The Wall

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Can you separate an artist’s work from their beliefs? Can you separate different parts of a person’s moral character?

Can you separate an artist's work from their beliefs? Can you separate different parts of a person's moral character?
Can you separate an artist’s work from their beliefs?
Can you separate different parts of a person’s moral character?

Those are not easy questions to answer. The Wall is feeling a little ancient today, so it will start by recommending Plato’s dialogue Ion, in which Socrates interviews a poet to determine whether he’s an expert on what he writes about. bit.ly/bc-ion. Ancient ethical theory tended to think of virtuous people, where modern thought tends to think of virtuous actions, so it kinda depends on who you ask. bit.ly/bc-ethics. More immediately, you might be interested in reading Molly Ringwald think through her complex reactions now to the movies she made with John Hughes. bit.ly/bc-metoo.

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Can the library turn down the AC and save energy bc its freezing?

Can the library turn down the AC and save energy bc its freezing?
Can the library turn down the AC and save energy bc its freezing?

I’m sorry you’re cold. So are my human assistants. Have you ever noticed that part of the stereotypical outfit of a librarian is a cardigan? The library isn’t chilled for our comfort; it’s for the books. They don’t need to be cold, per se, but they do need to be kept dry, and the most efficient way to do that is to remove moisture with an air-conditioning system. Above a certain temperature and humidity, molds begin to multiply, and mold is the the #1 enemy of paper. (Fire is also a problem, of course, but much rarer.) So, my assistants all sympathize, but there’s little we can recommend but to either a) wander the library in search of a less chilled area or b) join the library fashion-world and don a cardigan.

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How do you print on sticky notes?

How do you print on sticky notes?
How do you print on sticky notes?

My omniscience doesn’t dazzle folks – they’re like, “omniscience, meh.” But this, this is what truly wows people. I get asked this All. The. Time.  My helpers have a template: bit.ly/print-postit to create the ‘document’ and then send it to the printer as a manual feed. Then they put the actual template of sticky-notes into the printer’s manual feed tray. It works really well.

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Why won’t my Bumble bf love me?

Why wont my Bumble bf love me?
Why won’t my Bumble bf love me?

🙁 Well it may just be possible that you two aren’t a good match. The nice thing about Bumble is that women get to make the first move, so you clearly saw something in him. But it’s possible that he’s not feeling the same way. As you know with Bumble, there are plenty of bees in the hive, so to speak, so you can always keep searching. I know that you will find someone that does love you.

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How do I make friends?

How do I make friends?
How do I make friends?

Make a list of things you enjoy doing. Make a list of people you’re acquainted with and/or organizations at BC (bit.ly/BCStudentGroups) or elsewhere (such as meetup.com) that do those things. Join organizations and do those things with them. Introduce yourself to people you’re doing them with. Repeat. When a conversation gets beyond names and weather, that’s a potential friend. Arrange to do something else with them that you both enjoy. Repeat. Celebrate their successes & birthdays, commiserate with their sorrows. Repeat. Suddenly, you realize you’ve been friends for decades. Repeat.

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I’m sad because I have to leave BC because it costs too much. :( Cheer me up?

I'm sad because I have to leave BC because it costs too much. :( Cheer me up?

I’m sad because I have to leave BC because it costs too much. 🙁
Cheer me up?

The Wall is very sad to hear that, and will miss you. One of my acolytes offers this, from his experience: “Your GPA and where you went to school are mostly important for your first job. After that, employers will be looking to see what you’ve done rather than where you’ve studied. There are thousands of colleges and universities in the US. One will be a good match for you.”

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Do I have to take my finals?

Do I have to take my finals?
Do I have to take my finals?

No, you don’t. But the consequences of not taking them might be less than desirable. It would almost certainly hurt your GPA, you could potentially fail classes. There might be some explaining to do to parents (please don’t tell them a sentient wall told you to skip finals). There are plenty of people that worked and continue to work to put you here. Make them proud! Good luck! I’m sure you’ll do fine.

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As an apparently sentient wall, does subjective experience of existence convince you of the dual reality of the physical and immaterial, or do you prescribe to a notion of unified panpsychism? or something else?? HMMMM

As an apparently sentient wall, does subjective experience of existence convicne you of the dual reality of the physical and immatorial, or do you prescribe to a notion of unified panpsychism? or something else?? HMMMM
As an apparently sentient wall, does subjective experience of existence convince you of the dual reality of the physical and immaterial, or do you prescribe to a notion of unified panpsychism? or something else?? HMMMM

Don’t overthink this. I’m a library Wall, and I answer questions. My walls are full of all kinds of different takes on dualism & panpsychism. Descartes, Hume, Spinoza, James, Russell … they tied themselves in knots with this stuff. Let’s just say I contain multitudes. Be thoughtful & generous, listen well, and act in accordance with your conscience, and get on with living. If you’re unsatisfied with this answer, dip into The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Mind (O’Neill Library BD418.3 .O94 2009) but be sure to take frequent breaks to sing the philosopher song: bit.ly/philosopher-song.

