Students, staff feeling pain at the pump
by Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
May 26, 2011
$3.88.
That’s the average price of a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania according to Pittsburghgasprices.com.
As gas prices soared towards $4 per gallon a couple weeks ago, many students and teachers said that the rising prices are burning a hole in their pockets.
In a recent survey of 100 sophomores, juniors and seniors, 67 students said they would definitely be getting a job this summer, and another 25 said that they may be.
Of the students getting a job, 25 said that their transportation would be free. The rest drive, walk or help pay someone else to drive them.
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Many students said that parents help pay for gas, but even with this help, 61 percent of students said they expect 25-50 percent of each paycheck to go towards gas.
Junior and new driver Hannah Sribniak was given the choice to either share a car and not work or get a job and a car. Sribniak chose the car and employment. However, now that she has the car, she said part of her earnings will eventually go towards gas. “My parents pay for gas right now, but during the summer I will have to pay,” she said.
Senior Dylan Romaniw recently acquired a street bike and said he tries to use it more to combat rising prices. Not only does it offer much better gas mileage than his car, he said, but the tank can be filled for around $10.
Rising gas prices could even affect athletics and transportation. Director of transportation Tyler Vargo said that the cost of busing is part of a fixed contract, so rising prices do not affect the cost of transportation – yet. However, if prices stay high, the price of busing will rise when it comes time to negotiate a new contract. Increased transportation prices would cut into a budget already hurting from Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed education cuts.
Many students feel the pain at the pump every day, as many of those surveyed said they check or hear about gas prices daily even if they don’t pay for gas. In the end, rising gas prices affect more than just students and it will surely be a relief when the “shortage of summer blend” comes to an end.
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