The Vanguard - 12/01/2010 by The Vanguard

VoLuMe L

issue iX

tHursdAY, deCeMBer 2, 2010

www.BeNtLeYVANGuArd.CoM

Women’s Rugby wins Nationals After scoring in the first minutes of the game, Bentley’s defense denies Drexel University By Robbie LaBrie sPorts editor

the Bentley women’s rugby team capped an undefeated season on November 21 and won the division iii National Championship in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. the Bentley ladies finished the job in a hard fought match against drexel in the finals to take home the title. Bentley flyhalf Alex Yerxa was awarded the tournament’s MVP after she scored the only three points of the game against drexel and sealed the 3-0 victory for Bentley. “to be the first ever women’s rugby team at Bentley to win a national title See RUGBY, Page 14

Students not happy with current service By Brian Lofrumento News editor

Courtesy of Jenna Tortorici

Bentley celebrates after winning the Division III National Championship against Drexel University.

Bentley Fed team takes National Championship Bentley defeats defending champion Lafayette in College Fed Challenge national competition By Ian Markowitz FeAtures editor

Bentley university’s Fed Challenge team flew down to washington, d.C. this week and brought back the national title after their presentation to the Federal reserve Board of Governors on tuesday. Composed of juniors and seniors, the eight-member Fed Challenge team beat Lafayette and Northwestern, who took second and third places in the finals, respectively. Having won the com-

RHA looks for improved cable offerings

petition last year, Lafayette was poised to take first place, narrowly losing to Bentley. the team presented in the Federal reserve Board of Governors meeting room to the Vice Chair of the Federal reserve Board of Governors Janet Yellen, to whom they presented their monetary policy recommendations for the Federal reserve. After winning the regional Fed Challenge competition two weeks ago, beating out See FED, Page 5

The Fed team traveled to Washington, D.C. to compete for the National Championship.

As part of their continuing goal of improving campus life for all students, the residence Hall Association (rHA) recently conducted a survey to gain feedback on Bentley’s current cable setup. students were unhappy last year when Comcast took away premium cable services on campus due to upgrades, and the start of a new school year has seen no developments or improvements. rHA sent out a survey in early November, and the responses overwhelmingly indicated that Bentley students demand high definition and premium offerings. Nearly 900 students responded to the rHA survey, and two-thirds of the respondents indicated that they are unhappy with the current Comcast offerings on campus. Most notably, 81 percent of the respondents indicated that they have high-definition compatible televisions, which further compounds the problem of no option for

Courtesy of Victoria Tran

Service Learning unveils One Goal, One Community By Lacey Nemergut VANGuArd stAFF

service Learning Leader sara Benson has initiated an extensive anti-bullying program, “one Goal, one Community: Moving Beyond Bullying and empowering for Life,” throughout the Boston area, hoping to rid local

schools of the adverse longterm effects of bullying. Benson’s efforts, beginning with the Milton school district, include awareness rallies, informative presentations and the collection of 20,000 signatures against bullying. Benson found the inspiration to launch such a campaign from her trip abroad to

The Vanguard 2011 edi- CAMPUS LIFE: Moot torial board announced, Court qualifies for Page 3 Nationals, Page 6

Australia, as well as from personal experiences. while completing a service project in Australia, Benson met dr. Amy Kenworthy, a professor at Bond university, and it was in Kenworthy’s class she decided to launch this anti-bullying campaign.

This Week FEATURES: Blue Man Group review, Page 10

when Benson returned to the states, she immediately began making preparations to begin the program in waltham and its surrounding areas. Benson explained, “i’m very closely involved in service Learning. when they knew how much i was doing abroad, See SERVICE, Page 7

Courtesy of baltimoresrun.com

premium channels from Comcast. Furthermore, over half of the respondents indicated that they are also See RHA, Page 5

COLUMNS: More Than SPORTS: Ice Hockey Words holiday event com- wins three out of four ing soon, Page 13 games, Page 15

Police Log 2 JAS 2 Briefs 2 Cartoon 4 Editorial 4 Voices 8 & 9 Games 10 Horoscopes 12 Falcon of The Week 16

PAGe 2

News

DeCeMBeR 2, 2010

The VANGuARD

Police log

Thanks to Thanksgiving, our Police Log staff is in a food coma and the Bentley Community was miraculously well-behaved (aka pretty much no one was here). The Log will return next week!! Enjoy these Yahoo! Answer fails in the meantime:

Judicial action Summary EDiToR iN CHiEf Jon McColgan mANAgiNg EDiToR gENERAL mANAgER Rebecca Langweber John Karakelle CoPy EDiToR NEWS EDiToR SPoRTS EDiToR CAmPUS LifE EDiToR fEATURES EDiToR BUSiNESS EDiToR PHoTogRAPHy EDiToR oNLiNE EDiToR DiRECToR of PRoDUCTioN DiRECToR of ADvERTiSiNg DiRECToR of mARkETiNg STUDENT LifE ADviSoR JoURNALiSm ADviSoR

Alyson Bisceglia Brian Lofrumento Robbie LaBrie Sindhu Palaniappan Ian Markowitz Phillip St. Pierre Tomer Gat Nicholas Smits Leslie Dias Greg Kokino Brandon Schug Maria DiLorenzo Judy Rakowsky

FoR GeNeRAL & CoNTACT INFoRMATIoN ABouT ThE VAnguArd, PLeASe See PAGe 4.

11.17.2010-11.30.2010

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

10 31 0 2 9 $1,375 1 7 0 21 0 0 0 0

Announcement

ThE VANGuARD

DECEMBER 2, 2010

PAGE 3

CoNGRATuLATIoNS 2011

To ThE EDIToRIAL

BoARD

Leslie Dias

editor

chief

Tomer Gat

managing editor

Alyson Bisceglia coPy editor

John Karakelle

general manager

Ian Markowitz

editorial director

Lacey Nemergut news editor

Sindhu Palaniappan Lindsay Beauregard camPus life editor features editor

Robbie LaBrie

Phillip St. Pierre

Emily Silver

Jeff Breault

Brandon Schug

Brian Fuerst

Business editor

Greg Kokino director of advertising

sPorts editor

PhotograPhy editor director of layout & Production

director of marketing & creativity

Judy Rakowsky

Journalism advisor

director of online services

Maria DiLorenzo student life advisor

The Editorial Board serves as the Executive Board & Board of Directors for The Vanguard, witheach member serving a one year term, from January to December. Interested in getting involved with The Vanguard next semester? E-mail the Editorial Board member above whose department interests you.

