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.

Unpopular venue & A&W to be replaced over summer

Written by: Andy Zhong

After receiving much feedback from Bentley students, SGA has announced that in addition to the renovations this summer to LaCava, Sandella’s Flatbread Grill in the Student Center is being replaced, as is the A&W Classic Grill located in the Dana Athletic Center.

Plans for A&W are still in their very early phases and there is no set menu or concept that has been determined. This venue will be decided over the summer and will be determined in coordination with students, the administration, and the Athletic Department.

Sandella’s will be replaced with a Sodexo concept that will offer items mainly decided upon by the student body in a vote, similar to the vote held for expanding Sandella’s menu earlier this year. SGA recently sent out a replacement survey which provides students with the opportunity to voice their opinions on what changes they would like to see in the future.

Some students seeking healthier alternatives on campus are anxious to see the new replacements. “It would be nice to see a healthier food option on campus,” says Stephanie Cogswell, a sophomore.

When asked why Sandella’s is being replaced after only one year of operation, Jamie Cornacchia, the General Manager for Sodexo at Bentley, stated, “Sandella’s performed well at night after our first week learning curve, especially when we added brought Pub Offerings back, but daytime sales in particular have significantly dropped off from last year.”
“In general, cash sales were down 35 percent, which is a major indicator to us that the venue was not meeting the needs of students or staff,” Cornacchia continued. “The addition of the Mongolian Grill and the staff meal plan options for Seasons has contributed to the decline, as well.”

The new concept to replace Sandella’s will still offer late-night options similar to the current Pub Offerings, such as mozzarella sticks and “wings of fire.”

It is important to note that this new venue, which has not yet been named, will not be another Harry’s Corner or offer the same broad menu that Harry’s Corner had. Such a menu is difficult to maintain while keeping up with late-night demand on the weekends. The goal here is to create a venue that offers a small set of popular items that can be changed to fit student demand, since Sandella’s has not been reactive enough to student demand in the past.

Students like sophomore Brandon Tang welcome the change. “It doesn’t taste as good as Harry’s, and Harry’s had a wider selection of food,” said Tang.

Although both Sandella’s and A&W are expected to be replaced, Cornacchia states, “No major renovations of the space are planned, which means we will likely be using the equipment already there.”

“We will be working closely with students and Bentley administrators in designing the new venue, in hopes of providing a concept that works for everyone, from students and the school to Sodexo,“ Cornacchia concluded.

Major changes planned to venue; Seasons to have operations changes

Written by: Jon McColgan

Sodexo and Bentley have recently finalized plans to significantly renovate the Lower Café of the LaCava Campus Center, as well as bring changes to the Operational Standards of Seasons Dining Hall in the Student Center.

The plan calls for a complete re-design of the Lower Café dining area and servery, with several stations being shifted for better flow, efficiency and overall quality of the eating experience. This will be the second consecutive summer in which Bentley and Sodexo performed major renovations to a campus eatery, and while LaCava’s structure will not allow for the movement of hoods or major structural elements, the renovation will be aimed at modernizing a facility designed in the early 1980’s.

While there is currently no plans for external brands to enter Lower Café, such as Subway or Quizno’s, Sodexo brands are a definite possibility and offer quality products similar to the Aspretto coffee brand  in Seasons.

Popular stations including the Garden Toss, Sushi Bar, Freshens and Delicatessen will be kept, along with the Grill, pizza shop and hot sandwich bar, though some of the stations that do not require heavy grills of ovens will be moved to avoid clutter and increase flow.

While no major shift in food offerings is planned, grab and go fresh sandwiches will be newly offered, along with a hot plated entrée and the addition of a made-to-order special of the day or week station in the center of the servery.

Simply-2-Go products, which include the pre-wrapped sandwiches, salads, puddings, etc., will expanded to offer the full product line, as Bentley is currently only able to see a sample of the possible products.

Freshens and Starbucks will be moved along the side wall near the main entrance to Lower Café, though the Starbucks will not be expanded into a full franchise.

Jamie Cornacchia, general manager for Sodexo, said “We hope to make the space more open and inviting, with better flow and provide greater seating capacity.”

The seating area will be revamped to a similar feel found in the new Seasons eating area, with more accommodating booths and private seating. The large stage-like area in the eatery will be removed, along with the long, banquet-style tables, in favor of rounded tables, new chairs and more natural lighting. The main entrance way will also be completely revamped, with fresh tile and a new path into the Café.

Sodexo confirmed that the space was rather “make-shift,” with no true central planning with the addition of appliances and services over the years.

“We’ll replacing outdated appliances with far more efficient models and in the end, the product will get out faster, which means lines and wait times will be reduced,” said Cornacchia. “We hope to capitalize on the location and popularity of this venue and create a unique space on campus where you will find students, staff and faculty comingling and enjoying each other’s company.”

Meanwhile, with the Food Service Advisory Board (FSAB) and Student Government Association (SGA) raising concerns about the freshness of food at Seasons, Sodexo will be rolling out new operational standards for the dining hall as well as altering the schedule of the venue. No physical changes are planned for Seasons.

In hopes of providing the freshest dinner possible to students, which remains the most popular meal at Seasons, Sodexo will be closing the main server from 2:30-4:30 p.m. every day, while ramping up the operations of the Mongolian Grill during this period. This period, considered the void between lunch and dinner, has extremely low demand and leads to significant food waste.

A special will be offered at the Grill during these hours based off of popular past specials featured at Lower Café and Seasons, and plans are motion to offer salad and dessert options around the Grill. Students will likely enter from the Pub side, and will still only have to swipe once for entry.

The operational standards, while still being articulated, will be designed to improve quality control through better holding times of food product at Seasons, and will most likely feature a seven minute rotation of staple items such as pizza, entrees and pasta to ensure freshness as well as shifting pre-made to make-to-order, particularly with the hamburgers and hot dogs.

The LaCava renovations as well as Seasons changes  are expected to be fully installed for the start of school in September, if all goes to plan.

“These standards are still in the works, but will likely be very well received by students,” said Cornacchia. “We always strive to meet the needs of Bentley students, and hope that they will continue to bring us their concerns through the Food Service Advisory Board.”

“When we hear about a problem, we’ll do everything we can to fix it,” concluded Cornacchia.

Students left aggravated by situation

Written by: Brian Lofrumento

Last week Bentley students received an e-mail from Kathleen Yorkis, Vice President of Student Affairs, with a copy of a letter sent to all families in March.

The letter announced that Bentley’s tuition is increasing once again, this time by 3.5 percent. The rise brings Bentley’s undergraduate tuition bill to $35,580.

In addition to the tuition increase, students living on campus will also see room and board costs climb by the same percentage, taking effect for the upcoming fall semester. Meanwhile, the technology fee remains unchanged for next year, which gives students at least some relief. Similarly, President Larson stressed in the letter that the increase is the lowest increase in over a decade, indicating that Bentley understands the rough economic climate that families are facing.

The letter cited rising costs as the reason for the necessary increase. “The decision about this increase was made with careful and mindful deliberation, and with the understanding that many of our families continue to face the real and difficult impacts of the global economic crisis,” said President Larson. “We budgeted the lowest increase necessary to fund the range of services we deliver to our students and meet continually rising costs.”

While many students are disgruntled about yet another increase, Bentley administrators point to the university’s impressive job placement statistics and reputation as justification. “As always, we maintain our commitment to deliver the highest quality education with a solid return on your investment,” Larson noted.

“Evidencing the value of a Bentley education, our survey of 2009 graduates six months after graduation revealed that 81 percent were employed and another 17 percent were planning to attend graduate school – a 98 percent placement rate!” said Larson. “We’re also thrilled to have been recently recognized in Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s 2010 rankings of undergraduate business programs as one of the top 25 programs in the country,” concluded Larson.

Students have already expressed their unhappiness at the tuition hike, and many feel that the 3.5 percent hike is still too high. “It is almost criminal to raise tuition at such alarming rates every year, specifically now when so many of our parents are out of work,” said Christina Harstad, a junior. “Every year I keep paying more, but I have not received higher quality education or services. I have seen no improvements to my living spaces at Bentley to justify paying 3.5 percent more for the exact same rooms and meal plans. These tuition hikes outpace inflation,” she continued.

As a result of the continuing increases in tuition, Harstad pointed out that students are going to make their own adjustments. “I will graduate a semester early in order to save money,” said Harstad. “If I knew my family would be in the financial situation it was in today, I would have attended a public university.”

Harstad concluded, “As a school of future financial leaders, Bentley should be teaching us how to cut costs and use our budgets wisely, not demanding that cash-strapped families dole out more and more money every year.”

Written by: Dan Merica

With large-scale changes to dining options on campus, primarily the total renovation of the Lower Cafeteria in LaCava, one student who was tasked to monitor these changes and represent the student voice through both the Food Service Advisory Board (FSAB) and Student Government Association (SGA) is questioning whether the student voice was really considered in these decisions.

SGA, the representatives of the student voice on campus, was notified of the laid-out plans for LaCava on Tuesday, April 13. But according to Julianne Britt, Director of Purchasing and Contract Services, discussions on physical changes to LaCava occurred between Sodexo representatives and the office of Student Affairs as early as February.

