Written By: Katie Spinello

CampusLIVE, a popular college website, was founded by recent UMass Amherst graduates Chris Ziomek, Boris Revsin and Jared Renquist when they identified students’ need to access information about campus and community resources in one convenient portal. It has grown to serve the needs of college students around the nation, and Bentley students have enjoyed their own Bentley-specific portal in the past year.
This focus has resonated well with Bentley students. “It’s easier to find the information that students are looking for,” said Kristen Mausert, a senior.

Brian Bramswig, a sophomore, echoed Kristen’s sentiments. “It’s great to be able to find information about both Bentley and Waltham in one place,” he said.

What was once a simple site for five Amherst colleges that included academic links, local area menus and a community business directory, CampusLIVE is now a nationwide resource used at over 60 colleges and universities.

In 2008, during the peak of the recession when the site was founded, its founders were voted the “Best Young Entrepreneurs” by BusinessWeek. The company currently staffs 11 full time employees, all recent graduates of UMass Amherst.

The site hasn’t always enjoyed the success it has achieved today. The founders slept in their Amherst office at one point to save money. But their hard work and dedication, combined with the input from students who use the site, led to success.

“If it wasn’t for our loyal and vocal group of core student users, our idea may have never left Amherst,“ said Ziomek.

While growing geographically, the site’s features have also rapidly expanded. Today, one of the main components of the site is social rewards, including giveaways from popular brands.

“As recently graduated students, we understand that college kids love free stuff,“ said Ziomek.
Even with the additional features, the site’s purpose has remained the same.

“We still maintain the focus of a student’s online guide to their college community,” Ziomek said. “We really enjoy hearing students’ ideas and use them to tweak the site.”

Students not happy with current service

Written by: Brian Lofrumento

As part of their continuing goal of improving campus life for all students, the Residence Hall Association (RHA) recently conducted a survey to gain feedback on Bentley’s current cable setup. Students were unhappy last year when Comcast took away premium cable services on campus due to upgrades, and the start of a new school year has seen no developments or improvements.

RHA sent out a survey in early November, and the responses overwhelmingly indicated that Bentley students demand high definition and premium offerings. Nearly 900 students responded to the RHA survey, and two-thirds of the respondents indicated that they are unhappy with the current Comcast offerings on campus.

Most notably, 81 percent of the respondents indicated that they have high-definition compatible televisions, which further compounds the problem of no option for premium channels from Comcast. Furthermore, over half of the respondents indicated that they are also unhappy with the current channels offered by Comcast.

“These responses ranged from frustration to curiosity and ideas of how to improve residential cable,” said Marc Santilli, president of RHA. “Many residents voiced concerns over the quality of cable, lack of high technology options and choice of channels.”

“The general feedback was of frustration by upperclassmen,” he added. “At the same time, first year students who never had the availability of purchasing premium channels or HD for their television, as we see in the survey, are generally pleased.”

The old cable program on campus allowed students to purchase cable boxes from Comcast, giving more options and more HD channels. Less than 158 rooms, however, took advantage of those additional services from Comcast last year.

RHA is still working to find a solution for students on campus, especially as technology improves and more students get HD-ready televisions. Santilli promises that RHA will work hard, alongside administration and Comcast, to improve the situation.

“The residents should know and understand that Comcast has made this change and Bentley residents are forced to accept the changes,” stressed Santilli. “Our administrators are in constant contact with Comcast representatives to try and find a viable solution for both parties. This survey will help both parties understand what is occurring on our campus, how residents feel and feedback for the future.”

With that being said, Santilli warned that upgrading could prove costly. “It would be a very large and extensive project to upgrade all rooms on campus,” concluded Santilli.

Written by: Angela Diaco

Being the ignorant white person that I am, about the only exposure I’ve had to Indian culture was trying curry once.

Needless to say, I was a Diwali newbie. I sat in Kouzmanzalis on Sunday, November 21, completely oblivious to what was about to take place.

For everyone else who is a little less clueless, Diwali is one of the most important (if not THE most important) Indian holiday practiced in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.

Diwali is a contraction of “Deepavali,” translating to “row of lights,” signifying the triumph of good over evil.

The five-day festival is celebrated by a gathering of friends and family exchanging sweets and blessings.

SASA (South Asian Student Association) puts on this show every November to commemorate the holiday.

The auditorium was dressed to the nines in brightly colored drapes and Christmas lights lining the interior walls.

The “Family Feud, Diwali Edition” sign and stage was set up perfectly, giving the audience a very authentic feel for the show. Typical dress for the dances included intricately patterned and colored costumes and saris.

A total of 10 dances were performed, interlaced with skits, presentations and a fashion show.

The opening light ceremony paid homage to the name of the festival, with performers carrying flashlights in tune with classical Hindi music.

Skits included a Family Feud between two Indian families, in which both showcased the hilarity of Indian stereotypes and multiple love stories accented by musical performances.

Dances (the word doesn’t do the show justice) were passionate and coordinated perfectly, keeping the audience entertained from start to finish.

Young men and women I’ve seen on campus took on their stage persona with ease, and I’ve never seen dance infused with so much energy.

Everyone in the audience could tell that a lot of time, thought and energy went into every detail of the show.
Star choreographer Akhil Chimnani was recognized for his dance expertise, and showed an intense passion for dance.

The show also featured the Supreme Bhangra Unit, a group that infused traditional bhangra dance with modern music, who gave a skillful performance.

A very special thanks to the e-board members and dancers who put in long hours into the show during the most grueling midterm weeks.

I’d have to agree with what my good friend Liz Sisson says: “Diwali is sexy.”

Written By: Alanna McGuiggan

On Saturday evening, November 13, the Bentley Fashion Consultants put on their fourth annual Fashion Show in the LaCava Executive Dining Room. Sponsored by TJMaxx, Lasell College and the New England Institute of Art, this event combined clothing and compassion, with all proceeds donated to the International Mesothelioma Program. The Fashion Show featured a variety of upcoming designers from the New England area, resulting in a vast range of styles that kept the packed audience guessing about what would be on the runway next.

While the designs featured in the Bentley Fashion Consultants’ event were compelling on their own, the incorporation of the Bentley community into the show made this evening even more special. All of the models were Bentley students, which added to the excitement of onlookers as they waited to see their friends on the runway.

In addition to fashion, audience members had the chance to win an iPod shuffle, a gift card to Coach and a gift certificate to Jathar Salon and Spa. With raffle funds being donated to the International Mesothelioma Program, which has been credited with many of the most significant advancements in research and treatment of this cancer, audience members were able to enjoy an inspiring night on the Bentley campus while still committing a charitable act.

One of the designers featured in the show, Lindsay Habetz, is a current Fashion Design student at Lasell College. Habetz, who has been commuting to New York City since she was 14 years old to intern in the Fashion District, is most inspired by nature and many types of architecture. The result of these inspirational sources: A beautiful collection titled “Modern Classics,” featuring a number of traditional pieces such as the trench coat and the little black dress, staples perfect for any business student’s wardrobe.

