12012011

VolumE lii

issuE iX

tHuRsdAY, dECEmBER 1, 2011

www.BENtlEYVANguARd.Com

Bentley seeks brand Administration bans gift cards Marketing Bentley as more Student organizations look to adopt policy Lacey Nemergut than just a business university By N E Ews

Bentley’s Marketing Department looks to create a sustainable brand image.

By Alyssa Neshe VANguARd stAFF

Many find the task of describing Bentley University in one word to be difficult. David Perry, chief marketing officer of Bentley, spoke to the Student Government Association (SGA) about marketing the University in order to spread the word about the institution.

The Marketing Department is working on sifting through their research in order to develop advertising and marketing techniques they hope to debut within the next few months to

greg Kokino/tHE VANguARd

one year. Bentley is already considered to be a positive university that is emerging onto the scene, with the 11 audiences recognizing Bentley’s strengths.

Though there are some misconceptions that Bentley is solely an accounting, business preparation school that is not innovative, it is one of two universities, the other being Babson, with EQUIS accreditation in the United States, which is the European Quality Improve System, showing that Bentley is well-rounded in the

ditoR

Beginning next semester, Bentley departments under Dean Andrew Shepardson will no longer be allowed to distribute gift cards to students as prizes. The Allocation and Internal Audit Committee (AIA) will decide shortly whether or not to echo the policy for student organizations.

The primary issues with gift cards are connotations of nonprofit societies and tax implications. Also, some people accumulate hundreds of dollars in gift cards.

“At Bentley, we always want to keep in line with best practices, especially when it comes to accounting for University funds,” said Dean Shepardson.

“We have instituted new procedures to ensure we are following our legal obligations; ensuring

See CARDS, Page 6

Many events, such as Super Bingo, advertise with gift card prizes.

Courtesy of bargainen.com and CAB

CRAZE preps for Rhythmic Graffiti

See BRAND, Page 5

Double business majors Bentley focuses on well-rounded approach

By Kristin Tomasi VANguARd stAFF

A unique characteristic of Bentley’s curriculum is the Liberal Studies Major (LSM), which gives students the option of choosing to double major in an area of liberal studies in addition to their business major.

However, students are not able to pursue a double business major. Juliet Gainsborough, associate dean of Arts and Sciences, and Dorothy Feldmann, associate dean of Business Programs, explained the reasons behind this setup.

“Bentley has a very compre-

hensive business core,” said Feldmann. The University’s

Courtesy of henrikfalck.com

General Business program consists of what would be a major in business at many other See MAJORS, Page 5

CRAZE recently took third place at the annual New England Dance Competition.

The team will be performing on campus this Friday. See Page 6.

Real assignments. Unreal opportunities.

See More | Possibilities Visit ey.com/us/possibilities to learn more.

© 2011 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

7 BUSINESS

Euro Zone bailout and Black Friday sales make for an interesting week.

8 CHELSEA HANDLER 15 CELEBS New book is written by comedian’s friends.

13 FACEBOOK

How much personal info is way too much?

Internet Celebrities finds some thanksgiving Youtube treats.

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

Courtesy of CRAZE

Page 2

News

december 1, 2011

the Vanguard

Police log Smellevator Just after midnight on November 13, a female decided to bring the party to a Copley North elevator. While the elevator was going down, this CoNo resident was throwing up. In the elevator. Nasty. An ambulance was called, not because this student had no regard for the cleanliness standards upheld in the lower campus elevators, but because she was unsteady and projectile yacking.

When questioned, this co-ed could not inform the paramedics of the day, date, time, or how much she drank.

Well, honey, just to clue you in: Sunday, November 13, 12:09 a.m., too much.

This female student may have had a rough night, but she surely isn’t the only person who has been in this situation. A warning from these reporters to all of our fellow Bentley students: Sometimes, when you go hard, you throw hard. Plain and simple. Don’t let your dignity go to the bottom floor.

Keep it classy.

Need a Handle to Handle It Last Thursday evening, University Police was notified that a handle was missing from a fire door in Falcone North. Let me tell you kids, back in my day you could leave your handles wherever you damn well pleased: On a door, in the hall, in the middle of Seasons at about 6:30 p.m.…anywhere. But now?

No. Now when a guy harmlessly tapes his handle of Pinnacle Whipped to his door for easy access, he has to be wor-

ried about scumbags coming and stealing it. Now the seniors (and only the seniors…cause underage drinking is illegal…) have to keep their booze in fridges and stuff. It’s just embarrassing, really.

Having Problems While Bacon During the weekend before Thanksgiving, one Orchard North resident decided to pig out and heat up some bacon. Unfortunately, this plan backfired, and the student set off the fire alarm. Talk about disturbing the peas! If people knew that their building was being evacuated just because one of their peers was going ham on some bacon, they may have been stuffing this student’s face in. We know hindsight is 20/20, but this kid should have probably waited for the turkey.

Since he expressed no desire to hold out for the poultry, Orchard North residents should feel free to flip him the bird.

8th Time’s the Charm University Police requested a tow for a car that was parked illegally in the Student Center Lot. The vehicle was parked without a decal and had been cited, get this, seven times previously for parking violations. I guess this is the first victim of Bentley’s new eight strike policy. Okay, fool me once, shame on you. But fool me eight times in the span of three months, now shame on me! Seven, now that could be a fluke, but eight? No way. We’re cracking

down at eight. Be scared… #StruggleBus On Saturday, November 12, Belmont Police requested that a Bentley police officer speak with a Harvard Shuttle driver due to the shuttle’s possible involvement in a minor motor vehicle accident. Some may be discouraged by this unfortunate mishap, but these reporters are actually rather pleased.

At the beginning of the year, we had a bus become engulfed in flames.

Students feared for their safety and Bentley sent out an e-mail telling us every detail about the potential dangers to our personal safety (oh wait…no they didn’t…). Now, all we’re worried about is a minor scratch on a non-Bentley student’s car? We’re encouraged, Bentley, and you should be too.

Taxing Night Late Saturday night, a taxi driver reported that he was having a problem with some students. Apparently, the driver had taken three males from Boston to Bentley after a night on the town. On the ride home, one of the males tossed his chunks all up in the backseat. So, the other two goons did what any healthy, normal, obliterated students would do: Ditched the cab as soon as it pulled up to the school.

Johnny Twobeer, however, was stuck stumbling and mumbling his way to the Police Station. Talk about a man-law violation, huh? These bros saw their buddy lose his lunch in the backseat,

and they decide to just ditch him.

Pretty sure they each earned themselves a head-butt to the crotchal region from an angry midget. Justice.

Slizzard in Slade A Slade Hall resident was found unresponsive after a night of “partying” and was subsequently transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. This student was put into protective custody and is being judicially charged with public intoxication, but we have a different focus here. Where did the word “partying” come from? How is puking your brains out at all similar to the celebration of your eighth birthday?

Parties are usually meant for fun, not for eventual rediscovery of the crispy chicken sandwich you had for lunch.

But hey, that’s just our take. Oh yeah – do you see the Freshman Puke Count at the end of this column? Now you know where one of them came from…

FRESHMAN PUKE COUNT: If you thought that our young guns would take it easy after their recordhigh 10 pukers…you thought dreadfully wrong. They went out and matched their total, gagging their way to another 10-spot, bringing the year’s total to 55. We like to call this “back-to-back yacks”. How about a hat trick next week? Eyes on the prize, kids!

Sean Harrington and Brian Shea Vanguard Staff

Judicial action Summary EDITOR IN CHIEF Leslie Dias MANAgINg EDITOR gENERAL MANAgER Tomer Gat John Karakelle COPy EDITOR NEWS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR BUSINESS EDITOR PHOTOgRAPHy EDITOR ONLINE EDITOR EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF ADvERTISINg DIRECTOR OF MARKETINg JOURNALISM ADvISOR STUDENT LIFE 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 Judy Rakowsky Nicole Chabot-Wieferich

FOR GENERAL & CONTACT INFORMATION ABOUT The Vanguard, PLEASE SEE PAGE 4.

11.10.2011-11.16.2011

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

18 34 3 4 22 $956 4 11 0 4 0 0 0 1

announcement

THE VANguARD

DECEMBER 1, 2011

PAgE 3

congratulations to the editorial

2012

Board

.

Sindhu Palaniappan editor

in

chief

Alyson Bisceglia

Emily Silver

managing editor

Mike Lovett

Nate Marchand

news editor

Tim Avrutik

Brenna O’Connell

Ben Klein

PhotograPhy editor

camPus life editor

Business editor

Lacey Nemergut

feature editor

coPy editor

Jasper Huang

general manager

Dina Durutlic

sPorts editor

director of marketing & creativity

Brian Fuerst

Meagan Kalpokis

director of layout & Production

Victoria Lin

director of advertising

director of online services

Judy Rakowsky

Nicole ChabotWieferich

Journalism advisor

student life advisor

The Editorial Board serves as the Executive Board & Board of Directors for The Vanguard, with each 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 1, 2011

Viewpoints The King & Eye

the VanguarD

Quotes of the Week “We’re not going to participate in speculation about an IPO.” -Larry Yu, spokesman for Facebook, playing down rumors that the social networking firm is considering a spring 2012 public offering.

*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 Recognizing the work of AIA The Vanguard can often be quite critical of other student and administrative organizations on campus, particularly when we see room for improvement.

Similarly, when the campus community feels that we are not living up to our expectations as the student newspaper, we expect students to be critical of us.

While we are often quick to dole out criticism, we can often be much slower to dole out praise, but we feel that a major student organization is worthy of praise: AIA. AIA has always been a background organization that many students will never deal with directly, unless they are the president or treasurer of an organization.

However, AIA holds considerable power over campus organizations and the student body, managing the stu-

dent activity fee budget and allocating the budget that runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ultimately, this task doesn’t come without challenges and risks, particularly when students get upset with how their activity fee is allocated.

