Written by: Kyle Mack

Top-seeded Bentley University claimed its fourth Northeast-10 Men’s Tennis Championship with a 5-0 win over second-seeded Merrimack on Sunday afternoon on the campus of rival powerhouse Stonehill College.

Senior Lorenzo Cava  and freshman Rodrigo Ribeiro helped deliver the title with two wins each.

The Championship is the program’s first since 1996, making it 14 years since the last title.

The other two years Bentley won the Championship were over two decades ago, in 1989 and 1990.

After a perfect NE-10 regular season that saw them go 11-0, the Falcons breezed through the competition in the conference tournament the same way, winning each match 5-0.

The Falcons’ three doubles teams again gave them a 3-0 advantage heading into singles, but Merrimack kept each match close.

Petar Golijanin and Sean Pahler took Cava and sophomore Victor Suski to a tiebreaker in the top-flight match, but Bentley’s team prevailed 9-8 (7-4).

Sophomores Alec Spycher  and Zach Tuckman  edged Rishi Rajpal and Liam Hoare in the second-flight, 8-6, and freshmen Rodrigo Ribeiro  and Lucas Wever got the best of Max Eppley and Tim McHugh in the third-flight, 8-5.

Cava and Ribeiro took care of their matches quickly to give Bentley the 5-0 win.

Cava finished first, defeating Rajpal 6-1, 6-0 in the top-flight.

Ribeiro clinched it for Bentley with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Hoare in the fifth-flight.

Bentley is now 16-5 on the year and Merrimack drops to 13-5.

Cava, Ribeiro and Wever were also named to the All-Championship team.

The Falcons earn the NE-10′s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Currently ranked third in the East Region, Bentley will find out its final seeding and first round opponent during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which is this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

Note: The seeding for the NCAA Tournament was not available at the time of print.

Bentley Lacrosse looking to climb back up NE-10 standings

Written by: Robbie LaBrie

This has been a season of streaks for the Men’s Lacrosse team, but this time they are finally hoping they’ve hit a run they can stay on, winning their last two games over Saint Michael’s and Pace.

After getting off to a 5-1 overall start (4-0 in conference), the Falcons dropped two games in a row to Merrimack and Le Moyne respectively, the two top teams in the Northeast-10.

The Falcons played hard in both games, going up against the two teams to beat in the conference. While they showed they have what it takes to compete with the powerhouses, Bentley came away with two losses.

Fortunately, Bentley rebounded nicely with a couple of wins and now sits back in third place in the NE-10 standings, within range of Merrimack and Le Moyne, should either team falter during the rest of the season.

The Falcons travelled to Colchester, Vermont to try to get back to their winning ways on April 21. They got the victory, but it didn’t come easy.

This match started slowly, with Saint Michael’s netting the only goal in the first quarter. But the Falcons responded quickly, going off with a flurry of goals to earn a 5-3 lead at intermission.

The Falcons had expanded their lead to 8-4 by the middle of the third quarter, but Saint Michael’s was not ready to give up yet.The Purple Knights reeled off the next four goals in the game, making it an 8-8 tie about halfway through the fourth quarter.

After the two sides swapped goals, making it 9-9, sophomore attack Brendan Grant mustered some late game heroics for the Falcons, finding the back of the net with only 1:09 remaining in the game. There would be no more scoring while Bentley held on to a 10-9 win.

Sophomore James Reardon led the charge for the Falcons in the 10-goal effort, scoring four himself, while senior Kevin Gould helped out his teammates with three assists.

The Falcons carried some of that much needed momentum over into the next game where they took on Pace at home in Waltham.

Pace sits in the middle of the pack in the NE-10, so it was not exactly slated to be an easy game for Bentley, but they took care of business.

Senior goalie Andy Collette shined in this one, making 12 saves against the Setters, while the offense was powered by a balanced attack that saw four different players score two goals apiece.

Reardon, Stephen Moulton, Wyatt Couture, and Matt Boilard each netted themselves a pair of goals in the game that the Falcons held control of most of the way.

The Falcons led 4-2 at the half, but at one point in the second half, Pace got the game as close as 7-6. However, Bentley managed to score the next three goals to put it out of reach for Pace heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth-quarter defense was solid and Reardon and Boilard each scored in the quarter to help Bentley hold on for a 12-8 win.

James Reardon was mentioned in the NE-10 weekly Honor Roll, which names the best players of the week, for his performances against Saint Michael’s and Pace.

The Falcons, now sitting in third in the NE-10, will look to finish strong in their last two regular season matchups.

First, Bentley will take on Saint Anselm in a game that was supposed to be played earlier in the year, but was postponed. Saint A’s is currently in a three-way tie for fourth in the conference at 5-3 in NE-10 play, but they are coming in hot, having won four of their last five games. They will certainly be looking to protect their house when the Falcons travel to Manchester.

The Falcons will then finish their season with another away match, this time against Adelphi. Adelphi comes into this game tied for fourth in the NE-10, as well, and they have won their last four games in a row.

So the Falcons now look to one of the toughest two-game stretches they have had to face all year in order to keep their seed in the NE-10 Tournament.

The Falcons are not likely to move any higher up the standings, with Le Moyne and Merrimack playing great lacrosse right now, but they should be peaking back because Adelphi, Saint Anselm and Pace are on their tails, and any of those teams would love to move into that three spot.

If the Falcons continue to play the way they have this past week and carry some momentum into their last two games, they should be able to hang on and get ready to step up their game for the Conference Tournament.

Written by: Andy Zhong

“There’s a fine line between leading and hallucinating,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, guest speaker at the 6th Annual Bentley Leadership Forum held on April 22nd at the Dana Athletic Center. “The difference of course is that other people can see you lead. So many of us get so far ahead of the curve that we’re not bringin7g people with us,” continued Dr. Oz.

The Bentley Leadership Forum featured progressive leaders who are making a difference in healthcare, environmental change, commitment to society and acting responsibly, corporate philanthropy, and leadership development. A renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Oz is best known as the host of the Dr. Oz Show and has made multiple appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

“Good leaders emotionally connect with the people who work with them,” said Dr. Oz. “They don’t have to lead by example, but they lead because they do things that you think need to be done and you trust them to continue to do that.”

In an interview with Dr. Oz, he discussed some of the eating habits that college students experience and the choices they face when looking for healthier food alternatives.

“I’ve always felt that the cost difference between eating right and eating on the cheap is in pennies, not dollars,” he said. “We waste more money than the difference between those two. A cup of coffee costs more than the difference between what it would cost you to have a great meal and a poor meal.”

He explained that another problem is “the ease of fast food.”

“You’ve got to go out and have pizza, it’s college. And you’re going to have a beer, I hope,” said Dr. Oz. with a smile. “It’s more about taking more of the simple decisions that you do wrong and making those easier to do it the right way.”

“[Making these simple decisions] allows yourself the freedom to deviate when you would normally deviate. If you got sandwiches in your dorm room and it’s eight in the morning and you’re really, really hungry, that’s what you’re going to eat,” he continued.

During his speech, Dr. Oz also spoke of an organization which he helped found called HealthCorps. According to the HealthCorps website, the organization aims to “fight obesity and mental resilience crisis by getting American students and communities across the country to take charge of their health.”

In regards to this, Dr. Oz said, “HealthCorps was crafted because we realized the real battles will take place in the back rooms of schoolyards, schoolrooms, the hallways outside the classrooms. That’s where the real conversations take place that change how you behave.”

“[The organization] came out of a lot of people thinking deeply about a program that might actually work,” he went on. “Not the whole solution, but it would put men on the ground where, if there were thoughts that needed to be expressed, they could be spread.”

HealthCorps offers students an opportunity to become leaders in educating others “through school-based peer-mentoring, community activism, and advocacy.”

“At the end of the day, the best definition I’ve heard of successful political leaders, which is probably a good definition for a lot of leaders, is, “At night when you sleep, and you’re not paying attention, you’ll trust they do what’s best for all. It may not be best for you, but it’s best for all.” And I think that’s what a true leader does,” Dr. Oz concluded.

Written by: Andy Zhong

After a year of much reform and progress, Tyler Williams, president of Association of Bentley Activities (ABA), is pleased with how the organization has worked to improve the student experience at Bentley. Because Williams is graduating next fall, he was unable to run for reelection, since the ABA constitution clearly states that the presidential position requires service of one full year.

This past academic year, ABA worked on some major projects, such as the Club Sport Moratorium, in addition to creating changes to its constitution in an attempt to improve the efficiency and communication of Cluster Representatives to student organizations.

“I think overall, ABA was very functional this year,” said Williams, who assumed the role of presidency early last semester when his predecessor, Jacob Graham, left a vacancy in the highly influential student organization.

Perhaps the most notable policy created by ABA this year was the introduction of the Active Organization Policy. The Active Organization Policy “will be used to identify struggling organizations and give [ABA] an opportunity to help them out,” explained Williams. With over 100 student organizations on campus, it becomes difficult for ABA to address each and every organization’s needs. The Active Organization Policy looks to tackle this issue.

Although Williams is pleased with ABA’s progress, there is still much room for improvement. Williams stated, “The one thing I think we still need to work on is external awareness. We still need students and student organizations to understand who we are and what we do.”

The club-recognition process is a lengthy one and requires a lot of dedication. “We look at each organization holistically and try to look at the student organization community as a whole,” said Williams. “As each of our Cluster Representatives represents the organization community as a whole, we try to pull viewpoints from every angle in order to make a decision. It’s never easy to deny an organization, but we give everyone an opportunity to appeal and still become recognized,” he continued.

