University of Virginia Library

High Finances

I've always looked forward to
another year because my bank account
and other financial resources
are at their peak. Such euphoria is
usually short-lived since each new
semester means another trip to the
Corner bookstores for that
semi-annual re-distribution of
income. For some unknown reason,
though, the money is always going
from my account into Billy
Williams'. Things are even worse
psychologically if you are a law
student, since you don't get the
false feeling of exercising your
choice as a consumer in a free
economy by deciding between a
purchase at the University
bookstore and at Anderson's. The
latter is the sole supplier of law
books. You also aren't able to
exercise a real choice by doing as
much of your buying at Newcomb
Hall as possible. The profits for the
Newcomb Hall Bookstore are
funnelled back into
student-oriented activities.

There is also another recurrent
and mandatory payment that
begins again in September—that's
rent, unless of course you were
unable to sublet your apartment, in
which case you have already spent a
substantial amount of your
hard-earned summer money. While
it's never easy to part with sums of
money that landlords get these
days, especially in view of the
condition of many of these
dwellings, one can always be
consoled by looking in The New
York Times or The Village Voice
and comparing apartment prices in
the NYC area. On the other hand, if
you came to Virginia because of the
low tuition and lower living costs,
such comparisons may be small
consolation.

Food prices can also do a nasty
job on your wallet. Food services
must have had advance warning of
Nixon's price freeze, as they niftily
raised the price on drinks by a
nickel, and on those infamous
doughnuts and coffee by two cents
each.