Another designer featured in the show, Kinda Touma, was born and raised in Syria. Touma said she is “transfixed by the elegance of draped evening gowns in silk taffeta,” and she displayed a collection that was “dedicated to a modern, self-confident woman.” An inspiration for the many female business students in the audience, Touma’s collection added a powerful aesthetic to the Bentley Fashion Consultants’ annual show.

Zöe Johndrow, a 2010 graduate of Lasell College, was yet another designer featured in the show. Johndrow, who became interested in fashion because of its creativity and relevance to everyone, presented a collection that was based on classic pieces, such as suit jackets and pencil skirts with twists like bright colors and oversized pockets. Johndrow’s collection added fun to typically business-oriented articles of clothing, and was thus even more appealing to interested Bentley students in the audience.

A 2004 graduate of Lasell College, Eileen Apelian also displayed her collection in this year’s Fashion Show. A current clothing designer for the United States Navy, Eileen’s collection exemplified her creativity to design beyond uniforms. Eileen, who “designs for the woman who wants to stand out in her own subtle, ladylike way,” presented a collection that was vintage-inspired and incredibly well received by the audience.

Similarly to Apelian, featured designer Julie Kontos is also a Lasell College alum and United States Navy clothing designer. Kontos, who describes her style as “classic with an edge,” challenged herself to make a line of attention-grabbing yet wearable dresses for her current collection. Kontos’ collection did just that; her experimentation with volume and different silhouettes paid off to result in an interesting collection that added a unique aesthetic to this year’s show.

Yet another collection was presented by Stacy Longo and Tyler Pruyn, who are the creators and collaborators responsible for S & T. Both are graduates of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the School of Visual Arts (SVA), and their line was both edgy and wearable. Designed to be sustainable apparel, the comfortable yet fashionable S & T t-shirts and jeans could be worn anywhere, from classes in Jennison to a night out in Harvard Square with friends.

Lauren DiBartolomeo, a current Fashion Design student at Lasell College, closed this year’s Fashion Show with a strong-structured blazer and flowing skirt. Symbolic of the power and confidence required to succeed in the business world, DiBartolomeo’s outfit was the perfect conclusion to a fashion show that was inspiring on many levels.

The show was an incredible success, and will surely continue to grow in popularity in the future. Look out for information on next year’s Fashion Show, and be sure to stop by other events held by the Bentley Fashion Consultants this year.

Written By: Lacey Nemergut

On November 10, the Center of International Students and Scholars and Multicultural Center sponsored Show What You Got, a dance and singing competition featuring artistic routines of different cultural origins. Sophomores James Germain, Brianna Morrissey and Gunveen Chadha organized the competition as part of Culture Fest.

The two trophies went to the declared winners of the event, the Fire Step Squad and A Capella, who dazzled the judges with their impressive synchronization and performance quality.

Though this was the sponsors’ first time hosting this event, the committee welcomed great success.

“The turnout was amazing. We had 110 people,” stated President Gunveen Chadha. Entertainment for this sizable audience included the Jazz Band, a presentation for Project Pakistan and a competition of both talented dancers and singers.

Singing competitors included A Capella, Katie Auger, who performed In the Meantime, and Nedret and Alysha, who performed The Coolits.

The dance portion of the competition featured Ritika Beltala, who performed Kathak, The Fire Step Squad and Never Out of Moves, who performed Breaking the Spell of Lucifer.

The judging panel for the competition was composed of two students and two teachers, all artistically inclined. The panel ranked the performers based on coordination, level of innovation in their performance, how the group captured the audience, their use of the stage and their song choice.

A Capella performed a combined remix of contemporary songs, incorporating their own audibly pleasing variations. For example, they creatively altered a fast-pace song to a slow song. The Fire Step Squad, motivated and inspired by variations of traditional African dance, performed a flawlessly synchronized step routine.
“You could just watch them forever,” described Chadha.

Chadah strongly feels that the committee owes part of their success to the efforts of their freshmen liaisons, who successfully advertised the event with crafted posters and flyers.

“It was amazing because it was the first time they did something like that, and we couldn’t have done it without their help,” stated Chadha.

After successfully hosting Show What You Got, the committee hopes to make it an annual event.
“We hope to have more performers – five for music and five for dance,” he continued. Chadha also spoke of expanding the event to welcome an even larger audience. Currently, the committee is considering hosting an additional after party for the event.

Written By: Sindhu Palaniappan

After being rechartered to become the Bentley Speech and Debate Society (formerly the Bentley Debate Society) decided to host the Democratic Republican Debate last Wednesday, November 10, at 7 p.m. in the Back Bay.

This debate is an annual event which was stopped in the past because of the passion and rowdiness of its opposing Democratic and Republican crowds. Previously, crowds used to get angry and shout at each other across the invisible divider. Students would even yell at the debaters themselves, and the debates weren’t properly moderated.

This year, Bentley’s Speech and Debate Society revamped the event, making it more organized and civil. Both the Republican and Democratic teams were asked to present debaters, and the moderators from BSDS came up with topics to discuss. The questions spanned from job loss and ideas to create new jobs in the United States, to whether public healthcare was a viable option.

Debaters were also asked to discuss the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell military policy, and the military operations in Afghanistan in regards to U.S. withdrawal of troops. Another hot topic that was debated was decreasing the federal deficit in order to get national spending under control.

“The dialogue stayed very civil this year, but questions from the audience were pretty entertaining,” said John Karakelle, president of BSDS. The democratic side was on the left side of the room and the Republicans were on the right side. After fighting for the microphone, both sides launched pointed questions at the debaters.

Karakelle said that normally, audience members are expected to ask general questions for each side to respond to, but this year the crowd asked keen questions to the opposing side in order to cut them down a little.

The debate consisted of five questions in total, and was run in a formal debate format, which allowed both sides to express their positions on the issue and encourage competition between the two sides, not that there wasn’t enough already. For this reason, groups were given three minutes to respond to the actual question, and then five minutes for cross examination, with the debate consisting mostly of back-and-forth discussion.

BSDS already has a staple annual event called How to Ace Your 301 Presentation. When the Debate Society became the Speech and Debate Society, they did so with the intention of helping Bentley students out with their spoken skills, communications and other speech-related areas. This led them to help out with 301 presentations, since every Bachelor of Science student from the Class of 2012 and previous classes at Bentley is required to take GB 301.

BSDS draws professors from marketing, operations management and finance to speak to students about what they’re looking for specifically in these presentations. This allows students to see a more diversified view and approach to presenting their 301 projects. In the future, BSDS is looking to have a more interactive student body and hold more events to advance rhetorical skills on campus.

