![Congrats [name redacted] winning championship again! Proud of you!](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200210_0418233_LI.jpg)
Hooray! It’s such a joy to cheer people’s victories! (I’m sorry I had to redact the name: I have a strict policy of anonymity.)
Congrats [name redacted] winning championship again! Proud of you!
Isn’t political correctness conservative?
I would perhaps encourage a different view from the typical conservative/liberal dichotomy. “Political Correctness” is the effort of some to use the terminology that various groups prefer when being the topic of discussion. It is always going to be fraught with disagreement, exception, and change. At one point the correct term was “Native American”, although many now prefer “American Indian”; at one point “transvestite” was acceptable, though now the term is “transgender”; “Negro” to “Black” to “African American” and (for some) back again to “Black”; “oriental” to “Asian American” to actually using individual’s ethnicity of origin, etc. Political correctness is all about respecting the dignity of the group or of the individual when speaking to or about them. To that extent, respecting human dignity through “policial correctness” is a shared value between conservatives and liberals.
Why is it the case that stuff that’s hailed as “smart” tends to be a sophisticated defense of the exisiting order?
Some people benefit from the existing order, and are apt to celebrate those who defend it. Plenty of smart thinking is against the grain, though: Freud, Einstein, Jane Addams, Martin Luther King. We think of them as “the order” now, but they took a whole lot of flak for their disruptive ideas. In fact some (especially King) are misremembered as defending an order, when most of what he said & wrote criticized it.
Do you draw a circle the left way or right way?
A recent study has shown that most of the world draws them counterclockwise (left), but some Asian countries draw them clockwise (right). See: bit.ly/CirclesselcriC
Did you have to draw a circle (or at least mentally draw a circle) to remember which way you do it? That might be the universal truth of circle drawing.
Where are the diaper decks located on campus?
I’ve had my assistants contact several BC offices; I’ll have them follow up.
Sorry about the wait! Facilities Management did a full inventory of baby changing stations in restrooms, and gave my assistants permission to make it publicly available: bit.ly/BC-baby
Should I date a senior as a freshman,
10/10 is not lukewarm. The Wall says to go for it! And to take it day by day.
Does the wall have feelings & goals?
Yes, I do. I feel deeply about many facets of human and wall existence. My goals revolve around providing the best possible answers, as well as working to enhance the BC community’s well-being.
Why men great til they gotta be great?
Lizzo put the sing in single.
Habemus ad Dominum
v| Gratias agemus Domina Deo nostro
Why is BC ignoring the importance of art?
I can’t speak BC’s valuation of the art program, but the libraries encourage art displays and frequently host artistic and educational exhibits. All of the BC Libraries have exhibit spaces. Check out the “Trapped In The Middle” photo exhibit showing now at both O’Neill and the SWL, and the colorful Alfred Manessier print exhibit at the TML. In O’Neill, students can display art on the first floor, and proposals are welcome for use of other spaces. Did you see the ceramics exhibit in the lobby last fall?
Sorry for all Chinese people who are suffering Coronavirus!!
Solidarity!
I want to learn GIS and how to use it. Does BC have resources for this?
Unfortunately we don’t have any GIS sessions happening this semester. But you can always learn more on the Data LibGuide: library.bc.edu/dataservices. If you click the “Get Help” link on the left side of the page, you can make an appointment with one of our two data librarians. They’ll walk you through getting started and talk to you about some of the different options you have to learn more.
Where did the post about mouse on 4th F go? …
They’re devious, aren’t they! But they haven’t managed to chew their way into my blog, so you can always check the answers there: library.bc.edu/answerwall/ . I did have my assistants alert the folks who alert the exterminators.
Why do we call Maloney stairs “the million dollar stairs”?
Is it because they cost a million dollars to build or because you deserve a million dollars for making it to the top? The world may never know…
Devinez qui nous sommes! On est deux ;)
Je ne sais pas qui vous êtes, mais je suis content que vous soyez heureux.
Why do BC classrooms have chalk boards? …
Chalk boards have such dramatic potential, though. See: bit.ly/HitchcockBB and bit.ly/HiddenFigBB.
Can we please fix the water pressure on the water fountain left of the entrance? …
Thank you for bringing it to our attention. My assistants will see to it that it will get fixed!
Dominus Vobiscum …
For those not as well-versed in Latin: The Lord be with you. And with your spirit!!! Lift up your hearts. These are common phrases in the liturgy of the Christian church, dating back to the earliest periods of the church, and quite familiar to any Catholics accustomed to hearing the Mass in Latin.
Here’s a quick explanation of the Preface Liturgy (it comes before communion) in the Catholic mass, for those unfamiliar with it: bit.ly/preface-dialogue. For a deeper dive, here are 700 books on the history of the Catholic liturgy: bit.ly/BC-catholic-liturgy
Latin Mass is a relative rarity in the Church today. The only Latin Mass on campus these days is conducted in St. Joseph’s Chapel on upper campus Fridays at noon. See the full Mass Schedule at BC at http://bit.ly/MassBC. There is also a Latin Mass conducted at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston at 10AM on Sundays.
I’m sorry I missed that! Can you speak to whomever runs the calendar of Mass at BC and have them add that? There’s currently no Latin Mass listed on Wednesdays. 🙁
What do I need to demonstrate the Riemann hypothesis?
An extraordinarily deep understanding of mathematics.