Throughout this past year, many Bentley students have stepped up in terms of creating their own clubs on campus. Some of the organizations approved this year included Bentley African Association, Bentley Student Artists, and, according to Williams, “close to 20 other potential organizations currently moving through the recognition process.”
When asked whether Williams believes that ABA has achieved many of its goals it set out to do at the beginning of the year, Williams responded, “I would say we did.”

He went on to say, “We revised the constitution and went through some necessary internal restructuring to make us more efficient in our decision making and productivity. I think it shows in the amount we accomplished this semester and moving forward you will see more ABA publicity and awareness. Overall, I am very happy with this semester and this year as a whole,” concluded Williams.

With all these new changes, Williams expects communication and knowledge between the organizations and ABA to improve over the next year.

“I just really want to thank the Cluster Representatives for all the hard work they’ve put in this semester,” he said. “It has been a pleasure working with them and I hope they enjoyed their time on the board.”

The Vanguard Sports Writer of the decade sits down with the basketball player of the decade

Written by: Dan Ryaboy

Winning has been synonymous with Men’s Basketball at Bentley ever since Coach Lawson took over the program 19 years ago, and the last four years have epitomized that winning tradition as the Falcons posted an unbelievable 118-16 mark over that stretch. There were many great players that donned a Falcon uniform over those four years, but none ended their career with the accolades of Jason Westrol.

I had the opportunity to talk to him about his amazing accomplishments in his four years as a Falcon.

Dan Ryaboy: How important has Coach Lawson and the rest of the staff been in your improvement as a player?
Jason Westrol: On the court he has the mentality of working extremely hard to get better every single day. He instilled in us the mentality of playing the same way every day, whether it is at practice or a tournament game. His great coaching led to our great success. He has helped us grow tremendously both on and off the court. He has had a tremendous impact on us as players, but much more importantly, he has helped us mature as individuals off the court and become better people.

DR: Who were some of the veteran players that helped you adjust to the college game your freshman year, and how important was their guidance?
JW: I looked up to all of the veteran players my freshman year. They had been in the system for four years, and I wanted to learn as much as possible. The veteran guys helped me tremendously in transitioning from high school. They all knew what it took to win and get to an elite level and I just wanted to learn from them as much as possible. Fortunately, some of us young guys had the opportunity to step up and play a role, and we helped to contribute to the success to the team.

DR: What were some of the things you worked on in the offseason to constantly improve?
JW: I approached each offseason looking to get better in every facet of the game. One aspect of my game that I was always working on was the outside shot so that I could become a more consistent shooter. Strength and conditioning were key components to work on every offseason in order to be a stronger physical mismatch for the guards I played against. My goal was to be as ready as possible and in top shape on the first day of pre-season.

DR: What is your most memorable game during your career?
JW: The game right after Sean Williams had passed away on January 13 against American International College. The tragedy helped us come together so much as a team and helped us get far in the tourney.
We found out about Sean’s passing when Coach called us into the locker room, and that was the last thing in the world that we thought would happen. We all broke down in tears. From that point on we dedicated the season to him and even though he wasn’t with us physically, he was definitely here with us emotionally. Sean’s passing helped us realize how close we are both on and off the court as a team, and it helped us to play inspired team basketball.

DR: What was the fiercest rivalry that the Falcons have had over the last four years?
JW: Over the course of the four years it had to be either Merrimack or Stonehill because, along with us, those teams were at the top of the Conference all four years, and they competed at a high level every time we took the court against them.

DR: What does it mean to you to be the main part of the class with the most wins in Bentley History?’
JW: Coming into college, you dream of winning as many games as possible and to be 102 games over the .500 mark; you can’t get a better experience than that. You have to put the streaks in the back of your head and approach every day one game at a time. We were just worried about winning at that point because we knew that the tournament was one and done.

DR: What are your feelings on being at the top of many offensive categories in Bentley history?
JW: Most important are the wins as a team. I was blessed to have the chance to stay healthy the whole time; I didn’t miss a single game my whole career and a lot of that was luck. I believe that my career here was an example of how hard work pays off and, as a class, all of us seniors worked so hard. Any of the individual accolades I received are icing on the cake.

DR: How were you able to step up your scoring so much in the second half of the season?
JW: With Tommy [Dowling] going down, I knew I had to look to be more aggressive and make as many plays as possible. At times the team looked for me to score, but the team basketball we played at the end of the year was what really got us to the Final Four. Everyone stepped up and did what they had to do for us to win.

DR: What is some advice that you have passed along to the younger Falcon players like Brian Tracey, Tom Dowling, and Greg Jacques?
JW: I would tell them to approach the sport every single day with the same mentality; you don’t want to take any days off because you will only be cheating yourself if you don’t work hard every day.

DR: Do you have any plans to follow in the footsteps of Nate Fritch and Lew Finnegan and continue your basketball career after college?
JW: I recently signed with  an agent and we are talking to a couple teams here for potential tryouts, and from these tryouts I am going to try to get my name out there and keep playing basketball as long as I can. I am currently working out every day with the team and playing pickup games because my agent says the tryout can come up at any time. I see this as the one opportunity left and I want to make the most of it. Now is not the time for me to take any days off.

DR: What will you take away from your experience of playing basketball at Bentley?
JW: This has probably been the best experience I have ever had. I wouldn’t trade this for anything, like the close friends I have made, especially the five seniors in Frank Parelli, John Brandt, Dan McKenna, Alex Hertz and Mike Quinn, who will be back next season. Also, to have a coach that cares about you a great deal made it a lot easier to come down to the gym every day and give it 100 percent effort.

Written by: April Gammal

Question: I really love tanning during the summer and I will frequently go to the beach so that I can tan. It makes my skin look healthy, but I’ve also heard that it damages the skin. So, how much damage am I doing to my skin and should I cut back on how much I tan?

I hate to break it to you, but tanning is one of the worst things you can do for your skin. I know that a dark glow to your skin is considered beautiful and youthful and that many young adults go to the beach for the sole reason to tan, but I also know that these avid young tanners will pay for this “beauty” as they grow older.

Forget what the media leads you to believe about what is beautiful. Your skin tone is beautiful just the way it is – don’t ruin it or change it for anyone. So, my advice to you is to stop tanning all together and start protecting your skin.

No one wants to look old and wrinkly – at least I don’t think anyone does. Sun exposure is the fastest way to age your skin. It can lead not only to skin cancer, but also to pre-mature aging, wrinkles, age spots, and the proliferation of moles. According to an article published by the FDA, more than 10,000 people die every year die due to skin cancer.

Keep in mind that the darker your tan, the worse the skin damage. So, how can you protect your skin? Sunscreen. You should use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day to protect against UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are simply the longer wavelengths, while UVB refer to shorter wavelengths.

Many moisturizers and foundations have sunscreen built into them. Just build it into your routine every morning to put on sunscreen before you go outside. It is important to realize that just because you do not burn does not mean that you are not damaging your skin.

All skin types are susceptible to skin damage. However, those individuals who have lighter skin are more susceptible to damage.

What if it is a cloudy day? Then you should still wear sunscreen because the rays from the sun are able to penetrate the clouds and affect your skin.

Also, note that lotions, creams, and vitamins will not rejuvenate damaged skin, and you can never undo the sun damage you have created after bathing in the sun for hours on the beach. This does not mean that you cannot go to the beach; it simply means that you should protect your skin while at the beach.

I hope this helps and that you will start taking care of your skin because you only have one chance to preserve its beauty and youthfulness.

Written by: Kim Sok

As said by Kelsey Halloran, the secretary of Colleges Against Cancer (CAC), “Cancer never sleeps,” and neither did participants at this year’s Relay for Life, who spent their night rallying against cancer.

Hosted by Bentley’s CAC and made possible with the help of the American Cancer Society, who was represented by Jamie Pernaa, Bentley’s Relay for Life took place last weekend at the Dana Center. With over 500 participants, it was a great success  and has increased CAC’s total contribution to the fight against cancer to around $28,000.

“The overall purpose and goal of Relay for Life is to bring a community together to support everyone who has ever had to hear the words, ‘You have cancer.’” said Alex Polito, President of CAC. “It is an event dedicated to remembering loved ones who have lost the battle with cancer, to celebrate the lives of those who have survived or are battling cancer, to fight back against cancer by fundraising, and to hope that someday there will be a cure,” Polito continued.

Freshman Mark Wagoner shared his story: “When I was nine years old and in the fourth grade, I began to get severe headaches day in and day out… They found a tumor about the size of a quarter. They did a biopsy and removed half of the tumor.” He continued, “I have been in remission for nine years and realize every day of my life how lucky I am

Whatever we can do to find new treatments, help those fighting, and try to eliminate cancer through research and supporting each other through events like this, we will do it. We will fight back. We will beat cancer! This is why we relay!”

Following Mark’s speech, the relay began, which consisted of the participants continuously walking around the track in order to symbolize the necessary ongoing fight against cancer. Traditionally, survivors take the track first, and then caretakers, whom assist and aid those who are unable to fight against cancer on their own. Finally, all of those who support the fight against cancer are to take the track. Participants walked and were also invited to enjoy festivities held all night.

With excellent performances from the Bentley Jazz band, Katie Auger, DJ Sid, DJ Francesco Talarico, and the A Capella group, music went on all night to complement a fun and exciting atmosphere. The Dana Center gymnasium was filled with booths selling merchandise, food, drinks, and apparel. For example, one of the tables sold raffle tickets to win Red Sox vs. Yankees tickets aside the Red Sox dugout. Furthermore, CAC organized fun activities throughout the night, such as a frozen t-shirt competition, dodgeball tournament, 90’s Trivia, carnival hour, wiffle ball, and a crowd favorite, musical chairs. For participants who stayed throughout the night, they had the chance to win prizes that were given away about every half an hour.