PAGE 4

DECEmBEr 2, 2010

Viewpoints

THE VANGUArD

Quotes

of the

Week

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

editorial

Time to scale back the group-work How many groups are you involved in here at Bentley? No, not student organizations and clubs, but academic groups that for instance are part of just about every General Business course offered at this school. Bentley has gone overboard with emphasizing group-work and needs to put more emphasis back on individuality and the ability of every student to work on his and her own. Yes, many corporations use teams today in problem solving and client work, but these teams are designed with different levels of experience, and each member is assigned individual tasks, and fully evaluated on those pieces. Google, a leading corporate innovator, has argued that teams can be great for some projects, but individual thought and work is quite essential for progress’ sake. Think for a moment of the President of the United States. No one says, “Well, the President’s cabinet is doing a great job this year.” All positive and negative comments are attributed directly to the President, an individual man. He is part of many groups and yet no one usually mentions how superbly he works in conjunction with his cabinet to make things happen. Furthermore, in the busi-

ness world, there are no groups leading Fortune 500 companies. A Chief Executive Officer is truly in charge, responsible for what does and does not happen both within and outside of his company. No one idolizes a business group, but the individuals whom are in charge. We look with awe to people like Bill Gates, Donald Trump, George Bush, etc. We are taught in class about individuals who had a large impact on history men like Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, General Douglas macArthur, and so on. It would be surprising to see anyone who listed an “important group” before an important individual. All Bentley students are usually involved in one academic-related group per semester, the majority of them being in more than one, and others being part of a group in every class. Being part of a group can hold significant consequences. Not only can it be very difficult to find meeting times given the unstructured schedules of most students, but group members never equally share the weight of the work. Typically, one or two people within a group do the majority of the work with others just following along, eager to accept a great grade with little effort.

In small and fairly unimportant groups this may not be a huge problem, but in a class like GB301 the consequences are real. Your project grade, which is 25 percent of your GB301 grade, is entirely devoted to group-work, and a dysfunctional group means a poor grade in the project module. As an individual student you could surely get a bad grade in any class working by yourself, but it is your grade and you earned it. It’s time to focus more on a balance between group and individual. When we were accepted to Bentley, we were evaluated as individuals, on our own merits, and not on our ability to interact with those in our high school homeroom. As students, we met the admission requirements of Bentley and they saw potential in us as individuals. For many of us our goal in coming here is to gain the background necessary to rise to high level business positions within leading companies, not to learn how to be a long-term, active member of a business group. Let us again do our own work and enjoy the merits that follow. “Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him.” -Booker T. Washington

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

“It tasted like hot dogs, but it could have been Spam-ish” -Chad Long a passenger on the disabled Carnival Splendor cruise ship, on the mystery meat he consumed

editorial GB curriculum changes beneficial for students The new GB curriculum is still getting up on its feet, with changes being made constantly to better the relatively new system. This upcoming semester, GB 212: Practice and Applications in Accounting and Finance will be available to the half of the sophomores who have yet to take the course (those who took GB 112 last spring) and to the entire freshman class who has taken GB 112 this semester. Last year, for the class of 2013, both GB 112 and GB 212 were offered during two separate years. GB 112 was offered in the fall and spring of freshman year, and GB 212 was to be taken respectively in the fall or spring of sophomore year. This year, the curriculum was modified so students could take GB 112 their first semester, and then take the continuation of GB 212 during their second semester. This way, students are allowed to get their first two core GB classes out of the way freshman year, allowing them to take major courses for which GB 212 is a prerequisite earlier on. While the current sophomores may be getting the short end of the stick with this new change, overall it’s going to be extremely helpful for the class of 2014 and the classes to follow. Current sophomores who have not yet taken GB

212 will be slightly hindered, since class sizes have been expanded to accommodate the entire freshman class taking the course. The school has also increased the amount of classes being taught and the amount of professors teaching to help balance out the increased class size. GB 212 professors agree that it is not uncommon for courses to simultaneously teach two different levels of students. The school is combining GB 112 and GB 212 into one year so students will have the option of taking major courses earlier on, therefore making major and minor decisions easier, and allowing students to be able to comfortably study abroad. The sophomores of the class of 2013 who haven’t taken GB 212 yet understand this issue firsthand, especially those Corporate Finance and Accounting majors who need GB 212 as a prerequisite for all major courses. Not being able to take any major courses until junior year while trying to plan a semester abroad can prove to be almost impossible. This is one of the reasons that the curriculum has been adjusted. While increased class sizes and multi-level classes can sometimes prove to be difficult, the end goal of this change is a heavy benefit to the students.

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

News & Campus Life

DECEMBER 2, 2010

PAGE 5

The Amazing Race: Bentley Edition, a trip around the world By Isaac Potvin VANGUARD STAFF

At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 13, after receiving a route map and the first cultural clue, 11 teams of two people each excitedly embarked on “The Amazing Race: Bentley Edition.” This great race took place right here on campus as part of Culture Fest Week. Just like the actual television show, participants journeyed from “country to country” (the countries were designated by classrooms in Smith and Jennison) in the hopes of finding and solving 16 clues based on international culture and geography. Along the way, the teams also had to complete five detours and two roadblocks, which ultimately hindered their pace. With a detour, a team had a choice to complete one of two tasks, such as getting a signature from any Bentley professor or taking a photo with a residential assistant on campus. Only one team member was allowed to complete a roadblock, which involved several tasks. For example, one such roadblock read: “One team member must figure out

Participants raced around the academic buildings and through classrooms in Smith and Jennison to solve clues in the hopes of claiming victory.

which television network hosts the television show The Amazing Race. Then, access Morningstar Investment Research Center database on a computer and print out this publicly listed company’s ‘Quote’ page.” After completing the detours and roadblocks, the teams went back on their way to discovering their next clues and destinations.

