This letter is in response to Andrew Wible's Feb. 27 column "Healthcare for young adults requires action." Graduation is a wonderful time. It's the time when our parents congratulate us on a job well done and tell us it's time to move our crap out of their house. It's the time when we look back at all the dumb stuff we've done in college and have a good laugh. It's the time when we reflect on everything we learned outside the classroom. Wait, what? We were supposed to learn outside the classroom, too?

The most important thing we can learn outside the classroom is prioritization. We say that health insurance is a big priority, but we can't back up that claim. It's amazing what we "Generation Y-ers" seem to think is more important than health insurance: cell phones, alcohol, cigarettes, digital HD cable, cars, Ugg boots and who knows what else. If we claim that having health insurance is so important, our lifestyle needs to reflect that.

I'm not saying that we should cancel our cell phone contracts, sell our cars, and quit drinking (good Lord, no), but we need to be responsible with our money so that we can afford insurance. When senior week rolls around, we need to prioritize. Do we blow a thousand bucks on a trip to Florida, or do we buy a few months of health insurance? Do we spend all day on the beach, or do we take half an hour each day to check job postings on Monster.com? Do we sit under the awning at Cafe 210 and have a drink after (or before) our last final? Well, yes, everyone deserves that.

If we prioritize things in life and make a conscious effort to put health insurance first, we'll probably be surprised at how easily we can pick up decent coverage. And who knows, maybe our parents will be impressed with our maturity and offer to help us out while we get back on our feet.

Jim DeLancey

Class of 2008