Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
![Who's your favorite Beatles member? [reply: Ringo]](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/AW04092018-9.jpg)
Paul because his name rhymes with “Wall”. Also, he was in a band called The Quarrymen before The Beatles, and as a wall with many fine stone-based friends, I have a lot of respect for people that work in quarries.
Nothing like a tantrum to tell the world how you feel. My mother once made me stand in the corner (no small feat for a wall). Perhaps your GF has had success with childlike behavior and so continues to act that way to get what she wants. Rather than giving in, you might act like a parent and tell her that she won’t get what she wants until she behaves appropriately.
Hard to know “of all time” because we have only had recordings since around 1875. And what criteria to use in judging “greatest”? They would need the longevity of Billie Holiday, the range of Freddie Mercury, the power of Adele, the control of Barbara Streisand and the popularity of Michael Jackson. Maybe we’re talking about Aretha Franklin?
Thank you, it’s so kind of you to say that. The questions are answered by a group of library staff (with other helpers as needed for outside expertise), who enjoy the utterly unexpectedly wonderful randomness of the questions that appear every day – as do I, Your Faithful Wall.
It’s all a muddle, because English applies a hodgepodge of pronunciation and spelling rules from various Germanic and Latinate languages to various Latinate and Germanic words. A very small note in the trusty Oxford English Dictionary says “The current spelling in sc- is attested from the mid 16th cent., and appears to reflect analogical remodelling after e.g. scene n., sceptre n., etc.” The word in Middle French from which it derives (the verb “sentir” – to perceive by odor, from Latin sentīre”) had no c. In this case, then, the c appears to be silent, a kind of quiet interloper from similar words borrowed from French.
So good that she has a friend who cares enough to help with this. I would approach The Office of Health Promotion (bit.ly/BC-health-promo) or possibly Counseling Services (http://bit.ly/BC-counseling) and ask them the best way to talk to your friend about the issue – they have a lot of experience with this.
Let’s see. Arguably, the three natural candidates are: a. Brazil: Five-time champion, two-time runner up, and number 2 on FIFA’s men’s ranking. b. Germany: Four-time champion (current champion) three-time runner up, and number 1 on FIFA’s men’s ranking. c. Argentina: Two-time champion, three-time runner up, and number 4 on FIFA’s men’s ranking. They also have Lionel Messi, the most talented player in the world who, as an adult, is yet to win a title with Argentina. Now, considering that the only time a South American team has won a World Cup in Europe was in 1958, I would say Germany will win the 2018 World Cup.
I’m so glad you enjoy my responses! In the many years since the library opened, I have enjoyed watching students, staff, and faculty come and go, but I wished that I could find a way to become a part of the community and interact with all of my visitors. After lots of thought, I decided that I could serve as a resource to answer all those questions that people have but don’t know who to ask about. It gives me a chance to learn more about the BC community and a chance to give back. I hope you’ve found my answers fun and useful!
Yes! Who knows… you might even develop a relationship.
The US has sufficient power to negotiate with just about any state or non-state actor. Negotiating with non-state actors can be challenging, since the usual terms of leverage (trade & security deals, sovereignty, etc.) aren’t present, and leadership can be fluid and unpredictable. Seeing as the US helped the Taliban build power by arming them in the 1980’s to resist the Soviet military invasion, the US ought to be able to achieve some influence now as well. Here are 79 books and government docs on the US and the Taliban: bit.ly/BC-taliban-us. Materials on the subject are bound to be partisan, so caution is advised.
Stress and anxiety is a normal part of the college experience, but there is no need to go through this alone! And, it is particularly important to address the issue when it is impacting your sleep. Please talk to the Counseling Center: bit.ly/BC-counseling, office hours 7:45am-8:45pm M-F. Appt’s via phone (617-552-3310) or in office (Gasson 001). They can help you to address both the sleeplessness and the anxiety. Good luck!
Though it may seem like it, one grade will not ruin your life. I promise! It may, however, present a useful opportunity to reconsider some things. First, think about why you’re struggling. I recommend talking to the staff of the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) if you want to improve your study methods or if you need a little extra help. If the issue isn’t your studying, consider whether it is your interest level. Perhaps this just isn’t your favorite subject. If so, you’re in luck! BC offers many wonderful departments on a range of subjects. You might talk to a trusted advisor or professor about options or meet with the Career Center (bit.ly/BC-career) to see what careers paths different subjects offer.
LOL. This response made my melamine ripple. The wall spent some time in Camden Town during the 90’s, so our exposure to British music extended beyond those songs that found a home on MTV. Please give our selections a try and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’.
ITS is working to get a printer installed in the Mac. Hillside hasn’t been discussed, but there is a printer in Corcoran Commons.
Ah! You mean Carney’s Dining Room, not Carney Hall. I reached out to both the wall and ceiling there, and neither one knows what you’re talking about. Perhaps you could show a photo to a library staff member.
Interesting question! The tattoos will certainly help authorities identify someone if they can’t recall who or where they are. For now, neither Psycinfo nor PubMed return relevant results with the search tattoo* AND dementia. But I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.
Hm… it certainly stands to reason that it would be difficult to be a good Catholic per se, as you’d have to opt out of reciting the Nicene Creed. Catholicism certainly has no problem with being a good *person* and not believing in God, and faith and doubt are certainly not strangers (See Paul Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, O’Neill Library BT771 .T54). For issues of faith and doctrine, your best bet is to talk to someone at Campus Ministries: bit.ly/BC-ministry.
Mangia!
Harden leads the league in points, is 3rd in assists, and has led the Rockets to a first place overall playoff berth. Which is not to say LeBron has played poorly – the Cavs had some personnel issues in the middle of the season and LeBron led them through that like the legend that he is (one can also argue that he’s responsible for those issues, but that’s another post-it). Harden has been solid all season long, and his stats are better than LeBron’s across the board. Which is important because consistency is critical for an MVP and Harden has just shown that more than LeBron this season. Also, anyone who can dance like Harden (bit.ly/HardenDance) deserves the MVP.
![Why do we use grad[e]s to be a measure of our knowledge [unclear word] ?](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/aw040418-5.jpg)
It wasn’t always this way, as you can learn in this fascinating article about the history of grades: bit.ly/history-of-grading (BC community access). Grading in the US evolved from European scholastic competitions, which worked something more like sports playoffs; the winners of final brackets went on to be supported by academic institutions for life. Yale was the first in the US to use a 4-point scale: “2” was satisfactory. Harvard and William & Mary adopted it. They often included non-academic criteria; a “0” at William & Mary meant “those who learned little or nothing… on account of excessive idleness.” K-12 schools followed suit. At first, grades were purely an internal pedagogical tool. Around 1900 as schooling became universal, grading became systematized as way to communicate externally.