A large number of Bentley athletes and members of Greek Life contributed time and money in support of this event. “Greek Life is always getting involved in one way or another around campus, but having sisters that have had loved ones with cancer made this charity that much more important to help raise money for this cause,” said Morgan Curanyi, a member of Phi Sigma Sigma. “During this event, I realized how many people were affected by cancer, whether it was directly or through a loved one that had battled through it, and how important it is to help out in any way possible”  she continued.

“It was an outstanding event, and it was important to support and rally for such a cause. Everyone should definitely consider participating next year. We can definitely continue to make an impact if we all come together,” commented Matt Leibowitz, a Bentley Soccer player.

Taking place halfway through Relay for Life, the luminary session was an unforgettable experience. Following cancer survivor Mary Louise Pauli touching the crowd with her personal experiences about beating cancer, participants were invited to light glow sticks and walk around the lit-up track in the dark. The participants began taking laps around the track in a certain order depending on how they were impacted by cancer. For example, survivors went first, cracking their glow sticks and starting to walk. After a few laps, participants were asked to place their glow sticks in certain boxes to designate why they were at Relay. The choices were “To remember, to celebrate, to hope, or to fight back.”

“The most memorable part of any Relay For Life for me is always the luminary ceremony because I think that although Relay is about having fun and enjoying the night, it is also important to take the time to remember why we even have a Relay and reflect on all of our family and friends that survived or died of cancer,” said Kayla Cina, Treasurer of CAC. “It really is an impressive and amazing ceremony to witness and be a part of,” she concluded.

“The event turned out far better than I could have ever imagined. I would like to thank everyone that helped, because without them I could not have hoped for such an excellent event,” said Polito. Halloran added, “It is hard to encourage college students to stay the whole night, especially on a Friday night, but our turnout this year was greater than in previous years. The event chairs and committee members worked hard to plan different activities throughout the night to keep it interesting for everyone.”

The fight against cancer does not end here. For those interested, donations to this year’s Relay for Life can be made through their website at RelayForLife.org/Bentley. To get more actively involved with Relay and the planning aspect, please check out Colleges against Cancer meetings, Tuesday nights in the Back Bay at 9 p.m.

For the last four years, I have had the distinct privilege of being one of the many news correspondents on The Vanguard staff. Covering stories ranging from Greek Life to Sodexo, from Bentley’s hook-up culture to SGA, I have been gifted with the opportunity to get a brief look at many of the subsets of the Bentley community that make it what it is.

While I would like to be able to say that my stories have changed Bentley, in a way, I am more proud to say that the work that I have done through The Vanguard has changed me even more. Being privy to the experiences that The Vanguard has provided me with has truly defined my college career, and while I have been left with a great deal, two salient ideas remain at the forefront.

My time here has provided me with a unique and comprehensive view of the place that many of us call home. Whether it was interviewing students anonymously or sitting in the center of the Bubble gathering group information, it became clear to me that as Bentley students, we all have opinions and we all have stories to tell.

Journalists are meant to bring those stories to bear and while I have enjoyed doing that, for the good of the University, I believe it is important that students realize they need nothing more than their voice to get their story out there. That is the first thing I have taken away from The Vanguard.

At times, Bentley comes across as a muted campus, not particularly vocal about any one issue. I reject the belief that it is because we all don’t care; apathy is not an acceptable excuse or answer. During my freshman year, a senior told me, “It is because they don’t listen, that’s why I don’t care.” This quote has stuck with me to this day.

While at times it may seem that administrators and staff don’t choose to listen to student input, my four years of experience have proven this to be false. There are hundreds of administrators and staff that deeply care about the students and their concerns, putting aside other duties to rectify injustices.

While they may be willing to help, some administrators do have headphones on and are unable to hear anything more than the most vocal students. My advice to those of you who don’t feel listened to is simple: Raise your voice. Do it respectfully, but if you demand attention, you will get noticed.

“Decisions are made by those who show up,” wrote author Aaron Sorkin, and nothing could be truer here at Bentley. If you continue to show up, voice your opinions effectively and speak for what you believe in, it would be impossible for you not to have a hand in the decision. At The Vanguard, I have viewed my role as being the arrow that pointed the issues on campus that needed to be addressed. Whatever it was, I hoped to provide unbiased, knowledgeable coverage of an issue, bringing it to bear in a very public way.

While I believe this has been accomplished, none of it would have been possible without the help of hundreds of people. The list of those people who I need to thank would truly take this entire publication. My editors, my fellow writers, my friends, people I have interviewed, people who questioned me and yes, people who yelled at me, you all deserve a great deal of thanks.

My final lesson from The Vanguard stems from all those I need to thank. The truth is, no one is a “self-made man/woman,” because it truly isn’t possible. Everyone is given help by someone in their lives and shaped into the person they are because of this influence. My advice is to continue to listen to those people and hope that their numbers grow. I would rather be a successful man who got a lot of help than an unsuccessful, self-made man.

I would even say listen to your detractors. Someone who was upset with me about a Greek Life article once wrote that I need to “take a journalism 101 class.” While I don’t think this is what he intended, I took his advice to heart and will be attending American University next year to get my Masters in International Broadcast Journalism. Whoever you are, thanks for the advice.

On May 16, when I look back at Bentley, I will do so knowing that the people here are some of the most outstanding, intuitive and caring people that I have ever met in my 21 years of life. It has truly been an honor.
Thank you for everything.

Dan Merica
News Correspondent

To the Bentley Community,

It is stunning how fast this year has flown by! During my first semester as the Editor in Chief of The Vanguard, we’ve seen Project Haiti launch and raise tens of thousands of dollars for Haitian relief, our first campus stabbing incident, and more major renovations to campus dining facilities.

Our Men’s Basketball team returned to the Final Four while CAB announced a Spring Day so popular that the event sold out to Bentley students alone. And who can forget the April Fools’ edition  finally resurfacing?!

I am indebted to our fine staff and Editorial Board for creating an amazing set of editions this semester and I could not be more excited to get back to work in August in an effort to continue producing the newspaper this community deserves. No Editor in Chief can produce this paper alone, and I have been blessed with an incredibly strong team that gives 110% each and every week. From our production team and business operations staff to our writers, columnists and photographers, I believe I have never seen such collaboration in this organization and I am grateful for such commitment.

I must also give a special thanks to our advisors, Judy Rakowsky & Maria DiLorenzo, who work tirelessly on our behalf, as well as to all of the organizations and offices we report on and work with for all of their assistance with our reporting. We could not be successful in what we do without your help.

We will continue to report on the issues that matter to you, with the successes on our campus as well as the mistakes and failures that are noteworthy. We will continue to promote free speech and expression, and petition on behalf of the student body as well as the community as a whole in the name of transparency and information. We serve to provide you, our reader, with accurate, timely and relevant information. We will make mistakes, but always be prepared to correct them.

Of course, our Editorial Board will continue to face criticism from just about every source imaginable; students, friends, family, administration officials, supervisors, alumni…the list goes on and on of those who have written in and will continue to write, and we frankly couldn’t thank you enough for your feedback.  We grow through criticism, whether it be on our website through online comments, Letters to the Editor, Op-Ed submissions or even just a comment while one of us walks across campus, and we will always endeavor to improve our publication, because it is truly your publication. The Vanguard exists for this community, not the other way around.

I am deeply saddened to see the Class of 2010 graduate, even though they will be moving on to the wonderful and challenging opportunities they’ve earned for themselves. Our publication is losing dedicated leaders who have made this newspaper great, and we will never be able to replace a Lindsay Sauvé or Dan Ryaboy, the cornerstones of The Vanguard in terms of work and fun or Dan Merica, our brilliant journalist we will someday see as Press Secretary to the White House. To these three, thank you for your help, your guidance, your friendship and your commitment. You will be sorely missed by this organization and me personally.

To the rest of the Class of 2010, I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Bentley has prepared you well to make a difference in your community and world.

To the Class of 2014 receiving this edition at Orientation, look through these pages and see the world you are entering. Over ten years, Bentley has transformed into a world class university that you are now tasked to not only maintain, but push to the next level. Do not wait to make your mark here on campus and get involved; run for Student Government or join your Hall Council, express your passion through music, art or dance, form an intramural team or a new organization altogether. We at The Vanguard would love for you to join us as well, whether it be as a writer, photographer, or columnist for traditional newspaper work or on our business operations side, working to manage, support and expand the largest for-profit organization on campus.

No matter what you choose to do, know there is a place for you here on campus and you have some rather large shoes to fill…get moving.

I wish you all, on behalf of our Editorial Board, a safe, enjoyable and relaxing summer. See you in September!

Sincerely,

Jon McColgan
Editor in Chief

Dear Editor,

On behalf of the Bentley University Residence Hall Association and BEAR I would like to thank the community for coming to support Breakfast by Moonlight on Monday, April 26, 2010.

The event, first started in 1991 has been held 38 times and continues to be a great success with faculty, staff but most importantly Bentley students. Without your support and enthusiasm for the event, it would not be nearly as successful. We had a turnout of about 800 participants this year. As never before we went through 24 boxes of Tater Tots, 3,000 pancakes, and pounds of sausage, eggs and waffles.

Once again, Sodexo was more than generous donating the breakfast for Bentley students. Without their donation, RHA wouldn’t be able to donate all of our collections to a non-profit servicing the greater Waltham area. The overarching theme of Breakfast by Moonlight is to provide a safe environment for Bentley students on the last night of classes before finals. Due to the excitement of this event within the Bentley community, many come out not only for breakfast but for a greater good in the community.

This year, the theme of “lumberjacks” certainly accomplished that with almost everyone dressing up in plaid, outdoors gear, among other props! From Paul Bunyan making an appearance, seeing faculty and staff bust a move, to Breakfast by Moonlight’s very first dance off, everyone who attended had a great time and agreed it was the perfect way to end a very stressful semester.

