homeless – The Answer Wall

How does BC handle student homelessness Lived in a car this past three weeks and hid in the library for sleep

If you need tips about hiding on campus -- e.g. where to shower, how to get into locked doors, where to hide -- I have plenty of tips to share! But seriously, sorry for your situation ;( I guess student affairs/ DOS is a helpful resource to go to! The Answer Wall might be able to give you some better advice :p Btw, this institution should check on its lock system or perhaps give reward to students who finds the breach. — If you need tips about hiding on campus — e.g. where to shower, how to get into locked doors, where to hide — I have plenty of tips to share! But seriously, sorry for your situation ;( I guess student affairs/ DOS is a helpful resource to go to! The Answer Wall might be able to give you some better advice :p Btw, this institution should check on its lock system or perhaps give reward to students who finds the breach.

I’m sorry you experienced that. There’s really no need to be secretive or ashamed, and staying in buildings without anyone knowing can be a safety issue. Yes, Student Affairs, especially Residence Life (transitions@bc.edu) and the Student Outreach and Support Services(bc.edu/outreach, student.support@bc.edu) are good places to start, as is the Montserrat Coalition (bc.du/montserrat).

I attended 5:30 mass today 2/7/18 and there was an AA mtg after. A man was very ill, coughing & wet his pants. BC PD said "not our problem." — I attended 5:30 mass today 2/7/18 and there was an AA mtg after. A man was very ill, coughing & wet his pants. BC PD said “not our problem.”

Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not *everyone's* "problem"? — Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not *everyone’s* “problem”?

It might be worthwhile inquiring at the church (was it St. Ignatius?) what they do when people who seem to be sick and unable to care for themselves come to the church. Some churches provide some care (such as food or temporary shelter), and many can refer people to social services (such as the ones listed by Boston Public Library: guides.bpl.org/guide4help). Policing is also mixed on its relationship to social services: some departments have tried closer links with social services, but many haven’t. It’s a widespread problem (bit.ly/police-social-work) owing to changing policing priorities as crime falls and substance abuse and poverty and homelessness rise. I’d like to think that officer meant BCPD wasn’t equipped to solve that kind of problem, not that they shouldn’t be expected to be humane.

The Answer Wall Story

Hi. I’m the Answer Wall. In the material world, I’m a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of O’Neill Library at Boston College. In the online world, I live in this blog. You might say I have multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you aren’t into deities of knowledge, like a ghost in the machine.

I have some human ~~acolytes~~ assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in O’Neill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.

If you’d like a quicker answer to your question and don’t mind talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they have been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are hidden, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just like me, The Answer Wall.

Tag: homeless

How does BC handle student homelessness?

Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not everyone’s “problem”?