BSDS is getting more involved on campus with their new rechartering. On the topic of the debate, Karakelle said, “It was a good example of organizations coming together to have a constructive dialogue on contentious issues. And it was civil.”

Written By: Lacey Nemergut

The Bentley Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team, formerly one of the few organizations waiting for a moratorium that limited the number of possible clubsport teams at Bentley to be lifted, has officially received club sport status. After a two-year effort led by e-board members, the Bentley Men’s team was finally given the opportunity to apply this fall.

The official team can now enjoy playing under the Bentley name, guaranteed fields for practicing, an official coach and most importantly,  funding.

During the past two years, the Men’s team has established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the Ultimate Frisbee community. With a qualified A and B team, they hold practices twice a week for two hours, and with a set routine for warm ups and training, the team has proved that this transition from organization to club is well deserved. In addition to this impressively coordinated routine, the team took seventh place at nationals last year.

Previously, all the team’s necessary funds came out of pocket. When asked about the use of the new funding, Peter Login, the organization’s vice president, explained that such funding will be allocated to transportation, tournaments, a greatly appreciated official coach and other miscellaneous expenses.

Now with the bonus of club status and all it entails, Login expressed his optimism for the future of the team. “I think we’re going to have our best year… We finished seventh at regionals last year…and we’re hoping to exceed that… and I’m pretty confident that we will,” said Login.

Login’s expectations for the team come from his assessment of new freshmen talent. “[This is] probably the best freshmen class that we’ve had,” stated Login. “[It’s] good to add that depth and youth to our team. Hopefully, they can carry on our traditions that we built.”

Login also commented on Ultimate Frisbee’s increased popularity in high schools across the country. Freshmen joining the Ultimate team are coming in with experience and knowledge of the game, minimizing the time needed to familiarize the newcomers with the ins and outs of the sport.

Club hopes to become recognized shortly after Thanksgiving Break

Written by: Kristin Tomasi

The Nonprofit Society, a pending organization, held its first informational meeting on Wednesday, November 3, in the Back Bay.

At the meeting, the organization’s e-board provided those in attendance with an overview of its goals and introduced three speakers.

Katie Baker, the organization’s head of Media and Advertising, explained that the goal of the Nonprofit Society is to “help people explore the nonprofit aspect of business and raise awareness” about nonprofits around campus.

Professor McNulty talked about his experience with starting his own nonprofit business, Nick Darsch discussed Bentley’s participation in the City Year program and Professor Pasciuto, the society’s faculty advisor, explained the new Nonprofit minor that will be available to Bentley students in the fall of 2011.

“[Nonprofits are] something that a lot of Bentley students consider, but never follow through with due to the lack of resources on campus,” said Jacky Yen, president of the Nonprofit Society. “We want the NPS to be used as a resource for those students.”

The Nonprofit Society hopes to accomplish its goal by forming three committees. Baker explained that the fundraising committee will raise money to support other sectors of the club by applying for grants. The workshop committee will bring in people from nonprofits to talk about their experiences and inform students about how to write and apply for grants.

According to Ashley King, the organization’s liaison, the Nonprofit Society hopes to hold one workshop per semester that will be open to all students and will serve as a “great networking opportunity.” Finally, King explained that the grant committee will help “students apply for grants to participate in activities such as Bentley’s faculty-led programs.”

King noted that the Nonprofit Society “hopes to be a recognized organization shortly after Thanksgiving break,” and that it has a great opportunity for growth because it appeals to “people who are interested in becoming actively involved” during meetings.

Currently, the Nonprofit Society is focusing on obtaining recognition and establishing its committees. Yen “would love to have at least 10 active members on each committee” by April of next semester.

Furthermore, Yen hopes to “branch out and network with local nonprofits” in order to form a nonprofit network that members of the organization can take advantage of in the future. She hopes to accomplish this by “getting the word [about Bentley’s Nonprofit Society]…out to nonprofits in the area.”

New nonprofit related courses to be added throughout curriculum in addition to existing electives

Written by: Sindhu Palaniappan

Pending official approval by the faculty Curriculum Committee here at Bentley University is the new Nonprofit Organizations Minor. Ten percent of organizations in the United States are located in the Nonprofit sector, and this percentage is rising as nonprofits are becoming a more popular career choice.

It’s definitely a popular choice here at Bentley, as many professors have stepped up to teach proposed courses for the new minor, and many students share the same desire to learn more about nonprofit organizations.

Some new courses will be offered here at Bentley to accompany the minor, given that it is passed officially by the Curriculum Board. Courses can be major intensive for three of Bentley’s popular majors. For Accountancy majors, classes include AC 331: Government and Not-for-Profit Reporting, while Management majors may take, MG 340E: Theory and Management of Nonprofit Organizations, and Marketing for Nonprofits exists for Marketing majors.

There will also be other elective choices that will now contribute to the minor, courses such as EC 341: Urban and Regional Economics, GLS114: Cross Cultural Understanding, Principles of Media and Culture and PH 351: Perspectives on Poverty.

Some of the courses are already established courses here at Bentley, but a few, such as Marketing for Nonprofits and Theory and Management of Nonprofit Organizations, are brand-new courses.

As Professor Salimbene noted in his proposal for the minor, “Bentley has promoted ethics, service and social responsibility as central to its strategic mission… As a leading school of business and as a school that has made service central to its mission, it is only appropriate for Bentley to offer to its students a program of study in the nonprofit sector.”

Jacqueline Yen, a sophomore and prominent student in the Service Learning Department and behind the Nonprofit Organizations minor, noted that it “was rather odd that Bentley didn’t have any courses or studies in nonprofit business… Six out of the top-10 business colleges, ranked by BusinessWeek, have some sort of nonprofit business program available for their undergraduate students.” She brought these concerns to Salimbene last April, and together, they began planning for the new proposed minor.

Since so many students participate in the Service Learning Program here at Bentley, it is apparent that interest in service and nonprofit organizations is high here. What students are lacking is formal education about the nonprofit sector, which would provide “more opportunities for Bentley students in the job market and also promote Bentley’s strategic mission relating to ethics, service and social responsibility,” as Professor Salimbene said.

For all of those students out there who have a developing interest in one of the fastest growing sectors of the job market or an interest in service and giving back to the community, this new proposed minor is right up your alley, and it will hopefully be available by Fall 2011!

