Written by: Vanguard Editoral Board

This past weekend reminded us how campus-wide events can not only provide fun and amusement, but both deal with larger issues on campus or actually call in question how the campus deals with issues.
On Friday evening, we had Blingo Bingo, which must be noted as one of the smoothest games of CAB Bingo that anyone has seen since coming to Bentley. The games were run efficiently and quickly, and the multiple winners were whittled down to a single champion in no time at all.

Now at first glance, we’re concerned that with an economic crisis looming on everyone’s minds, a massive Bingo game with thousands of dollars in prizes being shelled out may not be the best way to practice fiscal responsibility. Could this money serve a better purpose supporting an underfunded organization or event that strives to support a good cause or provide an educational opportunity for students?

Perhaps, but in the end, CAB did a nice job paring down spending with its prizes, as it still offered valuable prizes, but didn’t seem to waste money on ridiculously expensive giveaways. Bingo brings our campus together for a good night of fun and exciting chance, and though there’s always some negatives to the Bingo event (just ask the recipients of a Bingo card to the face).

Maybe the average student even feels cheated by the lesser prizes, but when Bentley is tightening its belt financially, does it make sense to waste our activity fee on a two thousand dollar prize for one student? Probably not.

CAB followed their well-run Blingo Bingo Friday with the comedic double-header of The Office star BJ Novak and Flight of the Conchords guest James Smith. Smith put on a surprisingly hilarious set that had the audience practically in tears, while BJ Novak was a tad underwhelming though still funny, but the aspect of this event that is perhaps most important to comment on: what the evening accomplished for students.
There is no doubt that here at Bentley, we live immersed in a highly competitive culture where stress and anxiety over everything from group projects for GB courses to internship spots and job openings is rampant. It’s wonderful that academic work is so important to students here, and it’s this work ethic that makes Bentley students so attractive in interviews with world renowned firms. But don’t you ever get tired of working your ass off?

As business students, we work ourselves to the bone week after week, semester after semester, and though we may party and have a good time on weekends, it’s nice for a campus-wide organization like CAB to be able to make the campus laugh and have a good time without passing out Solo cups.

For no charge at all, students were able to see two professional comedians that may not carry the comedic weight of George Carlin or Lewis Black, but BJ Novak is a key part of a major network’s signature show, while James Smith showed that he can be downright side-splitting and has been on one of HBO’s top-rated shows. That’s not half bad for a school of Bentley’s size.

Between the stress of the expanding recession that appears to be heading for catastrophe, which makes a job search like looking for water in a desert (esp. if you’re a finance-anything major), terrorism and war all over the world, and the academic burden every Bentley student has to carry, we live in a pretty unfunny world.  Kudos to CAB for proving that laughter is sometimes the best remedy for times that aren’t so hilarious.