Paper taxes...

A column in the NY Times laments the season of fall with its wrapping paper sales for school-age children. I agree. My children go to private school and they still hold this fundraiser where we buy wrapping paper at twice the price so that our children will get credit for helping to buy new computers or bring in famous authors. All of these efforts are laudable, but I'd rather write another check. I bought too much wrapping paper last year and have too much leftover to buy any this year.

It got me thinking if there are paper taxes in grad school and this year, there is a paper tax. UNC used to provide printers on campus in a few places for high-speed printing for students, but this year decided that each grad student can have only one ream, or 500 sheets, of printing for free for the year. This subject has the students so upset that it is the topic at graduate student meetings. I just bit the bullet and brought a printer to school to print out my own papers and articles. So, I pay for my own printer, ink cartridge, and reams and reams of paper. There are some battles that are not worth fighting.

I guess I'll be ordering a lot more wrapping paper this week, too.