This year we raised $ 1,400 for All Out Adventures. The non-profit organization promotes health, community, and independence for people with disabilities and their family and friends through outdoor recreation.

All Out Adventures does some truly amazing things that we want to contribute to such as allowing the organization to keep their programs open to people of all ages, experience levels, and abilities with either no cost to participants or a very nominal fee.

RHA is very excited to be making a visible difference in our community by hosting just this one event on campus. Again I would like to thank you all for coming out, because without you this event would not be possible.
Marc Santilli

Bentley University RHA Presiden

Written by: Matt Weisse

Since this is my last article, I was told I could write about whatever I wanted. I considered a lot of ways to go out with a bang, but in the end I decided to reminisce and talk about my experiences here at The Vanguard, in true senior fashion, despite how lame that may seem.

Really, I’ve enjoyed my time writing for this paper. Sure, there were some times I got e-mail-yelled-at for missing a deadline because I’m a procrastinator, and there were other times it was truly frustrating when I knew I had an article due and nothing to write about, but the overall experience was a good one, and here are a few of the reasons why:
The freedom to write about whatever I want is awesome. Many of my friends think it’s odd that a college student would willingly write essays in addition to their regular school work.

But those friends are missing the point; writing under one’s free will is actually quite enjoyable. Writing gets a bad rap from 12-plus years of forced papers on the Civil War and Pride and Prejudice. When you finally get the chance to express your feelings on movies you’ve watched and albums you love, its way more interesting.

Additionally, it encourages you to look at things in a deeper, more critical light, and when that happens, you never know what you might find that you could have missed before.

I got some really sweet benefits, too. Not to rub it in everyone’s faces right now, but as a senior, I’m going to rub it in everyone’s faces right now: I talked to Paul Rudd and Jason Segel as they drank beers at Fenway. I got an iPod shuffle on the house. I went to movie premiers and felt like I was a celebrity. I listened to music weeks before it came out, legally, on custom-fitted earbuds. Life is good.

And as an added bonus, on some weeks someone might actually read what you write. Who doesn’t love a little ego trip?

I could go on, but if you’ve read this far you’re probably wondering, “Why is he telling me this?” And the answer to that is simple. Somewhere there’s a freshman, sophomore, or maybe even a junior out there who’s always considered writing for The Vanguard. Maybe you need a resume booster. Maybe you want some free stuff. Maybe you need an artistic outlet in the land of income statements and net present values. Or maybe you just like to write. But if you’re one of those people, I really encourage you to give it a shot, even if it’s just for a week – who knows, you might actually find it enjoyable.

Thank you to The Vanguard for giving me a creative outlet as well as free stuff. Thank you to The Vanguard staff who put up with my late submissions and the fact that I still double-space after every period. And thanks to anyone who’s ever taken the time to read an article I’ve written.

On a final note, if you are looking for more reviews and commentary on music, movies, and culture, check    out  thingsyoucandotocats.com, where I will be posting from time to time, as will several other writers more talented than myself.

Thanks again and have a good summer!
-Matt

Written by: David Entin

In the same vein that chess would be considered a sport, Starcraft must also fit the mold, although it had the good decency to amend its title to E-Sport. And the title is not one loosely earned; now 12 years after release, it still sees massive player volume at all hours of the day, a boast not even Halo 3 can match. Blizzard Entertainment is the firm behind Starcraft, Diablo, and the oversaturated Warcraft titles, and without fail, they release critically and commercially lauded classics. Starcraft 2 was first proudly teased, then the development house released concepts and sample videos out of loyalty to one of the strongest fan bases in the world, and now, only a season or two from anticipated release, Starcraft 2 is in beta.

The purpose of the beta is to hone and refine the title from quality to perfection, and with millions of play testers running endless strategies supported by innumerable hardware configurations, the game is bubbling with potential. I was lucky enough to be passed on a key for the beta and took on play as eagerly as any other  12-year Starcraft fan would.

The nostalgic familiarity brings a smile to the face. The game has sprouted a third dimension and unit animations, strategies have been expanded, and the classic soundtracks for each playable race have been replaced, yet the end result is undeniably Starcraft.

The three races of Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg have returned with a plethora of new units and a refined and uniquely tailored visual look. The Terrans are the humans and feel efficiently utilitarian, with plumes of smoke and powerful yet purposeless motion in their units. The Protoss are a dignified and religious alien race that demonstrate grace and discipline and come with a polished sheen. As for the fearsome, insect-like Zerg, the entirely biological race demonstrates a disgusting organic growth that genuinely feels unstoppable when massed together.

The units are the game’s highlight, with vastly unique troops operating in highly specified disciplines, and always leaving the player with the good sense to scout with the advantage. The characters are imbued with humor and charm.

Yes, even the insects are likeable to a degree.

The Terran race has always been a personal favorite, with most of their characters filling the quasi-space hick personality trend. They have clueless yokels piloting massive machines of war, with the notably hilarious exception of the Schwarzenegger inspired pilot of the massive walking tank: The Thor.

The ebb and flow of skirmishes are perfect, with small engagements taking glancing blows at one another, while massive clashes play out with all the fiery and chaotic fury they possess. The game is still undergoing thorough balancing, and with the patches up to 10, the changes are beginning to feel less extreme and more cosmetic, suggesting that we just might be seeing this incredibly promising title on store shelves in the coming months.

Starcraft 2 has left an unending excitement within me. Despite the notable slowdown that I experienced on the Bentley laptops, the title runs on decent graphical settings with only minor slowdown occurring during moments of extensive activity on the battlefield. Look out for the closing of the beta, which will be one of the final steps before the long overdue release of the successor to one of the most popular games ever made.

Written by: Phillip St.Pierre

After losing two straight games this past week, Bentley Lacrosse has skidded, following a great start to the season. The Falcons are currently sitting third in the Northeast-10, and with the first- and second-place spots all but locked up, Bentley will look to end the season strong and solidify themselves as a playoff contender.

Although Bentley has lost their past two games, it is not something that the Falcons should stress over as the two teams that handed them defeat, Le Moyne and Merrimack, are the first- and second-place teams in the Northeast-10.

The match against Merrimack was important because a win for the Falcons would keep them at second place in the conference, while a loss would mean Bentley would fall to third to their opponent in the rankings.

Goals were flying in the first quarter as Bentley and Merrimack each scored three to keep the game tied going into the second. Junior Steve Murray gave Bentley the lead as he found the back of the net early in the second quarter, but Merrimack rallied three straight goals to go into halftime up 6-4.

Brendan Grant scored the single third-quarter goal to pull Bentley within one, as the rest of the third quarter saw stellar defense and goaltending by both teams. However, that would be the last goal scored by the Falcons for the remainder of the match though, as Merrimack outscored Bentley 3-0 in the fourth to go on to earn the 9-5 victory.

Bentley would not be given much of a break following the game as they had to immediately start preparing for their upcoming match against Le Moyne, who is undefeated so far this season and is sitting atop the Northeast-10 standings.

Although Bentley lost to Merrimack, it was still an important game in that it gave the Falcons an idea of how they need to play to make it far in the Northeast-10. It also prepared them for their upcoming match against Le Moyne, which would end up going down to the wire.

The Dolphins controlled the first half of the game and showed why they have not lost a match the whole year. Le Moyne went into halftime up 7-3, but Bentley refocused themselves during the intermission and came out as a team motivated to bounce back.

Le Moyne was the first to strike in the third quarter, extending their lead to five goals, but sophomore James Reardon quickly responded with an outstanding shot and goal. The scores kept on coming for Bentley after that, as Wyatt Couture and Addi Van Hatcher both tallied third-quarter goals to pull the Falcons within two.

Brendan Grant made it four straight goals for the Falcons as he made it past the goalie less than a minute into the fourth quarter, and Bentley found themselves right back in the game, down only 8-7. Le Moyne then responded with a goal less than five minutes later, but Steve Murray would cut the deficit back to one after scoring a goal off an exceptional feed from Addi Van Hatcher.

Bentley then got a much-needed turnover from defenseman Matt Allen, who scooped up the groundball to give the Falcons possession with less than a minute left. The Falcons were not able to find the net, though, and Le Moyne squeaked by for the 9-8 victory.

Bentley may have lost the game, but they outshot their opponents 38-34 and made a statement to the rest of the conference after almost beating the first-place team.

The Falcons have had a solid start to the season, currently holding a record of 5-3, which is good enough for third in the Northeast-10.

A large part of Bentley’s success can be attributed to the senior leadership, as Kevin Gould is leading the team with 26 points from 11 goals and 15 assists, Andy Collette is having a spectacular year in goal, and defensemen Matt Allen and Adam Brazg have been setting the tone for the Falcons on defense.

There are three games left in the regular season for the Falcons, and they face three conference games against St. Michael’s, Pace, and Adelphi, teams that are right on Bentley’s heels in the Northeast-10 rankings.

If the Falcons continue to play smart, unselfish lacrosse on offense and win the turnover and groundball ratios on defense, they have the ability to contend with any team. The remaining season should be an exciting one, as Bentley Lacrosse fans watch their team close out the regular season and battle in the postseason.

Team aims for strong showing at Northeast-10 Championship

Written by: Louis Sherman

Track and Field is a sport that receives little praise at Bentley. Some people do not believe in running as being a sport, because every sport involves running in some way. Tell that to Usain Bolt.

Bentley Track and Field does not play other teams directly like other sports. Meets are held by invitation only. Bentley has competed at six invitationals this spring, with two remaining before the Northeast-10 Conference Championships meet on May 1 in Easton, MA.