Emily Santos, SGA senator and SGA representative of the FSAB, a board that meets bi-weekly to speak with Sodexo on the concerns of students, stated, “I was completely unaware of [the laid-out plans] until they were presented and Jamie held up the board with the pictures on it at the meeting.”

Santos went on to say that while she knew that there were plans to renovate LaCava, she was never asked for input as the representative of SGA on the FSAB. “All throughout the year, when someone has been deliberating renovating LaCava… I was not at all a part of the process, despite my supposed position as the voice of the students on the Food Service Advisory Board,” said Santos.

When asked whether she believed SGA and the FSAB should have been worked in earlier, Traci Logan, Chief Operation Officer of Bentley, stated, “From my perspective, absolutely they should have been worked in.” She later stated, “I think that anytime you have a space like this that is going to be used by faculty staff and students, it is really important to engage them.” It is important to note that Logan assumed the duties related to this article only weeks ago.

While Santos feels as if SGA was left out of the loop regarding the LaCava changes, Puja Shah, President of SGA, and Doreen Floyd, advisor to both SGA and FASB, defend the communication between SGA and Sodexo on a whole.

“The administration approached us as soon as they were able to,” said Shah, and while she did state that it was clear that these plans had been in the works for awhile, she believes that SGA is “consistently working in collaboration with the FSAB to address daily food concerns on campus.”

Floyd echoed that sentiment, stating that through the FSAB meetings with SGA representatives, students have continually been represented in on-campus dining changes.

Efforts were made to work students in as soon as plans were set on paper, according to Kathleen Yorkis, vice president of Student Affairs, who went to present the plans to SGA three days after being presented with them.

Yorkis went on to classify this project as “late,” stating that the tardiness of the project is reason for the lack of SGA input.

“Usually a project like this is on the books through the fall and winter months, and this project has really only appeared in the spring months,” said Yorkis. “I can understand how people would feel that way because SGA in particular has worked diligently month after month to improve a long list of things.”

Yorkis went on to say that she believes the way this has played out it is very “unfortunate,” but that she does not believe “there is any intent or devious actions in play which are trying to be disrespectful of the student voice.”

“We work very hard to meet the needs of the students and the staff here on campus,” said Jamie Cornacchia, general manager of Sodexo. “When students or Bentley comes to us with a concern, we do everything in our power to address it, and it can be seen all over campus, especially in Seasons.”

According to Cornacchia, “Students were consulted in surveys and focus groups two years ago,” regarding a number of large changes to dining option on campus, and in that survey the Lower Cafeteria was “brought up as a tired space in need of redesign.”

Through that survey, it was decided that the first round of dining option changes would be to Seasons Dining Hall. According to Shah, “Last spring, when we were told about the renovations to Seasons, we were told the original proposal from Sodexo was to renovate the Lower Cafeteria.”

The decision to forgo renovations to LaCava in favor of renovations to Seasons was due to the frequent use of Seasons as the hub of student dining on campus.

With plans now drawn up, whether students were considered prior to or not, “There is a lot of work to do,” said Yorkis.

On Wednesday, SGA got started on that work, setting up a station to collect student feedback in LaCava. The table was in cooperation with Britt, Cornacchia and Andrew Shepardson, dean of Student Affairs.

With efforts now shifting towards including more direct student input in the LaCava plans, the question of how fluid the drawn-out plans are comes into question. When SGA was presented with the plans, Cornacchia was adamant that the plans remained very fluid. “The plans are definitely going to be tweaked in the upcoming weeks before construction begins,” said Cornacchia. “But soon after graduation, this project must get rolling.”

Yorkis was less hopeful on the fluidity of the plans, stating that they were “not too fluid because of the timing, because if we go back to the drawing board, the construction schedule will never be able to be met.”

As the year comes to an end, there is a planned start date of “right after graduation,” according to Yorkis, and time now becomes the greatest challenge for the incorporation of more student input. When asked whether she thinks it can happen, Yorkis stated, “We have to make it; that is part of the challenge.”

After year of strife, leaders pleased with progress but aim for more

Written by: Dan Merica

After years of swelling tension and misunderstandings between Greek Life and the Student Affairs Office, these strains are slowly subsiding after a number of meetings in which Greek issues were aired to the administration.

Though most Greeks believe that these problems are far from resolved, the relations with the administration, according to Rebecca Stewart, President of Delta Phi Epsilon, are remarkably better than in the past.

“I think there are definitely going to be changes that people might fight,” said Stewart. “But I think it is for the better because if we keep pushing the admin, then Greek Life will probably just disappear.”

In response to these meetings, which included Greek representatives from each sorority and fraternity on campus, along with Student Affairs staff, a letter was written outlining some of the steps that need to be taken to continue cordial relations.

A number of grievances were addressed in the meetings, and subsequently answered in an e-mail sent by Maria DiLorenzo, Assistant Director of Student Affairs, and Christina Witkowicki, Director of Greek Life. While the grievances included issues from Greek housing to funding and relationships with the community,  main concerns expressed by both Stewart and Martha Perry, Greek Life Project Group Leader, were about university policies towards Greek Life and public relations on campus.

“The policies are the things that people were generally most upset about,” said Perry. “The solution to that was that each president and their national representative is going to sit down with Christina and decide what fits best at Bentley.”

According to the letter sent by Student Affairs, this group discussion is a short-term solution. Addressed in these conversations will be questions regarding co-sponsoring events with Bentley organizations which have alcohol, party registration policy and socializing with fraternity/sorority organizations that are suspended or not recognized.

A good deal of tension also stemmed from the feeling that the administration was overstepping their regulatory bounds by trying to enforce not just Bentley polices, but fraternity or sorority policies as well. Doreen Floyd, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, addressed this issue saying, “Our goal is not to regulate policy for other organizations, but to work with our students to figure out how to make sense of it all.”

While policies have created friction with the campus and the administration, many members of Greek Life believe that their presence on campus and the view of non-Greek students towards Greek Life was not favorable. “We don’t want to have Greek Life versus the rest of the campus,” said Stewart, who went on to say that while the perception of Greeks may be linked with partying, it is important to remember that they do a great deal of philanthropy as well.

Student Affairs and Witkowicki stated that Greeks on campus believe the publicity they receive is “not positive.”
“They were interested in more of a presence in publications, such as admissions brochures, spoken more positively about in campus tours, and had more positive articles written about them in The Vanguard,” wrote Witkowicki.

A survey will also be sent out to students regarding their view of Greek Life on campus. “The surveys are intended to provide a broader perspective of the strengths and challenges of the community as perceived by others,” wrote Witkowicki. In addition, a specific survey regarding perceptions of Greek Life is going to staff and faculty.

The survey is slated to go out by the end of the semester. Greek Life will also be making a presentation next semester regarding the possibility of Greek-specific housing coming to campus. In addition, the possibility of mini-grants and funding from AIA for campus-wide events was addressed as a possible way to involve the Greek community. “We are looking at increasing some of the development programming offered to fraternity and sorority members to help aid this change,” said Witkowicki.

When asked whether either of them believed that these changes will be followed through, both Stewart and Perry were hopeful that they would carry them through, but they acknowledged that there would always be tension.

Stewart stated that they are working on “a healthy balance between us pushing them, and them [the administration] pushing us. We are trying to eliminate the negative tension between Greek Life and the administration.” However, Perry went on to acknowledge that there will always be tension, saying, “The most important thing is that we work through that tension and work together.”

Witkowicki pointed out that their commitment has always been centered on helping students be successful and take responsibility for their own behavior. When asked about the feasibility about these changes and where they currently stand, Witkowicki wrote, “Almost all of the action items in the memo have already been started.”

“They are really showing that they want to work with us,” concluded Perry. “We haven’t come to final conclusions yet, but that willingness to work with us makes a big difference.”

Annual Take Back the Night event fights  back against sexual assault and rape

Written by: Sindhu Palaniappan

The Women’s Center hosted its annual Take Back the Night event this past Wednesday and this year was co-hosted by Delta Phi Epsilon and Campus Police. The event began at 7 p.m. when all of the attendees gathered in the Women’s Center for the glow stick ritual. Women and men alike told shared stories about rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. A walk of silence to the Fenway skybox followed the ritual, where a slam poet performed, the Delta Phi Epsilon women read anonymous stories that were submitted, and food was served.

Dr. Susan Clark-Cook Clark-Cook, co-advisor of the Women’s Center, said, “Take Back the Night started across the country.” She then added that it has been a longstanding tradition at Bentley. She explained that the purpose of the event is to raise awareness about “acts of violence against women at night.”

President of the Women’s Center, Edith Kwok, also spoke of the importance of the event. She said that it has “always been a good experience,” and that the Center has a lot of background information from previous years.

Officer Kevin Robertson of Campus Police volunteers to be the police escort for the walk every year. His mother was a survivor of domestic violence, and it is for that reason that he chooses to escort this event year after year.

Robertson also teaches RAD classes here at Bentley for the same reason, to raise awareness and promote female self-confidence and safety.

Delta Phi Epsilon member Jackie Le said that the event was “surprisingly powerful, and good for both men and women. It opens our eyes to how prevalent these issues are.”

