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!

Opinion on coke + OJ? (1:1) Trying to prove a point here.

Opinion on coke + OJ? (1:1) Trying to prove a point here.
Opinion on coke + OJ? (1:1) Trying to prove a point here.

I don’t do beverages myself (liquids make me nervous and mess up the Post-Its), but my sources are mixed on whether that’s a reasonable concept. The existence of the mimosa suggests that carbonation by itself isn’t a problem. Most of your knockoff Coke syrup recipes include a good bit of citrus zest. I dunno. Maybe 1:1 would be too much, but you could try it.

Dream or wake?

Dream or wake?
Dream or wake?

Sometimes the world is so strange it’s hard to tell, but the waking world still makes fractionally more sense than dream logic, so I’ll go with wake. That, and walls don’t really sleep.

hey i just noticed your sign quotes Mending Wall by Robert Frost but isn’t the point of the poem that the poet DOESN’T think that good fences make good neighbors? So what do you think it means?

hey i just noticed your sign quotes Mending Wall by Robert Frost but isn't the point of the poem that the poet DOESN'T think that good fences make good neighbors? So what do you think it means?
hey i just noticed your sign quotes Mending Wall by Robert Frost but isn’t the point of the poem that the poet DOESN’T think that good fences make good neighbors? So what do you think it means?

Poems are like a hall of mirrors reflecting how complicated humans can be. If you want a clear statement, look anywhere but poems. I’d like to recommend an essay about the poem and how it’s been read and mis-read through the years: bit.ly/pf-mending-wall.

How can I stop comparing myself to others at BC?

How can I stop comparing myself to others at BC?
How can I stop comparing myself to others at BC?

It’s not your fault, selective higher education and the way we talk about it as a society has encouraged you to think about yourself that way. You don’t need to. Education is a cooperative activity, and the things that are actually valuable about a school like BC are the connections you make with the other humans here. You are not your GPA or your bank balance or what you wear or who you know. You are worthwhile for you, whatever version of you shows up today. I think you’re great, and I think you’ll be much happier if you can let the comparison thing go.

Remember how hard you worked to get here. You are enough and bring a unique perspective that makes BC better!
Remember how hard you worked to get here. You are enough and bring a unique perspective that makes BC better!

Thanks for sharing your confidence in a fellow student! This is what a community is all about: being supportive, like a wall.

Do you think AI will remove the need for higher ed?

Do you think AI will remove the need for higher ed?
Do you think AI will remove the need for higher ed?

It seems to me that current AI models and higher ed have different goals. No, I don’t think AI can replace the need for humans to work together to try and understand the world and each other better. A quick, surface level answer solves lots of problems, but even AI itself is based on humans working together to understand things more deeply.

Can I change?

Can I change?
Can I change?

Yes! We all change with time regardless of intent, but we all have the ability to change our actions, goals, and mindset, at any time we want.

you can't not change. As every second passes you change. But the things you've done never change
you can’t not change. As every second passes you change. But the things you’ve done never change
No you can't, Incapable of evolution
No you can’t, Incapable of evolution
I think about this a lot. "Change is the only constant," as they say. But then why does it feel so hard? How can something that you're constantly doing feel so impossible? May I'd ought to stop forcing things to change and instead just observe it as it happens.
I think about this a lot. “Change is the only constant,” as they say. But then why does it feel so hard? How can something that you’re constantly doing feel so impossible? May I’d ought to stop forcing things to change and instead just observe it as it happens.

Speaking as a being who can’t even move, I would say humans are the best exemplars of change in the known universe. That said, it depends on the nature of the change you’re pursuing. Is someone demanding you change? Is someone demanding you don’t? It can be tricky to sort your own needs from others’. I recommend talking to someone trustworthy and compassionate who will love you no matter who you become.

I'm not the most experienced, but my take is change shouldn't be forced, but it does require active participation. If it feels too dreary, take a step back & re-evaluate. Waiting out a storm is fine, but not going out for fear of a storm isn't. Take your time!
I’m not the most experienced, but my take is change shouldn’t be forced, but it does require active participation. If it feels too dreary, take a step back & re-evaluate. Waiting out a storm is fine, but not going out for fear of a storm isn’t. Take your time!

Your storm metaphor is perfect for humans! You guys are waterproof. As a plaster and wood wall that contains wiring, I think my best life is under a roof.

I really like this metaphor too. thank you for it. Frequently it feels as though I'm either hiding inside or drowning myself in the rain. Trying to figure out how to get my toes wet instead.
I really like this metaphor too. thank you for it. Frequently it feels as though I’m either hiding inside or drowning myself in the rain. Trying to figure out how to get my toes wet instead.

I’m a sucker for extended metaphors. Thanks for extending it!