How do you get up to the Gasson Bell Tower?

How do you get up to the Gasson Bell Tower?
How do you get up to the Gasson Bell Tower?

My cousin the bell tower, in spite of their frequent ringing, has been mute on the subject of access since Gasson Hall’s renovation in 2007 when it was silenced temporarily. Since they aren’t talking, I’ve had my assistants poke around a little. There’s a clue in this Boston College Magazine alumni-submitted story: bit.ly/bells-clue, but as the story predates the renovation, there might not be a door ajar, and you’d probably still have to watch out for the laser-activated alarm. I recommend getting a campus job with facilities. Those folks know everything. But you’ll have to earn their trust before they share.

Why should i apply?

Why should i apply?
Why should i apply?

To BC? If a Jesuit institution with a sincere concern for your full personhood is where you want to spend 4 transformative years, apply. I hope you find the right college for you!

To celebrate Native American Heritage month, you recommend stories from Latin American indigenous authors?

To celebrate Native American Heritage month, you recommend stories from Latin American indigenous authors?
To celebrate Native American Heritage month, you recommend stories from Latin American indigenous authors?

I am following up with my library helpers to get you a good list of recommendations!

And here they are:
1. “I, Rigoberta MenchĂş: An Indian Woman in Guatemala,” by Rigoberta MenchĂş and Elizabeth Burgos
2. Saints of the Household by Ari Tison, Lizards Hold the Sun by D.H. Trujillo, Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko
3. And check out the list from the Boston Public Library for books celebrating indigenous authors: https://bit.ly/bplindigenous

Best place to take networking calls!!

Best place to take networking calls!!
Best place to take networking calls!!

There are no perfect answers to this question. The Career Center (bit.ly/BC-career) has a bookable space. You could try booking a study room in O’Neill (bit.ly/ONeillStudyRoom) though they’re often booked days in advance & really intended for group study. I wonder if your dorm room during the day is quiet enough. Otherwise, perhaps try finding an empty classroom. Good luck!

Best places to nap on campus :)

Best places to nap on campus :)
Best places to nap on campus 🙂

If you’re tired enough, anywhere works. But! There are some comfy chairs in Gasson on the lower level, and of course O’Neill is chock-ful of comfy chairs. May I recommend the ones in the hallway to the 5th floor study area? We also have some older chairs here and there in nooks on the upper floors. I’ve seen many napping head-down on tables or even in the stacks, but those floors are hard, and you might prevent someone from retrieving a book located 6 feet above your sternum.

What is your favorite holding in the archive?

What is your favorite holding in the archive?
What is your favorite holding in the archive?

I asked my archivist friends and they said that in the Burns collections they’d have to choose a few becuase there are so many to love! Check out the VHS of a Tampa reunion, 1988 June, which includes a lively sing-along of “Charlie on the MTA” and other classics (https://bit.ly/burnstampa); the Rubricator for Pontifical Solemn Mass at the Throne, 1956 (https://bit.ly/burnsrubricator); A Gasson Hall plaster model (https://bit.ly/burnsgasson) . You can visit Burns to see these and more as well! 

Can you tell lower dining to ditch the new plastic salad bar bowls?

Can you tell lower dining to ditch the new plastic salad bar bowls? The old one was biodegradable - or who should I tell?
Can you tell lower dining to ditch the new plastic salad bar bowls? The old one was biodegradable – or who should I tell?
- p.s. it's annoying they raise tuition 4.5% and still aggressively cut costs, being unsustainable too!
– p.s. it’s annoying they raise tuition 4.5% and still aggressively cut costs, being unsustainable too!

The best I can do is send your feedback to Dining Services, which you can do as well: bit.ly/bc-dining-feedback. If they respond, I’ll post it here.

BC Dining Responds:

The plastic salad bowls are only a temporary substitution from our vendor. We will return to the biodegradable containers as soon as they become available.

This year’s Green2Go program allows students to opt for a free reusable to-go container instead of paper or plastic when they are eating on the go. It’s now available at Lower, McElroy, Stuart, Addie’s, and Eagle’s Nest. There’s no upfront cost, plus, students get 10% off each meal they checkout in a Green2Go container.

Can students self-study in the Burns Library?

Can students self-study in the Burns Library?
Can students self-study in the Burns Library?

Anyone is welcome to do research at Burns Library! However, to maintain a secure environment for our rare and unique collections, we do restrict our reading room to researchers who are using our materials. If you just need a place to study, check the list of study spaces for spaces available in our other libraries on campus. 

Can you rank the buildings on campus in terms of coziness/how welcoming they are?

Can you rank the buildings on campus in terms of coziness/how welcoming they are?
Can you rank the buildings on campus in terms of coziness/how welcoming they are?

I may be biased, but I would have to say that O’Neill Library is the most *surprisingly* cozy & welcoming. The facade is new brutalism, but my supportive & kind library helpers and the comfy chairs give this building a warm heart. I’m more familiar with academic buildings, most of which are more grand than cozy, with the exception of the libraries, of course. I’m not as familiar with the residence halls. Maybe you all can rank them?