On April 16, Bentley Men’s Track and Field had stellar performances by two of their distance runners. Senior Dan Darcy and freshman Curtis Trueb set school records in the 1500-meter race within 10 minutes of one another.
At the Princeton Invitational, Dan Darcy put his name in Bentley history. Darcy won his 1500-meter heat in an impressive 3:52.57 that broke Lou Raffetto’s previous record by 0.97 seconds, which had been held for seven years.
In the following heat, Curtis Trueb created a new record of 3:52.35, just 0.22 seconds faster than Darcy. Both competitors provisionally qualified for the National Division II Championship with their times.

Just to get an idea about how fast their times are, a 3:52 in the 1500 converts to a 4:08 mile.

On April 10, Trueb and Darcy finished first and second in the 62-man 800 meter event, respectively, at the George Davis Invitational held at UMass Lowell. Trueb posted a swift 1:55.09 for his third win of the spring season. Darcy cruised past the finish line just four-tenths of a second later. Sophomore Dan Fava finished 10th with a time of 1:59.25.

Sophomore Mike Vatti placed second in the field of 37 in the 200-meter race with a time of 22.91 seconds, which is Bentley’s best time in the event this year. Vatti also placed ninth in the 400 meter race, with a time of 50.84 seconds. Sophomore Gabe Campbell also finished second, in the six-man, 3000-meter steeplechase event, posting a time of 10:11.95.

Other solid performances for Bentley included junior Steve Gendron, who placed fifth in the 5000-meter race with a time of 15:49.47.

In a field of 45 in the two mile, freshman Rob Dextradeur and senior Steve Bergantino were seventh and eighth, respectively, with times of 9:29.91 and 9:30.00. Freshman Craig Robinson posted a ninth-place finish in the 1500-meter event with a personal best time of 4:04.11.

In the field side of the invitational, sophomore Steven Long finished in seventh place out of 31 competitors with a team best for the spring 134 foot, two inches thrust of the discus. Long also heaved the shot put 39 feet, 8.75 inches to capture 11th place in that event.

Sophomore Adam Habansky finished in tenth out of 21 competitors when he speared the sky with his 155 foot, six inch javelin throw.

Sophomore Jim O’Connor rounded out Bentley’s fabulous day with an eighth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, out of 22, with a Bentley-seasonal best time of 59.10 seconds. He also placed eighth in the 110 meter hurdle sprint with a time of 16.19 seconds.

On the women’s side, freshmen sprinters/middle distance runners Amy Varsell and Caitlin Fahey have been shining for the Lady Falcons.

At the Raleigh Relays in late March, Varsell set a personal best on the first day of competition in the 100-meter race, posting a time of 13.33 seconds. She also ran a blazing 60.43 seconds in the 400-meter race.

Fahey posted a personal best of 61.96 second in the 400-meter race on the first day of competition. On day two, Fahey continued her improvement by posting a personal best in the 1500-meter race, with a time of 4:58.83, which was good for 43rd place out of 92 runners in the event.

Varsell continued her success in Raleigh by posting a 5:20.42 in the 1500 meter. Senior Barbara Powell also competed in the event, posting a time of 5:25.71 in the event.

Fahey wasn’t done with accomplishments, however. On April 3, Fahey continued her personal best streak by running a personal best 800-meter time of 2:17.57 at the UConn Alumni Invitational, improving her previous best time of 2:20.

Also in the meet, sophomore Maddy McDonnell and freshman Melissa Kimball ran times of 1:02.38 and 1:02.77 in the 400-meter race, respectively. Varsell added to the strong 400 team with a 0:59.93 posted time, which was good for seventh in the 19-person event.

Other season-bests were recorded by sophomore Evelyn Marrero in the 5000 with a time of 5:01.71 and junior Corinne Flieger who hopped five feet, one-half inch in the high jump event.

Bentley continues to be successful in the sport that is least talked about when trying to recruit a student to go to Bentley. Move aside basketball, track is picking up the pace.

Aries (March 21-April 19): Being the leader constantly can be exhausting.  Take time for yourself this weekend to relax and regroup.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): Your perception that you are the most intelligent individual in the group may well be true. However, treat your group with respect or the project will be a failure.

Gemini (May 21-June 21): Your thoughts seem muddled today.  Keep them to yourself for the time being, they are not ready to be shared.

Cancer (June 22-July 22): A pretty face has you moving quickly into a relationship.  Take a moment to evaluate the situation; you may be getting more than you bargained for.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Use your friends today for support as you make a difficult decision.  Feelings will be hurt, but that is unavoidable.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): School work is already overwhelming, carve out an hour of time each day for yourself or you will quickly find yourself in trouble.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Continue to maintain your balance between work and play.  The weekend looks interesting; a new person is about to enter your life.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are too controlling with your roommates.  A confrontation is on the horizon, but it is not too late to avoid these problems if you change your ways.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Expect complications in moving forward on your project.  Becoming frustrated will be easy; keep your cool to avoid new problems.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Love is in the air.  Continue to pursue the person of your dreams and you may yet have a chance for a Valentine’s Day date.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your motivation to work is waning.  Take the weekend to recharge, the semester is going to be difficult and you will need a good work ethic.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is.  Do not forget this for the coming weekend; make sure not to rush into any decisions.

After a season filled with ups and downs, the Lady Falcons are back on track

Written by: Robbie LaBrie

The Bentley Women’s Lacrosse team has had some ups and downs this season, but they’ve come into their own recently and have pulled out a three-game winning streak, positioning themselves in fifth in the Northeast-10 standings.

After winning their first four games of the season, three of which were out of conference, Bentley dropped two non-conference games in a row to powerhouse C.W. Post and a solid Bloomsburg team.

The Falcons picked up a win against Assumption in their next game, but then dropped four games in a row, including three losses to Northeast-10 opponents, dropping their overall record to 5-6 and, worse yet, falling to 2-3 in conference play.

The Falcons were facing a long comeback road to the top of the Northeast-10 standings, but they were not ready to roll over yet, with a little under half the season to play and several big conference games on the schedule.

The Falcons needed to win some games, and they managed to pull off just that, starting with a home matchup against New Haven, another middle-of-the-pack team in the NE-10, on April 14.

Freshman Dovlyn Curtis got the scoring started for the Falcons and Bentley would never trail in the game, although it would be a close matchup throughout.

The Falcons held three goal leads at a few points in the game, but the score was as close as 8-7 in the second half.

Freshman Cori Geiger scored for the Falcons with 21 minutes left in the game to make it a 9-7 contest, but New Haven quickly answered to bring it within one.

At this point, both teams put their defense on lockdown. Bentley goalie Julia Powell played well, stopping a free-position shot at one point during the scoreless stretch to keep the game knotted up.

Finally, with a minute and a half left, sophomore Megan Wiggins scored the deciding goal of the game to make it 10-9.

The Falcons held the Chargers scoreless for the rest of the game and walked away with a close win that may have lit a bit of a spark for the once struggling team.

The Falcons carried their momentum into their next matchup against Franklin Pierce. Geiger was the star of this one, scoring four goals and dishing out two assists on the way to a 17-14 Bentley win.

Wiggins and freshman Alex Carney provided hat tricks of their own for the Falcons, while senior Leah Leavitt and sophomore Maureen Fields scored a pair in Bentley’s offensive explosion.

Powell was in goal for the first half, but sophomore goalie Kate Poznick came in relief after the score was tied at halftime, 9-9. Poznick made six saves in the last half hour, allowing only five goals from the Ravens and guiding the Falcons to the victory.

Franklin Pierce made it a close game, getting the score to 14-13 with about 11 minutes left, but the Falcons pulled ahead and took the victory by three.

The next game came on April 18 against Saint Michael’s in Colchester, Vermont. The Falcons came in looking to extend their streak to three games and they had no problem executing their plans against the Purple Knights.
Geiger was even better in this game, scoring five goals this time, while Leigh Tedeschi contributed three and Curtis found a pair of goals.

The Falcons led at halftime, 5-2, in a low-scoring 30 minutes of play. The offenses picked it up more in the second half, but Bentley easily won that half as well, 9-6.

With just four minutes left, the Falcons held a 14-5 lead. Saint Michaels managed to pull out three goals in garbage time, but it wasn’t nearly enough, as Bentley came away with the 14-8 win.

On Monday, Cori Geiger was named Northeast-10 Freshman of the Week. Geiger paced the team over the past week, contributing 16 points in the three winning efforts for the Falcons.

The freshman has stepped up big, leading the young team in goals, assists and points. The solid play from the freshman has been huge for the Falcons who have only two seniors and one junior, supported by a cast of sophomores and freshmen.

Leigh Tedeschi and Leah Leavitt have provided the veteran leadership for the Falcons, playing very well and starting in all 13 games. Geiger, Curtis and Fields have also started in all of Bentley’s games.

The Falcons are now looking to carry some of their momentum from the three-game winning streak into their final three games of the season.

On Tuesday, they will take on Saint Anselm, who is 2-5 in Northeast-10 play. Their last two games of the regular season will be against American International (2-5) and Southern New Hampshire (6-1).

Anything can happen in the highly competitive and talented NE-10 conference, but if the Falcons came out of these final three games at 2-1, they will likely be happy with their position heading into the conference tournament.
Heading into the tournament, Adelphi will be the team to beat with a perfect 9-0 conference record and a 12-0 record overall. They will be a tough matchup for anybody, and they beat the Falcons 23-3 earlier in the year.

Adelphi is ranked number one in the nation, so it would be no surprise to anyone to see them take home a conference title. Stonehill, Southern New Hampshire and Merrimack are the other teams ahead of Bentley, and they, along with the Falcons, will be looking to string together some wins heading into the tournament.

The key for the Falcons will be playing strong defense and continuing to get scoring out of their young guns and key veterans alike.