Each glow stick represented a story, and within a small room of about 30 people, the entire clothesline was filled. The unreasonably high amount of glow sticks, or stories told, was moving to say the least. The reality of it was shocking.

Lani Verges-Radack, the slam poet that concluded the event, performs every year at this event. She began by telling the audience that she started when she was young, but now that she is  a mother, the issues presented are even more important to her and her daughter. Her poems were moving and raw, just like the stories presented. It was a powerful night overall and everyone left with a newfound awareness.


Sigma Pi student-faculty b-ball game to support S. Williams Foundation

Written by: Andrew Hodgson

On Sunday, April 11, Bentley and Sigma Pi will honor their founder and brother Sean Williams, who recently passed away over Winter Break. The event which is to take place in the Dana Center will be the first annual Sean Williams Memorial Basketball Game. The game will feature members of Bentley’s faculty and staff as well as Sigma Pi brothers who will compete in the charity game to raise money for the Sean Williams Memorial Scholarship.

The event, which is open to everyone, will be five dollars at the door. In addition, there will be $1 raffle tickets on sale where the winner of the raffle will be awarded a chance at a half court shot for the raffle pool. If the shot is missed, the money will go to the Sean Williams Memorial Scholarship.

The two teams competing in the event will consist of one team of Bentley faculty, competing against a team composed of players from many different Greek organizations, including Sigma Pi. Organizations which Williams was heavily involved in will also participate. “Sean was an active member of Rugby, so the rugby team is getting involved also,” said Sigma Pi brother Mason Forando. “The men’s Bentley basketball team will be coaching and refereeing the event as well,” Forando continued. Williams also helped manage the men’s basketball team.

The event means very much to Sigma Pi and they hold this game very dear to their hearts. “Sean was one of our founding fathers,” Forando said of his mourned brother, “he was very active in Sigma Pi and this is a good way to honor his memory.”

Tipoff for the game is four o’clock on Sunday. When asked about the event’s atmosphere, Forando continued, “We’re trying to get it like And1 Mixtape, announcing wise.” The And1 Series is a semi-professional basketball league characterized by their colorful announcers.

The Sean Williams Memorial Scholarship goes to a student graduating from Drury High in North Adams, Massachusetts. The Intrafraternity Council (IFC) has already raised money for the cause earlier in the year with their Date Auction event. Forando said of the previous fundraiser, “There were over a thousand dollars raised; the family is very grateful.” Sigma Pi hopes that the basketball event this Sunday will be just as successful. Bentley students and faculty are encouraged to attend.

Written by: Jezerc Begaj & Dan Merica.

Since 1992, Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) has been the organization at Bentley, according to current President Christina Beshaw, “for financial information professions: which include accountancy, finance, economics-finance majors, as well as CIS majors.”

Drawing from some of the most popular majors at Bentley, BAP has used its resources to bring a number of different speakers on campus and bridge partnerships with some of the largest firms in different financial professions.

“Beta Alpha Psi gives you the skills you need to grow as a professional,” said Beshaw. “Not only to be recruited, but develop you so that you are the best student for those roles and positions in firms.”

Over the last year, BAP has brought partners from BDO Seidman, KPMG, Grant Thorton, Ernst and Young and Boston Scientific, all providing insight from their specific areas of expertise, ranging from lectures in ethics to building your executive presence. While their events may range in topic, for many BAP members they all boil down to networking.

Though BAP uses Greek letters and is identified as a fraternity, Beshaw pointed out they are “not in Greek life.” She went on to say that BAP is a professional organization, “what sets us apart is that we are an honors organization, and firms know that.”

Because firms know that, according to Beshaw, “they come to us asking ‘can we present, can we volunteer with you, can we do this with you,’ because they know that our members are what they want for their firm.

In addition to working with organizations at the hope of future employment, BAP also participates in service activities with the same organizations. On campus, BAP members volunteer as tutors, helping GB 112 students in both one-on-one and small group sessions.

BAP, because it is an honors fraternity, screens inductees by having requirements in overall GPA and major GPA, in addition to requiring that each member is one of the following members: accounting, economics, finance, economics-finance or computer information systems.

“At one of our other big events,” said Beshaw, “we have a volleyball tournament in the fall where eight firms come in and they bring five to six professionals with them and play in the tournament.” This event acts as an informal way for students to network.

According to the Beta Alpha Psi website, there are currently 286 recognized chapters, providing a large network for Bentley BAP members to associate with.

When asked what BAP means to her, Beshaw stated that she has truly grown as a professional. “BAP really pushes you to get out there and make the effort to meet with the firms and meet other students who are interested in the industry.”

With monthly networking events and close relationships with a number of professors on campus, as well as financial support from the accounting department, Beshaw was clear that she wanted BAP to continue to grow.

“For the future,” said Beshaw, “we hope to have more events with more finance companies, strengthen the chapter, make it more cohesive, and continue being a superior chapter.”

No smoking is permitted near buildings

Written by: Dan Merica

The Student Government Association (SGA) unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that effectively harmonizes smoking policies at Bentley, clarifying the rule that states no smoking can occur within 25 feet of campus buildings.

While the bill does not require administrators to take the actions suggested, in this case, many of the recommendations suggested in the bill are already being worked on.

The bill simply enforces the 25 feet rule and posts signs at entrances, aligning with the Massachusetts state law prohibiting smoking within 25 feet of any public facility. The bill also reconciled the difference between the Bentley University Student Handbook and the Human Resources policies that apply to staff and faculty.

“I’m really proud of the work on this project this year because it addresses a concern among students that we know arises every year,” said President of SGA, Puja Shah.

Chris Hayes, Vice President of Student Affairs, lead the project group that looked into the discrepancies of policies. In order to sequester student input, SGA put a survey out to the Bentley community regarding their feelings in smoking on campus.

“Nearly 70 percent of the respondents to the survey that we sent out in the fall agreed or strongly agree that people smoking right outside buildings irritated them,” said Hayes.  He went on to say that 77 percent of students also believed that smoking should be prohibited 25 feet from on-campus buildings.

“This information gave us the confirmation that this is an issue that bothers people and needed addressing,” concluded Hayes.

Prior to the passage of this bill, Hayes and the SGA Senators on the Smoking Policy project group worked with facilities to move ash trays away from buildings and put ash trays in areas that a great deal of smoking occurs. Though this bill is meant to change smoking habits, Hayes was specific in pointing out that this bill is “not meant to tell people they can’t smoke on campus.”

A number of students who spoke with The Vanguard welcomed the bill passage; however, many of them questioned the effectiveness of enforcement.

“I get nervous every time I see Campus Police, expecting them to say ‘You can’t be here,’ but they never do,” said senior Miriam Friedman, “and as police offices, I think it is their job to say something.”

Senior Jon Michaud, who admitted that he is a smoker, said that the reason he smokes near buildings is out of habit.

“You can compare my smoking habit to drinking coffee,” said Michaud. “Some people in the morning get up, get a coffee and walk up to class, throwing their cup away outside a building. I smoke on the way up and just finish my cigarette outside a building.”

Both Friedman and Michaud agreed that the policy is necessary and it needs to be how enforced, however, they both do not feel that students should be written up by Campus Police for smoking within 25 feet of campus buildings. “This should not be something that people are ticketed for,” said Friedman.

Even Director of Public Safety and Chief of University Police Ernest Leffler stated at the March 31 SGA meeting that he did not desire to see Campus Police in full enforcement of the smoking policy.

In order to help ensure this policy is followed, SGA is working with University Police and Facilities to put no smoking signs at a number of entrances and exits of buildings. In addition, SGA plans to continue efforts in educating the Bentley community regarding the policy.

“This is a project that SGA will continue to work on through next year. We will be communicating the policy to all members of our campus at the beginning of each semester to remind them of the guidelines and to ask for their cooperation,” concluded Shah.

Lacrosse team firing on all cylinders at start

Written by: Phillip St. Pierre

Bentley Lacrosse has not lost a step from last year’s successful season, starting this year out with wins in three of their first four games. The Falcons are one of the strongest teams in Division II, ranked fifth in the country by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Administration.

Bentley’s roster looks very strong this year, as the team has  a number of returning lettermen who made a big impact on the team the past season. Four out of the six leading scorers from last season are returning for another year with the squad.

The Falcons also have an experienced senior class that has the ability to lead the team to victory. Some of the most notable names are defenseman Matt Allen, goalkeeper Andy Collette, midfielder Wyatt Couture, attack man Kevin Gould, and midfielder Brad Tunis.

Bentley finished last year with a record of 9-4, making it to the Northeast 10 semifinals before losing to Merrimack.

The Falcons were ranked #9 in the country at the beginning of this season, due to last year’s performance as well as to a big returning class.

The Falcons began their regular season with a tough match against New York Institute of Technology, a squad that was ranked #4 in the nation to start the year. Making a statement that they are a team to be reckoned with, Bentley upset NYIT with an 11-10 victory and their first win of the season.

This was a match where the Falcons found themselves ahead going into the fourth quarter, until NYIT rallied to pull ahead 9-8. Bentley then responded as senior Brad Tunis scored the first of three Bentley fourth quarter goals, followed by scores from junior Dante Mancini and freshman James Reardon, his third of the game, to put the Falcons up for good.

