By Andy Zhong

Last November, Facilities Management installed new speed bumps on campus to address concerns about crosswalks and speeding on campus, but there has already been talk of replacing them in the near future due to weather related issues.
“Unfortunately, given the time of year it was, some of them didn’t stick to the asphalt [cement],” said Arthur Goodhind, the Grounds and Transportation manager. There are also concerns about the amount of damage these speed bumps receive from snow plows during the winter.

Goodhind hinted that the newly installed speed bumps found on Lot 17, Lot 12, College Drive and Alumni Drive may only be a “temporary solution” to speeding on campus. Going forward, he plans on installing rubber composite speed bumps which can be bolted down. These new speed bumps would allow Facilities Management to remove and store them during snow-related emergencies or when there is less traffic on campus.

When asked about how well he thought University Police handles speeding on campus, Goodhind said, “Pretty well. On our campus, it’s tough to catch someone speeding. We have a lot of pedestrian traffic, and it would be hard to speed in some areas. From what I’ve seen, enforcing stop signs and things like that, I would say they do a very good job.”
Students have already begun to express their displeasure about the newly installed speed bumps.

“I don’t like the new speed bumps that were installed. I often forget that they are there, and then I have to hit the brakes at the last minute,” said Jaclyn Resnick, a junior. “A warning would have been nice.”

“Every time I [drive] over them, I hate them and think that they are annoying,” said Kelley Leen, also a junior. “But I also hate when I feel like I’m going to get run over. Ultimately, they are necessary.”

Even with the newly installed speed bumps in line to be replaced, Goodhind feels that Facilities Management has done a good job focusing on the smaller details of what they do for Grounds and Transportation.

“I think that what our crew does is respected on campus. It’s nice to see that what we do is noticed and respected,” said Goodhind.

LaCava’s Lower Café & the Dana Center receive highly praised facelift

Written by: Andy Zhong

“Classy, gorgeous, and modern” were the words echoed by many when Bentley University unveiled the redesigned LaCava Dining Hall on September 7. LaCava underwent a complete makeover this past summer and it’s already earning rave reviews from its customers.

“When you first walk in, it looks much nicer for a start,” said Renée Watts, a junior. “I also like the signs that tell you what is at all of the different stations.”

“The environment looks neater,” says Alejandro Ty, also a junior. “There’s more of a selection for food.”

Faculty members are also pleased by the aesthetic changes to LaCava. “I like the feeling of openness with all the booths and the smaller tables in the center,” said Professor Montesino, a regular customer of LaCava. “The area looks very neat and service overall is cleaner.”

Professor McJannet, also a frequent visitor of LaCava, has similar sentiments. “The décor is definitely nicer… I like the high–backed banquettes and the high tables,” she said. “I have had some good lunches from Fusion, the sushi bar, and I’m sure the freshly made salad bar is as good as ever,” she added.

The new LaCava also features meeting rooms, a lounge area, and two conference rooms which can be reserved in advance.

Although many people are satisfied with the new-look of dining hall, there has also been conversation about the lack of seating during peak hours.

“What I find most annoying is that sometimes I will find one person who is taking up an entire booth, leaving many people frustrated and without seats,” said Watts.

Another thing that continues to frustrate customers is the long lines which customers have to endure, especially around lunch-time. Some students are already tossing up suggestions. “It would be nice to have a self check-out line. Sometimes the lines get very long,” commented Ty.

Jason LaPrade, the new Resident District Manager for Sodexo, realized that this may be an issue early on. In a recent interview, he stated, “I know we’ve had some trouble with the lines. A lot of that is cashier training. We just switched over to a new system so that we can be P.C.I.-compliant with credit cards,” LaPrade continued.

“The old system was color-coded while the new one is not. It’s been a curve for [cashiers] to find out where the buttons are. Every day I see improvements,” concluded LaPrade.

In addition to the changes made to LaCava, Bentley has also replaced food venues Sandella’s and A&W with Mad Falcon and Bostonian Grille, respectively.

The Bostonian Grille features similar fast food items that A&W offered and is already becoming a popular choice for students. In the first week, the sales were double of what A&W was during the same week last year.