If Bentley wants to make any sort of run, Coach Carissa Medeiros will need to keep her young squad focused and playing beyond their years like they have been over the past three games. The talent is there and the wins could follow, making Bentley a tough out for anybody.

Question: What has been the most meaningful part of your time abroad? Whether it was a lesson you learned, a place you went or a person you got to know, what was the most significant part of your trip overall?

Written by: Kyle Apanaschik

From gaining a better understanding of cultures throughout the world, to meeting new friends, studying abroad has been absolutely amazing. With only approximately one month left, I am trying to prolong the days here in Europe and not take anything for granted.

When our group of 13 Bentley students arrived in Dublin, I did not know what to expect. Soon enough, I began bonding with students from Bentley, as well as with students from all over the world. In fact, I have become close to many individuals who will be considered great friends moving forward in the future.

Additionally, this experience has broadened my horizons and increased my understanding of cultures throughout the world. My initial thoughts prior to arriving in Dublin were that the cultures in both America and Ireland were pretty similar, and that not too much adaption would be needed.

Soon enough, I realized I was wrong. The simple things included in day-to-day activities are even vastly different. For instance, I had to adjust to the lack of urgency to show up to meetings and even classes on time.

At Bentley, for example, many students normally show up early for a meeting, or at worst, right on time. On the contrary, in Dublin, students can stroll into meetings 10 – 20 minutes late like it is no big deal. In fact, at the orientation meeting in January, one of the staff members informed all of the American students that the culture in Ireland does not possess any emphasis on arriving on time.

Although America and Ireland have their differences in culture, they are actually much more similar than a variety of other countries I have visited.

In Spain, for example, naps are an integral part of the day. These “siestas” occur in the afternoon, resulting in many business and restaurants shutting down for a few hours. In Germany, it was important to greet superiors with a firm handshake and an honest look in the eyes. Although I did not have to attend any meetings in Germany, one would be shunned if they were not on time for a meeting or class. Time management is emphasized much more in Germany than in Spain or Ireland.

As the week continues to fly by, I would like to send my best wishes to everyone at Bentley and abroad on their upcoming exams.

Written by: April Gammal

Question: I think my roommate is addicted to playing video games. He is constantly in front of the computer, and it is so difficult for my friends and I to get him to stop playing. Does my roommate really have a problem or am I just blowing things out of proportion?

As you have probably witnessed, time will fly by and your roommate will remain fixated on the figures moving across the screen. I will provide some general information regarding video game usage, and then you can draw your own conclusions about whether or not your roommate is addicted.

The Cooperative Institutional Research Program released data on male, freshman college students from over 600 different colleges. The data from 1998 reveals that 13.3 percent of these male students play video games for at least six hours per week. However, by 2005, the statistic rose to 21.4 percent. So, what makes video games so addictive?
How can staring at a computer or television screen all day be more captivating than, say, socializing with friends or playing sports? Individuals become addicted to video games because the games provide various alluring and captivating features, which make it hard to stop playing.

Among these qualities is the concept of getting a high score. The drive to beat someone else’s score and the competitive nature of the high score enable individuals to remain fixed in front of the computer for hours. An example of this is Tetris, in which each individual game is short-lived and one can continually attempt to beat the high score.

The next addictive characteristic is role-playing games which create an emotional attachment between the individual and the character in the game. An example of this game would be World of Warcraft, in which individuals conquer territory by defeating other players. You can build relationships and bond with other people who play these games over the Internet.

Another feature of video game addiction is preoccupation, which is when a person feels anxious away from the game or constantly talks about the game when they are not playing. Also, people will tend to downplay the amount of time they spend playing video games or just flat out lie about how much time they have spent.

Other signs to look for are if the person is neglecting to foster social relationships or if their video game playing is affecting their school work.

Lastly, a person with video game addiction may have trouble sleeping and will also fail to take care of themselves in terms of personal hygiene and nutrition.

So, I hope that your roommate does not have many of these signs, but if he does, then it may be a good idea to talk to him about it and try your best to pull him away from playing for awhile. Good luck.

Question: What has been the most meaningful part of your time abroad? Whether it was a lesson you learned, a place you went or a person you got to know, what was the most significant part of your trip overall?

Written by: Alfred Amasanti

I cannot think of one particular event, but I do think that studying abroad is more about the culmination of all the events that you go through, how these events change your perspective of the world, and how you act around others and on your own.

I think traveling plays a huge part in this development. When you travel, you have to find things to do, and when and how to do them. You’re either alone or with friends, and both are great options. They both give you very different experiences, though. When you’re with friends, you bond more and build great relationships. When I go back to Boston, I’ll definitely still hang out with some of the people I’ve met here.

I didn’t really expect to like traveling alone so much, but I found it to be an incredible experience. The great thing about youth hostels is that you can find a lot of people you can relate to; there are a lot of study abroad students, not only from the U.S., but also from Europe – Europeans go on a trip called “Erasmus,” which is pretty much the same thing as studying abroad. These people are usually young, wanting to have fun and learn more about the place they’re in right now. They sound like you, right?

I never really thought of myself as a social person, but each day I think I’m starting to become a bit more social.

Living abroad cracks the social shell with an axe pick. Not only was I forced to rely on personal connections just to get around, but I also realized pretty soon that if I didn’t try to be friendlier, living abroad would suck. You can make studying abroad into the most amazing time of your life, but you have to put some effort into it.

I tend to think of myself as someone with an international perspective. My life story in a nut shell began when I was born in London to Italian and Argentine parents, lived in Argentina for 18 years, and now I’m studying in Boston. I can add living in Rome to that roster now.

Beyond the obvious political connotations that come with living in Europe, I think it’s the lifestyle that is the biggest change. People like to take their time in daily tasks, they like to spend hours talking over a cup of coffee and they are perfectly content with a small apartment. I’d like to take that back with me.

Written by: Lauren Valerio

What does one think of when they hear the term “murder mystery?” Typically, a cynical and visceral reaction comes to mind, and it appears ineffable to imagine how such a topic could be transformed into a transcending literary masterpiece.

The Glister, John Burnside’s newest fiction novel, is a novel written to describe the terms of sufferance and powerlessness of the inhabitants of Innertown, and finally the deliberation of such evil. These ideals have been split into two parts of the novel: “The Book of Job” and “The Fire Sermon.” The metaphorical parts are depictions of the literary content within each section.

This storyline incorporates the main ideal of sufferance from “The Book of Job” into the lives of the inhabitants of Innertown, the main setting of the novel. When the book commences, readers are introduced to the head of police Constable Morrison, who is already withholding a secret from the audience. The novel continues to explain a plant that inhabited the town and the transition from job benefits, to overall disease destruction, to the disappearance of neighborhood boys within the woods surrounding Innertown.

The multi-narrated book follows the lives of specific inhabitants within Innertown, such as Constable Morrison, his wife Alice who has been affected by the plant, a potential suspect in the vanishing boys case Andrew Rivers, and Leonard and Elspeth, a few children of the town. Burnside’s intuitive styles display various scenes throughout the lives of these characters from various focal points as the lives of each inhabitant interplay with the next. The myriads of perspectives allow for changes in assumptions of characters.

Young and old characters alike continually state how they wish to leave the dreary dwellings of Innertown and the damages that the plant has imposed on their families. Inhabitants acknowledge the horrors that the plant has forced on them since the beginning of cancerous diseases and night terrors swept the neighborhood, but why do they stay?

Their desperation and powerlessness is evident even from the beginning. This is why it sadly comes as no surprise that when young boys continually disappear into the “poisoned woods,” no one questions it and it is seemingly ignored. The only thing that the inhabitants openly acknowledge is the treachery of the woods.

At the book’s beginning, Constable Morrison presents the woods to be a horrifying place because of what he knows and initially hides from the reader. Yet upon changing perspectives to Leonard, one of the town’s youth inhabitants, we find out that children are not afraid of the surrounding woods and actually wander amongst the trees and the old plant for fun.

Through this wandering, Leonard meets one of the most intriguing characters in the novel, Moth Man. Moth Man initially came into contact with Leonard a few years back when he was 13 years old. He sporadically arrives at the edge of the woods in his van, pitching a campsite and discussing life with young Leonard. His character takes a peculiar turn of events when he offers Leonard his “special tea” and discusses the nature of “The Glister.” At this time, Leonard is completely unaware of his fate.

The second part of this book, “The Fire Sermon,” is the pièce de résistance of the entire novel. It explores the intellectual and conceptual aspects of the actions that unraveled in the first part: Leonard questions the actions he has taken since the novel started, the death of an unsuspected character is examined by the murderous party, Constable Morrison undergoes a morality life lesson, and “The Glister” is finally revealed.

The novel is a phenomenal read with a thought-wrenching conclusion that engulfs the reader with a wave of questions.

The novel initially seems to cover a disturbing topic, but the author transforms such nightmarish matter into a literary masterpiece. All that can be divulged of the ending is that it should be commended for its creative and intriguing outlook on the known, the believed and the unknown.

Rating: 4.5/5 Falcons

Question: What has been the most meaningful part of your time abroad? Whether it was a lesson you learned, a place you went or a person you got to know, what was the most significant part of your trip overall?

Written by: Katherine Webber

Studying abroad has a lot to do with rolling with the punches. The most important lesson I have learned in my time here has been that things are hardly ever going to go according to plan, so you need to learn to adjust.

In Ireland, mostly everyone is very relaxed and laidback, which was a big shock to me when I first got here. Dublin is a city where nothing works exactly the way people told me it would.

The buses are always late, professors are not as readily available, and the pubs will reject for overcapacity, even on nights when you have to buy tickets to go. Sometimes life and nature just happen. Flights get cancelled, trails get washed out, and clouds and rain interfere with playing soccer in the park.