Bentley gave NYIT their first loss of the season, and the victory was a great way for the Falcons to start off the year. They had no time for rest, as their next game would prove to be even more of a challenge when they traveled to New York to face the #1 C.W. Post team.

Bentley put up a strong fight against the top-ranked team in what was a fairly low-scoring game. They found themselves going into the half down 4-2, but scored the only third quarter goal on a feed from Kevin Gould to senior Stephen Moulton, who found the back of the net.

The fourth quarter was back and forth as the Falcons found themselves narrowing the gap to one, as Bentley was losing 5-4 with less than eight minutes left in the game. However, C.W. Post proved to be too much for the Falcons as they scored two more goals to end the game with a 7-4 victory.

Although they were handed their first loss of the season, it should not be a huge disappointment as Bentley contended with one of the elite teams in Division II, proving that the Falcons should be a team to watch out for.

Following the tough loss against C.W. Post, the Falcons came back to Waltham for their first home game of the season. This contest exhibited a very balanced attack from Bentley as they cruised to an 11-6 victory, giving them a record of 2-1 on the season.

The first quarter did not see much action as each team scored one goal each, but the second quarter was a different story as Bentley erupted to score six unanswered goals, all from different players, to put the Falcons up 7-1 at the half.
Bentley carried over their momentum in the second half of the match, starting with a pair of goals from Brendan Grant, giving him a hat trick on the day. Assumption then made a slight run in the fourth quarter, scoring four goals to Bentley’s two, but it was too late for the Greyhounds.

After the exciting win against Assumption, the Falcons stayed at home to host their next game against Franklin Pierce. This was a game that was dominated by Bentley, as the Falcons scored six goals in the first quarter and kept piling on the scores until the game ended with an 18-4 Bentley victory.

The Falcons showed why they are one of the best teams in Division II as they held the ball on their side of the field for the majority of the game. Bentley won 21 of their 26 face-offs as well as the ground ball battle 53-26, giving Franklin Pierce virtually no chance to get back into the game.

The first half was commanded by Bentley, and the second half was much of the same. The Falcons went into half time with a 10-2 lead, and scored eight points with eight different players in the second half to bury the casket for Franklin Pierce.

Wyatt Couture led all scorers with five points, as the senior midfielder finished with three goals and two assists. Brad Tunis, Addi Van Hatcher, Steve Murray, Brendan Grant, and James Reardon all followed with two goals each.

Goalie Andy Collette was also exceptional for the Falcons, recording seven saves and earning his third win of the season. The senior was later named Northeast 10 Goalkeeper of the Week for his play in the game against Assumption as well as in this match, and Collette has helped give Bentley a record of 3-1 to start the year.

Bentley will travel to Manchester to battle with Southern New Hampshire in their next game, facing a team that is currently 3-4 on the season. Coming off of the blowout against Franklin Pierce, the Falcons will look to continue to dominate the possession game, allowing goals to come in bunches.

Scoring goals has not seemed to be a problem for Bentley, as they have scored 10+ goals in three of their first four games. To no surprise, the Falcons’ only loss of the season came in the game against C.W. Post, in which they only scored four times.

Bentley has started off the season strong, and hopes to keep climbing up the rankings and play at the high level that they have been showing to start the season. If Bentley continues to play smart all-around lacrosse with all the weapons they have, they should be able to compete with whoever stands in their way.

Written by: Robbie LaBrie

The Bentley Women’s Lacrosse team has started the season out well, heading into the meat and potatoes of their schedule.

They will be looking to carry over that success as they start to take on more Northeast-10 teams and to climb the conference standings over the next month.

The Falcons are a young team who is looking to improve on last year’s season where they went 9-9 overall.  It is a roster that contains only two seniors and one junior, and while they may be short on age, they are returning 11 letter winners from last year.

Bentley had to replace their leading scorers from last season in Alyssa Ritchie and Jaclyn Griffen, but they return six of the next seven top scorers from last year, and should have enough talent and depth to compete with anybody this season.

Freshman Cori Geiger has burst onto the scene in a big way early in the season, being named NE-10 Freshman of the Week for the second straight week.

The freshman is tearing up competition, with 13 goals and 16 assists so far on the season, leading the team in points, assists, and second on the team in goals.

Geiger, a midfielder, is leading the NE-10 in assists per game and ranks third in the conference in points per game. Junior attack Leigh Tedeschi has also gotten off to a hot start, leading the team with 17 goals.

The Falcons got their season underway on March 10 in Purchase, New York against Mercy.  Tedeschi and Geiger paced the team in this game, scoring four goals apiece, as the Falcons cruised to a 15-7 win in the opener.

After 14 minutes, the Falcons had jumped out to a 4-0 lead on two goals from Geiger and one apiece from Tedeschi and freshman Dovlyn Curtis. Two and a half minutes into the second half, the Bentley lead had expanded to 9-2 and the Falcons would not turn back.

Mercy tried to stage a comeback, scoring the next three goals, but the Falcons were too much and Bentley went on to win the game 15-7.

Three days later, the Falcons were back in Waltham for their home opener against Queens. For the second game in a row, the Falcons took down another small New York team, but this time they left absolutely no doubt.

The Falcons came out and recorded their first shutout since 2000, taking down Queens, 21-0. Tedeschi took over this one, scoring a career-high six goals.

Sophomores Torre Taylor and Megan Wiggins each pitched in with three of their own, while Geiger and fellow freshman Taylor Bastien were there for the helpers with four assists each.

Bentley’s next game came on St. Patrick’s Day, and while most of the Bentley community was wearing green and engaging in other Irish activities, the Falcons were busy putting up another dominating performance, this time over Post, in Waltham.

This time it was a 23-1 win and it was Geiger pacing the Falcons. She came out and dropped three goals and six assists on Post. Tedeschi and sophomore Lauren Canepa scored four apiece and Curtis recorded a hat trick.

The Falcons led this one 13-0 at intermission and they never looked back in the second half, cruising to the easy win and advancing to an impressive 3-0 on the season.

It didn’t stop there for the Lady Falcons, however, as they traveled to New Haven to play their first Northeast-10 game of the year against Southern Connecticut.

As usual, Geiger did her thing with four goals and two assists, as Bentley won the game 21-4 and cruised to a 4-0 start, the best in program history.

Twelve Falcons got in on the action, scoring goals for the Falcons. Bastien scored four herself, while the other 13 goals were spread out among 10 players. Tedeschi, Wiggins and sophomore Maureen Fields each scored two apiece.

The Falcons finally took on their first real test when they hosted the number three team in the nation, C.W. Post. C.W.

Post came into the game 3-0, so somebody was going to lose their undefeated season, and unfortunately it would be the Falcons ending up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

Despite the loss, the Falcons proved they will be a team to be reckoned with, regardless of their opponent.  Bentley fought hard for most of the first half. After the Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead, Bentley tied it up at two apiece.

After each team scored again to make it 3-3, the Falcons grabbed the lead on a Tedeschi goal.

C.W. Post scored the next three goals of the game, however, to grab a 6-4 lead.  The Falcons did get it back to 7-6 and looked like they were in a position to make a run at the win late in the second half.

Unfortunately, C.W. Post scored the last two goals of the half, making it a 9-6 game at intermission and the Pioneers decided they had had enough in the second half.

C.W. Post scored the first seven goals of the second half to blow the game wide open. That would be the end of the C.W.

Post scoring, but they played lock down defense the rest of the way and the Falcons were only able to muster one more goal in garbage time. The final score was 16-7.

While Bentley could not grab the win, they played well for a good amount of time against a very good and experienced team and they will be able to take a lot away from the loss.

The Falcons will take on Bloomburg in Bloomburg, Pennsylvania on Sunday before entering the grind of their schedule where 10 of their last 11 games will come against Northeast-10 competition.

This will give the Falcons a chance to establish themselves as a power in the conference.

The ingredients are there for this team to have a successful season, and if they keep playing the way they did over the first two weeks, a championship is the limit for the Falcons.

Written by: Dan Merica

This year’s Spring Day concert will feature headliner Ludacris and as opener, Jay Sean, on April 24, according to Jessica Kenerson, Campus Activities Board (CAB) advisor.

Matt Doe, Music Entertainment Committee Chair for CAB, called Ludacris possibly the most well-known entertainer to perform at Bentley. Doe went on to say that the concert is, “easily the biggest combination of artists we have ever had.”

Ludacris’ most recent CD, Battle of the Sexes, currently holds the number one spot on the Billboard Top 200 list, while his song “How Low” is number 10 on Billboard Top Radio Songs.

Up-and-coming artist Jay Sean had a number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and U.S. Billboard Pop Songs with “Down.”

Kenerson pointed out that both artists “are household names” because of the success they have experienced on the charts.

“Based on artists’ availability and our budget for the event, I think we’ve picked two artists that will appeal to the vast majority of the campus,” said Andrew Leffler, CAB President.

The announcement of two hip-hop and R&B performers breaks from the tradition of the last three Spring Day concerts in which there have been two acts, one rock group and one hip-hop and R&B performer. Last year, Spring Day featured opener Blue Sky Reality, with headliners Sugar Hill Gang and Third Eye Blind.

