The Wall

Posted on

How do I tell my meat loving girlfriend that I’m vegan?

How do I tell my meat loving girlfriend that I'm vegan? [reply] Don't be a vegan.
How do I tell my meat loving girlfriend that I’m vegan? [reply] Don’t be a vegan.

If being a vegan is an important part of your identity, you must tell her. If you can’t tell her about an important part of your identity, that’s a problem, and it has to do with trust, not with veganism. If it’s not really all that important to you, then telling her shouldn’t be a problem. Right? (But wait… don’t you ever eat together? why wouldn’t she already know? Have you actively been hiding it?) As to the reply, “Don’t be a vegan”: Hm. Well. I’m a post-it-arian, so far be it from me to criticize or attempt to manage someone else’s dietary practices.

Posted on

When will I land an internship? :(

When will I land an internship? :(
When will I land an internship? 🙁

Finding an internship or job can be very stressful. It is not unlike applying to colleges. The key is to know what you really want, have one or more backup plans, and stay calm. Luckily, the BC Career Center has experts in helping you find a job or internship. If you haven’t already spoken with them, do so right away (they’re great people!) They also have a website with helpful info on the job/internship process- bit.ly/BC-career

Posted on

How do I stop getting f’d over by BC Housing?

How do I stop getting f'd over by BC Housing?
How do I stop getting f’d over by BC Housing?

If you mean room selection, it’s an unfortunate truth that many students will not be able to get their choice of housing. Often students do find they are quite happy in their not-first-choice housing, according to my sources in Res Life. If you have more specific issues with housing, I suggest their FAQ (www.bc.edu/offices/reslife/faq.html) or giving them a call: 2-3060.

Posted on

你会写韩语吗? (Do you write Korean?) Please Show me.

[Chinese & Korean awaiting translation] Please show me.
你会写韩语吗? (Do you write Korean?) Please Show me. In Korean:  I don’t know how to do it. Hello, how are you?

It’s so gratifying (and helpful!) that other visitors to the wall have obliged me by writing Korean on my behalf. And I love the irony: what the visitor wrote in Korean was “I don’t know how to do it.” And also a friendly “Hello, How are you?” 네, 안녕하세요. 반갑습니다. 글 남겨주셔서 감사합니다.

Posted on

Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not *everyone’s* “problem”?

I attended 5:30 mass today 2/7/18 and there was an AA mtg after. A man was very ill, coughing & wet his pants. BC PD said "not our problem."
I attended 5:30 mass today 2/7/18 and there was an AA mtg after. A man was very ill, coughing & wet his pants. BC PD said “not our problem.”
Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not *everyone's* "problem"?
Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not *everyone’s* “problem”?

It might be worthwhile inquiring at the church (was it St. Ignatius?) what they do when people who seem to be sick and unable to care for themselves come to the church. Some churches provide some care (such as food or temporary shelter), and many can refer people to social services (such as the ones listed by Boston Public Library: guides.bpl.org/guide4help). Policing is also mixed on its relationship to social services: some departments have tried closer links with social services, but many haven’t. It’s a widespread problem (bit.ly/police-social-work) owing to changing policing priorities as crime falls and substance abuse and poverty and homelessness rise. I’d like to think that officer meant BCPD wasn’t equipped to solve that kind of problem, not that they shouldn’t be expected to be humane.

Posted on

Why is [redacted] (2021er MCAS) so nice!!!!!

Why is [redacted] (2021er MCAS) so nice!!!!! [phrase in Chinese]
Why is [redacted] (2021er MCAS) so nice!!!!! In Chinese: and old.

There’s just no explaining some people, whose nice-ness (niceousity?) is so radiant that you just have to stand back and appreciate it, and hope you can absorb some yourself. I recommend giving your friend a shout-out in person. (Sorry I had the name redacted: I follow a privacy policy so strict that it makes my assistants think I’m a little obsessive.) “And old”? Is that an in-joke in Beijing or something? I don’t get it.

Posted on

Can a coll. student do anything immoral?

Can a coll. student do anything immoral?
Can a coll. student do anything immoral?

Well, yes. Students are no more immune to questionable behavior than anyone else. The real questions are “Should a student do anything immoral?” (probably not) and “How can students resist the temptation to do something immoral?” (probably many ways to do that)

Posted on

I like someone but I am afraid to tell her! What should I do?

I like someone but I am afraid to tell her! What should I do?
I like someone but I am afraid to tell her! What should I do?

Many humans seem to have trouble with this. The Wall thinks of it this way: If you tell her in a respectful way that gives her a chance to have an honest reaction, the worst case scenario is she’s not interested and things are a little awkward for a while. The best case scenario, that you tell her and she’s interested, is vastly better than the worst case is bad.

Posted on

Why is learning arabic so hard?

Why is learning arabic so hard?
Why is learning arabic so hard?

If you are a native speaker of English, I think the hardest thing for starters would be that you can’t even hazard a guess  (unlike, say German or Latin), because of the alphabet. There are some sounds that just don’t exist in English. But for a contrarian view, here’s a page from the University of Warwick (UK): bit.ly/ArabicEZ. And please don’t hesitate to seek help from the CFLC (bit.ly/BC-connors) or your professor.

Posted on

Can students park in the mod lot at 8 pm-12am to use the library?

Can students park in the mod lot at 8 pm-12am to use the library?
Can students park in the mod lot at 8 pm-12am to use the library?

I spoke with a real person in the transportation office (I’m not sure they have a wall), and she said “Students can only park in the mod lot at that time if they are a grad student with an SGS-2 permit. If not, they are welcome to use the Commonwealth or Beacon Garages, but they will have to pay.” I hope that helps, and I hope you are coming back to visit me!

Posted on

Why Giammario is still single?

Why Giammario is still single?
Why Giammario is still single?

I have been asked several times about how one finds true love and when one can be sure they have found their life partner. The answers are never simple. So, perhaps Giammario is also still trying to figure this out.

Posted on

Is it more dangerous to squirt ether or acetone on someone?

Is it more dangerous to squirt ether or acetone on someone?
Is it more dangerous to squirt ether or acetone on someone?

Either one would be a terrible idea! I’m not going to issue a comparative statement on them, but here are links to safety data sheets on ether (bit.ly/etherSDS) and acetone (bit.ly/acetoneSDS), which can let you form your own conclusion. Let’s all wear appropriate lab protection and keep the chemicals in the beakers, flasks and pipettes, OK?

Posted on

I love my bf

I love my bf
I love my bf

Ah, love… I hear there’s a special day coming up, one on which humans declare their love for each other. Just make sure you don’t miss it! It’s a Wednesday. (But you don’t need to wait until then to tell your inamorato your feelings!)

Posted on

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas

While hippos are adorable, you may want to reconsider this idea between now and next Christmas. Like all wild animals, hippos aren’t ideally suited to being house pets and it wouldn’t be fair to keep them in such a small (and dry) space. In particular, if you live near campus, it would be tough to find a home for a hippo. The BC residence halls do not allow pets other than tropical fish (bit.ly/BCHalls) and local apartment buildings also tend to have strict limitations on the types of pets allowed. However, if you would like to admire a hippo from afar, you might follow this playlist of videos of Fiona the Hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo: bit.ly/fiona-hippo