Why is BC Dining always close during break? How are we supposed to survive w/o food?

Why is BC Dining always close during break? How are we supposed to survive w/o food?
Why is BC Dining always close during break? How are we supposed to survive w/o food?

I will have my assistants look into this question. In the meantime, it sounds like a good thing to take up with UGBC (ugbc.org).

Update 5/2/19: Dining Services says, “Dining Services always has food available during break but some of our locations are closed and our hours of service are reduced based on the decrease in campus population.”

What is BC’s policy with regard to accessing information on students “prior” mental health issues?

Intro to Social Work HW: (BTW, thanks this wall has always been helpful) What is BC's policy with regard to accessing information on students "prior" mental health issues? Is there a specific policy besides the question asked on the UHS pre-entrance form? What does BC do if students do choose to disclose "prior" record (meaning record before coming to BC)?
Intro to Social Work HW: (BTW, thanks this wall has always been helpful) What is BC’s policy with regard to accessing information on students “prior” mental health issues? Is there a specific policy besides the question asked on the UHS pre-entrance form? What does BC do if students do choose to disclose “prior” record (meaning record before coming to BC)?

For classwork, I am duty-bound as a wall in a library to provide resources but not answers. (It’s also generally wise to go straight to the source in order to preserve accuracy.) Best sources in this case would likely be UCS (bit.ly/bc-counseling) and/or the Dean of Students office (bit.ly/BC-DOS).

Why BC doesn’t help graduate students same as undergrad no grants no scholarships

Why BC doesn't help graduate students same as undergrad no grants no scholarships
Why BC doesn’t help graduate students same as undergrad no grants no scholarships

There are a variety of types of aid available for graduate students through the University, including assistantships, fellowships and scholarships, as fell as various federal aid and other loans available from outside sources (bit.ly/BCGradAid.) Also, contact your department about other opportunities in your field that may be available from at different stages of your studies, including assistance for attendance at conferences, scholarships for finishing your dissertation, etc.

Where will we get energy and how will we store it in the future?

Where will we get energy and how will we store it in the future?
Where will we get energy and how will we store it in the future?

Sadly, in spite of my information expertise, I’m probably no better at predicting than the next wall. However, it’s a fair bet the energy mix will include less fossil fuels, and more sources that don’t add carbon to the atmosphere, such as wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear. If some European and Asian cities are a bellwether, human power (walking and cycling) may also play a part. Battery technology is improving and getting cheaper, so storage may become more decentralized. Centralized storage might use gravity: pump water uphill during the day that can flow downhill & power generators at night. For a more detailed answer, I recommend The Physics of Energy, by Robert L. Jaffe & Washington Taylor IV, O’Neill Library QC28 .J34 2018.

Hello, last night I had a dream where I was on the 4th floor of O’Neill and there were animals everywhere. I’m talking about cats, dogs, seals, etc. What does my dream mean and am I spending too much time in O’Neill?

Hello, last night I had a dream where I was on the 4th floor of O'Neill and there were animals everywhere. I'm talking about cats, dogs, seals, etc. What does my dream mean and am I spending too much time in O'Neill?
Hello, last night I had a dream where I was on the 4th floor of O’Neill and there were animals everywhere. I’m talking about cats, dogs, seals, etc. What does my dream mean and am I spending too much time in O’Neill?

How do you know it was a dream….. 😉 It could mean any number of things (including maybe too much pepperoni pizza before bed). You may be interested in reading: Goodwyn, The neurobiology of the gods : How brain physiology shapes the recurrent imagery of myth and dreams (BF458 .G66 2012).

What are reasons student-athletes should be paid?

What are reasons student-athletes should be paid?
What are reasons student-athletes should be paid?

