The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's tuition is so high that students are turning to sex work in order to make ends meet. At least, this is the message conveyed in the UTC newspaper. A recent article titled, “The Secret Life of the College Sex Worker” written by a staff writer at the UTC Echo explains how some students are becoming sugar babies, amateur porn actors, and selling foot fetish pictures to pay their tuition.
The UTC Echo writer states, “As tuition prices continue to rise, college students have begun turning to a certain stigmatized profession as a way to make 'easy money' while in school.” It was also stated, “with the rise of online platforms such as OnlyFans and Seeking Arrangements, students can participate in sex work from the safety of their own dorm rooms.” Later the article defined sex work explaining “sexual services are provided for compensation, including pornography, working phone lines, dancing, or becoming a sugar baby.” In our current economy, there is no shortage of job openings.
But there is a shortage of morality. Immorality is often encouraged by certain institutions, including the media.
An anonymous student apparently gave the University paper an inside scoop on their secret life. In the article, an ill attempt to tie sex work to capitalism is made. “Jasmine” stated, “I think everyone is selling their body in one way or another for capitalism”. She admittedly makes around $500 a week selling pictures, videos, and participating in video chats.
Furthermore, a sophomore “Rachel” is a so-called sugar baby who uses the “online platform, Seeking Arrangements, to match young people to rich older men and women. As a sugar baby, Rachel was flown to New York by an older man, who provided her with round-trip airfare, an apartment, and spending money for a week.” If this wasn't eye-opening enough, Rachel admitted she lied to her parents in order to go on the trip without even considering the risk of being kidnapped.
I wonder if UTC understands that parents, alumni, staff, and current students read the UTC Echo. This doesn't seem like an article that would be beneficial for the recruitment or retainment of students. It's clear that promoting prostitution, sugar babies and foot fetishes doesn't exactly promote women's rights or equality. Additionally, I'm sure capitalism is not the cause of college students turning to sex work. There are plenty of jobs available with increasingly higher wages, so stop encouraging immoral ideologies that will only harm women, families, and humanity in the long run. It's time to see through the smoke and mirrors and realize morality is failing and this is more apparent when reading this article in the UTC Echo.
Source: https://www.theutcecho.com/news/the-secret-life-of-the-college-sex-worker/article_87ea8e9c-5376-11ec-9803-e72f8b4642fd.html
Jeff Irvin Jr.
UTC Alumni Class of 2008
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I usually open the Chattanoogan app each morning along with other news apps to see what’s happening locally. Today I read an article on “Polyamory” studies at UTC. I admit I did not know what this is. Now I do, and I also know that this is not only supported by the university that my family and I attended, but also published in my local daily online newspaper.
My wife and I are seniors and have our perspective of the difference between moral and immoral behavior and this is not moral. Maybe we are in the minority these days so I guess our only alternatives to oppose this garbage are (1) not support a university that condones this “charade” of higher learning and (2) delete the Chattanoogan app. Goodbye.
Mary Ellen Taylor