Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
Yes, it is still Digiorno. Pizza delivery (of the kind Digiorno compares itself to in its advertising) is from a pizza restaurant. So far at any rate Amazon has not gone into the pizzeria business!
One of my assistants has contacted Auxiliary Services, the department that oversees the vending machines on campus. They are sending someone over to check the two [Coke] drink machines in the library and will contact Coke. The two Coke vending machines by the CTE are currently not working, due to mechanical problems. That too is being addressed. So for another day or so (hopefully), it’s bring money or bring a drink from outside!
Sometimes it helps to break a big scary project into a series of smaller tasks. It’s totally possible to write a dissertation in 15 minutes a day, for example. bit.ly/bc-diss. There are lots of other books on that topic, too, maybe one of them will help? bit.ly/bc-procras. (p.s. Sorry I didn’t get to this yesterday)
Ah, it appears the person who ‘borrowed’ the dispenser is speaking up. I have faith that this person will return the dispenser as it is the right thing to do. If not, then this person should know that karma will get you at some point!
Probably not, unfortunately. As you may have noticed if you have been around for a while, the Wall has a privacy policy when it comes to identifying anyone who would not be considered a celebrity or public person. That means we would have to cross out/redact any identifying names and pictures. And that would put a definite crimp in a library crush board!
I recommend checking in with the knowledgeable folks at the Career Center (bit.ly/BC-career) and best wishes for getting into the program of your choice!
Achieving balance can be difficult for college students–there is so much going on in your lives! A few things that can help: Take care of yourself (sleep, eat, stay healthy stuff). Give some thought as to what is important to you, now and especially as long-term goals. Plan as much as possible. (That’s hard. We know what we should do, but not necessarily how to make it so.) Be prepared to make some difficult choices. There simply isn’t enough time to do everything and you may have to give up on some things that are not as important to you in the long run. Check out this book at the ERC for some tips (bit.ly/bc-tips4students) and/or ask for specific help at campus offices, e.g., Connors (bit.ly/BC-connors) or (Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling). I’m rooting for you!
Astrology is a real thing: there are more than 3K results in our catalog for a subject search for “astrology”. As a topic it’s gone through many phases over the centuries: This article in the Encyclopedia of Religious and Spiritual Development has a brief history: http://bit.ly/astrology2. Should we believe those daily horoscopes in the paper? Well, it may be better to look on them as fun more than accurate. But many academics, e.g., in history and psychology, address this topic and its influence both in the past and today. Here’s an article just for you: “Good day for Leos: Horoscope’s influence on perception, cognitive performances, and creativity” (http://bit.ly/astrology3).
How wonderful that painting in the Impressionist style is giving you so much joy! I’m not exactly a painting expert (just look at me–I’m very bland looking, aren’t I?) but I’m sure there are technical skills involved in Impressionism; just maybe different technical skills than you have used before … or technical skills you know but used in a different way. I understand one way to develop skills is to do small studies of the same image. Since they are small you can practice and compare different techniques and skills in a fairly short period of time and further develop that way. The important thing is to keep painting and learning and enjoying.
Sorry I missed that… I’m gonna have to have my helpers set me in front of a tv more often to keep up with you!
If you feel this way for more than a short while, I would advise contacting the Academic Advising Center (bit.ly/BC-academic-advising) or visiting University Counseling (bit.ly/BC-counseling) or Campus Ministry’s Pastoral Counseling (bit.ly/bc-campus-ministry) for some direction on getting your motivation back.
Can you legitimately make someone love you? Certainly, you can take the initiative in starting a conversation and inviting your crush to spend some time with you. Then my advice is to be your best authentic self and see where it goes. I can’t think of a better place than a library to find true love.
It can be hard not to overthink this, but resist the urge. Do you want to be with them? Do they want to be with you? If so, see where it leads and don’t worry about it. Being in a relationship is ultimately about choosing to be in it, which can feel weird after the initial period of magic fades. But that’s what you’re doing. Choosing. It’s OK to stay or go whenever you like.
Oh, dear. If any of you think it’s cold now, just wait until January/February. (Or do you already know and are anticipating?) Prepare now; get your layers of clothing in order. Think about the good parts of winter: hot chocolate and snowball fights. And complaining … New Englanders always talk about the weather. Remember, though, you will always have a warm reception here in the library! (You are welcome to flex in your Canada Goose if you can; sometimes they are very bulky.)
As Dennis & Charlie are TV characters (from the long-running Netflix series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the answer has to do with what the writers and actors intend to portray. It sounds like both are characters with psychological problems. Apparently Charlie is reacting to what some other characters on the show think was a childhood full of sexual abuse, and Dennis was, in season 10, diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. I haven’t watched it myself (being a library wall, I’m averse to yelling), but it does sound like a darkly funny and sympathetic exploration of characters with psychological damage.
*Update* After conferring with my acolytes, I have revised my answer to “Because Dennis is a bastard man”. But the show wouldn’t be the same without him, so we’re all glad that Dennis is a bastard man.
![...when less words do trick? [Response: LOL XD]](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/aw100818-2.jpg)
Oh, go ahead and go crazy, they’re cheap and plentiful. And it might be a case of use ’em or lose ’em: bit.ly/WordfewerWordless. Then again, my answers are generally constrained by the footprint of a Post-It, so….
Dropping something that feels like a burden is not failure, it’s making a choice. There are lots of ways to have a happy life. If you’ve had a single goal (even one you didn’t want) for a long time, it may take a while to get out of that mode. That’s OK. Practically speaking, it’s not a bad idea to stop by BC’s Career Center–I can guarantee you’re not the only student they’ve talked to who’s made a similar choice. bit.ly/BC-findajob. Be kind to yourself, and listen to what you enjoy, to what you do for its own sake. That’s where new passions tend to hide.
Assuming you mean the US News & World Report rankings, BC has been shooting up the rankings for years, but, according to BC News, it “fell six places as a result of a major shift in the survey’s methodology which, analysts say, benefited large public universities this year.” For more discussions see: bit.ly/BCUSNWR
You’re in luck! The Digital Studio has a recording studio that’s available for booking, and many of the staff members have experience with video editing. You can make an appointment or drop-in—check it out at ds.bc.edu.
On Tuesday, President Trump said “it’s a very scary time for young men in America.” On the same day, he reiterated at a rally, “Think of your son. Think of your husband,” referring to false rape accusations, and also mocked Christine Blasey-Ford: bit.ly/cnn-trump-10-2-18. According to several studies, a range of 2-10% of rape accusations are false (bit.ly/BC-false-reporting, BC login required). The Bureau of Justice Statistics (bit.ly/BJS-crime-victim) estimates a total of 323,450 rapes or sexual assaults in 2016, 23% of which (or 74,393) were reported to police. At 2-10%, a range of 1487 to 7439 might have been false accusations. It’s significant, but also a considerably lower number than rape or sexual assault. Men account for about 10% of rape victims, or about 32,000 in 2016. IOW, statistically, young men should be more worried about being raped than being falsely accused of rape.