I am also living with new people that I didn’t really know or choose to live with before coming here. I live in Dublin, which is a city, not a college campus, and life is more “real” and slightly more dangerous.

A big part of the studying abroad experience is learning to adapt to other peoples’ living styles quickly and easily and trying not to fight with them over differences. There is no moving; you’re stuck for the semester with the same people.
Life in another country is an adjustment, more so than going to college or just living on your own for the first time.

You have to learn the culture, the area, the people, and sometimes the language.

You can’t expect everything to go smoothly all the time because it won’t. Plans get cancelled and changed, especially when you’re living with people of varying opinions and backgrounds. Sometimes it’s better to just sit back and let things happen, relinquish a little bit of control so that you can be happier.

The most important thing to remember is to take things as they come. Often times, they are beyond your control, so just run with it. If you can’t find the right bus stop, go to one that you know. If the bus is late, start walking. Can’t find your favorite candy bar? Try a new one.

It all starts with taking a deep breath and then looking to see what other options are available.

Written by: Sindhu Palaniappan

The Vanguard took a moment to sit down with President Mike Repsch and Music Director Nic Smits of Bentley’s WBTY radio station and found out a few interesting things.

What is WBTY?
The campus radio station, for those of you who don’t know, is 105.3 FM, even though you can’t really get it outside of the Student Center. Kidding aside, it’s usually the background music in the Student Center and it is streamed online, so it is accessible basically anywhere.

What kind of music do you play?
We play all types of music from classical to hip-hop to hard rock and metal. We do have talk shows and variety shows, as well. WBTY is looking to expand, so DJ hopefuls – WBTY extends an invite to you. The DJs are allowed to play anything at their own discretion, so there is vast variety on this station. If you’d like to request a song, feel free to hit up 781.891.3488 and speak to a DJ.

What was the big “collapse” of WBTY earlier this semester?
The collapse, which is a fairly dramatic way to put it, was pretty much a lot of equipment malfunctions, the antenna breaking, as well as the website going down and us losing the code so we couldn’t stream music over the Internet.
Along with this, we lost its domain name, which was pretty well known among labels and other companies that provide the station with promotional items and CDs.

WBTY was stuck with a new domain name which wasn’t well known among labels, and this led to those labels being unaware that WBTY still even existed.

With equipment breaking and the supply of free promotional items and CDs cut off, WBTY was put in a compromising financial situation. This led to a ton of arguments with the school due to inadequate funding  to repair everything and a lot of effort to try and get everything back up and running again.

How are you working to “rebuild?”
We’re working on getting the equipment back up and running, along with contacting record companies in order to continue receiving CDs and promotional items again.

We are also tracking the music so people can see what we play and see what shows interest them. Another thing we’re doing is trying to promote the station so people know we’re back and really trying to make an impact and play a large role on campus.

Plans to collaborate with other groups, such as the Bentley Music Society, are coming in the future. WBTY is also looking into hosting a music festival of sorts to further expand the name they have here on campus.
To learn more or to simply tune into the station, visit radiobentley.com!

Written by: Sindhu Palanippan

The 39th annual Falcon Awards this past Thursday night recognized and honored many seniors and faculty while showcasing some of Bentley’s talent. The Skyline Trio was the house band, providing background music and contributing to the red carpet atmosphere, while the Bentley Jazz band took over after the ceremony and provided music during the dinner portion. Three of Bentley’s dance crews, Bhangra, Never Out of Moves, and BizRaas performed, along with some vocal performances from both Christian Holland and Bentley’s A Cappella group.

The Division of Student Affairs takes this yearly opportunity “to celebrate and recognize the many efforts of faculty, staff and most especially students who represent Bentley well.” The night began with a check presentation to President Gloria Larson. From the Up Till Dawn fundraiser, Bentley raised a little over $45,000.

The David A. Fedo Award for Contribution to the Arts and Sciences went to senior Dan Merica. Staff Member of the Year, cited as “a mentor, leader, friend, and a shining example of a staff member who takes that extra step for every student out there” went to Adam Payne. Faculty Member of the Year honors those who excel outside of the classroom in connections, dedication, and support. This year, the award went to George Sousa.

Each year, the school recognizes one male and one female outstanding athlete of the year. This year, Alyssa Sliney took the female title and Jason Westrol took the male title. The Edward J. Powers Scholar Athlete Award combines both athletics and academics, recognizing the senior who succeeds in both fields. This year the award went to Abigail DeMusis.

Those students who provide “distinguished, yet unrecognized, service to improve the quality of student life at Bentley University” are rewarded with the Unsung Heroes Award. These students are very involved in student affairs at Bentley, but may not necessarily be as well known as other students. This year, the Unsung Heroes Award went to four different seniors: Ashish Kumar, Liz Farley, Anne Marie Warner, and Jimmy Buckley. The Diversity Awareness Award is one that is “presented to a student or student organization at Bentley who is dedicated to promoting diversity, awareness and creativity, both on and off campus.” After the successful Day of Silence and everything else that this group has done, the award was given to PRIDE.

The Dean’s Award is another prestigious award that recognizes a student who “stands out in an exceptional way in character, deed, and efforts toward the Bentley community.” This year, the award went to Tyler Williams.
After this, the department found it appropriate to recognize an organization that greatly contributed to the community this past year, the Project Haiti Team, who raised nearly $30,000 in relief efforts to benefit ShelterBox.

Nominated by peers and approved by the department, Martha Perry won Most Involved Student and Shanell Mosley won the Outstanding Contribution to the Bentley Community Award for their hard work and dedication to the community over the past four years.

Written by: Alanna McGuiggan

Four individuals involved in various aspects of the fashion industry partook in a career panel at Bentley on Thursday, April 8. Sponsored by the Bentley Fashion Consultants, this panel showed students that it is in fact possible to combine fashion with a business career.

One of the four panelists involved in this event was Melissa of Barbizon Modeling and Acting. A recent graduate of Manhattan College with a business degree, Melissa has fused her love for fashion with her career at Barbizon. Many students who attended this panel questioned their decision to pursue a business degree when they had hopes of eventually working in the fashion industry. However, Melissa showed that her knowledge of business was incredibly beneficial to her progress at Barbizon.

Though Melissa is new to this modeling and acting company, her business experience has already helped her to achieve several promotions. Melissa noted that her biggest regret from her college years was not pursuing an internship, which she emphasized as incredibly important for finding and excelling at your career upon graduation.

A second panelist involved in this BFC event was Brittney Rothweiler, a buyer for the Tannery, a lifestyle retailer located in Boston and Cambridge. Like Melissa, Brittney chose to pursue an undergraduate degree in the business realm, double majoring in economics and art at Lafayette College. Brittney assured panelists that a fashion major is not a necessity for success in this industry, agreeing with Melissa in her opinion that internships are the most important element for success in the fashion world.

During her time as an undergraduate student at Lafayette, Brittney completed a variety of internships. She went abroad to London and worked at Revlon’s European headquarters in international marketing. She also interned in public relations and marketing at Miss Sixty in New York City, as well as working as a buying intern at Catherine Malandrino’s Soho store.

Brittney’s vast experience as an intern paid off, helping her to gain the connections and experience that helped her reach her current position with The Tannery. As a buyer there, Brittney travels to places such as Paris and London, searching for new designers. From Brittney’s commentary at the panel, it was incredibly evident that she loves her job as a buyer, and her comments on the fashion industry provided valuable advice for Bentley students considering a career in the fashion realm.

The third panelist involved in this event was Samantha Shih, the CEO of 9tailors, a custom tailoring company located in Boston. Like Melissa and Brittney, Samantha also pursued a business degree instead of fashion and has still been incredibly successful in the fashion industry. A 2003 graduate of Brown University, Samantha holds a degree in management consulting and strongly believes her business knowledge has helped her to succeed in developing her tailoring company. Samantha compared 9tailors to “Build-a-Bear for your clothing,” and her explanation of her company’s progression showed Bentley students that business skills will be incredibly beneficial no matter what aspect of work they choose upon graduating. During the panel, Samantha consistently emphasized the importance of professionalism in any career or internship, noting that it will most definitely be beneficial for students’ success.

The final panelist involved in this event was Michelle Addo, a current senior at Bentley University and President of the Bentley Fashion Consultants. Michelle is an intern with Adireé Fashion Agency, which is a company located in New York that focuses on fashion event production, organization, and consulting. This company was founded by Adiat Disu, a graduate of Bentley University who created the Bentley Fashion Consultants during her time as a student here.

Michelle’s internship showed panel attendees that the connections one makes during their time at Bentley can help determine their level of success later on in life. Michelle also showed panelists that they must be prepared to perform a variety of tasks when they are interning for a company, and to handle their responsibilities professionally.

The wide variety of career choices presented during the Bentley Fashion Consultants’ 2010 Industry Panel showed attendees that a business degree is incredibly beneficial for success in the fashion industry. As current Bentley freshman Meaghan LaFrancis noted, “I loved the fashion panel and thought it was a great opportunity to get a taste of the fashion world. All the speakers had a different story to tell in how they were able to achieve their success.”

Even if students are not interested in a career in the fashion realm, the Bentley Fashion Consultants’ Annual Industry Panel can still provide valuable insight on the diverse paths students can take using their Bentley degree and business knowledge. This yearly event features different participants each year, and can help interested students attain internships or advice on how to reach their career goals.

Written by: Sindhu Palaniappan

The Vanguard sat down with Bentley Entrepreneurship Society (BES) President Zakary Ewen, an Economics and Finance major and Global Sustainability liberal studies major, in order to learn more about BES.

Tell us about BES
BES was founded relatively recently in 2002, which makes it a fairly young organization. Our goal is to serve as a forum for all Bentley students in entrepreneurship, This entails owning businesses or working for a startup, any entrepreneurial environment.