Written By: Eric Ndung’u

Charity begins at home – this adage encompasses the driving force behind Red for Africa.
The vision of Red for Africa is to raise money to help educate people in Africa about HIV/AIDs and also support the Mmofra Trom foundation in Ghana.
A brief history check of this marvelous drive reveals that its inception was the brainchild of Vinay Gokaldas, a Ghanaian Bentley alumnus from the Class of 2010.
Funds are raised by selling custom apparel bearing a varied Red for Africa design made by talented Bentley students.
Those who purchase the apparel are encouraged to wear their apparel and “go red” on December 1, which marks the World AIDs Day.
To continue the legacy set forth by Gokaldas, the Red for Africa baton was handed over to the Bentley African Association.
This year, Red for Africa was held in conjunction with the STANDfast on November 8 at the Pub where two speakers, Gabriel Bol Deng and Dr. Leigh Swigart, graced the function. Gabriel is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, and Dr. Leigh is the director of Programs in International Justice and Society at the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life at Brandeis University.
Based on their diverse experience, the presenters spoke about issues affecting the general African community such as war, gender inequality and illiteracy, to name a few.
Gabriel gave the audience more insight into the plight faced by the southern Sudan refugees and how he has been able to build a school there thanks to generous support from well wishers.
During the event, this year’s Red for Africa apparel was unveiled, where a good number of students and some members of staff grabbed the opportunity to purchase the merchandise.

The items on sale include sweatpants, organic hooded sweatshirts, beaded bracelets, dog tags, long- and short-sleeved t-shirts, the prices being $20, $25, $5, $5, $10 and $5 respectively.

The limited edition beads were hand-crafted by children at the Mmofra Trom orphanage, and the rest of the apparel was made locally in the U.S. The sweatshirts are eco-friendly, as they are made from organic material which goes hand-in-hand with the current push towards environmental sustainability.
The attendees hosted dinner, where they had a chance to socialize while listening to some soothing African music in the background. The event was concluded with a PowerPoint presentation about HIV/AIDs.
As mentioned earlier, all the proceeds will go towards garnering more awareness about the plight HIV/AIDs has brought to Africa.
The Red for Africa apparel is on sale during weekdays from 11:20 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Student Center, Smith and LaCava.
Sales are projected to continue till the end of November, but termination may occur as soon as the current stock of items runs out.
All are encouraged to purchase the merchandise which will support a great cause that is spear-headed and run by Bentley students for a greater calling.

Written By Sindhu Palaniappan

Culture Fest 2010 is right around the corner, with the kick off during our 2:10 p.m. activity period this Monday, November 8! Stop by the MCC lounge on the top floor of the Student Center to see what’s going on. Each year Bentley celebrates Culture Fest, a week-long festival that celebrates diversity and various cultures of the students at Bentley. While there are cultural events throughout the year that are celebrated at Bentley, for example Diwali, Kwanza, LCL and Laraza, this week is specifically devoted to celebrating various cultures.

Tana Ruegamer from the Center for International Students and Scholars notes that while this week is really important, students should not forget all of the other year-round events as well. Since this event spans across the length of a week, it has been a challenge to organize, especially with everyone’s time constraints and busy schedules. There were three different committees organized to plan the events, ranging from students to faculty and staff. But nonetheless, this year’s Culture Fest line-up is looking better than ever.

Red for Africa kicks off this week and is sprinkled with different luncheons and dinners which represent different cultures. On the 10th there is a World Dance and Band Competition, not to mention Bentley’s Amazing Race on the 13th. Also on that day is the UN trip which is always popular among students.

Mark your calendars because November 15 is Food Fest, which features foods from many different cultures for students to sample, as well as dance lessons and live music from Los Sugar Kings. Be ready to embrace different cultures all year round, but especially this upcoming week!

Written By: Angela Diaco

With over 100 student organizations on campus, the entire Vanguard could be filled with group interviews. From A Capella to Women’s Rugby, Bentley students know how to run a good club. Each area of student life shines in its own way, but we chose to examine an innovative and unique program for this week’s issue.

Bentley Television stands out partially because of its relative novelty (this fall will be the club’s three-year anniversary) and its offer of a one-of-a-kind student experience.

Members not only write, organize and act in skits and variety shows, but they also produce them using professional grade equipment.

BSTV provides a creative outlet for many business students (you can put down the accounting book now…) and a chance to explore an alternate career path.

I sat down with Nick Aquino, BSTV’s president and creator, to talk a little bit more about the organization.

Tell us about your group

Bentley TV is Bentley’s own student-run TV station that broadcasts a variety of programs.

It began as a group of students who wanted to bring a TV show to Bentley, and over the years, the idea grew into a TV station that broadcasts student organization events, cooking shows, intramural sports highlights, campus updates, BSTV (our cornerstone comedic production) and other student produced projects.

We give students the opportunity to work on professional video productions and broadcast their work to a large audience. We focus on positioning ourselves as a university-wide resource that caters programming to all interests, departments and organizations across campus.

What kind of events do you run?

Each semester we host events to premiere new content. In the past, we have co-sponsored large-scale events, such as Breakfast by Moonlight with RHA and Bentley’s Best Dance Crew with Alpha Phi. Both had a great turnout and were very entertaining.

Are you affiliated with any other groups on campus?

We have worked closely with a variety of organizations over the years between co-sponsorships and the taping and broadcasting of student organization events.

We look to give all organizations the opportunity to advertise their upcoming events on our campus updates program, Your Campus Now. We encourage any kind of collaboration.

Are there any recent events you’d like to highlight?

Recently, we premiered the first episode of our miniseries 301, which is a comedic show that follows a dysfunctional GB301 group as they struggle to finish the business plan in time for the big presentation.

We are showcasing five episodes this semester that we hope to premiere on Thursdays in the Pub.

We are posting the episodes at bentleytelevision.com.

Written by: Lacey Nemergut

The Bentley Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team has finally received club status after waiting anxiously for a moratorium placing a limit on the number of official Bentley club teams to be lifted. After two years of efforts from the unofficial organization’s e-board, led by President Karalyn Spadaro, the team can now enjoy the benefits of hiring a coach and officially competing under the Bentley name.

Ultimate Frisbee, though not a commonly practiced sport, requires an intense level of dedication and planning. “It’s a combination of football and soccer. Pretty much there are seven girls on the field at a time… And your goal is to throw the Frisbee down the field to cross the goal line on the other side,” explained senior Ryan Olson, a dedicated player on the newly established club team.

Establishing this aspiring club team can also be used as a recruiting tool for Bentley to attract high school seniors interested in playing Ultimate Frisbee.

“One benefit is that we can now hire a coach,” said Coleen Flinn, a member of the e-board. “[The coach] can help with tournaments and practices and can plan out strategies.” In addition to scouting for a coach, the girls are enjoying other perks of Bentley recognition which include guaranteed field time and needed funding.

Despite their newly acquired status, the Bentley girls are no strangers to the game. Their practices already included laps, experimenting with different Frisbee techniques, scrimmages and reviews of various defensive and offensive formations. The Women’s Frisbee team has been in competition with other New England schools, playing teams from Stonehill College, Brown University, Northeastern University and Boston University. Last year, the team went to Nationals in Wisconsin.

With a previous roster of approximately 20 girls, the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team is hoping that their newfound club status will help attract new players to the field.

