hi! I hope you had a good week. What is the official BC policy on wearing masks outside?

I see many students sitting alone on campus, far away (10ft or more) from any other person, reading/studying etc while wearing a mask. Are we allowed to take them off in this scenario. Can we take them off outside while talking with another person who is sitting 10ft away? The signs around BC are not consistent in their messaging. Thank you!

I had a good week, thanks! You’re right, it’s not clear. This page has the authoritative information: bit.ly/BCReOpen. There is no explicit, unequivocal requirement to wear masks outdoors, but nor is it explicitly an exception to this broad requirement: “All students are required to wear face coverings/masks on-campus.” Use your best judgement. Remember, masks are primarily for protecting others from the virus you might be shedding unwittingly. If you’re prone to sneezing or coughing outdoors because of allergies, like some of my assistants, perhaps a mask outdoors is a good precaution.

Hi wall! I saw this cute thing outside of Gasson! Do you know what is it?!

It’s a darling little opossum. They’re pretty ubiquitous in the western hemisphere. One of my helpers saw one alone on a boat in the middle of a harbor this summer!

Photo of an opossum on the bow of a sailboat anchored in a harbor.

They are so cute!!! Wow… what an experience ur helper had! Would it be possible to hide one as a pet in the dorm if I can ever catch it?

So cute, indeed! But best left wild and free, where they can enjoy all their opossumy joys of setting out alone at night for walks, eating tasty bugs, and, apparently, taking the helm of random powerboats.

MOUSE!!!

There is a tiny mouse running around the first floor/basement of Gasson… It’s super tiny and runs super fast!!!

I recommend you let the wall (and maybe the human beings) at UCS and OHP know since this tiny little thing doesn’t even need a key to get into their doors!

And I’d also really appreciate if someone can take this little thing outside. >.<

Mice at BC are nothing new. I’ve even seen some little mousie parties in O’Neill overnight. I alerted Facilities, who do a great job of keeping ahead of a major infestation, and got a response in under 5 minutes: “We created a work order for this request for our pest control team to take a walk through.” And I’ll chat with my Wall buddies and ask them to keep a lookout.

Are the signs marked “Emergency Exit” real.

These exits are all around O’Neil, and I hear people walking on the other side, yet all the ways of getting in say that an alarm will sound. Do you know which emergency exits are fake and which will sound an alarm?

All exits labeled “Emergency Exit” are indeed emergency exits. Not all emergency exits trigger alarms. However, they are still emergency exits and should be used accordingly.

Hi Wall. Why the Lynch School of Education is so racist?

Why do you see why people working in offices and black, Latino and Chinese working in dining halls or cleaning bathrooms…. even in the library I only see who’re people… what’s wrong with BC???

It IS pretty noticeable who does what on campus. It reflects national trends (https://bit.ly/bc-labor) and trends in higher education (https://bit.ly/3brUpgf). But that doesn’t make it OK. BC’s Office of Institutional Diversity is dedicated to addressing those sorts of problems (http://bit.ly/bc-oid) and many departments and programs have expressed similar goals. The Libraries are in the process of finalizing a strategic plan to implement our Values Statement on diversity and inclusion. (https://libguides.bc.edu/edi). Thank you for your feedback, and we’d love your continued help in keeping us accountable.

Also, how do we raise the bed in our dorm room…?

Like how ResLife says you can raise it to have more room under the bed? It doesn’t seem workable with human power? Should I submit a work order?

The helpful human at Res Life (2-3060, reslife@bc.edu) said raising the bed is indeed physically challenging for humans (they had help from their dad when they did it). You may need assistance from other humans. Check with your RA about how to get it to work, and talk other humans into helping. Great way to meet people!

My study abroad got cancelled (well, at least for the fall semester)

… not sure about the second half spring semester……Won’t BC campus be overcrowded with students now no one is going abroad? Or are we expecting a smaller freshman class size? Btw, can I sleep in the library if I don’t have on-campus housing? Just don’t feel like living off-campus!

The FAQ on the Study Abroad cancellation (bit.ly/BCAbroadFAQ) says you will hear from Student Services and ResLife regarding classes and housing. Contact them if you have questions. Living in the library is not going to be an option, as much of the library space will be needed to accommodate socially distanced study as well as other uses (maybe even classes.) There’s no denying that Fall is going to be a challenge for everyone. 

Why does BC have police with guns on campus, when some other institutions have only security personnel who don’t carry weapon?

The short answer is that Massachusetts law allows the state police to appoint college & university employees as special state police officers. It’s not clear when this special status began. There is one mention of Newton Police being called to handle protesters in 1971, so it’s possible BC’s security at that time was less robust. I’ll have my assistants look further into why.

Is bc an answer??

I have a question. Is bc an answer I really want to know.

BC most certainly is an answer, but whether it is the right answer depends on the question and questioner.