The last cultural clue, which asked, “In which country was the first skyscraper in the world built in?” led the contestants to their final location, the United States of America. Although it was a tight race, the first team to cross the finish line, in an impressive time of only one hour and 15 minutes, consisted of Keith DeBenedictis and Aly

teams such as Tufts, MIT and BC, the team advanced to the national competition. According to Dave Norrish, a senior on the team, the team’s victory came down to the team members. “We’re all really motivated, intelligent people, we all really pushed each other to put forth our best effort and even with our presentation, which won us national champs, we still probably aren’t completely satisfied with it,” Norrish said. But overall, Norrish is proud of the work the team put together. “It feels really good,

Glavin. For their winning effort, they received a 50 dollar Dunkin Donuts gift card and, most importantly, pride in becoming champions in the first annual Amazing Race: Bentley Edition. Yashika Mody, the organizer of The Amazing Race, explained that she created this event because she thought it would be a fun

RHA

FED Continued from Page 1

Cody Normyle/THE VANGUARD

and exciting way to learn about international cultures on campus. She said, “The goal of Culture Fest 2010 is to promote diversity and international cultures on campus, and I really wanted to organize a fun and engaging event that was still culturally enriching. A lot of people watch or have heard of the show, and the idea of racing around the world sounds like a fun way to learn about the world while being part of a competitive, game-type environment.” Overall, Mody thought the event was successful because she noted that all the teams displayed an enormous amount of energy and competitiveness during the race. She said, “I was really pleased with how eager the teams were to play and win early on a Saturday morning! Teams were sprinting around from classroom to classroom, they were frantically Googling answers on their phones, they were strategizing about how to complete detours - it was really great to see them all in action!” These observations led her to really believe that the contestants “would all do amazing on the real show!”

because we put so much work into this,” he said. “We had two marathon weekends and spent the entire semester preparing for debates and presentations.” Team Advisor and Economics Professor Dave Gulley shared in Norrish’s enthusiasm. “I think it shows that our students are on par with and can compete successfully against students from any school in the country,” said Gulley. Gulley felt that this year’s team partially owes its success to previous years’ teams “This year’s team built on the foundations laid down by the teams

This year’s Fed team has set a new standard for future teams.

from the previous three years. We’ve been accumulating experience on how to best compete in this Challenge and it finally paid off,” he said. After succeeding in this year’s Fed Challenge, it will be up to next year’s Fed Challenge team to continue and build off of the success that this year’s team pioneered. The team would also like to give a special thanks to their coaches Gulley, Scott Sumner and Aaron Jackson. College Fed Challenge is an Economics course, EC 402 offered every fall which student can enroll in with permission from Professor Gulley.

Courtesy of Dave Gulley

Continued from Page 1 unhappy with the current channels offered by Comcast. “These responses ranged from frustration to curiosity and ideas of how to improve residential cable,” said Marc Santilli, president of RHA. “Many residents voiced concerns over the quality of cable, lack of high technology options and choice of channels.” “The general feedback was of frustration by upperclassmen,” he added. “At the same time, first year students who never had the availability of purchasing premium channels or HD for their television, as we see in the survey, are generally pleased.” The old cable program on campus allowed students to purchase cable boxes from Comcast, giving more options and more HD channels. Less than 158 rooms, however, took advantage of those additional services from Comcast last year.

RHA is still working to find a solution for students on campus, especially as technology improves and more students get HD-ready televisions. Santilli promises that RHA will work hard, alongside administration and Comcast, to improve the situation. “The residents should know and understand that Comcast has made this change and Bentley residents are forced to accept the changes,” stressed Santilli. “Our administrators are in constant contact with Comcast representatives to try and find a viable solution for both parties. This survey will help both parties understand what is occurring on our campus, how residents feel and feedback for the future.” With that being said, Santilli warned that upgrading could prove costly. “It would be a very large and extensive project to upgrade all rooms on campus,” concluded Santilli.

Rebecca Langweber/THE VANGUARD

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DECEMBEr 2, 2010

News & Campus Life

THE VANgUArD

Bentley’s Moot Court team exceeds finals and advances to nationals By Sindhu Palaniappan CAMPUS LIFE EDITOr

Four teams from Bentley University competed in the American Collegiate Moot Court Association Eastern regional Tournament this past weekend in Fitchburg, MA. Forty teams competed in total, representing Holy Cross, Princeton, Syracuse, the College of New Jersey, SUNY Cortland and SUNY Albany, Merrimack, Patrick Henry, Bridgewater State and Fitchburg State. Even though half of the team was new to competition, all four of Bentley’s teams advanced to the second round. Only the top 10 teams in the eastern region receive automatic bids to nationals. This is the second Bentley team in the past four years to make this extremely tight cut. Seniors Puja Shah and Shaun Boedicker advanced to the semi finals, automatically qualifying the team to compete in the national Moot Court Tournament in New Orleans this January. Shah is a Management major and a Law minor, well known for her past role as president of SgA. She looks forward to participating in Teach for America in California after graduation. Shaun is a Math major who also serves as an Admission Fellow for UgA and is an

After rigorous training throughout the semester, Bentley’s Moot Court Team makes it into the top 10 teams to receive bids to Nationals.

Academic Services tutor. He has been accepted to Duke so far and is looking forward to choosing and attending law school this September. Also important to note, Bentley junior William Markow was awarded and recognized as being one of the top 10 orators out of the 80 competitors at regionals. Markow placed seventh and received a plaque and a criminal law text as an award. Markow and his teammate, senior Monil Kothari, also participated in a moot court demonstration at the Annual Meeting of the Northeast Political Science Association at the Parker House Hotel in Boston.

The other members of the Bentley team who competed in regionals and advanced to the second round were seniors Julia Brodowski and Christina Harstad, junior Sindhu Palaniappan and sophomore Alexis Lawlor. All four teams began training over the summer, when the case at bar and 20 or so precedent cases were released to coaches. Professor Franklyn Salimbene, well known for his law courses and his work as the director of Service-Learning here at Bentley, coaches the Moot Court team, and none of this would have been possible without him. “There is no other coach like

Sindhu Palaniappan / THE VANGUARD

Professor Salimbene,” commented Kothari, who has competed for two years now. “This course has been one of those rare courses you take that actually helps you prepare for the real world. No other course at Bentley provides the same level of analysis, presentation and public speaking skills,” he added. The case at bar that was argued by the four Bentley teams dealt with Congressional power under the Commerce Clause, and the regulation of marriage – in particular samesex marriage – by individual states. Each issue was hotly contested and reinforced with hefty evi-

dence supporting both sides. Contestants were given 20 or so cases to brief and commit to memory for their 10-minute arguments and rebuttals. “In terms of my favorite part of the competition, I would say it was seeing all of the different arguments and ideas teams had for each of the cases,” said Boedicker. “And in terms of moving onto nationals, I was definitely surprised. There are so many good teams that compete at regionals, so the difference between winning and losing is minute. It’s hard to think your own team is the one that will move on over another team.” Shah agreed with every other student on the team, saying, “The moot court competition is honestly one of the greatest academic experiences. The thrill of arguing and presenting a case I’ve worked on for months is the greatest feeling, and winning the round only makes it better!” She went on to talk about how exciting it is to see the team grow and welcome new members, this year doubling in size. “I wish I had counted the number of hours I dedicated to preparing for the competition, because every single one was worth it,” she said. Editor’s Note: Sindhu Palaniappan currently serves a member of Bentley’s Moot Court Team.