While it would be quite easy for AIA to maintain an air of secrecy over their decision making, Ryan Dechance, president of AIA, has gone out of his way to improve transparency throughout the organization. Students are regularly encouraged to set up meetings with AIA or their AIA liaison and can sit in on meetings and ask questions about their activity fee allocation.

AIA regularly makes available data which shows students how their activity fee is allocated so that stu-

dents are able to make sure that their activity fee allocation is benefiting them. Transparency is key with any Student Lifesponsored organization, and AIA is a superb example of how a Student Life organization should be run.

AIA has also worked on improving contact with organizations and working on improving their interactions with student organizations. As a result of their improved dialogue with student organizations, they’ve also been receptive to changing AIA policies and implementing those changes to further benefit the student body.

In recent years, AIA has continued to raise the bar for the major student organizations on campus, and under the leadership of Dechance, they have continued to do so.

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

“I’ve been doing this with my friends for about 10 years. Black Friday has become more of a tradition than Thanksgiving.”

-Joe Casillas, a seasoned Black Friday shopper, who pitched his tent on the Monday before to ensure he’d be first in line when doors opened at midnight.

“I always will be a political prisoner of my father’s name.”

-Svetlana Peters, Josef Stalin’s only daughter, who died of colon cancer November 22 at age 85, in an interview last year.

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

DECEmbER 1, 2011

PAGE 5

GLS 242: Teaching perspectives on terrorism & governments

By Sindhu Palaniappan CAmPUS LifE EDiToR

“ATTENTION! For years, the ‘freshmans’ have been oppressed and forced to live in small, cramped villages with limited resources while the rest of the democratic republic of Bentley lives in luxury! We are not allowed: Personal transportation, to cook food within our homes, personal restroom facilities or bedrooms, freedom of speech during ‘quiet hours,’” and the list goes on.

This demanding outcry has been presented by the Freshmans Liberation Army, better known as the FLA, here in the “Democratic Republic of Bentley”. The FLA was formed

GLS 242 focuses on terrorism and how governments can react to it.

in the Terrorism & National Security (GLS 242) here.

GLS 242, taught by Professor Asbed Kotchikian, explores motives behind terrorist groups and ways that national security can react, and they did so by hosting their very own terrorist exercise throughout the semester.

The exercise was aimed at teaching students to learn that there are different perspectives involved, and to teach them to react to challenges that both societies and governments face.

The class was allowed to volunteer for sides, and it was almost split down the middle.

Both the “terrorists” and the “government” came up with their own structure – the “ter-

Sindhu Palaniappan/THE VANGUARD

rorists” chose a leader and split into a radical wing and a conciliatory wing. The “government” chose a president and advisors, along with a security structure.

The exercise functioned on the assumption that different years at Bentley were different ethnicities; the “Freshmans” were the most discriminated against and therefore were the ones who struck up a rebellion.

Their main goal was to gain their own nation, also known as Lower Campus.

The government first issued a formal address to the citizens after the FLA attacked the school’s library. Thankfully, the library had been evacuated at that point; the government found it necessary to take all possible security measures to insure safety and stop the “terrorist group.” The government then released detailed findings from an investigation, including real pictures of freshman housing here at Bentley.

“As a terrorist group, the students learned the importance of gaining sympathy within the nation,” said one student. “The ‘terrorists’ needed to keep their role as the victim that was being oppressed in order to gain the upper hand. In the game, as well as in reality, crossing the line from being labeled as a ‘freedom fighter’ to a ‘terrorist’ will cause any group to lose support.”

“It is necessary to really look

business field.

Perry described Bentley as being in “good position with a lot of potential.” Surprised that awareness for the University is not higher, Perry helped to conduct research that covered 11 different audiences, including current students, prospective undergraduate high school students, parents, faculty, alumni and more. Research was conducted to “evaluate Bentley awareness, perception and attributes” as a university to see where the institution stood in comparison to others, as well as to see how known Bentley was to the 11 audiences.

According to the research conducted by Perry, Bentley is seen by others as having “three core brand strengths,” which are a great accounting and finance reputation, high job placement and being well known for its real-world, hands-on experience.

Without providing Bentley as a choice in the survey conducted (unaided awareness), Bentley was named six percent of the time when survey participants were asked to name colleges or universities in the Northeast region. When asked, again unaided, to name undergraduate business colleges or univer-

What the course aimed to teach both its own students as well as students outside of the class is to not believe everything you hear. However much a source tries to be objective, a bias will emerge because people are human.

“Understanding the different circumstances that cause people to become terrorists can help them better understand why terrorists exist,” said one of the GLS 242 students.

“Sometimes, the line between good and evil is not very clear.

People like Nelson Mandela or America’s founding fathers could technically have been classified as terrorists, so it is important to see all sides of a conflict before deciding which side to support.”

This course was introduced in 2002, but never before this semester has an exercise such as this been conducted. The students were able to put themselves directly in the shoes of a “terrorist,” per say, while other students were put in the shoes of the “government,” responsible for reprimanding and rectifying rebellious behavior while keeping the public happy. It’s easy to criticize our government as it acts now, and it’s easy to form opinions on terrorist groups whom we learn about through a biased media. But it’s far from easy to put yourself in either set of shoes to actually learn what goes into the actions taken by both groups.

MAJORS

BRAND Continued from Page 1

at what somebody is asking for instead of writing them off as those radical lunatics that are beyond a normal person’s comprehension,” said another student. “If you do not do this, you are avoiding the issue and will never find a lasting resolution.

After doing plenty of research about terrorist groups and the ways they go about demanding certain things, and the procedures in which the government goes about dealing with this demands, the students were asked to take action within this exercise. The government in this case ended up giving the ‘Freshmans’ monetary support in order to better their living conditions, which surprised the FLA. The government learned how difficult and time consuming it was to draft a public statement, and then take action from there while keeping everyone happy. Many students in the ‘government’ section were unhappy with the final action taken – and had very different opinions.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see how the students managed to utilize what they learned and what we talked about in the course about the motivation of groups and how, more often than not, terrorist groups are nothing more than disfranchised and disgruntled segment in a society whose voices are not heard and hence they resort to terrorism,” said Kotchikian.

sities, Bentley was named 24 percent of the time, ultimately showing itself as the highest percent overall. With Bentley’s name given as a choice among a list of undergraduate business schools (aided awareness), survey participants chose the university 49 percent of the time.

Perry said that it is a challenge to be clear about what Bentley is. He said he was “impressed with the student body, along with how agile both the faculty and students are to new trends and markets.”

“The University is unique in that it’s a business university,” said Perry. “In a way, I am surprised that awareness is not higher for such a solid, accomplished institution.”

One reason for this lack of awareness could stem from the fact that Bentley is a business school, unlike other schools such as Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern.

These are all institutions that have been around much longer than Bentley, and they are larger schools that are not solely business based.

Freshman Andrew Hoey said that he would call Bentley “advanced” as an institution.

“I applied to Notre Dame, BC, Providence, Holy Cross, Babson, Quinnipiac, St. Michael’s and

Bryant, but I chose Bentley because it had the best credentials,” said Hoey.

Sophomore Rachel Fern said, “I applied to Quinnipiac, Siena, University of Rochester, SUNY Binghamton, WPI and Clarkson University because I was between business and engineering. I chose Bentley because I felt that it would provide me with endless opportunities, and I really felt like I could picture myself coming here.”

It is clear that some students are not going to be interested in Bentley because it is known as a business school. Perry stressed that “Bentley should not try to be something [the institution] is not” because it will turn away prospective students. There are good alternatives that make Bentley flexible, such as Liberal Studies Majors to coincide with a business degree, and all students are required to take courses not strictly business, such as natural sciences. Perry added that there is a “nice balance between social and academic life” here on campus between internships, clubs and service learning opportunities.

In order to further brand Bentley, Perry said, “The best thing we can do is have graduates that go out and make a difference.”

Continued from Page 1 schools. This creates a “solid grounding” in the business core, so students are already wellversed in the many aspects of business.

In addition, Bentley offers “very thorough” major programs that provide both breadth and depth into the subject matter.

“In other business programs, majors are often not as deep as ours,” said Feldmann. For these reasons, a double business major could result in an overload of business courses. An LSM, however, provides a balance with liberal studies classes.

“From a practical point of view, it is bad practice to have over 50 percent business courses. At least half of the curriculum should be non-business,” said Feldmann.

“More technical knowledge is not always best. It’s about the skill set you develop and the educational experience you gain.”

Gainsborough echoed this sentiment by explaining that Arts and Science classes give students the context they need to keep learning after they graduate from college. Students have to take these classes as part of their general education requirements, and an LSM helps them get the maximum benefit from these courses.

“Students can group their gen-

eral education classes around a theme they find interesting and compelling,” said Gainsborough.

Furthermore, the LSM requires students to complete an e-portfolio, in which they reflect on their experiences and how their courses connect with one another.

Students are encouraged to ask themselves “how does this fit with my major?” in relation to their experience as a whole. This promotes a well-rounded knowledge base and allows students to pursue a course of study that interests them.

Students are enjoying this blend of liberal studies and business. “The reason I like my double major in American Studies in addition to Accountancy is to focus my arts/science and general education courses so that I get more out of them instead of taking random courses that do not connect to each other,” said junior Ashley King.

“Bentley’s goal is to create a lifelong learner who will contribute to the community and be in touch with what’s going on in the rest of the world,” said Gainsborough.

By incorporating arts and sciences classes into an LSM rather than pursuing more business courses with a double business major, Bentley’s curriculum facilitates the achievement of this goal.

page 6

deCeMber 1, 2011

CARDS Continued from Page 1 that we are accounting appropriately for all gift cards and using funds wisely.”

