Student Priorities

On a lark, I went to this website:
http://howmuchdotattooscost.com/

Oh, my.  I had no idea tattoos were that expensive. 

Am I the only one who wants to have this conversation?

Student:  Mrs. Tucker, I don't have a textbook.  What book do we need.
Me:  It's the fifth week of the semester.  It's on the syllabus.  How have you gotten this far into the semester without a book.
Student:  I didn't have the money.
Me:  How much did you pay for that tattoo?
Student:  $700.
Me:  And you can't afford textbooks?

Granted, textbooks are expensive, often ridiculously.  But so are the tattoos.

I learned a long time ago that for most people in this country, money and affording are a matter of priorities.  I had a coworker who complained about $80.00 for taking her child to the doctor and getting a prescription but had no problem with spending $1000 for fancy office furniture that she didn't need.  People on food stamps have smartphones. 

So, it follows that students have the same values. 

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