Bentley celebrates Diwali through Family Feud-themed show

Diwali is one of the most important holidays in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.

By Angela Diaco VANgUArD STAFF

Being the ignorant white person that I am, about the only exposure I’ve had to Indian culture was trying curry once. Needless to say, I was a Diwali newbie. I sat in Kouzmanzalis on Sunday, November 21, completely oblivious to what was about to take place. For everyone else who is a little less clueless, Diwali is one of the most important (if not THE most important) Indian holiday practiced in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.

Tim Avrutik/THE VANGUARD

Diwali is a contraction of “Deepavali,” translating to “row of lights,” signifying the triumph of good over evil. The five-day festival is celebrated by a gathering of friends and family exchanging sweets and blessings. SASA (South Asian Student Association) puts on this show every November to commemorate the holiday. The auditorium was dressed to the nines in brightly colored drapes and Christmas lights lining the interior walls. The “Family Feud, Diwali Edition” sign and stage was set up perfectly, giving the audience a very authentic

feel for the show. Typical dress for the dances included intricately patterned and colored costumes and saris. A total of 10 dances were performed, interlaced with skits, presentations and a fashion show. The opening light ceremony paid homage to the name of the festival, with performers carrying flashlights in tune with classical Hindi music. Skits included a Family Feud between two Indian families, in which both showcased the hilarity of Indian stereotypes and multiple

love stories accented by musical performances. Dances (the word doesn’t do the show justice) were passionate and coordinated perfectly, keeping the audience entertained from start to finish. Young men and women I’ve seen on campus took on their stage persona with ease, and I’ve never seen dance infused with so much energy. Everyone in the audience could tell that a lot of time, thought and energy went into every detail of the show. Star choreographer Akhil

Chimnani was recognized for his dance expertise, and showed an intense passion for dance. The show also featured the Supreme Bhangra Unit, a group that infused traditional bhangra dance with modern music, who gave a skillful performance. A very special thanks to the e-board members and dancers who put in long hours into the show during the most grueling midterm weeks. I’d have to agree with what my good friend Liz Sisson says: “Diwali is sexy.”

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DeceMBeR 2, 2010

Business & news

THe VAngUARD

SERVICE Continued from Page 1 they bought into the fact that they should start it here in the Waltham.” With recent tragedies involving bullying all over the news, the administration gladly adopted and supported this program. “Leslie Doolittle has been a huge advocate for the program,” added Benson. The campaign is targeting an age range from elementary school to teenagers to spread its strong anti-bullying message. Regarding the audience most susceptible to the effects of bullying, Benson said, “From my research, I’ve found that the age group are middle schoolers, younger middle schoolers .” Though younger middle school students might mentally take the physical and verbal actions of bullies the hardest, Benson’s project targets, as she describes, “[An] entire group of students that could potentially be affected by bullying.” The presentations are modified based on the age group of the children they

are speaking to in order to maximize the results of their efforts. When asked to give her opinion on why children bully each other, Benson answered, “I think people bully because it’s a need for power. [There] might be something missing within themselves that they have to make themselves better by putting others down. It goes back to your own insecurities. The problem with bullying to gratify one’s self is short term satisfaction.” Benson explained why bullies have to constantly continue their actions, saying, “It’s also short-term feelings. It’s not a life-long gratification. It’s a short term.” However, though the satisfaction bullies receive proves to be short term, the effects on those who are bullied can last a lifetime. Benson explained, “From my research, people carry the damages with them throughout their entire lives… Something as small as a few words.” Understanding the traumatic effects that bullying can have on children, as

One Goal, One Community has been implemented in local communities, such as the Learning Center at Chester Brook Gardens in Waltham.

showcased by recent cases of suicide caused in part by peer bullying, is an essential part of the program. “We need to address the seriousness of bullying. That phrase, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me,’

is not true anymore,” said Benson. As for her goal to receive 20,000 signatures, Benson said, “[It’s] not just a signature. It’s about continuing the conversation and instruction.” Benson’s commendable

Rebecca Langweber/THE VANGUARD

efforts are quickly taking hold in the local community. After what she described as “very uplifting and encouraging rallies” in the Milton school district, she is currently working to expand her efforts to Boston schools and surrounding areas.

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Features

DEcEmBER 2, 2010

Voices

The Beat

What do you think of Four Loko?

ChRistina gangi Class Of 2013 eCOnOMiCs finanCe “It has gotten out of hand; I would never drink it.”

Ryan O’Keeffe Class Of 2012 ManageMent “I think the media has made it into a bigger deal than it actually is. Despite this, I still think students shouldn’t be drinking it.”

alexandRa faRia Class Of 2014 UndeCided “I don’t really like the taste and I’ve heard it’s bad for you, so I’m scared of it.”

