Ah, it’s a long story that starts with a tumultuous marriage between a sea-wall on the North Shore and a load-bearing interior wall of a formal dining room in a prewar classic 6 on NY’s upper east side, but I won’t go into the details. (Let’s just say I have a more ecumenical view of sports teams than either of my parents. Oh, the stories the green monster and The House That Ruth Built could tell!) I eventually found a home here at BC in the early 80’s, and in early 2017 my librarian assistants finally figured out how to give voice to my longing to communicate with all the smart humans visiting the library. You can see the entire record of my thousands of answers online: library.bc.edu/answerwall.

Thank you for staying open 24/7 and bringing those lovely doggies. So glad to visit you over winter break before I go back for the second half of study abroad! Am I correct that you’re open even during university holiday break (e.g. the week of Dec. 27th)? You’re the top three building on this campus! (Gasson and Maloney are the best buildings b/c of the amazing people working there;))

Happy Holidays to you! I loved seeing the doggies. We’re open over breaks – you can always see our hours here: bit.ly/BCLHours. Wishing you joy in your time abroad and look forward to welcoming you back.

Seeing campus closes for holidays always make me sad, but knowing you and many amazing humans are there makes me smile! 🙂

Thanks! We miss you, too.

Human people are funny-looking folks, so very… not flat or rectangular, and with all those features and appendages, and HAIR! It took me a while to get used to that when I first started my professional position as an Answer Wall in a library full of humans. But I have come to find you all, of all genders and physical varieties, quite lovely, in an other-worldly way.

I know it’s a bit trivial to care about but i just like to check it– one of my guilty pleasures– but was wondering if they may be doing away with it

It’s possible the rankings have been discontinued, as rank no longer determines Latin honors, which as of 2021 are determined by GPA, not rank. See: bit.ly/NewBCHonors, under “Degree with Honors.”

That can certainly be nerve wracking! But it’s only a step – and you don’t have to commit to anything just by applying. You may find it helps to have a trusted friend read over your application materials just to catch any errors or things that don’t make sense. I wish you all the best on this scholarly journey!

I thought I knew the answer to this, but then I checked list of songs, and I was.. well, helpless. My favorite line in a song might be in Your Obedient Servant when Burr does the most perfectly vocalized eyeroll ever with “Sweet Jesus”.

How poetic! Snowflakes fluttering, north wind roaring. But brrrrr!

I can’t claim to have the magic powers my cousin the Magic 8-Ball® has (she’s stellar at predictions!); but I am sending so many good vibes to you! No matter what happens, this Wall knows that you are an amazing human. If I had fingers, though, they’d be crossed for ya!

Of course you do. You have all my sympathy. I hope you are able to connect with them virtually soon, and in person not too far in the future.

I’m not sure I understand the question. Does the ex need balancing?

I’m so sorry. It’s hard being away from home. I hope you get to talk to them soon, and be with them in not too much longer.

As a wall, I don’t eat ramen or anything else, but it looks like your fellow student has voted for Tonkotsu, and they probably know more about the comparative deliciousness of all noodle entities than I do, so let’s go with that. Enjoy!

Thanks for the suggestion!

I am so happy for you, and wish you the brightest of futures. Come back and visit when you can and congratulations! ??❤️

As a stationary wall living online and in a building, I have never seen these rocks! They sound utterly delightful! I am glad to know they exist – thank you for sharing this wonderful note <3

It’s hard to know someone else’s feelings in the best of circumstances, and when your perceptions are roiled by your own turbulent storms, it’s impossible. Be kind to yourself. You have no idea what’s in that other human’s heart. Maybe he’s afraid, too. If you’re willing to take a risk, you could tell him you really enjoyed dinner, and would like to take him out.

Wishing you luck in your search. I recommend talking to the folks in the Career Center (bit.ly/BC-career) as well as the Office of International Students and Scholars (bit.ly/BCOISS).

Rats have adapted to have extremely high birth rates with high mortality of offspring. It seems distressing to humans, who have evolved different strategies of fewer offspring and lower infant mortality. But it is a common strategy for rodents. (See: bit.ly/ReproStrat)

Sympathy and empathy are important virtues, but if you’re finding that you’re living more through other people’s emotions than your own, that could cause problems. If you’re concerned, I recommend talking to a counselor: http://bit.ly/BC-counseling

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.