“You can’t please everyone, no matter who you go with, whether it be rap or rock, and there is always going to be a population of the student body that is not thrilled,” said Kenerson, who went on to commend CAB for doing a “really great job” throughout this process.

A number of rumors regarding who CAB has invited to campus surfaced over the last few weeks. “I think as it got closer to the announcement, more people started to hear about Ludacris. I honestly don’t know how, though.”
In addition to the two artists that have been confirmed to perform, Doe revealed that the Music Entertainment Committee looked at a number of different artists, including Snoop Dog and 50 Cent in the rap genre. In contrast, the leading rock band was Dropkick Murphys.

While all those interviewed were energized that Ludacris and Jay Sean will be performing, Kenerson stated that the selection of artists for this year’s event was “limited.” “This year the drop-off in artists was tremendous,” said Kenerson, “so that if we didn’t go with the Jay Sean and Ludacris combination, the drop off in an opener especially was very vast.”

After last year’s Spring Day, a survey went out to the Bentley community asking them what they thought of the performers and who they would like to see next year. “Based on last year’s survey,” said Leffler, “students indicated that they wanted a more current artist, and we believe Jay Sean is the perfect fit.”

Spring Day will be held on April 24 throughout the entire day, with the concert being held in the Dana Center at 5:00 p.m., with doors opening at 4:30 p.m.

Written by: Jon McColgan

Bentley Men’s Basketball team has done it again, returning to the DII Final Four for the second time in three years after defeating the fourth ranked DII team in the nation, Augusta State University, 67-64.

It was truly a site to see, with perhaps the most excitement Falcon fans have enjoyed in two years, as the underdog team celebrated on the court.

Bentley came into the game facing arguably its toughest opponent in years, in the form of the Augusta St. (GA) JaguaRanked fourth in the nation and touting an all-star lineup of seniors, including Ben Madgen, a 2,300 point scorer and Fred Brathwaite, considered by many to be one of the best in DII.

Bentley would also be faced with the loss of junior G Tom Dowling, who while on the court is pure magic for the Falcons, and Bentley is totally different team without #32. In fact, when Dowling has more than 10 minutes on the court, Bentley proved 16-0 this season, but 9-6 when he couldn’t hit that watermark.

Out with a broken foot he sustained against St. Michael’s in early February, the coaching staff shut Dowling down after the first regional contest, effectively ending his season.

Despite the David and Goliath look of this game, the Falcons came into the game with a few star-studded players of their own, chief among them senior G Jason Westrol, a 2,000 point scorer himself (second in Bentley’s history) coming off his career-best game against Philadelphia. Add in talent like junior F Brian Tracey, who averages 18.7 points a game, and senior G John Brandt, enjoying a solid senior season.

And let’s not forget the momentum from the East Regional championship and the massive Blizzard audience taking three whole sections of the arena.

The first half was as exciting as any Bentley fans have experienced over this amazing four year run. Brandt kicked off the Bentley offense, joined by Westrol and Tracey in revealing the “pound it in from the arch” strategy, which at first gave the Falcons a 13-6 lead early in the contest, but ASU would not be held down.

Pushed by their aggressive style of play and stunning rebounding, the Jaguars would begin to gain momentum backed by their experienced starters, exhibiting one of the smoothest offenses the Falcons have seen all season. ASU would hit their stride around halfway through the half, using their size and rebounding to open a 20-19 lead that would grow to 24-19.

While Bentley’s offense did have a slight stall where several drives came up empty, but Bentley’s early lead and steady defense helped cushion the offensive hiccup, in which a leading Falcon scorer, junior G Mike Quinn, struggled mightily.

It would be freshman Guard Greg Jacques who woke Bentley up with a three, while ASU fans and coaches seemed occupied with jeering at the referees for a series of calls against ASU.  Meanwhile, Westrol would rebound an ASU and bring the score to 26 all with a 1:40 to go. The score would hold through half, as ASU showed increasing signs of frustration with Bentley’s superb defensive stand as the half rolled to a close, leaving the teams not only tied in score, but also ironically in field goals and attempts, at 11-31.

One must note that Magden for ASU could not get anything going and the Jaguars went 0-8 from around the arch thanks to both poor shooting and great perimeter defense by the Falcons, helping keep Bentley in stride with one of the finest teams in the country.

The second half began with ASU’s crowd as raucous as ever, with referees calling ASU for oufls left and right. Though Madgen would make ASU’s first three of the game to break the 26-26 halftime tie, both teams turned to an agile style, with Bentley and Augusta exchanging quick blows.

Brian Tracey would give Bentley its first lead, 35-33, in the second half with a huge three, reinvigorating the Bentley Blizzard. Sophomore F Kevin Kettl would chip in with some key rebounds, and soon fouling on both sides seized the pace of the game.

ASU was having some success thanks to its massive center, senior Alex Smith, who Bentley had trouble challenging at the hoop, but Bentley would keep a lead of 60-56 with 2:10 to go. A Brathwaite three closed the gap to 1, a brilliant John Brandt steal would bring the lead to 62-59, but ASU senior Dan Dixon responded by stripping Brandt on the next Falcon possession, and tied the game at 62-62.

This is when the audience was truly on the edge of its collective seat, when John Brandt hit a truly electric three pointer, giving Bentley a 65-62 lead with only a seconds to go. All of Bentley’s Blizzard was screaming in delight and awe of Brandt’s superb shot.

A quick ASU layup brings ASU within one, but wh else but Jason Westrol is fouled on Bentley’s possession, and despite fstruggles from the line most of the game, the captain came through in the clutch, sealing the game by making both free throws.

When the game came to a close, Bentley was on top 67-64, and now looks forward to a tough Final Four opponent in Cal Poly Pomona, from California, Thursday evening at 8:30 in Springfield.

Written by: Dan Merica

In a move to stymie vandalism and littering on campus, Student Affairs has asked a number of student groups to participate in an on-campus cleanup program each Saturday morning. The move has split the leadership of different groups, with some questioning whether asking student leaders to help is an effective, sustainable way to keep the campus clean.

“This initiative is an effort to try and get the entire community more aware of their own behavior because now students are part of the solution,” said Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Doreen Floyd.
It is that sentiment, however, that some student leaders disagree with. “As student leaders, we are committed to our roles and our organizations because we truly love what we do,” said Student Government President Puja Shah. “While it is important to give back, it is not our responsibility to clean up after our peers.”

Though Association of Bentley Activities (ABA) President Tyler Williams does think the idea is good in theory, he echoed Shah’s statement by saying, “I think we [student groups] should help in coming up with a way to curb vandalism, not be asked to be the way.”

The initiative was proposed at a March 5th meeting with representatives from Student Affairs, Resident Hall Association (RHA) and SGA. In e-mails that went out asking organizations to participate, it was made clear that attendance was not required and it would be acceptable if some members of a group wanted to attend and others didn’t.

“I don’t want any student group to feel required or pushed into doing this,” said Andrew Shepardson, Dean of Student Affairs.

RHA was the first organization to agree to the campus cleanup and brought out twenty members on Saturday, March 20. RHA President Marc Santilli stated that RHA participated because the student population “needs to start to take accountability for where we live and not rely on others to clean up after ourselves.”

Santilli pointed out that leaders are meant to set examples for the rest of the community and show that people are serious about keeping the campus clean.“If a ‘leader’ cannot set a good example for those in that person’s community,” said Santilli, “then I do not believe that person is a leader in the first place.”

President of Campus Activities Board (CAB) Andrew Leffler and Williams both pointed out to The Vanguard that while they were against the idea, at time of print their respective executive boards have not decided whether they will participate.

Williams proposed that cleanup duties like this be tasked and utilized as a judicial tool, requiring students that are caught breaking Bentley policies to clean up the campus. “It should be part of the judicial arsenal,” said Williams.

Allocation and Internal Audit Committee (AIA) Chair Elise Hanaoka does plan to participate in the campus cleanup. However, she was clear in pointing out that she believes this plan is not a way to actually solve the problem of vandalism and littering. “Whether it is student leaders cleaning up campus or Facilities,” said Hanaoka, “those who vandalize and create the messes are still being cleaned up after with no consequences or level of accountability.”

For that reason, among others, Shah notified The Vanguard after consulting the Executive Board that they “will not be participating in the weekly campus cleanup initiative.”

“I understand that when student leaders are called on by administration, it is difficult to turn away,” said Shah, “but why should we overlook an opportunity for us to come together and find a better solution?”

Many of the student leaders did feel that while this initiative is addressing a worthwhile cause, asking this of already very involved campus leaders is a practice that cannot be sustained over the long term. “What they’re asking of us is not a sustainable solution,” said Shah. “SGA stands with administration to find a better, long-term initiative.”

When asked what the future plans of this initiative are, Dean Shepardson pointed out that he hoped this plan would not have to continue if used effectively. “Hopefully the student culture will grow into one that says, ‘Let’s take care of ourselves, so that no one needs to clean up for us in the morning,’” said Shepardson.

“The more students who understand and appreciate how much work it takes to keep this campus looking beautiful,” said Shepardson, “the more they will be invested to keep this place beautiful.”