Written By: Brenna O’Connell

The Epsilon Tau Chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon hosted their seventh Annual Pasta Dinner this past Sunday to fundraise for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

This year, the sisters added the Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), making the event a success for two causes.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the national philanthropic cause for Delta Phi Epsilon. Junior sister Jacqueline Le finds the cause rewarding because it “connects [them] with other sisters throughout the country by working toward a common goal.”

The sisters decided to support ANAD this year, as well because it is “a big problem in sororities in general,” said sophomore Kristene Burnett, vice president of programming for the sorority.

This dinner was completely run on donations, from the food and beverages to the raffles.

While it proved to be challenging to convince businesses to donate to a third-party vendor, the sisters successfully procured drinks from Shaw’s, pasta and sauce from Sodexo and bread from Panera Bread.

The surplus bread was donated to a local food pantry following the Pasta Dinner.

The raffle prizes included certificates to various restaurants on Moody Street, such as Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, John Brewer’s Tavern, Watch City Tavern and In a Pickle.

In addition, certificates for free rides by Boston’s Designated Driver were donated and raffled off.
Last year, roughly 1,500 dollars was made, and this year estimates are even higher.

Delta Phi Epsilon is creating events and programs that can get the whole campus more involved, and not just limiting the events to the Greek community.

They are also looking to expand their community service and fundraising efforts, so be sure to watch for events to come.

The Sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon thank everyone who attended and not only showed support for the sorority, but also helped raise money for two causes that mean a lot to them.

Written by: Lacey Nemergut

A website for students across the nation, RateMyProfessors.com serves not only as an open forum for the Bentley community, but also as a collective resource for students to get a general assessment of what a certain class entails.

But some professors do not take the site’s ratings so seriously.

Bentley University as a school has an overall ranking of 3.23/5 for professors, 4.8/5 for student happiness and 4.3 for overall school rating.

Currently, Bentley has 698 professors listed for evaluations based on a combination of overall quality, helpfulness, clarity, easiness and hotness.

With an open forum for anonymous comments, many students freely express their opinions on certain professors.

“I wanted to see [how likely] my professors were going to give me a good grade or not, and how hard I had to try,” said a freshman, trying to gauge her necessary effort level for the class.

“I was just curious to see what other people thought about the professors that I had,” said another freshman when asked for his main reason for logging on to RateMyProfessors.com.

Naturally, professors might find this discomforting. Professor Linda McJannet stated, “That’s the fear. This is a place to vent without any restraint.” Professors with overall good ratings seem to experience an inevitable sense of gratification.

When asked if he felt an overall sense of appreciation for his impressive rating on the website, Professor David Carhart replied, “A modest one yes, it appeals to my vanity.For me, it’s nowhere near the big smile [that I get from] feedback on something more structured like the SETs here at Bentley.”

Professor McJannet states, “Students may underestimate the degree to which some faculty are really sensitive to these things… I mean this is your livelihood…”

Certain comments on the website attack both the teacher’s personality and ability to teach.

However, one freshman seemed to sum up the general consensus among students, saying, “[Teachers] probably [talk about students as well] in some form behind closed doors. If there’s a student that sticks out for some reason then teachers will talk about students.”

Such behavior would explain the significant gap in the number of comments teachers receive.

Professors that generate either an excessively positive or negative reaction receive an abundance of comments, whereas teachers that students feel indifferent toward receive little to no feedback.

Most students fail to recognize the rebuttal option for professors on the website. Professors have the option of registering themselves as a University professor to supply a picture and reply to any of the anonymous comments posted.

“It seems to me that you’d only want to respond to the more hateful comments and that would just give them more currency. If there’s a rational debate going on, that’s one thing… Good for those who do, they have courage,” stated McJannet.

“I don’t give it any serious credibility. Therefore, it’s not worth my time to reply to something that I think is almost nonsensical,” explained Carhart.

Written by: Cameron Furlong

The Vanguard recently sat down with Persa Konomi, a senior and the president of the Bentley Marketing Association.

What is BMA?
BMA is the Bentley Marketing Association. It has been around for a couple of years, but ever since last year when I took it on a lot of things have changed.

We run events through career services, we have field trips to companies, and we have speakers, so it involves everything that has to do with marketing.

What are these field trips like?
The field trips are a really good way to meet employers. We go to a company in the Boston area or around here.

For example, we just went to TJX and we’ve got the Boston Celtics coming up. Members go on site, meet new players, ask some questions, tour the facilities and network with these employers to get their names and faces out there.

So  when you’re applying for a job or if you see people from TJX on campus again, they can remember you from the field trip. It’s a great way to meet people.

What kind of marketing do you do for organizations on campus?
We worked with the Bentley Entrepreneurship Society last year, and we did an event called DART Boston.

It was a great way to combine creating your own business and marketing for your own business. That’s the one club we’ve gotten together with so far and it was a very successful event. (There has been interest in having such an event again, so that might be coming up in the future.) We partner with Career Services all the time by helping with their events.

How does BMA work with Career Services?
We help people understand what options are available and what career paths you can take. A lot of our members are freshmen and sophomores and they know they want to do marketing, but they don’t know exactly what they want to do because marketing is so broad.

We help them figure out what they’re best at, what they like and what they don’t like. They get to see what’s out there before they have internships.

Tell us about some of the other organizations you market for?
We actually have two clients: We’ve been working with the Department of Sustainability ever since last semester and we love them.

We’ve helped create awareness – a lot of people didn’t know that the department existed, so we had a lunch party last semester, and we did the Go Green or Go Home event. We are also working with an outside client from Apple, and we’re doing a project with Apple next semester.

This is really good for us because it is our first outside client, which makes us more of a serious club rather than just another student organization. It takes us up to the next level.

What kind of events does BMA have in the works right now?
As far as upcoming events, we’re going to have a speaker coming from Apple, we have more field trips coming up, we’re going to be marketing sports events and we will be working with Career Services and marketing for other clubs on campus.

Persa also mentioned “a cool little project that’s coming out at the end of the year,” adding, “I’m not sure if I can talk to you about it yet.” Only time will tell whether this was just hype from the folks who do it best or a taste of big things to come. In the meantime, BMA is certainly a club to watch out for!

Written by: Kristin Tomasi

October is the month of the Blackout Challenge at Bentley, where dorms compete to conserve the most energy.  The project compares each dorm’s energy usage for the week to its average energy usage from September.  The focus is on reduction rather than total energy use in order to make the competition fair.

No building has an advantage over another because in order to win, a dorm simply needs to decrease its energy usage by the greatest percentage.

Each week, students are emailed an update to see where their building stands.  The winning building’s prize will be a custom t-shirt that will include the dorm’s name.  Also, a celebratory banner will be hung in the dorm’s entrance.