What kind of events does BES run?
Current entrepreneurs come in to speak to those interested in the field. We just held our Pitch Party event, which continues to be successful. Last year we attended a national conference in Chicago, where we met with other groups similar to ours interested in the entrepreneurial field. Aside from this, we also offer other speaking events and movie screenings; we aren’t limited in what we offer.

Are you affiliated with any other groups on campus?
We do co-host events. For example, last semester we worked closely with the Bentley Marketing Association for Dart Boston. Dart Boston is an event that tours Boston and also does live podcasts, interviewing entrepreneurs in their twenties.

Tell us more about your recent Pitch Party
It was an elevator pitch competition held on April 13th, in the Wilder Pavilion. For an entrepreneur, an elevator pitch is a one to three minute speech where an entrepreneur pitches his or her business idea and plan to potential investors. This is an annual competition held every spring. Competitors usually come to network with the venture capitalists and angel investors, but this time BES provided more incentive. We fundraised for this event, based on our family and friend network, and raised $1,000 to be given away in prizes.

Thirteen students presented in all, representing Bentley and Northeastern. There was also interest amongst Bryant University and Boston University students. As for our five judges, we hosted two venture capitalists from Bain Capital Ventures and Commonwealth Capital Ventures, two BES founding members, and a Bentley University Faculty Chair who has founded multiple biotechnology firms. The contest was based on the quality of the actual pitch and the business itself that was being sold. The students were given a rough outline to follow, but they came up with most of it.

They were given one to three minutes to talk, and then five minutes to answer questions.

First place and a $600 prize went to Raymer Maguire for his Boston Designated Driver service.

Second place and a $300 prize went to Elizabeth Horgan and Richard Pruitt of Northeastern for their ScriptBot Company, one that allows students to share media files easily with college applications.

Third place and a $100 prize went to Michael Gaudion for his idea of ChocoArt USA, a company that produces detailed, 3-D chocolate art.

The event is held every spring and students are encouraged to attend, BES aims to beat their $1,000 fundraising mark next year!

Written by: Ryan Vanzo

On April 16, the Securities Exchange Committee (SEC) charged Goldman Sachs with fraud in the structuring and marketing of Mortgage-Backed Securities. The SEC claims that Goldman acted against their clients’ best interests by recommending mortgage securities to them even though the firm was betting on them falling in value.

The SEC claims Goldman defrauded investors by “misstating and omitting key facts about a financial product tied to subprime mortgages as the U.S. housing market was beginning to falter.”

Robert Khuzami, SEC Enforcement Director, said, “Goldman wrongly permitted a client that was betting against the mortgage market to heavily influence which mortgage securities to include in an investment portfolio, while telling other investors that the securities were selected by an independent, objective third party.”

Immediately after the announcement, Goldman Sachs shares dropped by almost 15 percent, ending the day off with lows down 13 percent. The drop was the biggest decline in Goldman’s share price in over a year. Banking index’s fell by around three percent on the day as the Goldman news weighed heavily on other banking firms. Morgan Stanley ended the day down by almost six percent, with Citigroup and JP Morgan down by five percent.

Investors, relying on Goldman to give them dependable, independent research, lost more than $1 billion in this latest breach of fiduciary duty. Although its overall effect on the financial system is minimal, it could present an opportunity for sweeping regulatory changes to the investment banking industry.

Perhaps even more newsworthy than this was Moody Corp’s share price decline of eight percent. Being the largest securities rating agency, Moody received a fair amount of negative publicity during the market crash as many securities that received its highest rating defaulted. The latest suit against Goldman could mean increased scrutiny on Moody’s research practices and independence.

Although it appears to deal with Goldman Sachs alone, the suit could cause major ramifications across the banking industry. Only time will tell if the issues will be properly addressed, but for now Goldman Sachs is rejecting all claims of wrongdoing, calling the SEC’s charges “completely unfounded in law and fact.”

Written by: David Entin

Before any fans of the Splinter series knew better, Conviction was the next logical step in the franchise’s history. The last title, Double Agent, had popped out just about four years ago, and had been somewhat of a disappointment to the fans. It had felt stale, added little, and lost some of its stealthy edge for the sake of a grittier campaign. The latest foray into the adventures of super spy, Sam Fisher is a bit of a jarring leap. In fact, it’s more of a cavernous leap. This is a title without most of the staples of the former games. You’ve gone rogue, and you’ve lost most of your once indispensible gadgets, your compulsory light and sound meters, and Sam’s trademark play style is MIA. It’s a whole other beast, and as a game, its only true weakness is its pedigree as a Splinter Cell title.

This gameplay is all about speed, and the old purposeful crouched pace of the previous titles is gone. You’ll feel the deceleration of even bothering to crouch two missions in. Sam is faster than before, and rapid guns blazing entrances are no longer a death sentence with the aiming system maintaining tight control of hand to hand and ranged combat.

Both means of dispatch are effective, but close take-downs are the highlight with the multitude of animations playing out brutal Krav Maga and pistol take downs of the unfortunate guards in your path. The newfound agility and brutality doesn’t mean the player is invincible. Far from it, the health hovers only slightly higher than typical enemies, so a semblance of strategy is essential.

“Last known position” is one of the newest features, and it’s a joy. When enemies have lost sight of Sam, a silhouette is left in that location, indicating to the player where the enemy guards currently believe he is. This lends to glorious disappearances and quick, brutal takedowns of flanked foes.

‘Mark and execute’ is a more controversial feature for players, allowing the marking and tracking of enemies across the map and then the instantaneous takedown of all unobstructed, marked foes. Early on, the feature feels somewhat like an automatic win button, but proper use really lends to some impressive planned attacks on the bad guys, and nothing quite makes you feel like a super spy than designating and executing baddies in the blink of an eye.

The sonar goggles are the replacement for the standard night vision of previous titles, and it’s a gadget feature that just doesn’t feel thoroughly vetted. The goggles feel overpowered, allowing the player to see enemies through walls and track their movement. It becomes the only essential tool and instantaneously removes the need to check underneath doors or scout around corners with sticky cameras.

The monochromatic darkness indicator that desaturates the screen when in the shadows is a novel and interesting aesthetic feature, but because of the value of remaining unseen, too much of the game is played out without basic colors, which very quickly begins to drain away the enjoyment of the feature and leaves the player begging for a larger color palette.

One of the scrawnier additions to Conviction is the interrogation system. In essence, the player is asked to obtain information from a target they have grasped in a choke-hold. These scenes play out in tiny, controlled areas with several glaring items allowing for a brutal interaction, somehow involving smashing the victim into the objects to varying degrees of bloodshed. It’s a shocking feature that is an interesting showcase of the title to demonstrate to friends, but as a gameplay element, it degenerates to little more than pressing B to continue the small, interactive cut scene.

The campaign will take about six to eight hours to complete, and although it has many exciting set-piece moments, it’s easy to feel the length of longer pieces of exposition. The story is the standard, conspiracy-ridden terrorism plot on the Capitol, and it’s delivered interestingly enough to maintain interest.

The real joy is the deniable ops and co-op modes available for one or two players using online, system link, or split screen. Players control American Agent, Archer and Russian Agent Kestral. Both agents are equally matched with equipment but sport their own personalities that clash as the reluctant partners play out the prologue to the single player campaign. It is an exciting and joyous campaign to play and replay. Additionally, deniable ops dishes out several unique challenge modes to play out on sweeping maps that are excellent for bragging rights and honing spy skills.

The arsenal of weapons at Sam’s disposal is extensive, and all of them can be upgraded for improved value. Upgrade points are handed out by the game for completing in game challenges that may involve anything from killing three enemies with one grenade to taking out a foe that is currently investigating a car alarm. There’s an extensive range of these challenges and they are enjoyable enough to encourage fresh approaches to combat situations. These bonuses carry over to both the co-op and deniable ops mode, and also allow for armor upgrades to the equipment of Archer and Kestral, as well as customizing their look during online sessions.

Splinter Cell: Conviction is available for the PC and Xbox 360 and is a title truly worthy of a play. It’s sad to see the purposeful nature of the Splinter Cell series is dead and buried, but with the fresh trappings of predatory combat, this is a title that’s a fierce rebirth of a respected, and consistently quality series.

Rating: 4.5/5 Falcons

Written by: Dan Merica

Plans proposed by Sodexo for the LaCava Lower Cafeteria call for space that is currently occupied by the Women’s Center and Commuter Association to be changed, with both groups now stuck in a limbo between keeping their current offices and being displaced to unknown locations on campus.

The proposed layout of LaCava has the Women’s Center displaced in favor of dining booths and the Commuters Association office listed under “placeholder,” with no specific plans yet implemented in that space. There has also been alk of using this space for adjacent professor offices.

“Although we are saddened by the abrupt announcement of the changes to LaCava, we are confident that Bentley will do its best to accommodate our needs and find us a space that is similar to our current location,” said Edith Kwok, President of the Women’s Center.

Dr. Kathleen Yorkis, Vice President of Student Affairs, called the situation “incredibly unfortunate,” but said that there was no direct decision to displace the two groups. “It was more general in that this entire space needed to be done,” said Yorkis.

In an interview with The Vanguard, Traci Logan, Chief Operating Officer of Bentley, stated she believed that it would have been better to put the same “placeholder designation” used for the Commuters Association office on the Women’s Center.

Logan went on to say that if comparable space could not be found for these groups, the current aspects in the design for the space do not have to be there.

“If people are open-minded about what the right spot might be, and in that open mindedness they feel there is no other stop on campus that would be appropriate, I am not going to force them to move,” said Logan.

Conversation between representatives from the two organizations and the Bentley administration are ongoing.