Ke$ha is one of those artists who I love to hate. She’s a Lady Gaga wannabe, she stutters way too much, her excessively auto-tuned voice is quite annoying and her squeaky sing-talk is just odd. Her “singing” can’t be classified as music, but it’s one of those things that’s so bad it’s good. Although I am a Ke$ha hater, I am also a Ke$ha lover. She’s not very talented and produces mediocre tracks, yet she has the power to make people love her and her music. It’s not Ke$ha’s voice, bizarre antics or lyrics that make her music likeable, it’s the way in which she ties together all of her non-existent talent to produce great dance songs. She accumulates fans through contagious beats and the common desire to have a good time and dance. Her singles have a magical effect which makes listeners turn up the radio when they come on. Not only do audiences blast the music, they also sing along and develop a guilty pleasure. I found this happening to me the first time I heard We R Who We R. After listening to the first single from Cannibal, I realized I was quietly looking forward to the release of the full EP. When I listened to Cannibal for the first time, I was rolling on the floor, unable to contain my giggling fits of laughter. The lyrics on Ke$ha’s second album are absolutely, positively ridiculous - “I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch, then when I’m thirsty I drink their blood,” “But I just can’t date a dude with a vag,” and my personal favorite, “I want your liver on a platter.” The lyrics are

THE VANGUARD

By Lindsay Beauregard

The fun beats and comedic lyrics complement Ke$ha’s new album We R Who We R.

filthy and unnecessary yet downright hysterical. The noteworthy songs on Ke$ha’s new EP are Cannibal, We R Who We R, Blow and Grow a Pear. First on the album is Cannibal, which has the strangest lyrics by far. Ke$ha compares herself to Jeffery Dahmer, and she ends the song with her signature awkward laugh and random chatter, “I love you, I warned you, RUH!” We R Who We R and Blow are both great dance songs with fun beats and fairly funny lyrics. The last song, worth the $1.29 on iTunes, is Grow a Pear. Ke$ha talks about a guy who is too girly and the lyrics are definitely “WTF” material. Out of the nine songs, Grow A Pear is definitely the catchiest. Unfortunately, it will most likely not be played on the radio because of its risqué lyrics. A simple breakdown of the EP and it’s quite apparent that Ke$ha should only release singles, not full

Courtesy of remix.vg

albums. Her attempt at filling the space between Cannibal, We R Who We R, Blow and Grow A Pear is dismal. The Harold Song is an unsuccessful attempt at a ballad. Crazy Beautiful Life, C U Next Tuesday and Animal (Billboard Remix) are not noteworthy at all. All five songs lack the elements of Ke$ha’s personality that made her famous. The songs are missing her weird and random antics and the lyrics are not set to a solid dance beat. When it comes down to it, each and every one of Ke$ha’s songs are pointless and dumb. All of her music is filled with the most ridiculous lyrics, and her overly auto-tuned voice isn’t enjoyable to listen to. Yet somehow Ke$ha takes all of her negative qualities and mixes them together to produce some great dance songs. Download the four great tracks off of Cannibal, throw some glitter on the floor and dance all night till you see the sunlight.

ChRis COllins Class Of 2012 finanCe “It’s dangerous!”

MiKe MagliO Class Of 2012 ManageMent “The problem isn’t with the product. It is with the behavior surrounding the product.”

By emily silver PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF

Ke$ha’s new album does not quite live up to her previous works.

Courtesy of rightonmag.com

Features

THE VANGUARD

Love and Other Drugs: Simply another cliché romantic comedy By Rachael fischer VANGUARD STAFF

I gave up on romantic comedies like Love and Other Drugs around my sophomore year of high school. However, the promise of a self-proclaimed “quirky” romantic comedy gave me a little hope that this film would be slightly more watchable than whatever movie Katherine Heigl last starred in. But in this context, “quirky” actually means the movie tries and fails to give more depth to the rom-com formula, resulting in a film unwatchable by romcom enthusiasts and haters alike. Love and Other Drugs, starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal, follows the development of the relationship between a playboy Pfizer drug representative, Jamie, and a young artist, maggie, with Parkinson’s disease. Though both are initially resistant to the idea of a relationship, they both eventually succumb and fall in love. Shocker. Besides the love story, the film also attempts to follow the launch of the drug Viagra, maggie’s struggle with the progression of her illness and Jamie’s strained relationship with his family. The result is a mangled mess of meager, halfdeveloped subplots. casting talented and attractive actors like Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway does not hide the poor crafting of these cliché characters. The audience is told Jamie is a charmer with a talent for sales. His character is actually a man-whore who fails to understand how to communicate value in a B2B market, but appears successful because the launch of his career coincided with the launch of Viagra, which sells itself. maggie is described as a “free-spirited” artist who brave-

DEcEmBER 2, 2010

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Voices What is the craziest thing you have overheard on campus?

BRian shea Class Of 2014 MaRKeting “‘Some goons quadruple-stacked a bed and saran wrapped it.’”

Love and Other Drugs focuses too much on Viagra and leaves the love aspect behind.

ly tackles the challenges that lie before her. Really, she plays a flatter version of the worn-out cliché artist that inspires the guy with her normal job. In order to provide crass slapstick comedy, the cast is rounded out with Oliver Plat as Jamie’s overweight boss Bruce, and Josh Gad as Jamie’s nerdy brother with a porn addiction. The film’s weak attempts at mainly physical humor pried some forced laughter from what I’m assuming is the only audience that would still find Roadrunner crushing Wile E. coyote with an anvil hilarious. However, upon careful tabulation, this meager humor did not result in a single chuckle from this reviewer. With an R rating, this movie is much sexier than your average film romance. Viewers are treated with countless shots of Hathaway’s boobs and Gyllenhaal’s ass throughout the course of the couple’s affair. Normally, abundant nudity of attractive people would certain-

Love & Other Drugs opened in theaters on Nov. 4.

Courtesy of empiremovies.com

Courtesy of flickandbits.com

ly not be a deterrent. However, the explicitness of mainly the post-coital scenes did not add anything to the translation of the relationship to screen. Therefore, I am left to decide that the excessive nudity exists simply because the promise of being flashed by pretty actors will get some butts in the theatre seats. Surprisingly, potential did lie somewhere among the rubble of this mess of a film. The film is based on the book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman by Jamie Reidy, a former pharmaceutical representative. In the film, the Viagra storyline is reduced to the drive for Jamie’s success and a comic scene in which the drug backfires. The book is a tell-all expose of the drug and medical industry. This movie could have easily been interesting if the script examined Phizer in a comic yet eye-opening vein similar to films like Thank You for Smoking. The writers could have even thrown the “love” element of Love and Other Drugs into the film by creating a conflict between Jamie’s career and maggie’s struggle with the pharmaceutical industry as an ill young woman with no medical insurance, a plot point that is briefly mentioned, but not even slightly examined. The only slightly redeeming element of this movie is Hathaway’s performance. The movie follows her struggle and eventual reconciliation with her Parkinson’s disease. This storyline is both emotional and realistic and deserved a better plot to support it. Love and Other Drugs is a perfect example of the now diurnal Hollywood machine. This is a movie that actually had potential to tell an interesting story. Instead, it chose to poorly tell a formula story that has been told far too many times.

sean RiChaRds Class Of 2013 CORpORate finanCe and aCCOUnting “‘All of Young money will be here for Spring Day, as long as Weezy can stay out of jail.’”

