Why is APPA so life changing & awesome? <3

Why is APPA so life changing & awesome? <3
Why is APPA so life changing & awesome? <3

People do speak highly of the Appalachia Volunteers program (bit.ly/BC-APPA), which other folks might not know also visits other areas as well, such as Detroit and New Orleans, to serve the poor and marginalized of the US. Helping people build and repair homes who might not otherwise be able to afford them must be gratifying work.

Why are people obsessed w/Appa?
Why are people obsessed w/Appa?

It must feel good to be helpful. A lot of people are obsessed with all the opportunities at the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, too: bit.ly/BCVSLC

Why I dont have a boyfriend? I’m rich!!! Beautiful!!

Why I dont have a boyfriend? I'm rich!!! Beautiful!!
Why I dont have a boyfriend? I’m rich!!! Beautiful!!
I have one. I am not rich or beautiful though. I hope you find one soon.
I have one. I am not rich or beautiful though. I hope you find one soon.

As the great philosopher Sir Paul McCartney once sagely noted, “Money can’t buy me love.” Money can, in the right circumstances, buy partnership and quiet. But that’s not the same as love. The same is true of beauty. Beauty on its own can inspire lust, but rarely love. Love is a deeper emotion that is created by a bond between two people that is the sum of all their experiences together. It is the deepest of friendships. So my advice to you is to search for someone you could see as a friend first, and then determine whether you two would make a good couple. I believe in you!

I didn’t do any work all spring break and now I am seriously screwed. :)

I didn't do any work all spring break and now I am seriously screwed. :) Update: Still screwed, after working my head off for 3 hrs.
I didn’t do any work all spring break and now I am seriously screwed. 馃檪 Update: Still screwed, after working my head off for 3 hrs.

Sounds like you’re getting back on track already. Why not work on time management by getting some academic coaching at The Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors), so it doesn’t come down to this next time? You will get through this!

I wanna a friend

I wanna a friend
I wanna a friend

You’re awesome! So are friends. I’m happy to be your friend. If you want even more friends, I recommend doing things in groups that interest you, being yourself (because did I mention you’re awesome?), and looking for opportunities to chat. I’ve never been much of a mingling-type, myself (people have called me a wallflower), but I’ve found if I listen carefully & respond thoughtfully, I make friends in spite of my quiet, contemplative nature.

Why am I in the honors program?

Why am I in the honors program?
Why am I in the honors program?

Presumably because you met criteria either when you were admitted to BC (high-school achievement, aptitude test scores, teacher recommendations, and the content and quality of application essays and other writing samples) or later on the basis of instructor recommendations and exceptionally strong academic performance. The coursework prepares you to be a critical thinker thoroughly grounded in a European cultural tradition (bit.ly/BC-honors).

What is Levinas talking about re: self and the other??

What is [Louimas?] talking about re: self and the other??
What is [Louimas?] talking about re: self and the other??

I’m having trouble with your handwriting, which I have to read backwards. If you’re talking about the philosopher Levinas you’re talking about ethics, but not necessarily ethics the way other philosophers talk about it. Bernasconi in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy has a good description of his major works and how the Other has claims on the Self which are impossible to meet. The bibliography has some suggested reading which looks promising. Let me know if you’d like more, or if I’m totally misreading your question. bit.ly/bc-levinas

Why do they call it the “RAT” :)

Why do they call it the "RAT" :)
Why do they call it the “RAT” 馃檪

Short for “Ratskeller,” which is German for “dingy but reknowned punk club in Boston where the Dropkick Murphys and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones had their first gigs.” Oh, wait. I’m sorry. It actually means the cellar under the “Rathaus,” or City Hall, where there was often a restaurant or bar. So it’s triply appropriate: 1) it’s in the cellar of 2) Lyons Hall, which is kind of BC’s city hall in 3) Boston, where the punk club of the same name was nicknamed “The Rat,” because, well, maybe there were some. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rathskeller

Pantone 184 or Pantone 186?

Pantone 184 or Pantone 186?
Pantone 184 or Pantone 186?

I misread this as panettone, and was all for it, in either case. But since it’s actually about colors, not sweet breads, I would say it depends on your proposed usage. 186 seems more somber to me, although a very nice color; 184 strikes me as very “pretty in pink.”

