Anthony Cervantes | Third-year biology student

Students share their thoughts on recent gas price increase

Photos and quotes compiled by staff writer Desiree McClean

The world’s largest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia was attacked by drones claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, causing a huge fire and outage in global energy supplies. The attack resulted in California gas prices rising to their highest since 2015. Now, the average price of gas currently sits at $4.15. Tuition and other school costs are already high enough, and students are desperate for gas prices to decrease immediately. Students at CPP were asked how they felt about the recent spike in gas prices. 

Anthony Cervantes | Third-year biology student

“I feel pretty upset because they’re really high and unfortunately since they are $4.15 for standard, (and) I use premium. So that takes a bigger effect on me, so I have to drive less. And I feel like I can’t be driving as much because of the fact that gas prices are so high and I’m a student. Now I have to budget based on these prices.” 

Domenick Piscioneri | Fourth-year business management student

“It’s running me up more money, for sure …. I fill up my car every week now. I commute, so I use a lot of my gas to get here and it kind of feels like it’s getting more expensive to even be here, with tuition and driving out here, with gas prices.” 

Jackie Zamora | Second-year political science student

“I think it’s terrible; we’re already broke college students, so with the rise in gas prices, it’s just making it harder for us. I have a set budget regarding like books and other expenses like that, so it makes it kind of hard. Especially because I have to now commute with other people to get to places, both school and work.”

Jose Garcia | Third-year civil engineering student

“It is definitely too much. As a college student, it hurts to pay that much just to drive and get here. I have a big car … to fill it up right now … it will probably be around $120, $130, so definitely it hurts to fill it up and it really does affect how I spend my money.”   

Klenn Sabate | Third-year biology student

“Well, honestly there’s like different ways of looking at it. Obviously, for us college students, it’s going to definitely affect our budgeting with everything … since the gas prices (went up), more people can probably be encouraged to actually use public transportation, which overall, it’s good for the environment.”

Kristen Hamlin | Fifth-year mechanical engineering student

“I don’t appreciate it. I didn’t realize it was that high. I always try to go to ARCO; that’s like my strategy. But I commute three hours a day. I fill up my tank twice a week and now its $80 a week of gas and I wasn’t expecting that. Especially when I made the decision to commute this semester, so it’s a really big inconvenience.” 

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