Kelly KaUfMan Class Of 2011 MaRKeting “‘How did one of the mic stands from The Wave end up in our room last night?’”

adaM BOUBKeR Class Of 2013 eCOnOMiCs finanCe “‘Two kegs. Twenty high school chics. Epic.’”

JUstin ManisCalCO Class Of 2013 finanCe “A kid and his friend lost a game of beer pong to employees at the Bentley Help Desk.”

By tomer gat PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

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Features

dECEMBEr 2, 2010

THE VanGuard

Blue Man Group puts on a very relatable, talented performance By Meghan Ryan VanGuard STaff

Life’s meanings can be discovered through the show Tubes by Blue Man Group. This show, playing at the Charles Playhouse, examines the fundamental meanings of life - exploration, connections and creation. These three concepts are carried out through the three “Blue Men,” actors who have no visibly discernable race, gender or age, but who embody universally human characteristics. The Blue Man Group uses a variety of technical, theatrical and musical components to release elements of exploration, interaction and creativity with the audience, a feat that is unparalleled by many traditional shows. as the program puts it, Blue Man Group is a “phenomenon,” one that takes the elements of theater to a whole new level. The fun atmosphere that Blue Man Group creates is mainly what gives the show its success. It’s an escapist piece, one that allows its audiences to have an out-of-theordinary experience. This is one of the main rea-

sons that the show has been so successful in Boston, because, in a town famous for tourists, quality entertainment can be profitable. Since the Blue Men don’t talk, the props, sound and lighting elements are much more essential to the overall performance. Sound in particular is one of the signature trademarks of the group - the paint-filled drums and the tube performances are essential to any Blue Man Group presentation and they enhance the production greatly. Other non-traditional elements also add to the quirkiness of the show, such as a toilet paper throw at the end and a roving camera that films the show as it’s performed. Each of these components serves as a substitute for sound, in the absence of speech, for the Blue Men, although the superior acting of these performers compensate for their lack of dialogue superbly. Though it takes a supreme effort to convey feeling and emotions as an actor, these difficulties are compounded for the Blue Man Group by the fact that they are not per-

mitted to speak. The multiple Blue Men compensate this loss by their exaggeration of body language and facial expression. Their tactics and objectives must be fully spelled out beforehand, in order to fully be synchronized. The Blue Men highlight the likenesses which are shared by all people through the synchronization of their actions and motions, movements that must be carefully planned ahead of time. no one Blue Man stands out more than any other, just as no one human being is more important than any other. Every element of their show is precisely coordinated to reflect the overall message - that everyone has something significant to contribute. Through careful planning and coordination, this message is revealed. However, their production is not completely inflexible - the element of improvisation also serves its purpose in the show. The Blue Men frequently interact with the audience, at times bringing some of the audience members up onstage. By “breaking the fourth wall,” they create a

Presenting a unique kind of theatrical show, Blue Man Group provides an engaging experience

much more interesting show, but one that has much greater potential for failure. due to the troupe’s key improvisation skills, they are able to roll with the punches in such a manner that no matter what happened during the show (even late arrivals), they were able to bounce back with such poise that the audience was never able to recognize a false step. Though the group has so many talents, such as percussion skills, body language and production coordination, the proficiency of their improvisation and their ability to “say

Courtesy of arithegreat.com

yes” to each other is the most admirable. Humanity is made up of a variety of people and cultures, each with a unique treasured characteristic. Likewise, theater is also made up of different cultures, each with distinctive traits. In Blue Man Group’s particular brand of theatricality, what is different isn’t treasured so much as what is the same. Though Blue Man Group is vastly different than many other forms of theater, it celebrates the innate primal desires of all men and women.

What’s Your Drink of Choice? Sudoku Level: Medium

By Nic Smits

The VanGuarD

Notes from AbroAd

DeCeMber 2, 2010

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Question: As your time

abroad winds down, what is something you still want to do before you leave? By Alysha Frank Dublin, irelanD

On Friday, my roommate and i will embark on our big trip of the semester – an eight-day trip from Paris to rome. but as the semester winds down, i’m doing the best i can to make sure that i’ve done everything i’ve set out to do in ireland. The list is shrinking, but time is unfortunately running out. i can’t believe how fast this semester has gone by. Growing up, my parish priest was irish, and though i didn’t know if i’d ever make it to this country, i’ve always wanted to visit a small vil-

lage called Knock. located north of Galway is a small chapel most famous for the apparition of Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the baptist in 1879. The trio appeared to 15 people ranging in age. Today, the site is internat iona lly recog nized , a nd many pilgrims make journeys to the site every year. For its 100th anniversary, Pope John Paul ii journeyed to the site, and Mother Teresa has visited the chapel as well. i feel compelled to make this journey, as i know it will be a once in a lifetime experience, and as it is close to Christmas i believe it will be a perfect, peaceful way to

The Knock Shrine is said to be the site of a holy apparition.

By Kelly Galligan barCelOna, SPain

One thing that i would still like to do before i leave barcelona is travel to Dublin. luckily, i am doing that this weekend. but in regards to barcelona, i would like to take the cable cars on Montjuic. i feel like i have done a lot here in barcelona and did more “touristy” things than i ever could have imagined when my family came to visit last week. We took a bus tour of practically the entire city and even went to the zoo. i crossed off basically everything i wanted to see that i hadn’t seen yet except Montjuic! i have heard it’s a beautiful view riding a cable car from the beach up into the mountains overlooking barcelona. This sounds amazing, like when i traveled to

Montserrat and when i went to Tibbidabo, two other mountain day trips overlooking Spain. i think that overall i have done the majority of things i was hoping to do while being abroad here in Spain. i have traveled all over europe, and i have met some great friends from all over the world. i love that i know some words now in German, italian, French, Spanish, Catalan and of course english. i have totally pushed myself out of my comfort zone and feel like my perception of things has drastically changed. but i am so grateful for the life i have at bentley and at home in the united States. i really took a lot for granted and didn’t realize how truly amazing our country is.