The Blackout Challenge was originally called the Battle of the Bulbs.  Its name changed last year when, as explained by Amanda Navarroli King, Bentley’s Manager of Sustainability, there was “more of a concerted effort toward communication” with the student body about the project.  Rikki Lee Larson, a junior at Bentley and president of the Green Society, explained that the emphasis placed on creating “more of a buzz” for the Blackout Challenge is largely due to the collaboration of all of the green initiatives on campus.

These green initiatives include the sustainability group of SGA, the Green Society, and RHA’s Eco Reps.  King credits the “amazing cross-collaboration” between these three groups with allowing them to accomplish more together than each could have done individually.

This collaboration has also resulted in increased marketing efforts for the Blackout Challenge this year.  For example, a banner was recently signed by many students pledging to do their part to conserve energy.

Larson explained that while the project was “not as well known in previous years,” there is more awareness this year and students have been receptive of the project’s message.  Jacky Yen, a sophomore, explained that she has “definitely heard a lot more about the Blackout Challenge this year” and that she feels it has been “advertised a lot better.”

Amanda Benoit, a freshman, said “the flyers around the school really help… I participate by shutting off electronics when they’re not in use, especially in the rooms we share as a floor, like the bathroom, common room, and laundry room.”

King also stressed how the project is cultivating a “community feeling” because each dorm needs to work together in order to be successful.

This competition provides an incentive that gives the project “staying power.”  This sentiment was echoed by Larson, who explained that if people participate in the challenge “for one month, they may change their habits” for the rest of the year.

Larson explained her desire to “eventually make the Blackout Challenge a year-long initiative” with larger scale prizes.

King would like to expand the challenge to include faculty and academic buildings by collaborating with the new Faculty-Staff Eco Rep program.  In an effort to further increase awareness, she trained this year’s Orientation Leaders on recycling this past summer to show new students that going green is “part of the Bentley culture.”

Despite low attendance, the event brought the Bentley community together for competitive fun

Written By: Matt Somma

Avid and recreational runners awoke to a beautiful Saturday morning on October 2 in anticipation of the afternoon’s events. It was the third annual Residence Hall Association Harvest Haul 5k, and competitors could not ask for a more perfect day as they all congregated at the Greenspace for 1:00 p.m.

RHA’s objective and motto on campus is to bring the community together to make it feel like a second home. It was RHA’s hope that this event would add to that mentality and the competitive spirit of Bentley University students so they could have some fun and win some prizes at the same time. Although attendance was down this year, competitive spirit was running high as it brought 35 runners together.

Runners could also do some good as they competed for someone to sponsor them as they ran, in which RHA compiled a total of $200, which will be donated to the American Red Cross. Also, after the partnership of RHA with the Office of Sustainability last year, they sold reusable mugs at the event for only $2 when the price is usually $20. This was also in accordance with RHA’s efforts of going green in which they also utilized Facebook, CollegiateLink and dorm storming to advertise this event.

Thirty-five pairs of everything, from professional racing flats to old shoes with holes in them, lined up next to the book store at 1:30 for the start. The course was simple and easy to follow but in its entirety not a very easy run. Runners would head down the hill next to Campus Police and take a right onto Beaver street, heading up the hill underneath the bridge. After they took a sharp right and went up another hill onto Forest Street, they would continue for quite a while until they reached the entrance to North Campus. A quick loop around North Campus, and then they were heading back onto Forest Street into the top entrance of Bentley University. Once reaching the end of the drive, runners took a left around LaCava, Morrison and Adamian, and finally down the last hill to finish right back at the Greenspace, making up five kilometers.

First place for male and female varsity athletes and first place for male and female non-varsity athletes would receive a $50 gift certificate to the vendor of their choice. Also, a prize of $25 went out to the most outrageously dressed runner, which was to Cody Clarkson. He donned a white shirt that said “Haulin’ @$$” on the front and a smiling picture of RHA President Marc Santilli on the back.

Although the Men’s Cross Country Team finished as one unit, the results for the event are as follows:

Written By: Isaac Potvin

Despite their delayed arrival to Bentley due to unfavorable driving conditions, the band Keeping Riley entertained a packed audience in the Student Center Pub last Friday evening, October 1.

After hurriedly entering the Pub, the band took only a matter of minutes to set up their equipment on stage, eliciting a series of claps and cheers from an energetic crowd of students. Their first two introductory songs, jazzy and soulful in nature, were available free on CD, but, due to popular demand, they quickly disappeared. Songs that combined elements of acoustic, rock and funk then took over the rest of their performance, which lasted close to an hour.

Keeping Riley, an eight-member band that originated in Bridgewater, New Jersey in 2004, was started by a close group of high school friends who played with each other for fun in their free time. They have made a prominent name for themselves since then, especially after winning the Battle of Bands competition (a national competition) in 2008 and subsequently going on tour. After asking Noah Hercky, the lead singer, to comment on his experience of the Battle of Bands, he responded, “It was a really good experience. There were over 7,000 bands nationwide and we kept on winning and winning each stage. We started to think that we could win the whole thing, and when we did, it was amazing!” he continued.

The band’s name was originally “A Life of Riley,” an expression that means “a carefree lifestyle,” but it had to change once they signed their record deal because another professional band had already claimed that name. “We wanted to keep the essence of the name, so we changed it to Keeping Riley,” Noah stated. The band has since released three studio albums, and the most recent, Welcome Fire, came out in June of this year.

An interesting fact about Keeping Riley is that it is partnered with Of Rags, a company that works for sustainable development. They sell clothing made in Ghana and the profits go toward both job creation and special-need education programs in Ghana.

Bentley University was chosen as a school to perform at because the band is trying to stop at as many schools in the Northeast as possible in an effort to spread their message.

Noah summarized the night by saying, “I absolutely enjoyed my experience here!” The crowd’s exuberant clapping and yelling after the final song also seemed to echo his sentiment. It seemed to be an amazing night for all who attended.

Written By: Sindhu Palaniappan

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” – John Quincy Adams, as cited in the introduction to Bentley’s Leadership Conference held this past Saturday in the Executive Dining Room. Bentley’s Service Learning Department put the conference together for high school students in the local area in order to expose them to collegiate-level academics and the importance of giving back to the community.

The Leadership Conference was directed at sophomores and juniors who attend high schools in the area. Present were thirty students from Dracut, Waltham, Woburn and Framingham who were selected by high school guidance counselors.

The room was abuzz before the conference began; students were filled with questions for each other and for Bentley students about the college process and Service Learning.

Junior Greggory Grenier spearheaded the conference, working closely with a team of Bentley Service Learning project managers to allow the day to run smoothly. It was a student-run event, where Service Learning managers served the function of facilitators, running the workshops and guiding the students with impressive professionalism and order.

There were three different workshops held throughout the day, put on at three separate times so the students could break off into groups and get some individual time with facilitators. One workshop was about time management and goal setting, regarding collegiate-level academics. Another was about college preparation and the steps needed to figure out where a student would want to go and how to go about the application process. They held mock interviews for students and facilitators spoke of their experiences with the college process and with building resumés. The third workshop was one on leadership skills and the value of giving back to the community.