However, students like Chris Parmanand, a junior, are complaining that in addition to not having meal combos, the food at Bostonian Grille seems a little on the expensive side. While this may be true, LaPrade justifies the prices by stating that the burgers are “nearly twice the size of A&W burgers. The A&W burger was 3 oz., while the new one is 5 oz,” he went on.

It did not come as a surprise to many students that after only one year of operations, the unpopular Sandella’s was ousted from campus.

“Sandella’s was a good attempt to bring healthier food to campus,” said Kristin Chan, a senior. She believes that a big reason why Sandella’s wasn’t well-received is because students “wanted junk food and Pub offerings.”

Upon entering the Student Center, many will now notice a large chalkboard menu which resides on the wall behind the new Mad Falcon. “The reasoning behind the chalkboard instead of it being tied in as a sign is that I want to be able to change it,” said LaPrade.

Just last week, Mad Falcon reintroduced the ever-popular concept of pizza bagels, an old favorite of students who are familiar with Harry’s Corner.

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.”

Written by: Andy Zhong

“Be open to possibilities, keep your networks going, and you might not be looking for international, but international will be looking for you,” said Professor Krusell as he introduced former Governor of Massachusetts and United States Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci.

On March 4, Cellucci paid a visit to a group of Bentley students in Professor Krusell’s International Studies class.

During his time at Bentley, Cellucci talked about how his decision to support George H.W. Bush allowed his career as a government official to take off. Cellucci also discussed several important international issues while serving as Ambassador to Canada.

Cellucci served as U.S. Ambassador under President George W. Bush from April 2001 to March 2005. Prior to being ambassador, he was the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1999 under Governor William Weld, before succeeding him in 1999.

Within a few months after being appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Cellucci was faced with the challenge of handling the relationship between the United States and Canada after the tragic events which took place on September 11. “[Approximately] 25,000 people were going to land in Canada unexpectedly,” said Cellucci. He added that his administration successfully made sure that these people got adequate food and sleep during their temporary stay in Canada.

Three days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Ambassador Cellucci spoke to a crowd of 100,000 in Ottawa, thanking Canada for its overwhelming aid and support.

Under the watchful eye of Ambassador Cellucci, the cooperation between Canada and the United States due to the terrorist attacks led to the invention of the Smart Border Agreement.

This agreement calls for the cooperation between both countries’ national intelligence and law enforcement agencies to work together to prevent any further terrorist attacks.

According to Ambassador Cellucci, the agreement also increased technology and personnel along the Canada-United States border and was used to “stop terrorists, drug smugglers, or any other criminal from crossing the border.”
Ambassador Cellucci was also an advocate for Canada’s increased military defense spending. Because of Cellucci’s work, the “Canadian military is spending 50% more than they were in 2001,” said Cellucci. “I am proud that I was able to contribute.”

In the midst of Cellucci’s reign as U.S. Ambassador to Canada, he admits that he was criticized by many individuals when he spoke out against Canada’s decision to refuse to support the United States in the Iraq War. Regardless, he continues to believe that the alliance between Canada and the United States remains “the most important relationship in the world.”

Apart from Paul Cellucci’s work as ambassador, he also spoke about his experience as the Governor of Massachusetts where he strived to cut income taxes and increase tax exemptions.

When asked by a student whether his experience as governor prepared him for his role as ambassador, Cellucci responded by saying that being governor was certainly “good training to be ambassador because I was dealing with the lives of millions of people.”

“Its pretty amazing how [Professor Krusell] mentioned that some instinctive decision has led to all this,” says Cellucci.

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: Andy Zhong

The Association of Bentley Activities (ABA) kicked off this semester by appointing its Vice President of Organizational Recognition, Tyler Williams, as its President. The highly-influential position was left vacant late last semester when Williams’ predecessor Jacob Graham stepped down due to personal reasons.

“One of the big goals for this semester,” said Williams, “is revamping the entire communication process. One of my charges as president has been redefining our internal communications to make that more efficient, which in turn reflects the efficiency of our outward communications.”

While Williams admits that there has been a “big lack of inefficiency in the past,” he urges organizations to be patient in the transition process. Williams goes on to remind students that “the best thing I can really say is that the organizations really just need to get back to us with the information that we request and that it is going for a good cause and it does have a purpose.”

The presidency of ABA is a position that is voted upon by the student body at the end of every academic year. Because the position was vacant at the start of this semester, Williams was selected in accordance with ABA constitutional guidelines, which allowed him to become president without holding an election in the wider Bentley community.

