The Wall – Page 272 – The Answer Wall

October 10, 2018October 10, 2018

보스턴 너무 추워 Boston is too cold.

Oh, dear. If any of you think it’s cold now, just wait until January/February. (Or do you already know and are anticipating?) Prepare now; get your layers of clothing in order. Think about the good parts of winter: hot chocolate and snowball fights. And complaining … New Englanders always talk about the weather. Remember, though, you will always have a warm reception here in the library! (You are welcome to flex in your Canada Goose if you can; sometimes they are very bulky.)

October 10, 2018October 10, 2018

Dennis is asshole. Why Charlie hate?

As Dennis & Charlie are TV characters (from the long-running Netflix series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the answer has to do with what the writers and actors intend to portray. It sounds like both are characters with psychological problems. Apparently Charlie is reacting to what some other characters on the show think was a childhood full of sexual abuse, and Dennis was, in season 10, diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. I haven’t watched it myself (being a library wall, I’m averse to yelling), but it does sound like a darkly funny and sympathetic exploration of characters with psychological damage.

*Update* After conferring with my acolytes, I have revised my answer to “Because Dennis is a bastard man”. But the show wouldn’t be the same without him, so we’re all glad that Dennis is a bastard man.

October 8, 2018October 9, 2018

…when less words do trick?

Oh, go ahead and go crazy, they’re cheap and plentiful. And it might be a case of use ’em or lose ’em: bit.ly/WordfewerWordless. Then again, my answers are generally constrained by the footprint of a Post-It, so….

October 8, 2018October 9, 2018

I dropped pre-med to relieve myself of a burden I didn’t even want, but now I feel like a failure. How do I find another path in life or a new passion?

Dropping something that feels like a burden is not failure, it’s making a choice. There are lots of ways to have a happy life. If you’ve had a single goal (even one you didn’t want) for a long time, it may take a while to get out of that mode. That’s OK. Practically speaking, it’s not a bad idea to stop by BC’s Career Center–I can guarantee you’re not the only student they’ve talked to who’s made a similar choice. bit.ly/BC-findajob. Be kind to yourself, and listen to what you enjoy, to what you do for its own sake. That’s where new passions tend to hide.

October 5, 2018October 5, 2018

Why is BC not ranked higher?

Assuming you mean the US News & World Report rankings, BC has been shooting up the rankings for years, but, according to BC News, it “fell six places as a result of a major shift in the survey’s methodology which, analysts say, benefited large public universities this year.” For more discussions see: bit.ly/BCUSNWR

October 5, 2018October 5, 2018

I’m trying to get a youtube channel off the ground, but I can’t afford quality equipment, and I have no idea how to edit.

You’re in luck! The Digital Studio has a recording studio that’s available for booking, and many of the staff members have experience with video editing. You can make an appointment or drop-in—check it out at ds.bc.edu.

October 4, 2018October 5, 2018

Why is 2018 so scary for white males?

On Tuesday, President Trump said “it’s a very scary time for young men in America.” On the same day, he reiterated at a rally, “Think of your son. Think of your husband,” referring to false rape accusations, and also mocked Christine Blasey-Ford: bit.ly/cnn-trump-10-2-18. According to several studies, a range of 2-10% of rape accusations are false (bit.ly/BC-false-reporting, BC login required). The Bureau of Justice Statistics (bit.ly/BJS-crime-victim) estimates a total of 323,450 rapes or sexual assaults in 2016, 23% of which (or 74,393) were reported to police. At 2-10%, a range of 1487 to 7439 might have been false accusations. It’s significant, but also a considerably lower number than rape or sexual assault. Men account for about 10% of rape victims, or about 32,000 in 2016. IOW, statistically, young men should be more worried about being raped than being falsely accused of rape.

October 4, 2018October 5, 2018

I don’t know what I’m feeling…I’ve been so stressed now I seem detached from myself.

Stress is tough, and fall semester is for sure the season for it. Try doing some things to take care of yourself physically. Are you hungry? Tired? Feeling cold or hot? If so, try fixing them and see if you feel a little less detached. I’m a wall, so I don’t need exercise, but I hear it’s good for humans. If it’s deeper than that, or if that feeling continues for a while, it’s a good idea to check in with BC Health Services (bit.ly/BostonCollegeHealth) to make sure everything’s OK, or to chat with Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling), because stress is a common trigger for depression and other mental health issues which are super-common among students and faculty both.