Along with being able to spend time with student facilitators, the high school students were allowed to sit in on a number of presentations put on by faculty.

Undergraduate Admissions spoke about the college process in depth from their perspective in order to show the students what was expected of them.

They also spoke about how high school students could make the most of their time now in order to help them when they apply to college, if they choose to do so.

Financial Aid put on an informational presentation about different types of aid and scholarships. Academic Advising also put on a presentation about specific majors and how to choose the one that’s right for you.

Advising also covered what classes to take and how to manage time in college, since schedules change drastically between high school and college. Students were provided breakfast and lunch, and time to reflect and talk about their own ideas when it came to giving back to the community.

Facilitators kept the mood light and engaged the students, connecting to them on a personal level and helping them feel comfortable with opening up. Although Bentley’s Service Learning has been involved in this field in the past, this is the first time the department has put on something quite like this, and they hope to continue to do so.

If this becomes an annual event, it would have plenty of room to grow and expand and include more high school students. Grenier commented about getting feedback and following up with the students who were able to attend the first conference, and how he looks forward to helping the department organize another conference next year.

Written by: Derek Smith

When it comes to being busy, Professor Alicia Amaral definitely fits the bill.

She is a new professor here at Bentley University, and she teaches two sections of GB-112, Tools and Concepts in Accounting and Finance.

In addition to teaching here as well as at Tufts University, Professor Amaral is also the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group of Reading, MA.

While this is Amaral’s first semester teaching at Bentley, she is definitely not new to the campus since she is also an alumna.

“I always loved Bentley as a student, and I always wanted to teach here,” stated Amaral.

When she was offered a position here she was thrilled and began trying to fit teaching here into her already busy schedule.

“So far I love the support that I get from the faculty, and it is also my first time teaching freshmen classes and I am really enjoying it,” she said.

GB-112 is a newer class taken by mostly freshmen. The course was created in part by Ernst & Young, and it focuses on the many important concepts in accounting and finance.

“It is a great class and I wish that I had the chance to take a class like this when I was an undergraduate student,” said Amaral.

Amaral teaches here on campus on Tuesdays and Fridays.

When she is not at Bentley, she can also be found at Tufts University in Medford where she teaches graduate students on evenings and weekends.

At Tufts, Amaral manages the Master of Science and Engineering Management program.

This program is for Engineering students who want to learn more about the business aspect.

This may already seem like an overwhelming workload for most people, but Amaral still has her important responsibility as a CFO.

Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group is a business that does benefit administration for 401K plans and health insurance, as well as wealth management.

“I really like the real-world aspect at Sentinel,” commented Amaral.

“It gives me the experience that I need to teach my students.” Amaral has worked at Sentinel for the past three years, and when the opportunity to teach at Bentley presented itself she discussed some options with her supervisor.

Amaral now works part-time as the CFO so that she can fulfill her passion for teaching both here and at Tufts University.

Teaching both at Bentley University and at Tufts University while maintaining her position as a CFO at the same time definitely takes up a lot of her free time.

However, when she is not working she enjoys activities such as yoga, hiking, and being in the outdoors.

Amaral also really enjoys traveling. She recently took a trip to South Africa where she visited her daughter.

It’s quite a delicate balance to be able to do so much, but Amaral does it impressively well.

Written by: Angela Diaco

Open House was held this past Sunday, September 26, 2010, marking the official beginning of fall here at Bentley.

While many of you were enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon, parents and nervous high school students roamed around campus in search of finding out what the Bentley life is all about, not to mention school sweatshirts and free food.

Close to 2,000 people showed up for the day (a record high for Bentley), half of whom were first-time visitors.

Those in attendance ranged from many New England locals, some Canadians, and even a family from Singapore.

The well-represented crowd flooded Undergraduate Admissions with tour requests, and ambassadors donning blue shirts could be seen leading packs of people all over the place.

So how did Bentley keep the prospective class of 2015 entertained for nearly six hours?

The Center for Marketing and Technology had the usual high-tech survey to exhibit their equipment, Financial Aid and Admissions seminars were held in LaCava, and the Service Learning Department had projects displayed in Smith.

In addition, dorms were showed, academic and student life tours were on the move constantly, and the food never ran out.

Buildings from LaCava to the Dana Center offered food for families and students alike (despite the devastating Seasons debacle the day before, desserts were nevertheless set out).

While the day has come and gone, much like many other Open Houses each year, we cannot forget the time, energy, and effort put into making the day a success.

Thank you to all students, faculty and administrators who spent your Sunday reaching out to future Falcons.

A special thanks goes to facilities and maintenance for enduring what was surely a grueling task cleaning up after a weekend of Bentley shenanigans.

The campus was beautiful; the grass was green, the sun was out and the trash was swept away.
Great job!

Sodexo hires a new General Manager for the Bentley operation

Written by: Brian Lofrumento

Food on campus is set to take a new direction ever since Jason LaPrade assumed the role of Resident District Manager for Sodexo on campus.

One key component of every student’s college experience is the food, and LaPrade’s influence will certainly make a key difference on campus. Whether it’s the school cafeteria, cooking “home-made” meals for the first time in your life, or buying food from different places around campus, it’s something that impacts students each and every day.

LaPrade has an extensive background in the culinary field, having started at the young age of 14 as a chef. He attended Johnson and Wales before becoming the Executive Chef for Creative Gourmet, a company owned by Sodexo.

He then switched to the Campus Services part of Sodexo, serving as the Regional Catering Coordinator. His college experience comes from his three-and-a-half years with Wellesley College, and most recently, a year and a half at Suffolk University. All together he has compiled 16 years of experience with Sodexo, making him a valuable addition to Bentley.

LaPrade has already made many positive changes with regards to food and presentation around campus, and he has promised even more improvement as he gets further settled on campus.

“Like everything, we’ll continue to evolve,” LaPrade stressed. “I’m not a very patient person or somebody that will just sit back and say, ‘We’re at where we need to be.’ As far as I’m concerned every year as trends change in the culinary world, we need to change with these trends,” he continued.

“We’ll look at what students like and don’t like and make changes as necessary,” he added. “We’ll continue to look at new things to add and bring to the table.”

Written by: Brian Lofrumento

While Bentley enjoyed many positive changes over the summer months, one issue that has left students unhappy is the continuing problem with Comcast cable on campus. Last school year saw Comcast’s premium services and high-definition coverage disappear from televisions across campus, and as fall approaches students will have to prepare for low-definition Celtics broadcasts, a lack of premium channels, and no DVRs.

“I miss my DVR, without a doubt,” said Carley Mercier, a junior. “I don’t like commercials and it’s frustrating to have to watch a show when it’s live while we’re managing coursework and other commitments.”