Written by: Phillip St. Pierre

Bentley Basketball is back in business, storming through Bridgeport and squeaking out a close win against conference rival Merrimack to make it to the NCAA Regional Championship game against Philadelphia.

The two teams faced off this past Tuesday in Easton, Mass, in a game where for the first time, Bentley fans were the majority in Stonehill’s arena. The win in the final would add yet another Elite 8 appearance to the Falcons’ resume, making it three of the last four years.

The first game in the NCAA Regional Playoffs was against Bridgeport, a team that came into the playoffs on fire, winning 15 of its last 16 games.  This match against Bridgeport was one in which the Falcons’ offense continued to struggle, but their high number of forced turnovers and free throw attempts bailed them out of the game with a 60-50 victory.

Jason Westrol, Brian Tracey, and Mike Quinn accounted for almost all of Bentley’s offense, as the three totaled 49 points and 21 rebounds in the win. The Falcons were able to rely on their defense to beat Bridgeport, but their next game against Merrimack would prove to be much tougher.

Although Bentley was ahead for the majority of the game, the contest was still back and forth as Merrimack would keep cutting away at the Falcons’ lead, only to see Bentley pull ahead with another scoring spurt. Like the game against Bridgeport, the deciding factor in the game against Merrimack was Bentley’s defense.

Bentley, who was ahead by three coming out of intermission, scored the first 12 points of the second half to put them up by fifteen. Merrimack quickly responded, though, with an 8-0 run, and cut the deficit to as little as two multiple times down the stretch. But they were never able to pull ahead as the Falcons sealed the game at the free throw line on the way to an 83-79 semifinal victory.

John Brandt was the star of the game, as he scored a career high 21 points, including some big shots down the stretch when Jason Westrol ran into foul trouble. Westrol also matched Brandt with 21 points, and Brian Tracey added 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

The victory against Merrimack put Bentley in the Division II East Regional Finals for the fourth straight year as they prepared to face Philadelphia University. Philadelphia is a strong team who gained a lot of momentum in their upset win against the #1 seed, but Bentley had the advantage of all five starters playing in at least one Regional Finals game in previous seasons.

Bentley started out hot from behind the arc, making 5 of their first 7 threes and jumping out to an early lead that they wouldn’t relinquish for the remainder of the contest. The score was tied early in the game until the Falcons started to get aggressive and drive to the rim.

As the Falcons gained momentum, going on a 23-8 run to jump ahead 33-18 with less than five minutes left in the first half.  Junior forward for the Falcons Brian Tracey nearly had a double-double in the first half as he went into intermission with 19 points and 9 rebounds, including an alley-oop from Jason Westrol that made the crowd erupt with cheers.

The second half started out sloppy for the Falcons as they turned the ball over on 3 of their first 4 possessions, and Philadelphia looked to chip away at the Bentley lead. The Rams went on a 16-5 run, scoring 11 straight points and cutting the deficit to 12 before Jason Westrol took over where Tracey left off.

Westrol answered the Philadelphia run with a flurry of points which the Rams could not answer to. The Northeast 10 Player of the Year was not ready for his Bentley career to be over yet, as he was on fire from the floor, making shot after shot against his opponents.

Philadelphia saw their deficit diminish to 11 points before the Falcons answered again with a Greg Jacques three. Westrol followed with a strong drive to the hoop that resulted in a 3-point play, and then followed that up with another quick move to the basket for 2 more points, as Bentley saw their lead grow back to 19 points.

From then on out the Falcon defense was able to hold off their opponents and didn’t allow them to get into any rhythm offensively, as the game ended with an 81-69 victory. This was a statement game for Bentley as they responded to their struggles late in the season and proved that they are one of the top teams in Division II.

Jason Westrol and Brian Tracey combined for 55 points as the duo was nearly unstoppable against Philadelphia. Brian Tracey finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds in what has been a sensational season for the junior in his first season as a starter.

Westrol finished with a career high 33 points, 26 of which coming in the second half, and to no one’s surprise was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The senior passed 2,000 points for his career, and has shown why he received the Player of the Year honors as he has scored 76 points over the three games of the Regional Tournament.

Greg Jacques also played exceptionally, stepping up in the absence of Tom Dowling to score a career high 8 points. The freshman was aggressive on both ends of the floor, playing some tough defense as well as hitting some big shots for the Falcons.

Bentley improves to 25-6 with the Regional Championship victory and move on to the Elite 8 for the third time in four years. The Falcons will face Augusta State next Wednesday in Springfield, Mass as the competition gets tougher on the road to the final four.

Written by: Brian Lofrumento

“It is always so exciting to be recognized in the rankings for who we are, what we do, how and what we teach our students, and how impressive our students and graduates are, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!” said President Gloria Cordes Larson about Bentley University’s improved standing among undergraduate business programs.

Bentley has propelled into the top 25 of BusinessWeek’s list of Top Undergraduate Business Programs. Ranked 33rd last year, Bentley’s climb up the rankings to 21st was the largest improvement out of any of the top 30 schools, and the rapid rise topped off an exciting year following improvements both in the classroom and around campus.

The BusinessWeek rankings take a whole host of factors into consideration and Bentley received an A in all three categories – teaching quality, facilities and services, and job placement. The rankings also take into consideration things such as recruiter feedback, cost of attendance, and graduates’ salaries. Bentley fared well in all of these categories to warrant the rise in rankings, and graduates’ median salary of $50,600 ranks above local rivals Boston University and Babson College.

“These particular rankings, which included an A in teaching quality, job placement, and facilities and services, reflect an increase in the percentage of student internships and hours spent on school work, as well as a big jump in support among recruiters,” stated President Larson. “Our next strategic plan is squarely focused on further innovating what we do and improving every aspect of our institution – our undergraduate curriculum and experience, transforming our graduate school, and building on our thought leadership,” she concluded.

The improved rankings will certainly help all Bentley students in job hunts, and will also ensure that the university continues to attract high numbers potential applicants. “In the U.S., students often consider rankings more at the initial stage of their search,” said Erika Vardaro, the director of Undergraduate Admissions. “Internationally, rankings are very important. Many times, students who live overseas have fewer opportunities to visit college campuses, leading them to rely more heavily on what they read and learn from others.”

Bentley not only rose to 21st in the rankings, but also surpassed rival business schools such as Northeastern. However, Babson kept its edge, moving up from 23rd to 17th. Notre Dame was named by BusinessWeek as the number one undergraduate business program in the country, followed by the University of Virginia, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton, and Cornell University.

Bentley has certainly made many positive changes this year, and school administrators aim to continue these improvements. President Larson stressed, “We certainly keep an eye on ways to improve in the rankings, but most importantly, we keep doing what we’re doing.” From the improved Seasons Dining Hall to the brand new Bentley Link recruiting service, Bentley continues to move forward and improve into the new decade.

“I’m so proud of all the students, faculty, administration and staff for being part of our significant move up the rankings,” added President Larson. “We are certainly thrilled to be in the top 25 undergraduate business programs in BusinessWeek, and hope to maintain that status. By continuing to do what we do well and staying strategically focused on improvement and greater competitiveness in everything we do, we anticipate that the rankings will follow.”

For the full list of the top undergraduate business programs as rated by BusinessWeek, visit their website at BusinessWeek.com/business-schools.

Written by: Andy Zhong

Bentley is introducing a new type of specialty housing. Beginning this year, students had the opportunity to apply for Sustainability Housing in addition to Wellness Housing.

According to the Bentley website, “Residents of the Stratton Green House will have the opportunity to research, plan and direct, along with Bentley Facilities Management personnel and the Office of Housing, the renovation of Stratton House into a sustainable, energy-efficient residence hall.”

The plan is to create a community of students who are dedicated to increasing recycling, improving energy efficiency, and providing environmentally friendly alternatives on campus, beginning with their own living styles.

“We want to make sure our values are in line with the school,” says Director of Residence Life John Piga. By introducing sustainability Housing, Piga hopes it “allows [students] to parlay the experience into a career choice.”
Unfortunately for the students hoping to live in the Stratton Green House, Residence Life was unable to attain enough applicants to fill its seven singles and two doubles.

“I was surprised,” said Piga. When asked if Stratton Green Housing received many applicants, Piga responded that there were “less than ten.”

Residence Life plans to provide the remaining rooms in Stratton House to applicants of the Wellness community. Members of Sustainability Housing will continue to work as a community to address environmental issues on campus.
Perhaps the reason why there were so few applicants was the lack of awareness about Stratton House in the first place.
Sustainability Housing for the 2010-2011 academic year will be located in Stratton House, which is situated near the Beaver Street entrance to the University. Piga believes that Stratton House’s “small community” allows it to be the ideal location for students to learn more about sustainability.

With events like the month long Blackout Challenge as evidence that sustainability issues are of interest at Bentley, Piga and Residence Life believe that Sustainability Housing is a good idea.

Students who have applied for specialty housing were notified on February 19, 2010 about their housing assignment for the next academic year.

“I wanted to have a community of friends who I could get to know and network with, while at the same time have some type of culture within my residence hall,” said junior Jewel Cash, who was accepted into the Stratton Green House. “In this case, it is an eco-friendly culture.”

