1, 2012
www.BentleyVanguard.CoM
A final breakdown of candidates’ stances Bentley campus hunkered for undecided Bentley student voters down for Hurricane Sandy By Lacey Nemergut newS editor
The upcoming Presidential Election, an international spectacle, highly analyzed and meticulously followed, presents Bentley students with options for both change and consistency. Based on the typical age range of the student population, certain issues prove more salient than others in the unique culture that dominates the campus. Bailouts for Financial Corporations Given the nature of the Bentley business curriculum, many students find themselves caught up in conversation on economic proposals to guide the country. The two primary candidates, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, each took a similar stance in terms of bailouts for financial corporations. “The TARP program was designed to keep the financial system going, to keep money circulating in the economy,
without which the entire economy stops and you would really have an economic collapse,” said Romney. Meanwhile, independent candidates Gary Johnson, Jill Stein and Virgil Goode stand in firm opposition to bailouts. Debt Limit In terms of debt, a primary
concern for many college students facing significant increases in education costs, the topic of the nation’s debt limit proves particularly important. Obama stands in favor of raising the debt ceiling, while Romney has positioned himself firmly against See ELECTION, Page 5
Bentley fared well during the storm, with the exception of a few downed trees.
By Kristin Tomasi Vanguard Staff
Four percent of voters are undecided as to which candidate they are going to vote for.
Courtesy of globalpost.com
Bentley Speech & Debate Society host a mock debate
Courtesy of Moussa Hassoun
Every seat at the debate filled quickly for the event.
By Francisco Salas Vanguard Staff
Last Wednesday night, the Bentley Speech & Debate Society held the Democrats v. Republicans debate in the spirit of the upcoming Presidential elections. The event was a major success as
6 DELTA PHI EPSILON the sorority is once again recognized on campus
the seats were quickly filled leaving many students to “standing room only”. The Democrats were represented by Timothy Dillon, Alison Abrams, and Maggie Collins; their opponents representing the Republicans were Elizabeth Nally, Amy Lopatin, and Valerie Labrecque. The
event was moderated by Ryan Hebert with a raffle for the attending crowd for a generous $100 and two $25 gift cards. Every four years Americans head to the polls to cast their ballots in hopes that their candidate will tackle the issues See DEBATE, Page 6
This past weekend, Hurricane Sandy made its way toward the East Coast, prompting the Bentley community to prepare for the storm’s potential consequences. John Piga, Director of the Residential Center, who sent an email to the community on Friday afternoon regarding storm safety and preparation, provides insight into Bentley’s emergency storm procedures. “I play a small part of a big plan,” said Piga. “A large group gets together to talk about storm preparedness procedures and each situation is different.” This group includes upper level administration, staff at the director level and other affected departments. “Every year, there is the possibility of a storm or snow day,” said Piga. “At each juncture, a pre-storm meeting occurs to sketch out plans.” “The safety of staff and students comes first,” said Piga. “Leadership gets together to determine the safest, most appropriate course of action. In this case, we were concerned about faculty and students who had to travel to get to campus, so transportation was an issue.” Aside from ensuring that staff and students are safe and secure, other priorities and considerations include heat,
electricity and food. “Classes are important, but they cannot trump the safety of our staff and students,” said Piga. “We also wanted to communicate to students to be careful if they were planning on going off campus. We want them to be safe and alert.” Predictable events, such as this, allow those involved in decision making to engage in forward planning. The team watches weather forecasts and uses recommendations from the Governor’s office as guidance when considering university closures. It also talks about what is happening on campus. “We use what we have observed on campus to inform our decisions,” said Piga. “Staff on campus become aware of things right away and provide useful local knowledge.” For example, staff were able to respond quickly when a tree fell down outside of Boylston during this storm. “It is atypical for a scenario like this to last more than a couple days,” said Piga. If this occurred, however, university leadership would engage in further discussions to consider the next steps. Piga also acknowledged the important help provided by a variety of on-campus resources during these types of situations. These people include Resident Assistants, live-in professional staff, See SANDY, Page 5
7 FLIGHTS CANCELLED 16 F I E L D Sandy cancels 12,000 east Coast flights
10 VOTES FOR HUMOR? Candidates may be getting judged on jokes
Courtesy of Brian Shea
HOCKEY
Bentley to play Merrimack in nCaa first round
Police Log 2 Counseling Tip 2 Cartoon 4 Voices 9 Alumni Experience 12 Falcon of The Week 16