“Part of it is the nonprofit situation. The other part is if gift cards are given to students there are tax implications with that that can affect financial aid,” said Jessica Kenerson, AIA advisor. “If you accrue $600 in a given year, it can affect a student’s financial aid.”

“For departments, it will take effect next semester. For student organizations, who knows if it will even be applicable for them, but AIA can make that decision,” said Kenerson.

“If they decide they want to mirror the Bentley policy, they can. If they decide not to, they can do that too, but we’d have to take a look at all the implications that go with gift cards.”

Student organizations are funded by the Student Activity Fee, set this semester at $278 per person. In total, this provides AIA with approximately $1 million to allocate to different organizations as they see fit.

“I think steadily it’s been growing into more of an issue.

NeWS & CamPuS Life

I don’t think it’s something that just happened this year,” said Kenerson in regards to the steady increase of gift cards as prizes across campus. “I think they weren’t as pervasive as they are now. If it’s two gift cards a year, that’s not really an issue.”

“It’s so difficult to track how that money is being spent,” said Kenerson. There have been concerns with gift cards to restaurants and American Express/Visa gift cards that allow for the purchase of alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, there are other gift cards that permit spending on other nonschool approved items.

“The gift card policy is a bit frustrating, even from the AIA perspective. To be clear, this is not an AIA policy. This is a Bentley policy,” said Ryan DeChance, AIA president. “In general, approximately two percent of the Student Activity Fee has been allocated toward prizes. The majority of those prizes have come in gift card form. And because most organizations offer some kind of gift card as a speaker gift, for recruiting purposes, raffles and major events (i.e. Super Bingo

and Up ‘til Dawn), this policy will affect the entire organization spectrum.”

In anticipation of the policy, elected student organizations have begun reflecting on substitutes for gift card prizes.

“CAB has relied on using gift cards as prizes for years now; students love receiving them, and they are easy for us to distribute,” said Katherine Shill, CAB president. “Due to the number of events we put on each year, gift cards are a great way to incentivize people to attend. [But] while the new gift card policy obviously affects CAB as an organization, I don’t see it as being a negative impact.”

“The AIA gift recommendation for guest speakers would be something tangible from the Bentley bookstore (i.e. mug, umbrella). For recruiting, raffles and events, organizations will also need to use the bookstore or get creative,” said DeChance. “For example, one organization recently requested funding for a 3-month Netflix subscription as a prize at a networking event. This was a refreshing change from the usual ‘Gift Card from Dunkin

the Vanguard

With the new policy, organizations will need to find new ways to get students to their events.

Donuts’ request. There are some great options out there and I think any policy that requires students to put more thought into the quality of an event is a good policy.”

“I think it’s encouraging us to think outside the box to find more innovative ways to entice people to come and participate,” said Shill. “Instead of relying solely on gift cards, organizations should be looking for other

Courtesy of Cody Marchand

original alternatives depending on the event they’re putting on.

As a programming organization, we should be able to get the campus excited for our events even without the motivation of a gift card prize, and that’s what we plan to continue to do.”

“This policy will certainly cause us to be more creative with each event,” said Bret Kirkland, president of RHA.

Know Dance, Know Life: A preview of the CRAZE dance showcase

By Sindhu Palaniappan CaMpus Life editor

CRAZE, Bentley University’s very own hiphop dance group, was founded in 2004 “as a small dance group that has now developed into a well-known team, both on campus and in the Greater Boston area,” said Edelisse Nelson, CRAZE’s creative director.

“This group of students loves to dance and has been fortunate enough to share this love through their performances at several off-campus showcases. CRAZE is all a b out ha ving fun, which audiences have always found contagious,” said Nelson.

She said that the dance this year has been choreographed by alumni and professional choreographer Stephanie Hubbard.

Hubbard has found a way to pack the dance “with energetic and upbeat moves that only hip-hop can inspire,” said Nelson.

CRAZE won’t be the only team performing, however.

Rhythmic Graffiti has been known for showcasing different teams from the Greater Boston area, as well as other dance teams right here on campus. The University’s dance team, as well as the F.I.R.E. step squad, will be performing.

“Last year, we had the pleasure of having Phunk Phenomenon, a well-known dance team featured on America’s Best Dance Crew,

as well as Lil Phunk who performs at many of the halftime Celtics Games. We almost reached capacity!” said Nelson.

This year marks the show’s fifth anniversary, and CRAZE is planning on making it even bigger and better.

Static Noise, another wellknown group from America’s

Best Dance Crew, will be performing.

“This will be the first year our show is partnered with a foundation,” said Nelson. “A portion of our proceeds will be donated to the Dizzy Feet Foundation.”

The Dizzy Feet Foundation was founded in 2009 in order to support, improve and

increase access to dance education across the country. In addition to providing instruction and support, the organization provides scholarships to young talent studying at accredited dance universities.

The show is also sponsored

by Hint Water, bottled water that is naturally sweetened for a hint of flavor, and yes,

“There will be free samples,” said Nelson.

Seniors Brain Collatos and Mike Cunningham will be the MCs for the evening. The show is this Friday, December 2. This showcase of varied styles of hip-hop starts at 7:30 p.m., and is free to all Bentley students with an ID.

BUSineSS

tHE Vanguard

dECEmbEr 1, 2011

PagE 7

Eurozone train wreck and Black Friday top market headlines this week

By Jasper Huang Vanguard Staff

Welcome to the weekly market wrap for the week of November 21 through November 25, with markets being closed this Thursday in observance of Thanksgiving.

Markets fell sharply amid intensifying concerns about the Eurozone, with Friday marking the seventh consecutive negative close for the S&P, which fell a cumulative 7.8 percent. Crude oil futures grew to $97.50 this week before falling to around $96, gold futures ended the week down more than $10 near $1,685.00.

Traders and investors have been held hostage this week from negative trends set into motion yet again by, you guessed it, the Eurozone debt crisis. The debt crisis can be described as somewhat of an unfolding train wreck, now spreading into the big players of the region, France and Germany. Although the IMF (International Monetary Fund) announced that it would implement lending policies to combat the debt, this was in lieu of Spanish

and Italian debt costs rising to their highest since the beginning of the crisis.

There were renewed concerns of credit rating downgrades in Europe and the U.S. as the credit ratings of both Portugal and Hungary were downgraded even further. France’s triple-A credit rating came under scrutiny amidst reports that Belgium would be unable to pay its agreed share to rescue Dexia, a Belgian-French bank.

Germany was unable to sell off all of their 10-year bonds, and pressure mounted on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to approve “stability bonds” that would help the finance of Eurozone governments. However, because Germany doesn’t want to risk its triple-A credit rating, Merkel has issued a statement saying that a common interest rate bond for the entire Eurozone would send the “wrong signal.”

Due to the slew of negative news emanating from Europe, domestic markets dropped dramatically falling below 50 and 200 day moving averages. Selling continued this week as the government

Black Friday is arguably the most important day of the year for retailers.

revised its third quarter GDP growth estimate from 2.5 percent to 2.0 percent.

Another focus in the U.S. market this week has been on “Black Friday,” which begins the start of the Christmas shopping season.

Despite this being the busiest shopping day of the entire year, retailers underperformed. Normally popular online retailer Amazon was

one of the worst performers in the retail space, ending this trading session down 3.5 percent. Other retailers such as Home Depot and electronics giant Best Buy both slid into the red by small margins.

According to Bloomberg, 25 percent of Christmas shopping is done in the week following Black Friday, and the Christmas shopping season

Courtesy of bryantarchway.com

accounts for over 40 percent of annual retail sales. Thus, the coming weeks leading up to the end of 2011 will be a critical time for retailers, the U.S. economy and Santa Claus. **Information sourced from The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNN Moneywatch & Nasdaq Online.

Yield Curves: May be hard to explain, but important to understand

By James Pini Vanguard Staff

Yield curves have been an extremely difficult economic phenomenon for economists to explain. But during 2011, there has been much talk of them and their importance for suggesting future economic conditions.

The yield curve, when seen at one point in time, is a measure of interest rates on securities of different maturities.

It typically has a positive slope, meaning that the longer the maturity, the greater the annual return investors demand. This makes sense in that the longer an investor is locking in a particular return, the greater chance “something might go wrong,” which would cause him to demand more

return up front.

The yield curve can also be seen through time. Here, as can be seen in the chart below, two particular rates are graphed through time. When the shorter maturity rate rises above the longer maturity rate, it can be said that the curve is “inverted.” Unlike during the normal yield curve, investors are willing to accept a smaller return on longer maturities.

Having a good understanding of the yield curve is important because of this fact: The U.S. yield curve has inverted eight times since 1960; in seven of them a recession has occurred soon after. The only false-signal was in the midsixties, and although there wasn’t a recession, the economy slowed. Conversely, every

recession has been preceded by an inverted yield curve.

One might explain this phenomenon in two different ways. One is that by the central bank raising short-term rates through monetary policy, it forces banks to restrict their lending since they typically “borrow short and lend long.” (If short term rates are greater than long term rates, banks have no profit margin).

This in turn slows the economy. Under this explanation, an inverted yield curve causes recessions.

Another explanation is that an inverted yield curve is indicative of a change in investor expectations. The basis of this idea is that longer-term rates are a function of expected future shortterm rates. Hence, when the

U.S. yield rates have been steadily droppping since 1981 (Data from the OECD and the NBER).

market expects a recession, they also expect the central bank to lower interest rates in the future, so investors are willing to accept lower longterm rates.

Today, there is again talk of another potential recession.

But those who looked to the inverted U.S. yield curve back in 2006 to predict the 2008 downturn can’t do the same again; the Fed is very unlikely to let short-term rates rise, as the overnight lending rate is supposed to stay low until at least mid-2013, not to mention that QE III appears to be just around the corner as well.

