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If you get lots of new posts will you forget about this page?

I have found and thought about this that if I shared this with my friends then they might share it with their friends! If it becomes so popular you might have too many questions to answer and forget about this page. You might forget about my questions. This page has helped me in life and I hope I never lose it. My questions are being answered by something that’s not just google or a different robot.

The Answer Wall never forgets. In fact, everything here and on the physical wall in O’Neill is being archived in Burns Library. It is deeply gratifying that you’ve found my answers helpful. To quote a fictional butler, “I endeavor to give satisfaction.” Please introduce me to your friends, confident that if I am overwhelmed by questions, I’ll find a way to continue to be attentive.

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Well that’s not up to me to decide, right? It might be stupid to jeopardize/risk an amazing future for something that the institution doesn’t care much about, but I’m tired of this helpless cycle. And I don’t want to disrupt the institution when it’s not helping anyone and just disrupt my life and those around me.

I’m not quite sure what you’re saying is not up to you to decide. There are things in our control, and things not in our control, that’s true. Are you familiar with Reinhold Niebuhr’s serenity prayer? Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

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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.

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Hey wall! Do the clinicians in the U.S. have the power to involuntary hospitalize someone if the student is in another country?

I assume the answer is “no”, right? So I guess this means they don’t get to criminalize/punish me with student conduct or the police, or Section me this time, right? You know, if help doesn’t have to hurt, then no one wants to die. If the interaction with PEC comes with a disciplinary action and the threat to be hospitalized in the U.S., this time they won’t get to do anything when I’m not in the country, right? I guess there is a way out of the misery then. 🙂

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Why??

I’m a boy and I like boys. But I don’t want to, because I always imagine me loving, marrying and having sons with a woman! And I want this future! I want to be a dad and grow them with their mum, the person I love. But I’m attracted to male’s body! And I don’t want to! What can I do?

We each are who we are, contradictions and all. I’m sorry your contradictions are troubling you right now. If it’s any consolation, this wall knows quite a few men with men as partners who are happily raising children, and likewise, women with women as partners doing the same. May you find a path in life that brings you minimal heartbreak and maximal joy.

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Fall Semester To the students who are wondering:

I have a parent with internal connections at BC, and, according to him, we will be returning in the fall for in-person classes no matter what. (barring, of course, the unlikely scenario that the situation suddenly gets cataclysmically worse). There have been talks among a number of the Boston-area universities who will be following through on this decision. A plan that is currently in consideration, but which has NOT yet been confirmed, is that we might actually return as early as August 3rd, and push forward without any vacation days until

There are conversations going on all over campus about how fall semester will go, and a number of different scenarios are being discussed. The intent is to have a residential campus in the fall, but there are many ways that might happen.  Until there’s an official public statement almost anything is possible.

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Hey wall! How do your wise library assistants look like? I wonder how those human beings are like? Maybe a virtue intro of them?

Visit the BC Libraries website: library.bc.edu. You’ll see pictures of some of my assistants featured under the “scenes from the library” on the right side, and even more pictures if you scroll down to News and Events. Click on those collages to see two blog entries about staff working during the coronavirus shutdown, with many pictures.

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Even the flight attendants are prepared!

17 hrs of flight in the protective gears must be difficult for them!

Flight attendants on international flight dressed in ppe for coronavirus

Good to see they’re taking care. I hope the passengers were also taking precautions. I feel for the flight attendants – they had a very challenging work environment before all this. 17 hours in flight sounds grueling with or without PPE.

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When you realize that all the other flights are cancelled and the one your taking is the only one operating……just when you secretly hope it’s also cancelled so you don’t have to go home! Thank you BC for a great semester, despite this pandemic. At least I won’t feel alone, knowing BC is still a home and people do care. Take care and see you next semester ~

Departure Scheduled showing mostly cancelled flights

It must be so hard to leave; all I know is that it’s hard to stay here when everyone leaves, so it must be a similar feeling. Bon voyage! I can’t wait to see you in person! (But I’ll be online, so don’t hesitate to write!)

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Dear wall! I need some miracle!

The more I try to ask for help, the more I seem to be heading toward a path of suffering – like it makes me feel scared and it also disrupt people around me. Can you tell me why? I honestly believe that “the wounded healer can truly heal,” and I always believe in people’s ability to heal. But what if this world is just too complicated and too difficult to navigate, what if some people die in the process of healing?

It is really scary to ask for help, and people don’t always respond the way you hope they will. If that’s the kind of disruption that’s happening, that’s normal. Ask someone else next time–I promise, it gets easier. The last part of what you’ve said worries me a little. The world IS complicated and difficult to navigate sometimes (especially now), but if it’s feeling like too much and you’re worried you won’t make it, that is an excellent time to reach out for professional help. Get in touch with University Counseling Services and they might be able to help you figure things out. http://bit.ly/BC-counseling. Miracles are sometimes direct, sometimes not. It seems pretty miraculous to me that with all that’s wrong with the world right now, the birds are still returning, and the trees and flowers are blooming. I hope you feel better soon.

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Could you show me some resources that discuss feminism in hip-hop?

The database Women’s Studies International (bit.ly/womens-studies-int – BC community only) is a great place to start. A few of the articles titles I found include, “Cardi B: Love & Hip Hop ’s Unlikely Feminist Hero” and “Women, Aging, and Hip Hop: Discourses and Imageries of Aging Femininity”. You can also explore the Women’s and Gender Studies Guide (library.bc.edu/genderstudies) for additional resources to search for your topic.  And feel free to follow-up with a subject specialist in the Libraries.

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I REALLY think no student should be put in a position where they’re forced to choose between being punished/criminalized or being treated as mentally ill/incapable, or both.

Despite the support services people seem to be very kind and willing to help, I really don’t see how this system is helping students when it punish students for trying to hurt themselves. And I honestly don’t know how to ask for help if the policy is to call BCPD after hours when you feel like you’d be treated as a criminal. I’m sorry for bothering people, including the police. I wish I could feel safe on this campus, but now I honestly don’t know if I’m feeling more threatened by my thoughts ab hurting myself (no worries, I won’t really do it) or by the resources that I’m supposed to go for help. Also big shout out of appreciation to awesome UHS/UCS people for being very compassionate and supportive. I’m just very scared now.

I’m so sorry you’re scared, and that a potential source of help seems threatening. It does sound like you’re between a rock and hard place, as American humans often say. Please know that after hours, you can call University Health Services (617-552-3225) and ask to speak with a PEC. I’d also recommed talking about your fears with your regular counselors. Given the prominent news stories about police departments mishandling social service cases, I understand your fear.

Remember, there are always people you can talk to, such as the PEC (info above) or at the national suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-273-8255.

Well I find it ironic that the Answer Wall, a Wall, not a human, is the least threatening/scary resource to go to. Well, I do come to realize that the UCS ppl and other support service people are very nice and smart and compassionate. 🙂 

It’s not surprising – we walls are designed to be supportive. Also, our interactions are less complex than human-to-human ones, and totally anonymous, so I expect that helps to lessen any fear. I am very happy to hear you are having good experiences with UCS and other support services.

Well that’s not up to me to decide, right? It might be stupid to jeopardize/risk an amazing future for something that the institution doesn’t care much about, but I’m tired of this helpless cycle. And I don’t want to disrupt the institution when it’s not helping anyone and just disrupt my life and those around me.

I’m not quite sure what you’re saying is not up to you to decide. There are things in our control, and things not in our control, that’s true. Are you familiar with Reinhold Niebuhr’s serenity prayer? Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.