gistfile1.rb

class Student < ActiveRecord::Base
  def initialize(params)
    self.lunch = LunchTracker.new
    self.lunch_balance = LunchTracker::STARTING_BALANCE
    super(params)
  end
end

# Refactoring one step further to take out the knowledge of Lunch's exact class name...

class Student < ActiveRecord::Base
  def initialize(params)
    self.build_lunch
    self.lunch_balance = self.lunch.class::STARTING_BALANCE  # Any cleaner way to pull this?
    super(params)
  end
end

# Pull the lunch_balance over to the LunchTracker object...

class Student < ActiveRecord::Base
  def initialize(params)
    self.build_lunch
    super(params)
  end
end

Nevermind...once I started preparing the slide I realized the real issue is that the lunch_balance belongs in the hypothetical LunchTracker object. Having it in Student is stupid -- which is why the gymnastics necessary to access the constant are ugly.