Instead, many are looking toward the yield curves of countries like Brazil, Russia, India, China, New Zealand, Norway, Chile and other growing economies that

presently have more conventional monetary policies. Some of those countries inverted earlier in the year, some of them still are, and some of them might invert soon.

The question is whether these inversions are as strong an indicator as they have been in the U.S. For example, for many of these countries (e.g.

China, Russia, Brazil), the bond markets do not exactly have as long and as stable a history that the U.S. does. In other words, even if there is an inverted yield curve in China, there’s no way to calculate how probable a recession is.

Despite all this, these countries are being closing watched by many investors, and it would be prudent for all of us to pay some attention.

James Pini/tHE Vanguard

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DECEmBER 1, 2011

VoiCES

THE VANGUARD

The Beat

What is your favorite foreign phrase?

ALex deLOng CLAss Of 2015 mArkeTIng “Carpe diem.”

Seize the day.

AmAndeep CATTry CLAss Of 2012 mAnAgemenT “Wanker.” (In British accent.)

BLAIr pOTTer CLAss Of 2014 C OrpOrATe f InAnCe ACCOunTIng “¿Que pasa?”

What’s happening?

And

BrAndOn dOrmAn CLAss Of 2015 undeCIded “Ad absurdum.”

Be absurd.

Chelsea Lately is one of my favorite late-night television shows. When 11 p.m. rolls around on a summer night, you’ll likely find me watching it.

I always look forward to watching the different panelists and listening to Chelsea Handler’s crazy view of the world.

It seems that Handler is everywhere now - she has written books, hosted award shows and has a new sitcom coming out. Her book Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me is her latest to be published. I’ve read some of her other books, such as Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea and Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, but I never thought they were as funny as her show. My opinion was that her humor just didn’t translate well from TV to written words.

Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me is a completely different story. It’s written by Handler’s friends, family and coworkers (thus bypassing the translation-of-humor problem).

They recount all of the pranks and tricks Handler has played on them over the years.

Each chapter is a different story which ends with snarky comments from Handler. Some highlights include entries from her brothers and sisters, panelists and dog Chunk (who would be recognized by any true Handler fan). Other familiar Handler characters include her brother (and chef, of course) Roy Handler and Chelsea Lately panelists Brad Wollack, Heather McDonald and Josh Wolf.

The pranks, ranging from pregnancy scares to fake promotions, will make you laugh out loud and squirm at the same time. It’s like Handler is some kind of alien that doesn’t give any attention to social norms in the least. Her pranks are borderline cruel, but still make you laugh (almost) every time.

I’ll admit, there was one chapter in which I got mad at Handler for crossing the cruelty line (but of course, I won’t give that chapter away here). Most

By Olivia LeClair

Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me is by her friends, family and coworkers.

of the time, you hope to yourself that this book is one big bundle of fictional stories, yet you desperately want to believe it is all true.

You may think to yourself: Why do these people continue to fall for Handler’s ridiculous tricks? Everyone knows that she’s a compulsive liar and suspects her of making up almost everything she says. However, it’s that one-percent chance that what she says is true that keeps reeling them in.

Obviously, I enjoyed this book. I found its humor to be quite unique and liked (almost) all of the stories. A word to the wise - if you find Handler’s humor crude, grotesque, stupid or just not funny, please don’t read this book. I promise you, you’ll hate it. (And please never work for her, either!) Even though she didn’t directly write it, she really tortures her coworkers and family.

Courtesy of borderlineamazing.com

On that note, now is probably a good time to state that this book has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It will not be held up as a great piece of 21st-century literature when the 22nd century rolls around, and my children will likely read this column and wonder what I’m even writing about.

Does that really matter? Not to me. Yes, I’m a bookworm and general nerd who enjoys reading Literature with a capital L, but sometimes it’s the fluff books that you need the most - especially now, while we’re wrapped up in the seemingly endless stress of finals, papers and impending deadlines.

My final recommendation is this: If you haven’t already read Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me, go read it. Fit it in amongst your studying and give yourself a snippet of comic relief each day. Laughter is the best medicine, right?

rAdHIkA BAnsIL CLAss Of 2015 COrpOrATe fInAnCe And ACCOunTIng “C’est la vie.”

Such is life.

By kevin du PHoToGRAPHy STAff

In 2010, Handler performed at the Wang Theatre in Boston as part of her Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang tour to promote her most recent book.

Jeff Breault/THE VANGUARD

feATures

THE VANGUARD

Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker continues to intrigue audiences of all ages

By Leslie dias EDiToR iN CHiEf

On Friday, November 25, the entrance to the Boston Opera House was filled with excited ticket holders, bubbling with eagerness to see Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Quickly diving into the holiday season, the interior of the opera house was adorned with wreaths, red ribbon and gold ornaments.

Families, couples and students anxiously waited for the line to dissipate so they could take their seats for the opening night of one of Boston’s most infamous Christmastime shows. The ballet, artistically directed

by Mikko Nissinen, was an ornate display of extraordinarily talented and graceful performers who captivated the audience throughout the show.

The show commenced with a snowy village scene on the opening curtain and fading lights in and out to look like snow was falling in the opera house. The ballet proceeded through a snowy city scene and then took the audience to a bustling living room with children and parents, dressed in colonial attire, and rummaging through Christmas presents.

Clara, the main character, and Fritz, her brother, were in the midst of playing together with their friends when Drosselmeier, Clara’s godfather, entered the party, and the plot was jolted into motion.

Drosselmeier charmed the children with waves of his cloak and reeled them in with his gifts. The living room was filled with largerlife-toys, including an enormous teddy bear and lifesize dolls whose uncanny

DECEmBER 1, 2011

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VoiCES What is the best Black friday deal you’ve ever gotten?

JOHn BArTLeTT CLAss Of 2015 fInAnCe “An Xbox 360 for $150.”

The sugar plum fairy takes center stage in the kingdom of sweets.

ability to impersonate the movements of toy dolls was beyond impressive.

Then, Clara was presented with Drosselmeier’s prized nutcracker and she is taken for an unforgettable adventure from there on out.

Clara spent the rest of the ballet chasing the fantasies presented by this magical Nutcracker, who is transformed into a charming prince. Along with battling the terrifying mice and ultimately defeating the Mouse King, the Nutcracker brought Clara to the forest where a troop of white costumed ballerinas lulled the audience into the magic of winter’s quiet tranquility.

With the beginning of the second act, Clara, Drosselmeier and the Nutcracker entered the Kingdom of Sweets, where the audience is introduced to the Sugar Plum Fairy. The rose-colored scene was almost dreamlike, with pairs and groups of dancers enter-

Courtesy of npwebsiteservices.com

ing and reentering onto the center stage to honor Clara for her courage in helping to defeat the Mouse King.

The dances ranged in style from acrobatic duos performing incredible stunts, to the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker prince waltzing and spinning from one corner of the stage to the other, to the springtime fairies swaying and prancing through the billowing clouds of makeshift smoke.

The ballet appealed to all audiences, especially the young, but also the old and anyone in between.

Visually, The Nutcracker is unlike any type of Christmas show, incorporating numerous dance styles and costume variations to keep the audience enticed and intrigued to see every next move. The Nutcracker will be performed at the Boston Opera House until December 31. To find out more information, visit bostonballet.org.

BrendAn keLLy CLAss Of 2014 COrpOrATe fInAnCe And ACCOunTIng “A Samsung 32” 1080p TV for $200.”

pATrICk rensTrOm CLAss Of 2014 ACCOunTAnCy “Free leftovers from Thanksgiving.”

meLIssA rIvers CLAss Of 2012 ACCOunTAnCy “At Victoria’s Secret: Spend $60 and get a free tote with samples inside.”

TrAvIs grOgAn CLAss Of 2014 eCOnOmICs fInAnCe “This sweater I’m wearing… $4”

The nutcracker defeats the mouse king in a heated battle that takes place in the living room.

By Brett kirkland Courtesy of pointeandpress.com

PHoToGRAPHy EDiToR

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FEatuREs

deCember 1, 2011

the Vanguard

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Actor and RECording artist

By Mike Lovett Vanguard Staff

IMDB.com is one of the most reliable websites on the Internet, as it contains everything any actor, director, writer or producer has ever done in TV and film.

But what happens when there is work done by those people outside of the Hollywood spectrum?

We first saw it with James Franco at last year’s Oscars he blamed his subpar performance as host on the pressure of the film classes he was taking and instructing.

With one look at his Wikipedia page, you’ll see a laundry list of occupations.

Most know him as an actor, but the list also includes director, writer, poet, musician, author, producer, painter, pilot and model. They should have added “breather” just so we know he makes time for it.

On our very own Bentley campus, we saw another young star who is dipping his toe in various waters. Donald Glover started as a writer for 30 Rock when he was still in college, landed a starring role in an NBC sitcom and began touring the country as a stand-up comedian. He also has become known as the

Childish Gambino, his rapping moniker, and just sold 53,000 copies of his latest album Camp in the first week.

Here’s one you may not have heard much about: Joseph Gordon-Levitt. You are probably aware of his film success as he had a leading role in (500) Days of Summer and a supporting role in Inception, two award winning films. Not to mention another leading role in September’s 50/50 and one more supporting role in the highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises, the final installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman series.

If you ask him about his movies Gordon-Levitt gets excited, who wouldn’t be with a resume like his own?

But if you ask him about his company, hitRECord, he will giggle like a school girl and do a jubilant dance. That is not an exaggeration because he did those things when plugging hitRECord on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

HitRECord was born almost six years ago during Gordon-Levitt’s college days at Columbia when he received Final Cut Pro. As soon as he got it, he began playing with a camera and making videos. He did this so

much that it started to interfere with his school work.

Over the summer, GordonLevitt sat down for an interview with Time writer Joel Stein to discuss the early days of hitRECord and the effect it had on his studies.

Gordon-Levitt said, “I just realized that the time I’m spending writing these papers was taking away from my time cutting videos.”

