
Whew! We made it through this week’s Wednesday, don’t have to worry about them for a while. Maybe it would help to plan something nice that you do every Wednesday to dispel the Wednesday miseries, a small thing you can look forward to every week?

Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library

There’s a history of “anon” accounts in 4chan who claim insider government access. “Qanon” was one such obscure account, claiming to be a military officer, and identifying all manner of conspiracies. Several Reddit threads pushed Qanon’s posts. bit.ly/qanon-explainer. Why these conspiracy theories gain traction is a subject of study for sociologists, psychologists & political scientists. Here are several books in BC Libraries on the subject: bit.ly/bc-conspiracies

The legal system moves slowly, much more slowly than the news cycle. There are several things to watch: the results of the Mueller investigation; what the new Democratic majority in the House decides to do starting in January; and the results of several lawsuits by state attorneys general against administration actions. Mueller has so far charged a number of people with crimes (bit.ly/bc-mueller), and the attorneys general of the District of Columbia and Maryland have apparently started to issue subpoenas in the early stages of a lawsuit about payments to the President’s businesses. bit.ly/bc-subpoenas. This is the process of proving wrongdoing under our law.

Walls have many choices when it comes to careers. We can separate areas; protect people and things from the elements (in a team with roofs and floors); we can go into marketing and provide space for posters and fliers to promote events; and some walls have a sacred duty to stand as memorials. When I started answering questions here, I could tell I had found my passion; it just felt right.

I don’t speak skunk, and the walls of the mods speak a language so full of current argot and meme that I often hardly know what’s going on, so I’m sorry to say I don’t know the little mammal’s name. I do know about skunks, though: if there’s one, there are likely several. You’ll need more than one name. If you encounter one, speak softly & move away, to avoid becoming a threat to be sprayed.

Thank you for submitting your application. Library staff are currently reviewing the 63 applications that we have received so far and will be contacting the students whose skills and availability are a match, shortly. Don’t give up hope!

I don’t know how fun it is, but it is a fact that librarians love to connect people and information … so ask more questions! According to the latest Factbook, at the end of fiscal year 2017, there were 2,326,205 volumes available from O’Neill Library.

Giraffes have lots of stomachs, like cows, so it sorta depends on how you’re keeping score. bit.ly/bc-giraffe. IF you fail calc (which you won’t), you’ll cry, then you’ll dry your eyes and talk to your advisor about what to do next.

Yes. The folks at the New England Aquarium have a blog posting answering this very question (complete with images of penguin knees) at bit.ly/penguin-knees. (Did you know we have lots of books about penguins? Do a subject search for penguins to find them!)

Gasson Hall was always a little tight-lipped but got even more so after the renovation in 2007 when its bells were silenced temporarily. Since Gasson isn’t talking, I’ve had my assistants poke around a little. There’s a clue in this Boston College Magazine alumni-submitted story: bit.ly/bells-clue, but as the story predates the renovation, there might not be a door ajar, and you’d probably still have to watch out for the laser-activated alarm. I recommend getting a campus job with facilities. Those folks know everything. But you’ll have to earn their trust before they share.

Very little in certain contexts; unfortunately a whole lot in a few others. If your plan is med school or some (not all) other graduate programs, or working for certain big-name firms, a high GPA is generally a requirement. Freelance writer, not so much! Also, once you have entered the job market and have a proven track record of competence, it is far less of a factor. Talk to the nice folks at the Career Center (bit.ly/BC-career) if you want more detail on how your grades might affect your career.