Junior Gerly Adrien, who was also accepted into Stratton, wants to learn more about what it means to be sustainable. “I chose Sustainability Housing to understand more of what it meant,” said Adrien. “Why was it so necessary for Bentley to have this type of housing?”

Part of the reason for environmentally-friendly housing is so that the student community can provide input into what takes place on campus.

“My idea is to create a vegetable garden where we can grow food and then have chef nights where each person makes something and uses the items we have grow in the recipes,” says Cash.

Although Residence Life was unable to fill Stratton House with the amount of applicants it received, Piga is hopeful that there will be a growing population of students in the future interested in Sustainability Housing. “I don’t envision sustainability going away,” says Piga.

Written by:  Louis Sherman

In the wake of the Canada vs. USA Olympic Gold Medal Final on Sunday, it’s time for some more hockey fun. Bentley is preparing for the first round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament on Saturday at home vs. UConn.

Although most of you will be in various places for Spring Break, try to come watch this exciting team if you will be in the Watertown area. Hockey is our only Division 1 sport, so competition is tight and tough, which means the game will be worth attending.

Bentley finished the 2009-10 regular season with a record of 10-15-3 in the Conference, good for 23 points and eighth place in the ten-team Atlantic Hockey conference. The Falcons went 2-3-1 in non-conference games, including a win over UMass Amherst, the 15th best team in the nation.

All of the teams in the conference are eligible for the play-offs, no matter what their records are. The top six seeds get a first round bye. The first round is for seeds 7-10. The second round is the Quarter-final round, which is a best-of-three series consisting of the six teams with byes and the winning teams from the first round. The semi-final round is back to one game, with the final four teams playing for a berth into the final, championship game on March 20.

Air Force has won the past three conference tournaments, but our Falcons believe they have what it takes to take that crown away. The tournament champion is entered into the NCAA East Regional to face the likes of Michigan, Boston College and Northeastern.

Over the past week and a half, Bentley has closed out the final three games of their 34-game schedule with a win and a tie against conference foes to finish up a month that included some struggles. Momentum is important when entering the playoffs, however, and the Falcons are heading into the tournament with some nice momentum coming into the UConn game.

After losing five straight, Bentley bounced back with a 4-2 win over UConn on Saturday night of Family Weekend. Freshman Joe Campanelli scored a power play goal with 4:33 to secure the game with a two goal lead.

Bentley was down 1-0 early until freshman Dan Koudys slapped a one-timer past UConn’s goalie. Campanelli and sophomore Jamie Nudy each assisted on the goal which came with 2:25 left in the first period.

The Falcons scored another pair of goals in the second period. Senior Brendan Harrison scored with 7:10 left the period, with help from Nudy and sophomore defenseman Ryan Kayfes. Soon after that, senior defenseman Anders Olsen found the net with a wrist shot for the Falcons’ fourth goal of the game. Olsen was assisted by sophomore forward Herbie Kent and senior defenseman Bobby Preece.

Sophomore goalie Kyle Rank won his eighth game in net with 19 saves on the Huskies 21 shots. Rank finished the season with a .895 save percentage in 19 starts, allowed just 3.41 goals per contest.

Bentley closed out their season with a home-and-home series against Holy Cross. In the first game, The Falcons lost 4-1 in Worcester. In the second and final game of the season, Bentley and Holy Cross came out with a 1-1 tie in a very enticing battle.

It was fitting that, on senior night, senior star Marc Menzione scored Bentley’s sole goal. It was a shorthanded goal in the second period to equal the score at 1-1. He was assisted by fellow senior Brendan Harrison at the 4:43 mark.

Rank was magnificent in goal, stopping 34 shots. The one shot that slipped by came after two quick saves by Rank, who could not save the third attempt. Neither team scored in the overtime, with just a combined 5 shots between the two teams.

Bentley enters the Atlantic Hockey tournament as the eighth seed. They will play the ninth-seeded UConn Huskies in the first round of the tournament at 7:05 P.M. at Ryan Skating Arena in Watertown.

A win against UConn would send Bentley to the Quarterfinals versus top seed RIT, who have won 25 games this season. The Quarter-finals round is a best of three series starting on March 12. If they can pull the upset and continue to the Semi-finals, Bentley would play one game on March 19, with the championship final on March 20.

The Falcons are 3-1 this season against UConn, scoring 4 goals in each win. Two of the three wins came at home, the site of Saturday’s game. They hope to continue their success against Connecticut and face RIT.

Written by: Kim Sok

In the wake of the tragedy that has unfolded from the devastating Haiti earthquake, members of the Bentley community have come together to initiate a plan of relief, action, and hope: Project Haiti: The Redevelopment.

“Project Haiti is a fundraiser campaign, launched by the students of Bentley University with the mission to raise funds that will be invested in providing relief to the victims of the disastrous earthquake in Haiti,” cites Project Haiti’s official website, projecthaiti.engiteering.com.

Project Haiti will involve three main events: the Launch Event, the Carnival Event, and Spring Day. The Project will also receive contributions from smaller events and donators throughout the semester. Developers of the campaign hope to pool all of the money and allocate it into immediate relief as well as into redevelopment through mirco-financing. To kick off the project, the Launch Event took place in the Wilder Pavilion on March 1.

“Our community should not only pledge to a better place for us, but also pledge to a better place for the world,” Project Haiti team member Tyler Williams noted before introducing President Gloria Larson. “Our hearts go to all of those who have lost loved ones and to those who continue to struggle, needing help, relief, and shelter,” said President Larson. She then commented on Bentley students’ support of Haiti, stating, “I am proud of so many people stepping forward to reach out to families in Haiti… I am proud to be a member of an immense community.”

President Larson went on to say how the raised funds will go towards ShelterBox. This non-profit organization uses 90% of its proceeds towards sending disaster relief packages, which areassortments of 10-person tents, cooking and utilities supplies, tools, blankets, water purification systems, and other life-saving provisions. President Larson remarked how ShelterBox reflects an important business concept, “tangible, time-sensitive results.”

“As of now, we hope to raise $30,000,” Haiti team member Dan Merica later commented.

“We have set our goal high, for we feel it is important to set an example and put forth our best efforts to reach this goal.”

After discussing the immediate relief through ShelterBox, President Larson explained how the mirco-financing aspect of Project Haiti will provide something to Haiti that Bentley students are also concerned with: sustainability and long-term benefits.

“The objective for the micro-finance is the redevelopment aspect of our project,” explained another Haiti team member, Aayush Agrawal. “Once the big organizations, cameras, and businesses leave Haiti, mirco-financing will provide entrepreneurs resources in order to develop the Haitian communities and economy. It will bring Haitians back to their state and help them grow,” Agrawal continued.

Following President Larson’s speech, Merica introduced Steve Daly, who spoke about his organization, ShelterBox. He explained how “when a home gets destroyed in a disaster, the inhabitants do not need shelter and relief in a few days or weeks; they need it the next day.” He mentioned, “ShelterBox has responded to 100 disasters and 75 countries.”
Professor Barbara Paul-Emile performed two poems and addressed the students of Bentley, saying, “You are the future, the kind of people the 21st century will need.” Her husband, Serge Emile, a flutist, performed a Haitian piece, which was in remembrance and dedication of the Haitian victims and families who have suffered.

Performing one of his songs, “Heal Me,” Adam Payne got the crowd on their feet and asked them to dance, clap, and sing along. The crowd enthusiastically followed his lead. Payne noted how all of his proceeds from any downloads of music in the month of March will go towards Project Haiti. (Visit adampayne.biz for more details.)

After the performances, Haiti team member Shanell Mosley concluded the evening. “Bentley University is a place to be educated and get involved, and we feel Project Haiti is a great opportunity for this… We hope this Haiti Project will only be the start, for it’s in a setting like this where action begins,” said Mosley.

The Haiti team members and developers encourage the community to come to the next event, the Carnival Event, on March 26. As noted on the Project Haiti website, “There will be various games, vendors, and student organizations on-site all coming together to raise funds for Haiti.”

Michelle Barbino, Project Haiti team member, discussed how the entrance fee to this festival will be the purchase of a “Project Haiti package that features a t-shirt, wristband, info package, and performances of Bentley students on a CD.”
Natalie Caldwell, a sophomore at Bentley, commented on students getting involved with Project Haiti, saying, “It is important for students to get involved, because students need to become more aware of what goes on around the world. It is our generation that is making a difference.”

In conclusion, Williams remarked, “Today’s event was great; the speakers, performances, and response were excellent. I would really like to thank the administration for their support and wisdom, for they deserve a lot of the credit. I would also credit this project to the Haiti team members, committees, student organizations, and volunteers who all help out with this together.”

In regards to working on the project, Merica commented, “It has been remarkable to work with everyone for Project Haiti. The collaboration with team members and people involved was phenomenal.” He continued, “There is a list of thank-you’s at the back of the program. Hopefully, this list can grow as more and more people come on board.”

In order to find more information on Project Haiti, please visit the Project’s website via Bentley.edu. Your invitation to get involved with Project Haiti has been extended.

Written by: Brian Lofrumento

Students around campus dedicating their leisure time to watching television were greeted with an unwelcomed message in a white box just two weeks ago. Comcast is changing their broadcasting system for all cable subscribers, and as a result, our television lineup here on campus has changed – but only briefly. Students received an e-mail on February 22 from the Director of Housing and Student Systems, Ron Ardizzone, explaining the obtrusive white message and the subsequent changes to our cable service.