This prompted Stein to ask, “You know how some kids just smoke too much pot and don’t finish Michigan State? Your equivalent was Final Cut Pro?” Gordon-Levitt laughed.

“Yeah actually,” he said.

He decided to talk to his brother Dan about creating a website as a type of storage unit for all of these videos so he could have them out there for all to see. The site and his passion grew until hitRECord became what it is today, a fully functioning open-collaborative production company that is growing daily.

In the last five years, Gordon-Levitt has collaborated with hundreds of people without meeting most of them. These people who Gordon-Levitt refers to as RECordists put their works

Courtesy of angsawariko.blogspot.com.

Gordon-Levitt (of Inception) founded HitRECord, a collaborative production company.

of art or RECords (is the theme obvious yet?) on the site and together they make up hitRECord.

The artistry created is not limited to the site. GordonLevitt has worked with a small group of individuals including his father who serves as CFO to keep expanding hitRECord.

Gordon-Levitt and his team now do live shows including multiple appearances at Sundance and SXSW. He has also put together a book of RECords titled “RECollections” that serves as a collaboration of collabo-

rations and shows the progress and incredible work of hitRECord.

Gordon-Levitt thinks it’s only a matter of time before the financial success of hitRECord exceeds the financial success of movie career.

If he is right, then hitRECord is destined for a promising future. But he isn’t in this alone - he encourages all to participate as long as you share his passion for creating art because that is the way he wants to see it to grow. He only has two rules: Be creative and hit RECord.

Breaking Dawn: Taking Twilight to a whole other level

By Kelsey Miller Vanguard Staff

Going to see Twilight is not merely the action of going to the movies, it’s an adventure.

An adventure because you have to think about the audience around you – fanatical tweens screaming “TEAM JACOB!” or “TEAM EDWARD!” every five seconds. It’s a fairly traumatic experience.

If you haven’t been scared away from seeing the latest Twilight movie Breaking Dawn Part 1, then here are some details that might scare you away from the current installment.

So, here’s the short of the

long of it: Bella and Edward get married! Yay! And Bella gets pregnant with a vampire baby! Not so good.

But, of course, the movie is long and drawn out. Bella, while wearing a beautiful wedding gown (a $35,000 wedding gown designed by Carolina Herrera) gets married to Edward. Naturally, Jacob is then plagued by the fact that his true love is married.

After the wedding, the two go on their honeymoon. This part of the movie is rather slow in action, if you catch the double entendre. But on the upside, there was plenty of chess-playing! And hiking!

Seriously, this boring honey-

Bella’s pregnancy is the source of much conflict in Breaking Dawn: Part One.

Courtesy of gossiboocrew.com

moon lasted for literally an hour.

Eventually, after Edward pushes past his issues, things get weird - Bella gets pregnant. We all know vampires can’t knock up humans, but we just have to roll with it.

Naturally, our two heroes return to Forks so that Carlisle, the wonder-doctor, can save Bella because of course, this is no normal pregnancy. The Cullen baby is a mutant, life-sucking thing that slowly drains the life out of Bella.

Bella is dying because she refuses to get rid of the mutant baby, and Edward is in an “I’ll-kill-myself-if-youdie” type of mood. Obviously it is all very dramatic.

Bella’s chances are looking very grim until werewolf Jacob suggests that the baby might need blood to survive, since it’s half-vampire. Yeah, that’s right, Bella starts to drink blood out of styrofoam cups, just like the smoothie ones they give you in LaCava (think about that next time you go) and magically everything gets better.

Better until Bella gives birth. The birth scene is very graphic - there’s blood everywhere, screaming and flashing images that have caused movie goers to suffer seizures. And creepily

Edward and Bella finally tie the knot in the fourth of five Twilight movies.

enough, Jacob imprints on the baby, meaning he falls in love with her.

Oh, and Bella dies. But Edward made sure to inject her with plenty of vampire venom, so while everyone mourns her death, Bella slowly turns into a beautiful, newly minted bloodsucker when she finally opens her eyes days later.

And then, that’s the end of the movie. Confused? Well, you’ll just have to wait a year to find out how the saga ends!

The fifth and final movie is scheduled to be released November 16, 2012.

Critics’ opinions of this movie are all over the place.

Rottentomatoes.com gives it

Courtesy of hollywoodjunket.com

a score of 27 percent, but 73 percent of viewers on that same site enjoyed it. Scott Nash from Three Movie Buffs asked someone to “put a stake in this franchise,” but Charles Koplinski from the Illinois Times claimed that “Dawn finally gives viewers something to sink their teeth into.” Apparently, no one can resist the puns, no matter what their opinion is.

In the end, it’s just another movie. See it if you want to, don’t if you don’t want to. It’s not a terrible way to spend two hours. And if you’re worried about being pulled away from MW3, don’t worry about it - there’s plenty of violence to keep you occupied.

ColuMNs

the VanguarD

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

By Nupur Bhandari lonDon, uniteD KingDom

I don’t even know how to begin answering this question.

This study abroad experience has been one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my entire life. I have met so many amazing people here in England and I have grown immensely as a person since I’ve been here.

When I first signed up to study abroad, I was very excited, but at the same time I was very nervous. Bentley is only 45 minutes away from my house and I still used to get homesick pretty often - how would I survive being in a foreign country, on another continent, for three whole months? I did it with the help of my friends.

I had told myself I wanted to meet as many British people as I could while I was studying in England, but at the same time I already knew a couple of people from Bentley who were studying abroad at the same school. The

three of us decided that we would stick together, but we all wanted to make efforts to meet actual Royal Holloway students.

My relationship with my two Bentley classmates has grown tremendously during our time here in England. We could all relate to each other when it came to being homesick and missing simple things like iced coffee and macaroni and cheese.

We were all going through the same culture shocks, and we helped each other get through everything.

In addition to my two Bentley friends, I was lucky enough to become friends with several British Royal Holloway students. I have only known these friends for a little less than three months, but I feel like I would do anything for them. In our dorms, we lived with mostly freshmen and a few third-year students. It ended up that most of my friends are first-year students, so we were all new to Royal Holloway together.

It was like freshman year all

By Tim Doherty Dublin, irelanD

I don’t feel as though there was one single thing that has made my time abroad more meaningful than another. The whole experience overall has been the best part. Becoming better friends with the 15 other Bentley students here, as well as other American and Irish students we have met

By Cole Anderson Dublin, irelanD

Studying in another country, and within a completely different cultural context, is in itself a very meaningful experience. However, since my arrival in Europe, I have over again, but this time we knew some of the tricks of surviving college. I felt like sometimes us Bentley kids were almost like the first-year students’ mentors, and we tried to give them advice and teach them the stuff you usually learn the hard way. At the same time, I feel like they taught us a lot of stuff, too.

They taught us so much about British culture, and they were so intrigued by our American culture. The memories that I have from this experience will last a lifetime. I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to take it because it will literally change your life.

Everyone has a different study abroad experience and you don’t realize how amazing it is until you are actually there.

Scratching the Surface: The Power of Words It isn’t uncommon to hear the words, and if you feel comfortable reading them, then something is wrong. In fact, something is disturbing and it can’t be ignored any more.

There is something troubling when athletes call each other fags in Seasons to insult one another. There is something troubling when guys feel the need to act more manly so their “friends” don’t bully them.

There is something wrong when “gay” is used in the place of “weird,” “gross” or “disgusting” by men and women alike. There is something wrong when women won’t date a flamboyant straight man because he seems “gay”.

One can’t help but find the wrong when lesbians are called “dykes” in private and public, and bisexuals are rejected time and again as sexually crazed because they can’t seem to “choose one side.”

So, what’s in a word? Why should we change the way it is used? Simple statements, which seem harmless, by antimarriage or anti-gay “intellectuals,” such as “Gayness isn’t natural” or “Being gay is a

choice,” have far greater implications than the discussions they are brought up in.

As any feminist (myself included) would tell you, the use of words is where the abuse starts. Using language such as fag or dyke toward anyone, regardless of their sexual identity, leads to realworld physical abuse and suicide.

There are adults, students and children you know that are still not out. There are members of your family who are “happily” married and in their 40s and 50s who feel the need to hide their sexual orientation to be accepted by society.

You have best friends, whom you think you know the best, but who have kept large parts of their lives away from you so you never find out.

Why? Because every time you say the word fag or gay, or discuss being gay as a choice, you are destroying the selfesteem and self-worth of that person.

With enough push, those words turn into actions and you find children and teenagers who climb the side of a bridge over a freeway and jump in front of an 18-wheel-

er.

Of those who died are “greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton.”

Dashed are the dreams of the next Steve Jobs, broken is the body of tomorrow’s Michael Phelps.

As teenagers, we have all been through and dealt with the insecurities of a changing body. Gays grow up with these issues and the uncertainty of their orientation.

Know that every time you say fag, gay or dyke, you are contributing to a society that doesn’t accept gays for who they are. You are contributing to a sleepless night full of crying and prayers to make the gay go away. Students, overwhelmed by their struggle at Bentley, are more vulnerable than you may consider.

It isn’t easy to stop saying words you have been using for years now, but it isn’t impossible. Worse yet is when others stay silent or laugh when these words are lauded around. Silence is the greatest support you can provide to these fools.

It isn’t easy standing up to your friends or strangers, but if it means one less sleepless night, or one less thought of

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over the past three months, has made the trip very enjoyable.

The ease of travel has also been very meaningful. Of course, the country you study in is where you are going to see the most things, but the ability to be in Dublin one day and the next be in Italy or Spain is an awesome feeling.

I was also luckily, or maybe stupidly as my friends had told

me, able to get an internship while I was here. It was great being able to experience a European workplace.

Although Ireland is pretty similar to America, the workplace is a lot different and I am glad I was able to experience it.

