College Students Feel the Pain at the Pump as Gas Prices Surge

By Bianca Salazar
Staff writer
IG: bancasalazar_bts

Motor vehicles are the main mode of transportation for Hutchinson Community College students, faculty and staff.

Dorm students use cars when they want to go home, go to work, go get groceries, or use them for school activities. Commuter students depend on their vehicles to get to class a long distance away from home in Buhler, Inman, Haven, McPherson or even Wichita.

With the war in Iran, gas prices surged all throughout the country, all the way up to an average of $4.11 for regular unleaded gas, according to AAA fuel prices. Gas in Kansas as of Tuesday, is at an average of $3.49 for regular unleaded, when just more than a month ago, it was $3.12.

The Strait of Hormuz is currently closed to most commercial traffic including to ADNOC, a United Arad Emirates’ state-owned oil company which is the third-largest oil producer in OPEC. This means that 20% oil producers in the world that would normally go through the strait are not able to now, and this causes oil price spikes in many countries, according to CNBC.

“I don’t think it takes a genius to know that gas going up is negative,” said Hutchinson freshman Noah Wannamaker. “I am lucky enough not to have a long drive to campus, but not everyone is so fortunate. It’s just not ideal.”

Students who use their cars regularly now must take their gas usage into consideration. Money that could have been used for groceries, supplies, food and recreation now must be budgeted to accommodate high gas prices.

Emporia freshman Rayne Joy is a HutchCC student living in Hutchinson who travels back and forth to her hometown and has a part-time job.

“I don’t particularly like how high the prices are for gas,” she said. “While it is manageable, it does force me to spend less on pleasurable things I actually want to spend my money on.”

Phil Flynn, a FOX Business contributor and senior analyst at Price Future Group, told FOX Business that this isn’t the end yet.

“More than likely there is more to come, because there’s usually a lag between crude prices and what consumers pay at the pump,” Flynn said.

Views: 6