Last January was the beginning of Tyler Williams’ first semester on the ABA executive board as the Campus Arts and Media representative. “I really just wanted to get in and see how it worked, why different policies were made, and why organizational governance on campus operated that it did,” said Williams.

Last semester as the Vice-President of Organizational Recognition, Williams was in charge of helping new organizations on campus. “I was responsible for facilitating the process for students who had new ideas and wanted to start an organization on campus,” said Williams.

As president, Tyler Williams will supervise twelve cluster representatives and five members of the executive board, who all together oversee the 102 Bentley clubs and organizations.

“The ABA is first and foremost a resource,” said Williams. “We are here to really enhance and enrich the extra-curricular experience on campus and we try to provide for every organization and to make sure that every organization is heard.”

Written by: Andy Zhong

In response to the earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12, 2010, Bentley University students, faculty, and staff have pledged their support in a number of different capacities.

As of January 26, the earthquake brought with it an estimated death toll of 200,000. Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s largest center of economy and finance located just 16 miles west of the epicenter of the earthquake, was heavily impacted. Estimates now show that there 400,000 Haitians were displaced from the city.

In an e-mail on January 20, Bentley’s President Gloria Larson stated, “Coordinated efforts are taking place among our student leaders along with faculty and staff… These efforts are underway to gather ideas, assess the program possibilities and coordinate all Bentley activities collaboratively.”

Interest in responding to the tragedy and heeding President Larson’s e-mail have been funneled through many offices on campus, including Service Learning, Student Affairs and Alumni Affairs, and were all voiced at a community meeting on January 27 in the Sacred Space.

This meeting was organized and led by many of our student leaders and featured guest speaker and Bentley alum, Rebecca Obounou. Obounou, a Haitian native, spent her high school years living in the nation and now runs the Christian Haitian Entrepreneurial Society.

“I am incredibly grateful for Bentley holding the meeting. It is touching that students are rallying behind this cause,” said Obounou.

The meeting generated a lot of input by students who were eager to provide new ideas for the situation in Haiti. Students tossed around ideas such as incorporating charity events into already-existing ones, such as Family Weekend and Spring Day. While many of the ideas circulated had to do with merchandising, such as selling wristbands, t-shirts and baked goods, others focused on large-scale events that would be used to raise money for the cause. One well received idea was to hold a Gala for the Haiti cause.

“The plan is to have the Association of Bentley Activities (ABA), in conjunction with the Office of Student Activities, act as a clearinghouse for assisting with student-based initiatives that will contribute to the larger community aid initiatives,” wrote the ABA in an e-mail regarding the meeting. “This meeting will also outline currently scheduled events that may be used as platforms for Haiti Relief.”

Maria DiLorzeno, Director of Student Affairs, shed some insight on the future of fundraising events by stating that, “As a university, we’re trying to focus more on monetary donations than material goods.”

Direttor of the Multicultural Center Jeanette Buntin has worked to spearhead all aid efforts towards Haiti, a task that has left her confident in all of the Bentley community’s undertakings. “Whatever we as Bentley community come together to do,” said Buntin, “will be something very successful, something that will go a very long way.”

Bentley has a history of responding efficiently to the need of those affected by natural disasters. In 2005, Bentley responded to Hurricane Katrina by adopting a clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.  According to Buntin, Bentley contributed to the cause by “working with them and developing some funds for them…we did some toy drives for the holidays for kids.”

Buntin said she saw some clear similarities between the response to Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake. However, Buntin also stated, “I look at it as very different. I look at it as with people in Louisiana, they had a place to go. They could go anywhere within the United States. Here in Haiti, where else are you going to go? They’re an independent nation, they are by themselves.”

At the end of the meeting, both President of ABA Tyler Williams and Dan Merica pledged to continue working with student ideas and work with everyone involved to keep the momentum building.

Buntin is confident in the future of any endeavors Bentley plans. “Our community is a very, very caring community,” said Buntin. “I really like the fact that our students, more than anything, help is really coming from them. And they feel empowered to do something for their neighbor.”

If you are interested in getting involved with fundraising and relief efforts for Haiti, you can contact Maria DiLorenzo, Tyler Williams or Dan Merica.