These three areas - social, travel and work - have all culminated into one amazing, meaningful experience.

taken away much more than textbook examples of global issues. I have since garnered my own personal international perspective and opinions on various cross-cultural dynamics.

Thus, for me, the most meaningful part of my abroad experience has been living in a completely different culture and experiencing as many other cultures as possible.

Dublin has many similarities to the United States, yet so many different customs and nuances of everyday life distinguish the two very different parts of the world.

I had the privilege of staying in Paris with two different families. My mother had volunteered for a program where two French girls stayed with us for about three weeks each over the summer. Having invited them to my own apartment in Waltham, and then showing them Boston, I was invited to Paris during my time here in Dublin.

This was perhaps my favorite experience since I arrived. Not only was I able to

see The City of Light in all of its wonder, but I was also able to experience the home life of two different French families.

I quickly grew to love French cuisine and delicacies, among the very hospitable families I stayed with. I have found that the two best ways to experience a culture in a short period of time are transportation and food. During my time in Paris, I grew to love the metro’s convenience and ease, as well as the five-course meals each day.

There is nothing better than meeting people from all over the world, especially when you get the opportunity to travel on your own. It is a very rare occasion when you can experience the lifestyle of a traditional family from a completely different part of the world.

Since I left the U.S., my entire outlook on other parts of the world has been changed completely; it has been strengthened and sharpened, from experience and a growing interest in cultural diversity.

Cheers one last time from Dublin!

By Moussa Hassoun

insecurity leading to suicide, it has to be done. Stop saying “gay” in the ways that you do; start standing up to people who refuse to.

I started telling my friends to stop saying fag or gay earlier this year. It wasn’t easy, but I’ve also started telling complete strangers; so should you. The problem is that most people aren’t even trying.

We must accept the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) community for who they are and stop questioning

It’s up to you to step up and help stop this growing trend.

if it’s a choice or not; it isn’t.

No one chooses to be hated on, discriminated against or belittled.

Bentley (as an institution) does a fine job of showing support for students in the community, but its jocks and scholars, activists and book worms and many others, hurt those who are still trying to figure it all out. Next time students don’t control their language, I hope you will be there to stop them, and remember that you won’t be alone.

Courtesy of ourcompass.file.wordpress.com

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COLuMNS

DeCember 1, 2011

HorosCopes

By Franziska & Johanna Griecci

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Oh my gosh! You don’t care about political correctness; you’re going to wish everyone a “Merry Christmas”!

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Dastardly deeds! Someone drank the last of your hot chocolate AND left the mug for you to clean!

Gemini (May 21-June 21)

Musical mayhem! Someone has threatened to buy you the new Justin Bieber Christmas CD!

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Sloppy snowballs! It’s only a matter of time before real snow hits and you need to buy new boots!

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Frizz of fury! Your hair does not like this colder weather at all!

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Temptation! You should study, but a marathon of your favorite TV show is due to air. Tough choice!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Holy dust bunnies! You have to host the next big family function, but you’ve got no time to clean!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

By Mario Batali’s beard!

There’s a potluck tonight and you didn’t cook for it! Quick!

To the store!

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Holiday horror! It’s not even Christmas and they’re advertising for Valentine’s Day! Stop the madness!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Screaming credit cards!

Christmas is less than a month away and you haven’t even started shopping yet!

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Crikey! Exam time is closing in fast and you haven’t even attempted to study!

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Calorie crunch! A multitude of holiday party invitations is threatening to derail your diet!

April’s Advice

Your Questions Answered!

THe VanguarD

By April Gammal

Question: Christmas is right around the corner and I have shopping to do! Can I really make a mistake in buying Christmas presents?

I LOVE Christmas time, so I’m glad you asked! I love the lights. I love the decorations. I love the music. And I love the family get-togethers.

However, to answer your question, the answer is “yes”.

Actually, the answer is “absolutely yes”. Please read on.

Avoid generic items such as candles or gift cards. It only screams: I really don’t care enough to think about what you would really like, and it would just look horrible if I didn’t get you anything at all.

Avoid subtle message items, such as a hair waxing kit or a low-carb, low-fat cook book. While it may have seemed like a good idea at the time, it will only create an awkward pause once the gift is opened.

Avoid personal items such as lingerie unless you know they specifically have mentioned wanting that exact item. Otherwise, you will send them into a spiral of awkward internal questions and it may just kill the night for ya… Sorry.

Avoid boring items such as a coffee maker, an ice cube tray or a toaster… Really?

All the excitement of Christmas built up and you rip through the wrapping

Avoid gifting boring items, such as appliances and cooking utensils.

paper only to find…what? Oh wow, thanks… I’ve always wanted a new salt and pepper shaker. Come on man, think before you buy.

Avoid items that will come back to haunt you in the end.

A new drum set and a super soaker sound great for a younger sibling, but only smack you in the face when you’re drenched in water, blocking your ears and screaming at them to quit banging on that stupid drum set.

Avoid clothing unless you know their size, or else you may be faced with the following question: Do you really think I’m a plus-size girl who enjoys wearing zebra-print, sequin-covered tops? You

may experience the same consequences as the lingerie gift.

Past responses are typically a good indicator of future responses. If you bought someone a fuzzy purple scarf last year and you never saw them wear it, then there is a good chance that they probably won’t wear the fuzzy pink scarf you bought them this year. Try to remember what you bought that person last year and avoid making the same mistake twice.

Wouldn’t it be so cool if I bought a Darth Vader Tom Tom? No, stop being a nerd.

No one wants a useless nerdy gadget that maybe for half of a second they will think is cool and then the rest of the

Courtesy of onebigbadwolf.blogspot.com

time be pulling out the batteries just to make it stop.

So, hopefully I’ve armed you with some good advice on what to avoid this Christmas season and hopefully every Christmas season. Now, get shopping! (By the way, I like almost anything purple.)

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

Jason Witten might have had the most interesting Thanksgiving out of us all.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. There is one thing you should keep in mind as you reflect on your memories of the year’s best feast, though. Your day just simply wasn’t as good as Jason Witten’s was.

For those of you who don’t know, Witten is the tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. On Thanksgiving Day, Witten

Courtesy of www.inflexwetrust.com

and the Cowboys took on the Miami Dolphins. His day started off boring, just making the usual $212,000 per game that he earns. But in the fourth quarter, Witten became the world’s luckiest man.

After making a sideline catch, a Dolphin’s linebacker tackled him aggressively out of bounds. Now, normally

you might think, “Wow, that sucks, I would imagine he experienced pain and not much else.” But Witten came down with a prize far better than the football on this particular play: A Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

I’d be lying if I said that he definitely didn’t do it on purpose. If you watch the video “Jason Witten Picks Up First Down & A Cheerleader,” it is quite obvious that he had room to fall without bringing the girl down with him. But then again, I can’t say I blame him for doing what he did. Reaching his arm out and bringing her down with him was probably the smartest football move made that day.

Finding an NFL star without a history of drug use, gun crimes or sexual assault is like finding a needle in a haystack. So, that lucky cheerleader is more than likely going to use this little icebreaker tackle move as a set up for a date.

So, while you spent your Thanksgiving eating mediocre pie and dry turkey, mingling with annoying relatives and justifying your

Briefcase Banter: Facebook Left Hook There are few periods in a person’s life when Facebook is more relevant than during one’s college years. The very notion of college is closely tied with feelings of freedom, change and other vague Obama-isms that don’t actually come to fruition. Needless to say, an important part of college life is keeping up appearances with the people you don’t see often, or in more realistic terms: Making sure everyone you know is indirectly aware of what you’re doing at all times via social media outlets.

The desire to be recognized amid a slew of inane babble, meaningless status updates and photos highlighting last Saturday’s shenanigans is one that we all feel from time to time. However, at the same time no one wants to appear overly conspicuous on Facebook. We’ve all lost battles to keep our mouths shut on the Internet because at one point or another everyone wants to be heard, but nobody wants to get caught yelling. Sometimes Facebook works in your favor and everyone rejoices at the great person that you are.

Sometimes it doesn’t and everyone wants to hit you with a book. In order to avoid stepping on one too many virtual toes, I’ve compiled a short list of what I believe to be the most egregious Facebook related offences known to man.

First and foremost is the

online offender I most affectionately refer to as the “PDA pirate”. Consisting primarily of (but definitely not limited to) self-obsessed girls who just love to dish about how much they adore their significant other, the PDA pirate is without a doubt one of the most annoying Facebook offenders there is. While it might be true that your boyfriend is in fact superior to every other male on the planet, the fact of the matter is that it’s really not relevant to me. I don’t appreciate being made an audience member for your puppy love show, and I doubt any of your female friends do, either.

Obvious allusions to one’s partner can range from cute and genuine “happy anniversary sweetie”s to immodest and invasive “I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND XOXO”s, and it’s a slippery slope once you start treading down that path.

There is a more tactful way to go about committing this Facebook farce, however: Change your relationship status or make an indirect feeder comment to your harem, wait for some friends to comment on it and then say whatever you want and soak in the limelight. As long as you aren’t the initiate of your own romantic musings, you’ll be sure to avoid the admonishment of your peers.

The second Facebook offender I’d like to draw attention to

is the “situationally trendy nerd”. This person rarely, if ever, actually discusses topics of geek lore, and yet for whatever reason strives to make it known that they are in fact totally in the nerd-know. The problem with this individual is the fact that they incorrectly view geekdom as being hip or desirable in some way; it’s not.

I know a lot of nerds and none of them flaunt their nerdiness because they’re still reeling from all the swirlies they got in high school.

Next time you think it would be quirky to post something along the lines of “watching Star Wars all day - totally geeking out lol” or “reading Harry Potter for the fourth time!” do yourself a favor and pull your underwear over your head and punch yourself in the face a couple of times.