Student athletes in revenue generating sports (football and men’s basketball) do a lot of work and make the university a lot of money without being compensated fairly for that. They are forced into these roles because the NFL and the NBA have agreed with the NCAA not to give players under a certain age the opportunity to play professionally. So these athletes have no choice but to either play for colleges for well less than their potential value on the open market or not play at all (look at Zion Williamson who almost lost out on tens or hundreds of millions of dollars because he was barred from the NBA draft and he did so in exchange for the “value” of one year at Duke University – about $70k). This is fundamentally an unfair taking of an athlete’s right to market his services. More big picture, there are those who question why institutions of higher learning are in the multi-billion dollar sports industry at all.

I like my friend. What do I do?

I like my friend. What do I do?
I like my friend. What do I do?
[Response: go tell him/her/them]
[Response: go tell him/her/them]

Our guest responder is right, you might benefit from telling him/her/them. Do you think that this friend has feelings for you as well? There’s really only one way to find out and that’s by asking. However, if they don’t feel the same way things might seem a bit awkward between you both. Either way, good luck!!

Why doesn’t any BC service (not SHC) provide any birth control/STD prevention. Isn’t that just ignorant and damaging to students?

Why doesn't any BC service (not SHC) provide any birth control/STD prevention. Isn't that just ignorant and damaging to students?
Why doesn’t any BC service (not SHC) provide any birth control/STD prevention. Isn’t that just ignorant and damaging to students?

The Catholic Church’s position on birth control is longstanding and relatively recently updated (http://bit.ly/bc-bc), so from that perspective it would be strange for a Jesuit school to offer those sorts of services. The New Catholic Encyclopedia’s article on birth control has a good overview of the history of Church thought on the subject (http://bit.ly/bc-bc2). Professor Massa recently wrote a book on the evolution of theological thinking on it. (http://bit.ly/bc-bc1) You’re asking a practical question, but in this case the theology and history are the reason for the policy.

When will the Dodgers win a World Series? :-(

When will the Dodgers win a World Series? :-(
When will the Dodgers win a World Series? 🙁

Since moving to LA in 1958, the Dodgers have won the World Series every 9.8 years on average (let’s round it to 10). It’s worth noting that they won the year after moving to LA, so that average is probably on the low side of what’s actually representative. Still, the Dodgers last won in 1988, so we would expect to see them win again in 1998 (oops), 2008 (huh), and 2018 (?). So they’re defintely overdue and have gotten close. 2028 is your year!

Can I pet a campus bun?

Can I pet a campus bun?
Can I pet a campus bun?

So tempting, isn’t it – those adorable furballs! But best to leave all wild creatures alone. They can carry diseases and parasites (see: bit.ly/BunZoonoses), and also may not welcome your attention.

How often should I call my parents?

How often should I call my parents?
How often should I call my parents?

This would be a good issue to discuss with them: how often do they want you to call? How often do you want to call them? Do you want to set up a specific schedule (like every Sunday evening at 8 PM) or be more organic about it? In general, I would recommend erring on the side of calling more than less – even just a short call to let them know you’re ok and thinking of them is very nice.

Is it OK for a junior to hook up with a sophomore or freshman or is it just gross?

Is it OK for a junior to hook up with a sophomore or freshman or is it just gross?

The age difference seems pretty negligible (though one concern is it might be possible – though highly unlikely – for a freshman to still be below the age of consent).Whether hooking up is a good idea is another question, though. I would recommend the junior and the sophomore/freshman get to know each other better, before deciding on any further action.

What is 0/0?

What is 0/0?
[Response: It does not exist. 0 can't be at the denominator. Hope that's correct.]
[Response: It does not exist. 0 can’t be at the denominator. Hope that’s correct.]

The operation x/y asks what you must multiply y by to get x. For 0/0 the answer is “anything you want.” Because 1 times 0 is 0, but 3 times 0 is also 0 and 452 times 0 is zero, etc. So no single number is THE answer and it is considered indeterminate.

How do I make Thomas love me back?

How do I make Thomas love me back?

You can’t make someone love you. All you can do is be a loving and respectful person to him. If he doesn’t love you back, you have to find someone else who will.