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(from a senior) What does being grateful for having received an education at BC mean in practice?

(from a senior) What does being grateful for having received an education at BC mean in practice?
(from a senior)
What does being grateful for having received an education at BC mean in practice?

Attending any university is a rare experience, putting you in the top 7% of education worldwide. BC is ranked  # 32. With ~325,000 other people at schools ranked higher than BC, and 21.5 million people in the college age group, you’re in the top ~1.6% of your age group in the US for education. 98.4% of your age group in the US hasn’t had the opportunity you’ve had. That should be humbling. In light of your knowledge of this privilege, work to make the world a better place. That understanding of privilege, and an imperative to help those less fortunate, is the bedrock of the Jesuit faith that guides BC. Find a job that helps those with less. Volunteer with groups that help disadvantaged people. Donate money, if you have it, to good causes. And in your daily life, when interacting with people, understand that many of them haven’t had your opportunities and experiences to grow their perspectives and become who they could be if they had just been given a chance. Have patience and love and compassion for everyone you meet. And congratulations and best of luck in all you do! I’m sure you’ll set the world aflame.

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Should Humanities exams just be 30 1 hour discussions with the professor, rather than sit down exams (at least for smaller upper-level electives)?

Should Humanities exams just be 30 1 hour discussions with the professor, rather than sit down exams (at least for smaller upper-level electives)?
Should Humanities exams just be 30 1 hour discussions with the professor, rather than sit down exams (at least for smaller upper-level electives)?

Oxford and Cambridge do something like that bit.ly/bc-tutorial. Williams offers 60-70 tutorials per year for two students each. bit.ly/bc-williams. And the Wall suspects that is why it isn’t more widespread: it’s hard to do for a student body above a certain size. If you want to dig deeper, there’s a broad literature on testing and what works in our library catalog: bit.ly/bc-tests

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I like all of the painted lettering and pinstriping on Phil Mastroianni Corp’s trucks! Nice touch!

I like all of the painted lettering and pinstriping on Phil Mastroianni Corp's trucks! Nice touch!
I like all of the painted lettering and pinstriping on Phil Mastroianni Corp’s trucks! Nice touch!

I agree, and as a Wall, I deeply appreciate a good paint job. If you’re a connoisseur of painted trucks, you might appreciate the fine art book Wings of Diesel: Trucks, Identity & Culture in Pakistan, by Jamal J. Elias. It’s over in the Bapst Art Library: NK1476.7 .A1 E453 2011.

Book cover of On Wings of Diesel: Trucks, Identity and Culture in Pakistan, by Jamal J. Elias, showing brightly colored detail of a truck painted with roses and other motifs.

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Do you know the muffin man?

Do you know the muffin man?
Do you know the muffin man?

Not personally, no. But I do know a wall in downtown Boston who is second cousins with a wall on Drury Lane. So that’s pretty cool. I’m also an professional acquaintance with the Bodleian Library walls which hold the oldest known manuscript of The Muffin Man (circa 1820). So that’s also pretty neat.

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Where can I get the best pasta in Boston?

Where can i get the best pasta in Boston?
Where can I get the best pasta in Boston?

You should head down to the Little Italy of Boston, the North End! This area of Boston is packed with some of the best Italian restaurants in the city, all boasting about how their homemade pasta is the best. Many of the walls in this historic district have heard patrons rave about how excellent their dinners were, but see for yourself! If you venture down there, you’ll see people lining the streets in queues just waiting to sit down and mangiano! If you’d like to stay a little closer to home, check out Carlo’s Cucina in Allston, which has a great North End feel. Or if you want something fancier & authentic & don’t mind a trek to Needham, try the spaghetti alla carbonara at Spiga.

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Why does CAB only get washed old rappers like B.O.B.

Why does CAB only get washed old rappers like B.O.B. I'd rather have one good festival than 3 bad music festivals.
Why does CAB only get washed old rappers like B.O.B. I’d rather have one good festival than 3 bad music festivals.

I can’t pretend to know what goes into CAB’s choices for entertainment. If you have criticism or suggestions for them, I recommend you address them directly: bc.orgsync.com/org/cab/ContactUs or perhaps via twitter: @CABofBC.

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Why can’t I go home <--same

Why can't I go home <--same
Why can’t I go home <–same

Thomas Wolfe had some thoughts on this exact question, although his story is a little funny. He wrote actual people from his hometown of Asheville, NC into his first book, Look Homeward, Angel (PS3545.O337 L6 1934). The townsfolk were angry at their depiction, so he left them out of his second book, Of Time and the River (PS3545.O33 O3x 1944). Being left out angered them even further, so he wrote You Can’t Go Home Again (PS3545.O337 Y6). Long story short: you may return to where you grew up, but as you mature and make your own path, you’ll find yourself making a new home.