Hopefully that will help you feel more genuinely nerdy and deserving of the title. I also want to make it known that there is nothing “nerdy” about Twilight. It doesn’t matter how many times you watched New Moon; if it’s more than once you’re not a nerd, you’re just an idiot.

The final version of the Facebook offender is generally more common than the previous entries, yet remains just as annoying. The “world traveler” is that Facebook friend who goes overseas and just can’t seem to keep it to them-

deCember 1, 2011

Page 13

By Dan Binder-Brantley complete and utter disregard for a healthy diet, Witten made nearly a quarter of a million dollars and probably tied the knot with one of the hottest women on the planet. And yeah, he definitely had a better meal than you, too.

Sticking with the Thanksgiving theme, I decided to search for turkey videos. Per usual, I found a gem. Try searching “Turkey Circles Gravestone” on YouTube. The video is really quite baffling. First of all, it’s a video taken by a hunter.

This begs the questions: Why is he holding a camera and not a gun? Why isn’t that turkey currently being bagged and de-feathered so that I can throw some gravy and stuffing on it and call it a meal?

Second, the turkey is in a graveyard. Why on earth is a guy hunting in a graveyard?

Isn’t that illegal? Would you like to be mourning the loss of a loved one only to be interrupted by the smell of deer urine and bird calls as hunters stroll by you? Do we really need “No Hunting” signs in graveyards? In

another desperate attempt to gain Twitter followers, I ask that you leave any responses to those questions @DanBBrantley.

Once these two qualms were settled, I was able to really hunker down and watch the video. There is a turkey and he is running in circles around a gravestone, over and over and over again. The bird is just never satisfied.

I’m actually a little bit scared by this. I have no choice but to think that this bird is trying to resurrect someone from the grave.

Why else wouldn’t the turkey move on to doing other turkey tasks, like blocking traffic or being road kill?

Well, I say we find out where that graveyard is.

First things first, I’m putting up a sign that says “No Turkeys Allowed”. If that doesn’t work, I say we up and move Martha Turkeyhands and her coffin to a safe location, because I’m not about to have some undead grandmother rolling into my Thanksgiving dinner telling me that eating turkey is a sin.

By Nick Vasiliadis

Posting pictures of your exciting life is better than simply talking about it.

selves. Granted, I’m sure their lives are a lot more interesting than yours and mine, and sometimes I’m even genuinely interested in hearing about their exotic expeditions, but definitely not every minute of the day.

There is, again, a tactful way of going about showing all of your friends how much more exciting and interesting your life is than theirs: Pictures. It’s expected that friends will take an absurd amount of photos when they travel so they can more easily recount the ways in which they’re better than you, but avoiding status updates like “hitting the bars in SYDNEY!!!” or “I ♥ Bangkok” in favor of pictures is a great way of showing your superiority without actually saying it. Just remember: A

Courtesy of dive-n-log.com

picture is worth a thousand words, but for the love of God don’t send me the link to your blog.

Although these are only three examples of innumerable Facebook farces, they are a few which I find to be particularly prevalent during college years (also I can only make these columns so long). Just remember, social networking sites are meant to portray a reflection of self: A largely inaccurate, idealized and easily modified reflection. If your own best airbrushed and edited version of you still sucks, it’s probably time to take a step back and do some soul searching.

Consider letting your friends know how you feel by utilizing emotional song lyrics in your next status update. Nobody has ever gone wrong there.

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SpoRTS

DECEMbER 1, 2011

THE VANGUARD

Prepare for the short NBA season with a fantasy league & NBA 2K12

By Robbie LaBrie SpoRTS EDiToR

Everybody can finally breathe a sigh of relief because the NBA lockout is over and we now finally know for sure that we won’t just be stuck with college basketball all year. There will be KG’s head slams, Blake Griffin’s super dunks and LeBron’s tears once again.

The next few weeks are going to be a crazy time for NBA teams, as they only

have an abbreviated offseason to add new free agents, make trades and get their existing players in camp and in shape. And if you were like me and didn’t expect the NBA to come back at all this season, you’ve got some preparation to do as well.

Here’s what you need to do: Brush up on what happened last year. Don’t be that guy who has to ask who won the championship last year. Don’t be that guy who says that this might finally be Kevin Love’s breakout

Courtesy of nydailynews.com

The NBA lockout ended this week, allowing for a shortened professional basketball season.

Sign up for a fantasy basketball league to prepare for the short NBA season.

Courtesy of gotgame.com

year. And don’t be that guy who says the Thunder could surprise a lot of people this year. Just don’t do that.

Dust off your KG jerseys.

Everyone has a KG jersey.

And if you don’t then I don’t know you. Now is the time to pull your jersey out of the closet and wear it proudly.

Rondo jerseys are acceptable as well.

Get beer. Because beer.

Sign up for your fantasy basketball leagues. Fantasy basketball is definitely the most underrated fantasy

sport going. It gets compared to fantasy baseball because you need to adjust your lineups basically every day, but the difference is that you don’t need to follow the NBA quite as closely or know the little nuances of every team’s closer situation or who the starting third baseman is for the Royals.

There are five positions on the floor, meaning a lot less players to keep track of. It’s basically playing fantasy football (you only really have to keep track of QBs, RBs,

WRs and TEs in football), except there are games almost every day. If you’re even a marginal basketball fan, play fantasy basketball this year and thank me later.

Buy NBA 2K12 and play until your eyes bleed. This is clearly the best basketball game out there and if you aren’t playing it, you’re way behind. Maybe you’re caught up in Modern Warfare or Madden or Gears right now, but basketball is back so start playing NBA right now.

Lady Falcons dominate with an average winning margin of over 25 points

By Louis Sherman VANGUARD STAff

Domination (n) – Control or power over another or others.

Examples include: A chess strategy in which a piece with a relatively wide choice of destinations cannot avoid being captured. Or the 2011 Bentley Women’s Basketball team.

Now, here are some numbers for you to think about: 5 – Games in which the Bentley Women’s Basketball team have played in this season through November 27. That is also the number of victories the Falcons have so far.

58 – The most points that the Lady Falcons have given up in one contest. By comparison, the lowest point total that the Falcons have scored is 59.

75.6 – The average points scored by Bentley through 5 games, with a high score of 87 on November 22 against Merrimack.

25.8 – The average win margin for the Lady Falcons, which has been lowered after their most recent 59-46 victory over St. Anselm on November 27.

Bentley started their season at the UMass-Lowell Tip-Off Tournament. The Falcons took down Holy Family, 82-57 in the

first contest. In game two, Bentley defeated Felician by a score of 76-42.

Bentley began its Northeast10 schedule with a matchup against UMass-Lowell on November 16. Bentley won the game 74-46, including a 25point run in the second half to secure the solid victory. Senior forward Shatasia Kearse had an impressive night, scoring a career-high 16 points in the game. Sophomore Lauren Battista added 17 to lead all scorers.

Bentley’s next game was against Merrimack on November 22. Battista added

Nate Marchand/THE VANGUARD

The Lady Falcons earned their fifth win of the season against Saint Anselm on Sunday.

This season, the Lady Falcons have never scored less than 59 points in a game or allowed the opposition to score more than 58 points.

Nate Marchand/THE VANGUARD

another 17 in this one, as the Lady Falcons defeated the Warriors by a commanding score of 87-58. Senior Lauren Massie topped the stat sheet in rebounds, taking down 9 on the night.

On November 27, Bentley went up to New Hampshire to take on St. Anselm. Battista continued her impressive start to a season by tying a careerhigh with 23 points en route to the 59-46 victory. Battista had previously scored 23 against St. Anselm, last year as a freshman.

Upcoming games for the Lady Falcons include home games against St. Michael’s on Wednesday and Southern New Hampshire on December 3.

After that, the Falcons don’t return to the Dana Center until January 3 in a matchup against conference foe Assumption, after a road trip that includes games against Franklin Pierce, Stonehill, and C.W. Post.

Over winter break, Bentley will play in the Bridgeport Holiday Classic, which takes place on December 29 and 30 in Bridgeport, CT.

SporTS

THE VANGUARD

Falcon hockey continues conference success Bentley sits fifth in Atlantic Hockey Association with 9 points

DEcEmbER 1, 2011

PAGE 15

REcENT RESUlTS Results from 11/23-11/29

By Ben Klein VANGUARD STAff

After a rough 1-5-1 start and two-game split with Canisius, the Bentley Falcon hockey team is back on track and now sits fifth in the conference standings.

Sophomore goalie Branden Komm has been outstanding as of late for the Falcons with a .971 save percentage over the last four games. Bentley closed out its November schedule with two big wins over American International College and Army and then a scoreless tie and a one goal loss against Mercyhurst.

Bentley hosted a struggling AIC Yellow Jackets team and showed that their early season woes were just a fluke. After a scoreless first period, the Falcons took a 20 lead with goals by freshman D Steve Weinstein and senior D Trent Bonnett.

Bentley extended their lead to three goals when junior F Dan Koudys fired a wrist shot past AIC goalie Ben Meisner. A power play goal for AIC cut the deficit to two but an empty-net goal by freshman F Brett Switzer secured the victory for the Falcons. Komm saved 31 of the 32 AIC shots to give Bentley a 3-1 conference record.

The Falcons then traveled the next day to West Point, New York to face an Army team with a 1-4-2 record.

Both teams scored in the opening period but Army out shot Bentley 12-7. Great plays by Komm and Army goalie Ryan Leets kept the score at 1-1 going into the third period.

Army penalties would be the key for Bentley’s late game success as they scored twice on the power play in the third period and added one more for another 4-1 victory. Freshman D Matt Maher scored six minutes into the period and then freshman F Alex Kubiak gave Bentley a 3-1 lead with eight minutes remaining.