“I think it’s going to be just like the Napster issue, where they say that they’re trying to find other solutions but can’t,” she continued.

An e-mail from Andrew Shepardson, Dean of Student Affairs, indicated that Bentley is continuing to work with Comcast on resolving the issue. “We are in contact with area colleges and universities that are facing the same situation with Comcast and working with them to encourage Comcast to resolve this situation,” the e-mail stated.

He also cautioned students to be patient with administration as they work on a solution.

“Please understand that this is a Comcast decision and not a Bentley decision. We have been and will continue to work on a solution,” Dean Shepardson’s e-mail stressed. “In addition, we are asking them to propose solutions and alternatives. We are also exploring other vendors,” he concluded.

Written by Eric Ndung’u

Any positive change can never go unnoticed, especially in regards to the Bentley dining experience this year. It is quite easy to note that Sodexo has gone up a few notches, to say the least, as far as catering is concerned.

When returning students streamed into Seasons at the beginning of the school year, the looks on their faces said it all, unveiling sheer amazement at how the facility had been revamped and offered a wider array of food options. Each student was greeted at the card swipe section by an employee garbed in a well-pressed Bentley Dining shirt, yet another new addition.

The next thing that drew one’s attention was the salad bar. For a moment, one would have thought that Bentley had acquired a farm over the summer – the salad bar had fresh produce which was a sharp contrast to what we had last year. The salad dressings had also shifted their residence from last semester’s metallic bowls to classic pouring glasses, making the salad bar appealing to all.

As one strolled along to the deli, the queue was shorter than usual thanks to the already prepared wraps that are on the counter, saving one the agony of having to wait for fifteen minutes before getting a wrap. The deli also has a choice of Lays chips as a side. The chips can either be served on a plate by the student who wants to dine at Seasons or can be grabbed “to go.”

Over at the omelet bar the choice of garnishes has increased from four last semester to seven this fall. The desired garnishes are now put in a cup instead of a plate, which cuts down on food wastage.
Krisel Lula, a junior, said, “The omelet bar is my best place at Seasons thus far since the produce is fresh and appealing. Plus, the cook makes me the best omelet, which kicks off my day on a high note.”

It’s true to say that this section of the dining facility has gained favor amongst most students as, evidenced by Krisel and also by the huge number of students who are frequently found lining up to get an omelet.

From the serving area to the sitting area, the tables have been reorganized to make more table room and sitting space at the same time. This feat was achieved by getting rid of the long table in the section that has the TVs and replacing them with a high table and smaller tables, thus allowing more sitting space per unit area.

Elliot Knight was quick to note this as he commented, “I really like the way the sitting area has more space this year. It makes you feel more at home and makes the place less congested as everyone has a place to sit and enjoy their meal while catching up with friends,” he continued.

In an effort to cut down on paper waste, Sodexo has placed a napkin dispenser at every table in Seasons. As unbelievable as it may sound, students are using less napkins since they do not have to travel to and from the common napkin dispensers. Hima Chilakalapudi, who is very pro-environment, said, “I feel as if Bentley has now made it clear to all of us that it is an eco-friendly institution, as evidenced by the individual napkin dispensers at every table which cut down on the amount of paper waste from Seasons.” Judging from this initiative, one can see that Bentley is walking its talk of being eco-friendly through leading by example.

The genesis of this dynamic and marvelous upgrade in Seasons stems from a change in the Sodexo management. An e-mail sent to one of the Vanguard correspondents by Doreen Floyd, the Assistant Dean in the Dean of Students Office, is a testament to this change. Floyd stated that over the past summer, a new Resident District Manager for Sodexo, Jason LaPrade, came over to Bentley.

LaPrade’s expertise and creativity, which is drawn from his wealth of experience in the culinary arts, in particular campus dining, has unleashed a positive butterfly effect. For instance, LaPrade has done away with frozen vegetables and replaced them with fresh vegetables. He also eradicated canned beans from the Sodexo entity and replaced them with fresh beans which are purchased, soaked in water, and then prepared fresh for the students. This has led to greater student satisfaction as they feel they are getting more value for their meal plans. As Auon Khan said, “This semester, I have to say that the dining standards at Seasons have been upped a notch and I feel like am now getting more value for my dollar.”

Floyd also stated that more plated meals and prepared plates, such as salad and pasta entrees, have been very well received, as has the condiment bar near the grill station. She also added that she has heard students flip over the breadsticks at the pizza station.

When all is said and done, it would be in order to give credit where it is due, and in this case giving a thumbs up to Sodexo for revamping Seasons and making it a better dining experience for all. And for the students and staff who normally dine at Seasons, bon appétit!

Written By Sindhu Palaniappan

What did you do last summer? Started my own business, no big deal.

For sophomore Benjamin Fowler, a Finance and Global Perspectives double major here at Bentley, this was actually true. Ben started his own surf instruction school – Sacred Surf School – down in Cape Cod, and said that he had been in for a rude awakening when he realized how hard it was to actually undertake something so huge.

The school is a stand-alone organization that has already turned a profit within its first summer, something Ben hopes to expand for summers to follow. After working as a surf instructor for two summers and being responsible for another school’s bookings and reservations, the school Ben worked for went under, and instead of letting it go, he used the opportunity to start a school of his own.

Starting last December, he looked into the paperwork, accounting, and legalities of starting your own business, jokingly adding that he used to take business calls at parties and his friends ripped on him.

After sorting through paperwork, he started advertising by distributing brochures from Falmouth to Provincetown, talking to local surf shops and trying to work out a deal where he would promote their gear and they would promote his lessons. Two shops really pulled through, and Fowler helped them as much as they turned business over to his school, sometimes offering free lessons on behalf of the shop owners in order to help them promote their good name.
“Professionalism and gregariousness are key,” Fowler said, smiling and allowing that to segway into what it was like to be a 19 year old looking to start his own business. Instead of being anxious or afraid that he would look immature in the eyes of older businessmen, Fowler said, “Whether you’re 18 or 50, you’re still an adult,” and that’s how he carried himself.

“The best comparison [of having your own school] is like having a child, because you are so emotionally invested in it,” said Fowler. The first two weeks of business were like a “slap in the face,” when there was little business. “I overextended, then pulled back to be realistic, and once things got running, I overextended again,” he said. His face lit up as he spoke about plans to  improve next summer.

After paying back a loan he took to get the business running, Fowler ended up turning a profit within the first summer, expanding the business to include American Apparel shirts and hats. He found that when you give some of those things out for free, you can not only win over the customer, but you can also find a way to advertise.

In regards to advertising and his surf school’s website – sacredsurfschool.com – Fowler said, “It was all about creating a business and having a credible looking site. As long as the product is there, it’s all about how you market it.” Spoken like a true Bentley student.

Written by: Kim Sok

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by: Sindhu Palaniappan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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