Notes from Abroad end my time here. This semester has been full of incredible opportunities that i know i will never forget. i feel privileged to have spent this semester here, since every day has been a new adventure for me. i intend to make every last second i have left here count.

Courtesy ofthinplace.net

The accessibility to medicine, education, water and even little things at the drug store are some things i took for granted. Things are so different here because they are not as easily available, or available at all, and if they are, they are nowhere near the quality that we have at home. Despite the differences in culture, i have loved coming abroad and have experienced and learned so much. i would definitely recommend this experience to everyone at bentley. My last few weeks will be spent traveling to Dublin, going to a Ke$ha concert in barcelona (she’s coming on my birthday!), visiting Switzerland and flying home! i still have a few weeks left, but time is flying by and i have lots of studying for finals, so i will have to go to Montjuic soon!

By Christina Menchini rOMe, iTaly

During my time abroad, i have traveled all over europe. i have been to Germany, Greece, Paris, amsterdam and countless other places all over italy. i just returned “home” to rome from my last trip, which was to Venice. i now have less than three weeks left abroad. all of this time will be spent in rome. i am happy that i am done with traveling because i need these three weeks to do and see everything that rome has to offer. i have spent so much time traveling that i feel like i am missing out on being in rome, but now i have a chance to spend more time here. The most important thing i would like to do is spend time with my classmates here in rome. My school has less than 20 students, and we have all gotten extremely close. it’s not going to be easy to say goodbye to them.

i have been going through my pictures from the beginning of my time here in italy. even though i have not left yet, it’s upsetting to look at the pictures and know that this will all be over soon. When we first got to rome, my classmates and i walked around rome looking at all the tourist sites and then had a picnic in the park together. i would like to do this once again before we all go home. i would love to spend one last day together to walk around rome and just take it all in. There are very few times we will get to have an experience like this again, so we need to do as much as we can to make the most it and the best of our last days here in rome. One of my friends here is studying Goathe, German and he once said, “as i see things at present, when i leave here, i shall wish i was arriving instead.” This quote is true to how my classmates here and i feel about leaving rome.

Barcelona is famous for its cable cars at Montjuic.

Courtesy of zooomr.com

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DeCeMBeR 2, 2010

Horoscopes Vanguard Staff

Aries (March 21-April 19): Play first, and you might as well eat your dessert first, too. Later on, life gets more complex and a whole lot busier. Taurus (April 20-May 20): Once you’ve made the big decision, there’ll be more time to relax. Snuggling is recommended, by way of celebration. Gemini (May 21-June 21): Don’t confine your studies to philosophy. Learn something you can put to use in the privacy of your own home. Cancer (June 22-July 22): Finish up the job that’s been taking up so much of your time. Plan to spend the next two days learning and relaxing. But not necessarily in that order. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Make sure your loved ones know how much you care. Don’t put that off. For the next few days, you’ll be too busy raking in the money. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Go back through your old stack of stuff and get all the valuables out. You don’t want to throw any items of significance away accidentally. That would be cold. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your cheerful attitude helps others figure out what to do next. Help them sort through the options so the leader can decide, with a little guidance from you. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The most difficult part will be over soon, and you’ll be able to relax. Gather with friends who understand you well, without having to be told. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll be able to get a lot farther intellectually than physically. That’s always the case, but it’s also a first step in getting the rest of you there. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t talk about money or anything else that might be a sensitive subject. The odds of a misunderstanding are high. Why chance it? Listen instead. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You don’t have to be the team leader to be in control. You’re the brains behind the operation, but stay out of the spotlight. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): A person who’s very well organized is good to have on your team. It shouldn’t be hard to find one now. It might be hard to avoid.

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

April’s Advice Your Questions Answered! Question: I’ve heard that some herbs and spices can help with stress, headaches and other problems. Can you tell me about some of these different herbs and spices and what their various benefits are believed to be? Many people don’t realize that herbs and spices may be able to help you in various ways. I’ve done some research on different herbs and spices, and since there are many, I will focus on a few common ones. Basil Basil is a green leafy-herb that is typically found in Italian cuisine. Research has suggested that basil has the capability to maintain a healthy blood pressure and prevent certain cancers. Also, there is a specific practice called Ayurvedic medicine, which is performed by a group of people in India. This group has used basil to treat indigestion, flu, headaches, colds and asthma. Basil oil has been said to help treat nausea and calm the nervous system. Cayenne Pepper Cayenne pepper is a very hot chili pepper and can be difficult to eat if you’re the type of person who does not like spicy foods. However, some people believe that cayenne helps cleanse your

body of toxins that have accumulated. It is believed that cayenne pepper prevents colds and sickness. If I was a bacteria or virus, I don’t think I’d be happy living next to something this hot. Just be careful when you handle the pepper because it can be so hot that it can cause your fingers to burn. Garlic Garlic is part of the onion family and has claims to other properties besides fending off vampires. What I found out about garlic is that it can help treat acne breakouts. Some people will take various garlic supplements to help their acne, but some others will crush the garlic and use the juice on the breakout area. Ginger Ginger has been most known to help calm an uneasy stomach or a stomach that has gas or acid build-up. You can either eat a small amount of ginger root, or if it is too strong then you can try drinking ginger tea instead. This actually seems to work for me when I have an upset stomach, and even though I cannot stand the taste of ginger, I’ll eat it anyways because it really does help calm my stomach. Lavender Lavender is a beautiful pur-

By April Gammal ple flower that has been known to have a calming effect on the body. Individuals have been known to use lavender on their heads to relieve themselves of headaches or to help themselves relax. Lavender has also been known to help people sleep at night. These individuals will typically burn a lavender candle while they sleep. Cinnamon Besides tasting amazing, cinnamon has been known to have some valuable properties. It is actually one of the oldest-known spices and the tree is native to Sri Lanka, where it was discovered a long time ago. Cinnamon has been known to help lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease. Cinnamon also has antiinflammatory compounds and it has been found in several studies that it can help decrease arthritis pain. Lastly, it has been found that cinnamon is helpful for indigestion and nausea. Keep in mind that everyones’ bodies are different and may react to things differently, as well. What works for one person may not work for you, and vice versa. However, it certainly is interesting to find out how these spices and herbs have been known to help the body.