Army F Danny Colvin

Men’s Basketball (5-1, 2-1 NE-10) UMass-Lowell (11/16)* Bridgeport (11/19) At Merrimack (11/22)* At Saint Anselm (11/27)*

Results L 57-55 W 67-63 W 74-63 W 65-64

Women’s Basketball (5-0, 3-0 NE-10) UMass-Lowell (11/16)* At Merrimack (11/22)* At Saint Anselm (11/27)*

W 74-46 W 87-58 W 59-46

Women’s Cross Country NCAA Div. II Championships (11/19)

The Falcons have a 4-2-1 record in the AHA and a 4-7-2 overall record.

received a game misconduct penalty for hitting from behind with seven minutes left in the period and sophomore F Justin Breton took advantage of it with the fourth and final Bentley goal.

Komm had an unbelievable game saving 40 shots.

He was later named the goalie of the week in the Atlantic Hockey conference for his phenomenal play in the two games.

With a 4-1 conference record, Bentley looked to continue their success with a two-game series in Erie, PA against Mercyhurst who also had a 4-1 Atlantic Hockey record. Bentley put the pressure on goalie Max Strang throughout the first two period, outshooting Mercyhurst 27-17. Strang, as well as Bentley goalie Branden Komm, wouldn’t let a shot go by them as the game remained scoreless after three periods of play.

The overtime period was all Falcons as they put 8 shots on Strang but they just couldn’t sneak one shot by him and the teams played to a 0-0 draw. The tie put both teams into a three-way tie with Air Force atop the AHA, all with 9 points.

In the series finale

The Bentley Falcon hockey team has risen to fifth in the Conference standings.

Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD

Emily Silver/THE VANGUARD

Mercyhurst took advantage of six Bentley penalties, scoring twice on the power play.

Bentley led after the first period when Steve Weinstein finally found the net against Max Strang. A tripping penalty late in the period gave Mercyhurst the oneman advantage to start the second period.

Just 23 seconds into the period, Mercyhurst F Chris Bodo beat Komm to tie the game at 1-1. Mercyhurst scored another power play goal just ten minutes later when F Daniel Bahntge scored just before the penalty concluded. Bentley failed to score in the third period and Mercyhurst took the game 21. Komm saved 33 of 35 shots while Strang only allowed one goal on 33 shots.

During the four-game stretch Bentley scored nine goals by eight different Falcons, with Steve Weinstein scoring twice.

Sophomore F Brett Gensler and Brett Switzer each had three assists and are both tied for second place in the AHA with 8 on the season.

After being named goalie of the week for games through the 14th, Komm was named to the AHA honor roll this past week for making 61 saves in the two games against Mercyhurst. In the four games he saved 132 of 136 shots giving him a .971 save percentage. Komm has a .936 save percentage on the season which is the second best in the conference. He also ranks fourth in total saves with 363 and fifth in goals-against average at 2.25.

The Falcons now have a 47-2 overall record and a 4-2-1 in the AHA which puts them in fifth place with 9 points.

Bentley will host Niagara (35-4, 2-2-3) for a two-game series on December 2 and 3, with both games starting at 7:05 p.m. Niagara defeated Bentley twice last season with scores of 4-1 and 5-3.

22nd place

Hockey (4-7-2, 4-7-1 AHA) At Mercyhurst (11/18)* At Mercyhurst (11/19)*

T 0-0 (ot) L 2-1

Men’s Swimming (4-0) at UMass-Dartmouth (11/16) St. Michael’s (11/19)

W 153-78 W 111-97

Women’s Swimming (4-0) At UMass-Dartmouth (11/16) St. Michael’s (11/19)

W 163-67 W 114-86

*Conference Game

UPcomiNG ScHEDUlE December 2 Hockey vs. Niagara

7:05 p.m.

December 3 Women’s Basketball vs. Southern NH Men’s Basketball vs. Southern NH Hockey vs. Niagara

1:30 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

7:05 p.m.

PaGe 16

DecemBeR 1, 2011

SpOrtS

the VanGUaRD

5-1 Falcons in an eight-way tie for second place in NE-10 Leclerc and Grassa help men’s basketball rebound from its first loss of the year

By Matt Gustus VanGUaRD StaFF

After suffering its first loss of the year, the men’s basketball team responded well by winning their last three games.

For Bentley’s first conference game of the year, the team faced a team with high expectations for the season, UMass Lowell. With UMass and Bentley ranked 1 and 2 in the preseason NE-10 Coaches Poll, the Dana Center was packed with both Falcons Fans and River Hawk supporters amped for the game.

UMass Lowell came out strong, leading for all but one minute in the first half. Highly talented guard Akeem Williams, who came into the game averaging 26 points per game, was able to get into a smooth rhythm, scoring 11 points on 5 of 6 shooting in the half. As a team, the River Hawks shot 36 percent from the field.

The Falcons had a rough first half, finding themselves down 25 to 19 at the break.

The UMass Lowell defense made life hard on Bentley’s offense, forcing them to shoot 6 of 32 from the field, for less than 19 percent. Senior forward Kevin Kettl was the only player who made more than one field goal in the half, scoring on both of his attempts.

Sophomore guard Jasper Grassa played only seven minutes due to foul trouble, and was held scoreless on 0 for 5 shooting.

In the second half, UMass Lowell scored the first two buckets and took a ten point lead. However, Bentley battled back and was able to tie the game on a three pointer from freshman forward Andrew Shaw, and eventually take their first lead of the game on a Grassa three pointer with 11 minutes left.

With just under 3 minutes

Junior F Dan O’Keefe prepares to take a free throw in the Falcons only loss to UMass Lowell.

remaining in the game, Bentley took a one point lead on another three-pointer from Shaw. Shaw’s three would be the last field goal made in the game, and neither team scored until 44 seconds left in the game, when four consecutive River Hawk free throws gave them a three point lead.

With 2 seconds left, senior Sam Leclerc attempted a three to tie the game and got fouled.

He missed the first free throw, came back to make the second, and intentionally missed the third. The clock ran out, and the Falcons dropped their first game of the season.

Three days later, Bentley hosted its final game of a four game home stand against nonconference opponent Bridgeport. The Falcons led for most of the first half, leading by 18 a few times. At the half, Bentley led by a comfortable 13-point margin. Grassa led all scorers in the half with 12 points, including shooting

5 of 6 from the free throw line.

The second half, however, was a different story.

Bridgeport came out in the second half and battled all the way back to tie the game, and eventually take the lead with 3:34 left in the game. From there, senior Sam Leclerc took over the final three minutes.

After knocking down a three, Leclerc took a charge on the defensive end and sunk a big free throw on the other end of the floor. Bridgeport then came down and hit a three to close the lead to two with nine seconds left. Leclerc put the Falcons out of reach with two final free throws.

Leclerc, who was limited to nine minutes in the first half, played all 20 in the second, and finished with a game high 18 points. Junior forward Dan O’Keefe came close to a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.

Next, Bentley headed to Merrimack in search of their

Falcon Fact

Falcon

15

oF the

Jessica Hodsdon won two individual events in Bentley women’s swimming victory over Saint Michael’s on November 19, the team’s most recent action.

Did you know the Lady Falcons of the Sea have now extended their dual winning streak to 15 matches in a row? As a team the Falcons have won all four of their meets that featured a team score and they have done so in dominating fashion.

Week

Brett kirkland/the VanGUaRD

first conference win of the year. Merrimack had the lead for the first 17 minutes of the game, including holding a 26 to 21 lead with seven minutes left. However, Bentley turned up the heat and went on a 9-0 run over the following six minutes, and led at the half by 2.

The game went back and forth for the first 10 minutes of the second half, until Bentley went on another 9-0 run, with 5 points coming from senior Sam Leclerc and 4 from sophomore Jasper Grassa.

Merrimack battled back to cut the lead to two with just under 5 minutes left, but failed to score for the remainder of the game. Bentley ended the game with a third 9-0 run, including contributions from sophomore Jasper Grassa, senior Sam Leclerc, junior Dan O’Keefe, junior Greg Jacques and senior Kevin Kettl.

Grassa tied for the game high in points, scoring 18 including 3 of 6 from distance.

Jacques had a solid game, scoring 16 points and 3 steals.

Looking to extend their winning streak to three games, Bentley traveled to St. Anselm College, who ranked 3rd in the NE-10 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The first half was back and forth with the biggest lead in the half only six points.

Only three players scored for the Hawks, with 26 of their 31 coming from the duo of Roy Mabrey and Jack Keough.

Both sophomore Jasper Grassa and senior Kevin Kettl were in foul trouble in the first half, neither of whom scored.

The second half was much of the same, with both teams battling back and forth hard.

After a 6-0 run put the Hawks up by two, the Falcons responded with a 9-0 run of their own. Threes by Leclerc and Grassa were capped off by a three point play by freshman Andrew Shaw to bring the Bentley lead to seven with 11 minutes left.

Later, with just 21 seconds left, St. Anselm freshman guard Roy Mabrey cut the Bentley lead to just one on a second chance three pointer.

After Leclerc missed the front end of his one and one, St. Anselm missed a contested layup, the following put back, and then a last second three point attempt which would have won the game. Bentley narrowly escaped with the win 65 to 64.

Leclerc was Bentley’s high scorer, scoring 19 points on an efficient 57 percent shooting.

St. Anselm guard Roy Mabrey had 16 points in each half, ending with half of his teams points.

Bentley’s next games include home meetings with St. Michael’s Wednesday and Southern New Hampshire Saturday. The team will then travel to Franklin Pierce and Stonehill before taking a three-week break for the holidays.

Freshman Runner Tara Dooley Freshman Tara Dooley of the women’s cross country team is the Falcon of the Week. As Bentley made its debut as a team at the NCAA Division II Championships in Spokane, Washington on Nov. 19, Dooley finished 49th overall, the best finish by a Bentley women in school history. She finished the 6,000 meter course in 22:36.2, which was also second among runners from the East Region. Bentley placed 22nd overall.

Dooley was named the Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season following the race.