October 4, 2018October 5, 2018

How does Paddington 2 compare to the original Paddington?

One of my helpers, who very much enjoyed Michael Bond’s books, was seriously disappointed by the first film’s action focus, and did not watch the sequel. By the numbers, Paddington 2 beats the earlier film. On IMDB it’s 7.9 vs. 7.2; on Metacritic 88 vs. 77 – all very good scores, so maybe you will enjoy them more than my helper!

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

Is [name redacted] Elite?

Isn’t everyone at BC elite?

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

Can’t focus on what I supposed to be focused on? how to fix?

Physical and mental health issues can have a negative effect on your ability to concentrate. But there are other reasons as well. You may be tired, stressed, bored, inundated. (All very typical for busy students.) Things that can help: Step away for a little bit. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and good food and just generally take care of yourself. If it’s something big you need to focus on, try breaking it down into smaller bits; a feeling of accomplishment as you go through different steps can truly help. Try eliminating some of the distractions; e.g., turn off your cell! These things can help reduce stress too … not to mention a visit with Joe the therapy dog on Friday. If you think this is a serious problem, please contact Counseling Services at bit.ly/BC-counseling.

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

Why didn’t BC finish redoing the second half of Iggy? <3, B63

According to Facilities Management, the project “was a pedestrian access project more than a landscape improvement project.” The landscape improvements were incidental to the project of creating a connecting sidewalk to Voute so that students were out of the street. IOW, the “second half” was never part of the project.

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

It’s so hard to keep on top of things.

You students are so busy; honestly, I don’t know how you handle everything, though you all seem to do a good job at it. I am sorry you will be missing out on Fall Break because of your theatre lab. I hope you find that experience enjoyable and I hope you find at least some time to get off campus and do something fun, be it a walk around the reservoir, or a visit to a museum, or shopping and eating–whatever is good for you. And of course, I will be here if you need to vent or talk!

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

Can students write for the answerwall?

Well, the tradition has been that I make my assistants pass a grueling set of information tests, and nobody but library staff ever seems up to the challenge, but you’re giving me ideas… watch this space!

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

Why can’t I steal BC’s computers if I pay for a high tuition?

Tuition is high, for sure. But let’s think this through. Practically, tuition pays for lots of things, including resources BC makes available for students to share. If enough students did this, BC would have to raise tuition to cover replacement costs, or stop offering those kinds of resources. Legally, grand larceny is a felony in Massachusetts and is defined as stealing something worth more than $250. bit.ly/bc-larceny. Morally, if you’re looking for a justification for doing something, you already kinda know it’s wrong, don’t you?

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

Why use more words

I wasn’t sure you had finished your thought, but I can certainly say this: you might as well use more words. They’re free! Although if you use too many, the cost might be that someone stops listening.

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

Kac dilde cevap yazabiliyorsunuz?

Kac dilde cevap yazabiliyorsunur? — Kac dilde cevap yazabiliyorsunuz?

Yo cevap in molti языки alles auf einmal दे सकते हैं!

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018

We students demand the return of the Post it Dispenser!!!

Please! I am pining for my little friend ;-(

October 3, 2018October 3, 2018

Do you mind that I ask troll questions?

Not at all. A key tenet of libraries is to be open to inquiry. I try to find ways to make responses to even troll questions valuable, and to use them to model respectful behavior….

October 3, 2018October 3, 2018

Why is Overwatch better than league?

It sounds to me like a matter of preference & taste. Though Overwatch has won more awards, League has more players & draws a bigger audience for competitions. Do you prefer a multiplayer battle arena game, or a multiplayer FPS? Do you like medieval/fantasy style or futuristic, post-apocalypse style? A gamer has told me it’s easy to understand game play as a newbie in Overwatch, though challenging, skill-wise; conversely, they said of League, “I was basically just pressing buttons fast & winning, and I didn’t know what was going on.” As to why Overwatch has won so many awards, it sounds like the development team was small, nimble, and had an unusual degree of creative freedom.