Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
Happy Thanksgiving to you! I had a good break over Thanksgiving. I expect I will be very grateful for that as we head into the home stretch of the semester. I don’t have finals or papers, but it’s a busy time for me.
It has its critics, but the way I see it, a film about poetry is a rare thing, so let’s enjoy that it exists. A few others: Tom & Viv, about T.S. Eliot’s early love life (caution: low rating at imdb), A Quiet Passion (Emily Dickinson), Il Postino (Pablo Neruda), Syliva (Sylvia Plath), and Barfly (Charles Bukowski). A recent standout is Paterson, a quiet, contemplative film about a poet’s struggles with self-doubt. (The poems in the film are all by Ron Padgett.)
BC does not have a student center, but there are plans to build one. The area where the old Plex used to be is one possible location. That said, plans are always changing and usually take longer to complete than expected. There is currently no firm date for designing and constructing the student center.
I’m so sorry you’re feeling sad all the time. That must be hard. I would begin by setting up an appointment with University Counseling Services: bit.ly/BC-counseling. I hear they’re quite busy, so it might take a while. In the meantime, if your sadness gets to be too strong and you don’t think you can wait to talk to someone, call the counseling center and ask to talk to the PEC (psychological emergency clinician), or text the national Crisis Text Line: 741741.
![[Quantum mechanics equation] Solve Ψ](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aw112719-1.jpg)
You’re setting the (h-)bar really high. I may be reduced to walking the Planck and sinking into the wave function.
I’ve found such a wide variety of definitions that it must be one of many obscure and recently coined words that’s either highly situation-specific or has hopped into the meme and/or trolling-the-urban-dictionary category. Pre-internet, groups of people coined new words all the time; those words had brief, anonymous, unheralded lives. Now that those brief coinages get wider play on sites like Urban Dictionary, it’s become a game to try to boost their usage. If you’re playing that game, good luck! May “burging” be the next “yeet,” or if it really hits the big time, “jawn.”
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;
public class wall(){
public static void main(string args[]){
String[] holidays = ["MLK day", "fall break", "thanksgiving",...];
Date date = new Date();
//wall magic to make this short enough to fit on a post-it
boolean isHoliday = Arrays.asList(holidays).contains(date);
if (isHoliday == True){
system.out.println("Bye! Have a great time! See you when you get back!");
}
}
} ![Why hasn't BC taken away that [redacted]'s BC degree away. Telling someone to suicide is so wrong and not BC values.](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aw112619-3.jpg)
It’s a case fraught with emotion, and challenges us all to remain committed to deeply held values. As a supportive wall, I’m fully aware of the anger and calls for retribution, and understand that response. As a wall at a Jesuit institution, I am also tasked with accepting the value of grace, and as an American wall, committed to the principle that someone is innocent until proven guilty. So far, the accused is only that: accused. If she is found guilty, the court will take care of sentencing. I’m not sure there’s precedent for BC rescinding the degree of someone found guilty of criminal charges. In fact, BC has recently demonstrated its commitment to grace by starting an education in prisons program. I hope the case successfully establishes the truth and serves justice, and the young man’s family is able eventually to find some closure.
IDK. You might want to raise that question with your professor or advisor to get some clarification, if you don’t feel Jesuit principles have a bearing on your thesis. It’s possible their explanations will help you locate some relevant principles you can include. Not knowing your course of study or the subject of your thesis, I can’t really be any more precise.
Given that the BC football team was in the Top 25 earlier in the season, I can understand how a lot of folks feel really disappointed with how things have gone this year. It seems as if there’s a growing number of fans who believe the team can and should be doing better. A few of the team’s defeats were by 7 points or less, so one can hope the team is capable of getting more wins in the future.
You are not your grades, or your work, or the idea of yourself that you or others have. Be gentle with yourself, maybe talk to your advisor and some faculty in your major about what you could improve, but don’t take it as a judgment on you, because it’s not. Figure out what you need to do to get where you want to go, let people know about it, and you will sometimes find that the world finds ways to help you. I have great confidence in you, you’ll be fine.
I am grateful for all of you coming to visit me. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
They can be? I suppose the concern here is that an actor could act like they are interested in you even when they’re not. In reality, there are plenty of people that aren’t actors by trade that can be good at acting or faking emotions (part of the definition of psychopathy is the ability to do this). And there are plenty of bad actors that try to make a living out of it. Actor, as a profession, doesn’t tell you anything about whether the person wears their heart on their sleeve, is private, controlling, manipulative, loving, introspective, etc. People run a wide gamut, and their chosen profession usually doesn’t tell you much about them more an any stereotype about any other group of people.
I’m touched by the invitation! I will be there in spirit; please let me know what you thought of it.
Disney employs some good songwriters. From Dumbo to Frozen, it’s a rare Disney film without a few good numbers.
According to latest (2018) CDC data (bit.ly/BabiesByMonth), for the US , August, followed by July. I expect the cause is sex during the months of November and December…
Try not to take it personally if someone you like doesn’t feel the same way about you. The fact that you were brave enough to express your feelings is something a lot of people struggle with. Being brave enough to express your feelings should give you inspiration for trying again in the future if things don’t work out.
If that’s the case, it does seem like it could be awkward, though I’m sure a crisis counselor in a small community like BC is accustomed to being discreet. I would suppose the SSW and a student could make an arrangement in which they weren’t the student of someone who had responded to them in crisis. If you’re concerned about such an eventuality, talk to UCS about it: bit.ly/BC-counseling.
My diagonally-oriented distant cousins the roofs are very hush-hush about their access points because they don’t want to harm anyone, and are aware they’re both dangerous and tempting destinations to humans who like views & solitude. If you like heights and views, my 5th floor windows are quite nice. Or how about a hike up a local hill instead? I recommend Peters Hill in Arnold Arboretum (not far & an easy walk) or the Blue Hills for something a little more challenging (also further & not on public transit).
I wouldn’t advise it. Discovery would lead to removal and fines (bit.ly/ResRules) Why not come visit our lovely therapy dogs when they come back to the library in December? Dates and doggos will be posted!
I’d encourage you to get in touch with the Office of International Students by email to make sure your view is heard.