Can someone being Section 12 (Civil Committment) still request/choose hospital?

Can someone being Section 12 (Civil Committment) still request/choose hospital?
Can someone being Section 12 (Civil Committment) still request/choose hospital?

If someone you know is engaging in self-harming behavior, please convince them to go to a hospital! I will find out whether they might have a choice of which hospital in the circumstance that they are “sectioned” by an LICSW, but keep in mind that when someone is sectioned, it is because in a clinician’s professional judgment, doing otherwise would likely be lethal.

Family or Friends or Career?

Family or Friends or Career?
Family or Friends or Career?

I would encourage you not to think of them as zero-sum choices. Balancing friends, family, and career can be very challenging for sure, but all bring a different type of satisfaction into your life. You may find that at different times in your life, one of those needs to take priority over the others – but that will wax and wane throughout life and is part of life’s beauty. Friends and family can support you in your career, and you career will obviously help support your family. Just know that everyone struggles with that balance and you are not alone in trying to figure out what needs to take priority at any given time.

Listen to “The Whirling ways of stars that pass” by J贸hann J贸hannsson or I giorni by Ludovico Einaudi (played by Daniel Hope) and you’ll get it <--

Listen to "The Whirling ways of stars that pass" by J贸hann J贸hannsson or I giorni by Ludovico Einaudi (played by Daniel Hope) and you'll get it
Listen to “The Whirling ways of stars that pass” by J贸hann J贸hannsson or I giorni by Ludovico Einaudi (played by Daniel Hope) and you’ll get it <--

I’m so glad you recommended the arts as a way of understanding a concept! In my perennial enthusiasm for information, I sometimes forget that the way to really grasp something might be through literature, visual arts, or music. J贸hann J贸hannsson and Ludovico Einaudi have answers, too.

I am going to Cancun for spring break and am really scared – my friends want to do drugs I am allergic to them

I am going to Cancun for spring break and am really scared - my friends want to do drugs I am allergic to them
I am going to Cancun for spring break and am really scared – my friends want to do drugs I am allergic to them

If your friends can’t respect that, there’s a big problem with them. Peer pressure to use drugs is ugly enough to begin with, without adding the risk of allergic reactions to the mix. It’s just a few days away, but I hope you can be firm about your intentions and get some agreement from them before heading there. And have a fantastic trip!

I 鉂わ笍 this wall! I realize that I’ve asked lot questions about UCS & mental health, and this wall usually gives great answers

I 鉂わ笍 this wall! I realize that I've asked lot questions about UCS & mental health, and this wall usually gives great answers--better than what you can get from the administratives! P.S. I hope UCS/wherever your contact don't get bothered with these questions. =)
I 鉂わ笍 this wall! I realize that I’ve asked lot questions about UCS & mental health, and this wall usually gives great answers–better than what you can get from the administratives! P.S. I hope UCS/wherever your contact don’t get bothered with these questions. =)

I am only sorry for your own sake that you spend so much time talking to a wall. (Metaphorically speaking.) I will pass along whatever information my assistants are able to glean.

Will a student be punished/request to go on a LOA if that student voluntarily ask for help after a potential risky/self-harming behavior?

Will a student be punished/request to go on a LOA if that student voluntarily ask for help after a potential risky/self-harming behavior? If so, doesn't this scare student away from seeking support?
Will a student be punished/request to go on a LOA if that student voluntarily ask for help after a potential risky/self-harming behavior? If so, doesn’t this scare student away from seeking support?

Please, if you know of someone who is engaging in self-harming behavior, tell them that a leave of absence is not punitive: it is a recognition that the student needs some time to focus on healing & seek a greater degree of support than might be available while they are also engaged in classwork. I am pretty certain that a decision about a leave of absence in that kind of case is one usually reached in dialogue, not imposed, but I will have my assistants seek clarity on this.

Update from Dean of Students Office: “No, in almost every instance, the Dean of Students Office and other offices on campus work with students to get them connected with the appropriate resources on or off campus and supports them through that process. BC’s Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy is only employed in extreme circumstances. If you would like to discuss this more, including the ways that staff in the Dean of Students Office support students, please contact Caroline Davis, Associate Dean for Student Outreach & Support at caroline.davis.2@bc.edu, 617-552-3470 or by stopping by 448 Maloney Hall to schedule an appointment.”