O’Neill Library

Hi, I’m the Answer Wall! I’ve been perched in the O’Neill Library lobby at Boston College since February 2017, except for a year in 2020 when I went fully online. Ask me a question by posting a post-it on me in O’Neill Library. I’ll answer within a day on weekdays. I snooze on the weekends, because answering questions is hard work!

my girl swiftys got a new boyfriend

my girl swiftys got a new boyfriend she's got me dooling what's a tight end ooh what did he score on basket
my girl swiftys got a new boyfriend she’s got me gooling what’s a tight end ooh what did he score a basket
uh what did he shoot or pass it I just love travis kelce btw I don't like taylor swift
uh what did he shoot or pass it I just love travis kelce btw I don’t like taylor swift
Sorry about my brother, ignore his Post-it's -->
Sorry about my brother, ignore his Post-it’s –>

There seems to be a connection between the word ‘right’ (not left) and ‘rights’ (law) in many languages.

Hi wall, There seems to be a connection between the word 'right' (not left) and 'rights' (law) in many languages. In English, but also Spanish (derecho/derecha), French (droit), and Dutch rechts). Why is this?
Hi wall, There seems to be a connection between the word ‘right’ (not left) and ‘rights’ (law) in many languages. In English, but also Spanish (derecho/derecha), French (droit), and Dutch rechts). Why is this?

It might not seem like it, but to a linguist or etymologist, right, recht, derecho, and droit are all the same word, or at least all related to the same root, Latin “dīrēctum” which according to one of my favorite books, the Oxford English Dictionary, meant: “straightened, straight, right, direct n.; as noun, a straight or right line; in late Latin right, legal right, law”, from the root rego/regere, to guide, govern, from the Proto-Indo-European word hrege, to stretch or direct. A cognate in old Persian, rastaa, meant straight, right, or true. IOW, the associations are very old! And because etymology is an inexact science, it will likely remain a little mysterious.

Just because :) You must be an overthinker huh?
Just because 🙂 You must be an overthinker huh?

Another word for “overthinker” is curious, a demeanor we try to encourage in education.

What are the best classes to fulfill the History I and II req with?

What are the best classes to fulfill the History I and II req with? (also no joke, I learned extensively abt the Cold war in 3 different high school history classes, and lwk don't want to study it again...)
What are the best classes to fulfill the History I and II req with? (also no joke, I learned extensively abt the Cold war in 3 different high school history classes, and lwk don’t want to study it again…)

Maybe try something non-modern (Roman History) or non-Western (African Diaspora & The World). I’ve also heard good things about the new core fusion classes like Geographies of Empire and Making The Modern World.

I didn’t do so well on my midterm and now I think I’m gonna fail the class and not be able to graduate. What can I do if I fail? Can I still graduate in May?

I didn't do so well on my midterm and now I think I'm gonna fail the class and not be able to graduate. What can I do if I fail? Can I still graduate in May?
I didn’t do so well on my midterm and now I think I’m gonna fail the class and not be able to graduate. What can I do if I fail? Can I still graduate in May?

Talk to your academic advisor and your professor right away. See what your options are to bring your grade up, and whether your graduation in May is really in jeopardy. I also recommend getting peer tutoring at the Connors Family Learning Center bit.ly/BC-connors. And if your fears are realized, this is not the end of the world. I know many folks who have failed a class or not graduated on time who have gone on to do great things… and be great people.

It’s very difficult to find famous influential, and widely cited books on psychedelic drugs in the BC libraries. Are these discreetly “banned”?

It's very difficult to find famous influential, and widely cited books on psychedelic drugs in the BC libraries. Are these discreetly "banned"?
It’s very difficult to find famous influential, and widely cited books on psychedelic drugs in the BC libraries. Are these discreetly “banned”?

Libraries like ours don’t do book bans except at gunpoint. Like most academic libraries what we buy is shaped primarily by what’s in the curriculum and what faculty are doing research on, and where there are gaps in the collection that’s usually the reason. 1) You always have the option of requesting an interlibrary loan for things we don’t have. Usually takes about a week, and if another library can loan it, we’ll get it for you. 2) We’re happy to take suggestions on books to add.

got a battery leak in my calculator…should I take it in to get repaired or buy a new one?

got a battery leak in my calculator...should I take it in to get repaired or buy a new one?
got a battery leak in my calculator…should I take it in to get repaired or buy a new one?

Maybe take a look at these repair guides and the forums at iFixit. If there isn’t a lot of damage you might be able to get it working yourself for cheap. The trick with small electronics is that the repair bill is often as much or more than a new device. https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Calculator

Why can’t students use the dark-room on campus?

Why can't students use the dark-room on campus? It should be open to all student!
Why can’t students use the dark-room on campus? It should be open to all student!

Here’s what art department staff said: “Thanks so much for the question! Sadly, we only have 14 working enlargers in the darkroom in the art department, and usually between 40-60 students taking photography classes at a time. The space is tight and we need to reserve it for those students, since the lab is only open for 20 hours a week. We have limited hours because it has to be staffed to prevent broken equipment, flooding, you name it, but also to provide assistance with students who need help with their printing. I encourage students to take our Photography 1 class, which is also offered this summer!”

What should I do when I feel like Im better…

What should I do when I feel like Im better than everyone else? Am I narcassist?!
What should I do when I feel like Im better than everyone else? Am I narcassist?!

If you’re concerned about your behaviors or thoughts, I recommend talking to someone about it. You could talk either to a student wellness coach (bit.ly/BCStudentWell) or a counselor at BC Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling), either of which would be confidential and supportive.

Tips for getting post-bac research positions in psychology/neuroscience (besides the obvious work your connections and checking job boards)? Feel like I am swinging and missing!

I recommend speaking to as many people in that area as you can: IOW, professors of psychology and neuroscience at BC and beyond, to ask what they did. Don’t be afraid of cold-calling (or emailing), but be sure to personalize them in some way: speak about their specializations & your interest in them. It’s probably somewhat akin to sending early-career fiction manuscripts for publication; one writer said “you’ve sent almost enough when you can wallpaper a room with rejections.” I’d also talk to the career center: bit.ly/BC-career.