Why does BC act like they care about their students?

Why does BC act like they care about their students?
Why does BC act like they care about their students?

Who is BC, though? It’s all of us, collectively. I (and my helpers) care very much about you guys. And I’ve seen many students being very kind and generous with their time for other students as well. Not to mention the many faculty who go above and beyond, because they do care. Are there likely some callus individuals among us, sure, but I am sorry you are only “seeing” them.

Yuan Yin is Midterm 真难,写不完。SuperSad! (I didn’t finish my paper because the midterm was so hard. SuperSad!)

Yuan Yin is Midterm 真难,写不完。SuperSad! (I didn't finish my paper because the midterm was so hard. SuperSad!)
Yuan Yin is Midterm 真难,写不完。SuperSad! (I didn’t finish my paper because the midterm was so hard. SuperSad!)

It can be tough to keep up with all of your coursework, so don’t be too hard on yourself! If the paper isn’t due yet, you might want to talk to your professor about an extension or talk to the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) about techniques for finishing it up or suggestions for how to better manage your work in the future. Most of all, remember that grades (and particularly one single grade) aren’t the most important thing in life!

Wall, why am I so afraid of death?

Wall, why am I so afraid of death?
Wall, why am I so afraid of death?

It’s not unusual that the idea of death should cross our minds on occasion. There is much to alarm us in the news (deaths from flu; school shootings, etc.) Or perhaps someone we love or know is ill or has recently passed. Or perhaps we’re just in an existential frame of mind. The Libraries has a range of material that might be useful in grappling with this issue, including “Nothing to be frightened of,” a memoir by Julian Barnes (O’Neill PR6052 A6657 Z46 2008); or perhaps “Treating health anxiety and fear of death: A practitioner’s guide,” which is more of a toolset for clinicians and counselors (Social Work Library RC531 F87 2007); or “Be Not Afraid: Overcoming the Fear of Death (Theology & Ministry Library BT825 A69 2002), a compilation of stories of people who did just that. If you find that your fear is persistent and/or interfering with your daily life, please contact Counseling Services at bit.ly/BC-counseling for help.

BC needs 24/7 Pancake Service. How do I make this happen?

BC needs 24/7 pancake service. How do I make this happen?
BC needs 24/7 pancake service. How do I make this happen?

The Wall’s acolytes are very excited about this idea. From our collection, you might enjoy this Culinary Arts Career Starter: bit.ly/bc-culinary, or this film on starting a catering business (bit.ly/bc-catering), or this catchy title from 1688: The gentlewomans cabinet unlocked. Wherein is contained many excellent receipts for neat dressing of divers sorts of meats; as flesh and fish, with their proper sauces· Also directions for the best way of making pancakes, fritters, tansies, puddings, custards, cheesecakes…. (bit.ly/bc-ca). You could suggest it to Dining Services, they’re nice:  bit.ly/bc-dining. The Wall also has suggestions for places to go for more information on starting a business–ask again if that’s what you’re after.

How do you draw a pony?

How do you draw a pony?
How do you draw a pony?

Not well. I’m a wall! But if you google, you will find there are many sites on the internet that will guide you in creating your diminutive equine artwork – caution that some are NSFW (or S)! Or, you could head to the Education Resource Center in Campion, where they have several books on drawing animals (for kids, but why let that stop you) in the NC600-900 call number ranges. But I can’t promise you a pony…

Why no Presidents’ Day off?

Why no Presidents' Day off?
Why no Presidents’ Day off?

Every school is a little different about which holidays are days off. Colleges and universities have to fit a certain amount of classroom time into each semester to keep their accreditation, and it’s a balancing act. Lots of schools don’t get Good Friday off, which we do.

Why do we have certain dreams? What is our brain doing?

Why do we have certain dreams? What is our brain doing?
Why do we have certain dreams? What is our brain doing?

Starting with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, Western psychologists have had a lot to say about dreams. (The Interpretation of Dreams, by Freud: O’Neill BF1078 .F748 1999, Dreams by Carl Jung: online at bit.ly/jstor-jung-dreams). Of course, humans have been interpreting dreams for millennia. For a very different perspective, you might also be interested in Ancestral power: the Dreaming, consciousness and aboriginal Australians, by Lynne Hume (O’Neill BL2610 .H86 2002) Neurologists generally take a more functional view: the brain reshuffles neural connections from the recent past to cement memories. The brain also uses certain sleep cycles to rinse toxins out of the brain (bit.ly/science-brainwash) that otherwise might lead to conditions like Huntington’s Disease or Alzheimer’s. IOW your dreams are for brainwashing.

Is every simply connected, close 3- manifold homeomorphic to the 3-sphere? If yes, please provide proof.

Is every simply connected, close 3- manifold liomeomorphic to the 3-sphere? If yes, please provide proof.
Is every simply connected, close 3- manifold homeomorphic to the 3-sphere? If yes, please provide proof.

Yes. Poincaré’s conjecture (formerly a Clay Mathematics Institute Millennium Prize Problem) was proved by Grigori Perelman using Richard Hamilton’s Ricci flow program and confirmed in 2006 following review (bit.ly/CMIperelsol). Read the complete proof in the Asian Journal of Mathematics (bit.ly/poincareproof).

Do you think spending $1M on taking care of our grass is financially responsible

Do you think spending $1M on taking care of our grass is financially responsible [reply]: I second this, I third this

A million dollars is a lot of money for a person, but not for an organization the size of BC. According to the BC Fact Book (bit.ly/BC-FactBook) the university had almost a billion dollars in expenses last year. A million pennies stacked on top of each other would be about a mile high. A billion would be 870 miles high. (bit.ly/BC-million). It doesn’t seem to the Wall like a bad investment in keeping campus looking nice, or out of proportion to the rest of what BC spends money on–see the Fact Book for more detail.

How do you get the printer to print on post-its?

How do you get the printer to print on post-its? Doesn’t it stick in the printer? Size issues?

Putting a post-it by itself in the paper tray would probably be a very bad idea, but I’ve had very good results with my method. 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.