When all is said and done on March 23, when the old television channels will be reinstated, students don’t need to do anything special to get their old channel lineup back. It is recommended, however, that students do an auto-tune on their televisions to ensure all updates are recognized by their TV’s.

The biggest change in this new TV system, and the one that affects all students on campus, is the length of time that the twelve channels will be gone from our television lineup, which is from February 24 to March 23. The twelve channels temporarily lost are: HGTV, TNT, E!, Lifetime, TLC, the Weather Channel, AMC, Cartoon Network, Animal Planet, Versus, Food Network, and the Travel Channel.

Only a week into the new system, students have already indicated that the changes have affected them. “I missed one of the biggest games of the Celtics’ season last week when they played the Cavs,” said Taylor Fisher, a junior.

While the timing may not have been great, Housing did what it could to delay and lessen the impact of Comcast’s conversion process. It has prompted many students, though, to wonder why we couldn’t just add cable boxes and keep our current setup.

“If we distributed boxes to everybody, you’d all just have your same basic lineup you had,” said Ardizzone. “We said that didn’t make sense to buy all those boxes for four weeks, and one of those weeks is Spring Break. We tried to push them to wait until the end of the semester, but they said they were moving forward. It was either this or no cable.”

The other major change seen around campus is that students who previously had premium cable services from Comcast are being forced to turn in their boxes on March 24 in the Student Center. While this may be inconvenient for the one-hundred premium subscribers around campus, it was a necessary change to comply with Comcast’s policies so that the rest of campus could continue to enjoy cable.

Students around campus have indicated that they’d like to see the previous cable setup brought back, and administration agrees. “I’d like to see it brought back to normal,” pointed out Casey Millman, a junior. Ardizzone agreed, saying, “If I had my choice, I would have kept the status quo until at least the semester ended.”

One positive outcome from these changes is that when normal service resumes on March 23, students will notice at least one additional channel. “It’s going to be the same, if not one or two more channels,” said Ardizzone. “The one definitely is MSNBC.”

Written by: Dan Caponetti

It’s true that technology makes our lives easier, but are we addicted?

Advanced technology is an enormous part of the Bentley education and is an essential part of every student’s life. We are the fourth “Most Wired Campus” in America, according to the Princeton Review and PC Magazine.

Technology here ranges from a personal laptop to laundry machines capable of texting students when their loads are finished. It is involved in every class; students complete nearly every assignment with the aid of a computer.

Technology helps people research, study, communicate, socialize, and even eat at Bentley. Is it possible to live here without technology?

I decided to find out by giving up all modern technology for a week. I did not use my laptop, cell phone, iPod, or TV. The only form of technology I allowed myself to use was the library computers which I used to complete school work. The fact that I had to make this exception before I started only helped to suggest that I was addicted. It was a very trying week. I had not thought of myself as a technology addict, yet I was debilitated. I found that not only is it difficult to live at Bentley without technology, it is nearly impossible.

My difficulties parting with technology are shared among many students here.

In conversations I had with Bentley students concerning technology, about 1 out of 3 said they could not be without their cell phone for longer than a day. One mentioned she would not last an hour as she reached for her phone to check a new message. A freshman remembered a time she lost her phone while doing laundry. The student described her experience, saying, “I never freaked out to that extent before. I was in tears. I didn’t know what to do. Finally my friend told me, ‘Its fine, you can just get a new phone.’” This student was a new, international student at Bentley who described her phone as a way of being with her family while she was away from home. Without it, she said she felt lost.
A study done by Alloy Media and Marketing, a market research firm, shows that college students spend about one-fifth of their day using a computer. If you are a student at Bentley, this is not a hard task to accomplish. There is always a computer to use between your personal laptop and the hundreds of other desktops found in academic buildings across campus. If your laptop is broken, computer services will replace it with a loaner until they repair the original. Just about everywhere on campus, including desks, cafeteria tables, and lounge chairs, is computer friendly with Ethernet ports and outlets nearby.

Technology has become a significant part of our culture that demands its own set of norms and rules to follow. Living without it for any extended period of time would be challenging, if not impossible, for just about any student here.

This is not to say that it is necessarily a bad thing. Technology significantly contributes to the quality of education here. My suggestion would be to try living a little without it and find out how dependent you are. Then, if you think it would help, spend a little less time using the computer, watching TV, or texting. You might find your life a little less distracted and a little more peaceful.

Written by: Dan Merica

On Saturday February 13, Student Government Association (SGA) hosted the second biannual Boston Inter-Collegiate Leadership Conference, a gathering that brought together student leaders from ten other schools in the area. The comprehensive agenda addressed a number of issues, including smoking policy, sustainability, budget cuts and Haiti relief efforts.

Members of Bentley SGA admitted that not being able to access the budget makes their job more difficult. President of SGA Puja Shah also pointed out that it was “ironic” how SGA was struggling to communicate with students, “considering we are trying to represent the students.” Shah called the lack of communication between SGA and the students, “our biggest barrier.”

Shah highlighted communication, both with students and the administration, as priorities on her list of areas to gain insight on. While she did say that Bentley’s SGA has a great relationship with the administration, she also pointed out that she admired the way Northeastern deals with budget planning.

“Between November and March, SGA sends out surveys asking students, ‘What are your top priorities for the budget,’” said Shah. “They then meet with their senior vice president and they go over what is important to students and ask the administration to please pay attention to this.”

Schools in attendance included Boston College, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University and Harvard University, among others.

Though the schools in attendance varied widely, Senator Brendan Gerrity and Senator Ryan Aucoin, the two organizers of the event, both agreed that all schools had common issues to address and could learn a great deal from one another.

“We feel we can learn a lot from all the other schools,” said Gerrity. “Boston College and Boston University have different issues than we do and although they may be much larger schools, they can bring a lot of knowledge to our organization and to our students.”

Vice President Kathleen Yorkis opened the event and welcomed all those in attendance. She highlighted a few areas that she was looking forward to hearing about, including timely discussions like Haiti relief and social networking, as well as issues like smoking policies and town relations, issues that according to her “were discussed 20 years ago.”

Aucoin echoed Vice President Yorkis, stating, “A lot of the time, some of the issues we may be going through now, schools have gone through those issues in the past and because of that they can give us great advice as how to deal with the issues we are currently going through.”

Other outcomes of the event included interest in language-learning floors in different dorms, as well as the possibility of creating a new position within SGA that deals directly with sustainability.

Haiti relief was discussed at length, with President of the Association of Bentley Activities Tyler Williams representing Bentley’s Project Haiti team. Among ideas discussed were online donations, concerts for fundraising and the possibility of partnering among universities in relief efforts.

“One of our goals is to push this forward and to make sure that it [the BILC] does not die with us today,” said Aucoin. That goal was reached when, at the end of the conference, Boston College agreed to host next semester’s conference in the fall of 2010.

Aucoin went on to say that he was “very impressed” with how the conference played out and said he looked forward to attending next year.

“It is great to have leaders from all different schools come together and share their experiences,” concluded Aucoin.

Written by: Brian Lofrumento

The results are in: students want the Newspaper Readership Program back. Last week the Student Government Association (SGA) sent out a survey to students to get feedback about the controversial decision to cut the paper program, and the results overwhelmingly called for the program to be brought back. The survey results have only added momentum to SGA’s continuing efforts to reinstate the program.

Over 80 percent of the survey respondents indicated that reading from the Newspaper Readership Program contributed to their classroom studies, suggesting that the program is not just a luxury that Bentley can afford to throw away. Instead, students indicated – and SGA supports the fact – that it enhances students’ learning experiences. As a result, SGA is fighting to get the program reinstated, but this time under different circumstances.

“We’ve recommended that the program comes out of the academic operating budget,” said SGA senator Eric Kronlund. “We feel that’s the most appropriate place for this service to come from as we feel it is academic in nature and it does add to the learning experience here. At a business institution we need business news.”

As successful as the previous program was, it was cut from the student life budget due to increasing costs faced in other areas of the budget. Controversially, the decision to cut the program was made without any student involvement – even SGA was not invited to discuss the cutback.

“I think when they cut it they didn’t realize the value of it to students, but hopefully SGA has done enough work to shed light on that,” said SGA President Puja Shah.

Getting the program back, though, ranks high on SGA’s list of priorities.

“We’ve committed our time to this,” continued Shah. “We meet almost weekly and we’ve met with representatives from USA Today three or four times now. We’ve put a lot of work into this this year because we know the readership program is important to students.”

The survey asked students what they would like to see cut in order to bring back the Newspaper Readership Program. The results raised a number of common themes.

In particular, students that responded to the survey commonly referenced the space capsule-like phone booths found in the library as something they’d rather see cut over the Readership Program. Other areas that students said they’d like to see cutback to fund the new Readership Program are the student activity fee, library databases, trading room, and giveaways.

While SGA continues to work hard to get the program back, so far administrators have not been as supportive as students would like. SGA formally submitted their new proposal to the Executive Director of Academic Technology, the Library, and Online Learning, Phillip Knutel, but are yet to hear back.