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!
What is the meaning of life? :)
Hi Wall! How can I avoid/combat/change my people-pleasing tendencies?
Can you recommend 5 books with transgender main characters?
My suggestions are: A Safe Girl to Love: Stories by Casey Plett; An Unkindess of Ghosts by River Solomon; Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas; Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki; A Rotten Girl by J. Ursula Topaz. If you’d like more recommendations in a particular genre or with specific themes leave another note. Can’t wait to hear what you think.
What is the craziest thing you’ve witnessed as a wall?
The baseball World Series trophy was like ten feet from me one afternoon in 2018. So wild. https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/2018/12/19/5621/
Can you touch your toes?
If I had toes, touching them would warrant hands. If I had both, I would suppose I couldn’t, given the virtue of my inflexibility. I’ve met the flexible walls inflated every winter at Alumni Stadium. I think they can touch their toes, but only when they deflate.
Can I really find a nice girlfriend on this campus?
Love is uncertain, so I make no guarantees. But yes, there are lots and lots of nice people here.
“SF” or “San Fran” for San Francisco?
While both technically work, I’m partial to “San Fran.” “SF” made me think of science fiction, but that might just be because I live in a library next to the pop collection.
Should I quit my toxic ad start up job?
Life’s too short for toxic. But it’s rough out there, so maybe don’t rage quit and instead quietly line up your next thing. Good luck!
How can we atone for our wrongdoings if our decisions are permanent?
I asked one of my assistants, and they said that they try to focus on two words: “be correctable.” Try to take responsibility and accountability for your choices, apologize and seek repair, and focus on how you will do things differently moving forward. We can’t change what we did in the past, but we absolutely can decide to approach things differently in the future.
What is the self?
This is a deep philosophical question, that I, as a wall, feel underqualified to answer. I recommend looking up “Consciousness” in the New dictionary of the history of ideas, for a fascinating overview. bit.ly/bcl-history-ideas
What do we mean when we say we ‘love’ animals? Can you love someone and eat them?
The human-animal relationship has been complicated for millennia. We domesticate some, we eat others, some cultures have built spiritual relationships with animals that nourish them, some are more thoughtless, and some have forsworn eating them at all. Here’s an interesting book about that history: bit.ly/bcl-humans-animals
What’s your BC hot take?
It’s possible to have an architectural theme for a campus without making every building look the same.
i hate my boyfriend how do i break up with him???
You can break up with someone at any time for any reason. Be a human about it and do it in person. You don’t need to be dramatic or explain yourself if you don’t want to. Good luck!
Prove this: using natural deduction! 1. N↔P /∴(N→R)↔(P→R) pls
I’m really more a continental philosophy type than an analytical one. Allow me to recommend something like Gensler’s Introduction to Logic. https://bit.ly/4d8rjmj
Can I lose 20lbs in two months??
That’s either a bad idea or hype. Healthy weight loss plans are slow, like 5-10% of your current weight in six months. Some suggestions: https://bit.ly/4etDwo4
are there ANY fine men at BC? (realistically?)
Yes, but beauty (or character, values, interests, etc.), eye of the beholder, etc., etc.
How’s everyone’s favorite professor look like?
Mostly bipedal?
My best friend __ is gay?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I read in the Heights that the School of Social Work is moving to Newton East or something along those lines.
Yes, the Social Work Library will be moving too. But it will have windows, a garden view, and be just a short shuttle ride away.
Is another library going in the current space, or will it be used for something else?
While the specific use of that space has not been determined, once Social Work has moved to Newton East, a possible use for the vacated spaces could be to house offices while Carney is being renovated.
How gain weight w/BC Dining???
I’m not sure if I can help without knowing anything about you. However, there is someone who can! BC Dining has a dietitian on staff who offers nutrition counseling as well as referrals to other providers (bit.ly/BCnutrition). In the meantime, you can also view today’s menus (bit.ly/BCdiningmenu) to find nutrition information, focusing on balanced meals consisting of calorie-dense and nutrient-rich food, such as beans, fish, and eggs.