Columns

THe VANguARD

More Than Words

By Rebecca Langweber

With holiday songs playing and beautiful store displays ready for the season, More Than Words Bookstore is gearing up for its second annual Holiday Shop-a-Thon. The event will take place on December 8 from 6 to 9 p.m., and it will benefit the bookstore and café through sales of mintcondition books, CDs and DVDs, as well as drinks and food. More Than Words is a nonprofit social enterprise located on 376 Moody Street in Waltham. The bookstore looks to empower youths who are in the foster care system, courtinvolved, homeless or out of school, and to teach them to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. The Holiday Shop-a-Thon was started last year with a goal of earning 1,000 dollars. The store raised 1,500 dollars, and has since increased this year’s goal to 2,000 dollars. The More Than Words Board of Directors will be matching what the store earns on December 8. The event is fully run by the youths, and will allow attendees to shop, taste the café’s food and drinks and learn about More

Than Words through youth-led tours, all while crossing things off of their holiday lists. Some of the gifts that More Than Words has to offer, aside from just books, CDs and DVDs, include stocking stuffers, holiday cards and puzzles. The evening will be hosted by an MC and will be fun for those of all ages. More Than Words trivia will be taking place throughout the night, and those who answer correctly will be awarded raffle tickets. Raffle prizes include bundles of books, CDs and DVDS, among other items. A wrapping station will be made available for those who wish to give their purchases as gifts this holiday season. Jennifer Stewart, director of operations at More Than Words, described the event as a “unique way for the kids to get excited and showcase their great customer service and business.” Shopping can also be done online, where books, travel mugs, gift cards and t-shirts are available. RSVP by sending an e-mail to events@mtwyouth.org, or by calling 781-788-0035.

DeCeMBeR 2, 2010

ABA Corner

By Vivek Dadhania

addressed the following issues:

Hey everyone, We hope you had a great Thanksgiving Break! As you are approaching final examinations, ABA wants to update you on what we have been doing recently. On November 14, we held the first Presidential Forum. Presidents from all student organizations attended an interactive discussion to help answer their questions, resolve issues inside and outside of their clusters and build community between ABA and all of the student organizations. During the forum, we

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Issues using CollegiateLink as a resource for organizations: ABA is currently working with Student Life to help create the new CollegiateLink interface similar to those of other local universities. This new version will be user-friendly and easy for organizations to integrate. ABA will be hosting an information session for all webmasters in the beginning of next semester to help everyone learn the new system. Issues regarding e-board turnover transition at the end of a school year: ABA plans to put together documents via CollegiateLink to show incoming presidents functions using CollegiateLink, planning events with the Media and Conference Services (MCS) and AIA guidelines. ABA will also be working with the clusters for individual organizational issues.

How to improve collaborations with different student organizations: Cluster Representatives will continue to send e-mails to their organizations to update them on other organizations’ events and encourage co-sponsorship among clusters. Overall, the feedback from the forum was very positive. Presidents found it more helpful and useful than the All Star Conference. They also liked that they could have discussions with presidents of other student organizations. They believed that the forum was useful because they were discussing issues relevant to their organizations. They anticipate engaging in discussions with ABA and other presidents to improve campus life and student organizations. ABA will continue to take suggestions and feedback throughout the year and hopes to improve the current climate for all student organizations.

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DeCeMBeR 2, 2010

SportS

THe VANGuARD

RUGBY Continued from Page 1 feels beyond amazing,” said senior Captain Jenna Tortorici. “We wanted this more than anything, and we earned it.” The Falcons have bounced between Division II and III the past few years, but this is the first time they have finally broken through and gotten the title they were seeking. After last season, Bentley lost a good number of seniors, making the undefeated season this year even more impressive. It was the team mentality and everyone stepping up and doing their part that led to Bentley’s incredible season. “There were a lot of freshman who stepped up big for us this season,” said Yerxa. “Not only did freshmen step up and play critical roles, everybody played their best rugby come the end of the season.” Assistant Coach Yancy Graf felt the freshmen played a key role as well, saying, “We had a huge freshmen class come in and compete for veteran starting spots. This pushed everyone to be better.” Bentley played four regular season games and then had to fight their way through Bates, St. Michael’s and last season’s

This is the first Bentley Women’s Rugby team to win a national title.

national champion MIT to make it to Cherry Hill for the four-team National Championship tournament. Bentley took on Fairfield in their semifinal match and handled them easily with a blowout 49-12 victory. The Falcons got off to a 39-0 lead at the end of the first half and it was all over from there. “Our forwards were aggressive and we were just stronger than the other team,” said junior flanker Leslie Dias. Bentley was unable to overpower Drexel in the finals

matchup, however. The Falcons, who were used to playing more of an up-tempo offense, were forced into a defensive slugfest with a much bigger Drexel team. “Drexel was coached to their strengths,” said Graf. “They had a number of big girls that weren’t very fast, but strong. They kept the ball in the forwards a lot, forcing our forwards to play the most defense they have all season.” Neither team scored for the first 10 minutes, as both defenses kept their opponents out of their try zones. Finally,

Courtesy of Jenna Tortorici

Bentley got close enough where they could attempt a kick to get some points on the board and Yerxa capitalized, making it a 3-0 game. It would stay that way, as the Bentley defense held strong, despite Drexel playing from within about 10 yards of their try zone for most of the last 10 minutes. “When we came together as a team – 15 as one – no one was going to stop us,” said Tortorici. Bentley fought through a grueling season to reach this point, and while they will

enjoy some much deserved time off, they are continuing to think about preparations for a repeat. “When you’re on top, you have to work harder each year to stay on top,” said Graf. Fortunately, Yerxa believes this shouldn’t be a problem. “Our coaches did an amazing job of motivating us to be the best players we can be,” she said. “I have no doubt this will carry over into the spring and fall.” The Falcons will graduate six starting seniors next year, including their captains, Tortorici and Shannon Duncan, who provided much of the leadership for this Bentley squad. The influx of underclassmen should keep the success of Bentley Women’s Rugby rolling, however. They certainly have plenty of challenges ahead of them, but for now it is time for these girls to enjoy their sweet victory. They proved that they deserved to be champions throughout the whole season, and they earned it in what was likely one of the hardest fought games any of them had ever played. “It was our day and we weren’t letting them take it from us,” said Tortorici. “I couldn’t be any more proud of this team.”

SportS

tHE Vanguard

Falcons break the ice with big wins Bentley Ice Hockey moves to 4-3 in conference play after overtime loss

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