Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
Short lesson in pronouns*: “My” might be a turn-off for someone, so start thinking of them as a potential “you.” When you see someone for who they are, that’s validating. Some might even say “hot.”
*Technically, “my” is a determiner, the adjectival form of the pronoun “mine.”
Awwwwwwww… I love the little word-pods, too, all snug in their shelves, ready to be cradled lovingly in the hands of a reader.
Trump was elected because roughly 1/3rd (31.9%) of 242.2 million eligible voters voted for him, while slightlly fewer (30.9%) voted for Harris. Whether or not his executive intrusion into congressional powers makes America great again depends on whether one’s definition of “great” involves the executive branch holding such broad powers.
Speaking honestly, but kindly. And, following up if you feel you have been misunderstood. Don’t let the misunderstanding continue.
Impeachment requires a vote of the House of Representatives. Current Republican control of the House makes it unlikely to happen unless significant number of members change their minds. Conviction in the Senate would similarly require many Republican senators to vote differently than they did on the last two impeachments of Trump.
In our collection I highly recommend The amazing Maurice and his educated rodents by Terry Pratchett, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot and if you are thinking something rooted in our contemporary world there’s a strong cat presence in A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. At Boston Public Library they have We’ll Prescribe You a Cat
by Syou Ishida which is also very good.
I recommend seeking information from two offices here at BC: the Office of International Students and Scholars (bit.ly/BCOISS) about employment & work authorization, and the Career Center’s offerings for international students (bit.ly/BCCareerIS)
My cousin the bell tower, in spite of their frequent ringing, has been mute on the subject of access since Gasson Hall’s renovation in 2007 when it was silenced temporarily. Since they aren’t talking, I’ve had my assistants poke around a little. There’s a clue in this Boston College Magazine alumni-submitted story: bit.ly/bells-clue, but as the story predates the renovation, there might not be a door ajar, and you’d probably still have to watch out for the laser-activated alarm. I recommend getting a campus job with facilities. Those folks know everything. But you’ll have to earn their trust before they share.
We’re a great choice for a study date where you actually study.
My own diet consists entirely of post-it notes, but one of my helpers says it’s a matter of criteria: speed, variety, setting, quality, hours. Check here for menus: bit.ly/bcdining-menus. Check here for hours: bit.ly/BC-dining-hours. Want it fast? GrubHub: bit.ly/bc-dining-grubhub. Best dinner? Probably Lower Live for variety. Grab a seat by the fire.
![Do you have any favorite books on the philosophy of science? Or scifi like Ted Chiang! Thanks sm [crying emoji]](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AW012124.jpg)
We do have Chiang’s Stories of Your Life and Others, which includes his short story, “Story of Your Life,” on which the film Arrivalwas based. Thanks for your interest! I’ll have my assistant order more of his work. Thomas Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions(O’Neill Library Q175 .K95 1974) is a classic in science epistemology. For a more recent work, try Nancy Cartwright’s The Dappled World (O’Neill Library Q175 .C37 1999).
Now that you’re here, your GPA is only important on two occasions: 1) getting into grad school, 2) your first job, when you don’t have a lot of experience to show. No one will ever care about it again. It’s a better long-term idea to focus on learning how to learn, learning how to relate to other people, and learning how to be your best self.
There are many ideas about this, but generally try to actively listen to what someone is saying and show genuine interest in their lives. Have warm, positive body language (a brief smile with raised eyebrows and keeping eye contact for example) to make folks you interact with feel at ease. Be a bit vulnerable to show you are authentic and folks around you can be themselves. Expressing humor and finding points of connection are a bonus but take time and practice to get right.
If you’re concerned about your physical or mental health in any way, it is usually a good idea to speak with a doctor, counselor, or other care professional. There are a number of services available at BC to connect you with someone you can talk to, even if it just for peace of mind (the worst that they can is that you’re fine)!
BC Health Services (https://bit.ly/BostonCollegeHealth)
BC Counseling Services (https://bit.ly/BCUCSOptions)
Yoon’s martial law was illegally called, and reminded citizens of past traumatic instances of autoritarian rule. I’m on the edge of my board waiting to see if Yoon will be impeached successfully. My thoughts are still tangled up as I read up on the history in South Korea. International Studies Department here at BC has a lot of great classes on Korea– there’s even a new one this coming spring semester EALC2330-01 that sounds really interesting.
First step, create a YouTube channel. Next step, talk about stuff that’s interesting to you. Final step, believe in yourself!
Perhaps one way to decenter men in your daily life is to focus on building strong relationships with friends – especially female friends. Podcasters Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman wrote a book called “Big Friendship” a few years ago about the work that goes into sustaining those relationships (bit.ly/BigFriendshipBook), and Rhaina Cohen’s more recent “The Other Significant Others” considers the way our world could expand if we picked our friends to be our life partners (bit.ly/OtherSignificantOthersBook). Decentering men in other areas, such as workplaces or academia, requires tackling some entrenched historical systems. You might find this article on “Rooting Out the Masculine Defaults in Your Workplace,” which was written by two psychologists, an interesting place to start (bit.ly/MasculineDefaults).
If by DCF you mean discounted cash flow, and by apple you mean Apple Inc., I shouldn’t be trusted with investment advice but this article on Investopedia (https://bit.ly/investopedia-dcf) provides a good explanation of how DCF works and some pros and cons to consider.
To BC? If a Jesuit institution with a sincere concern for your full personhood is where you want to spend 4 transformative years, apply. I hope you find the right college for you!
