As gas prices continue to soar, the jaguar community weighs in on direct impacts they’ve faced in response to increasing gas prices.
Gas prices have spiked in response to U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. President Joe Biden announced March 8 the U.S. would no longer accept imports of Russian oil, which has increased the price of oil and gasoline nationwide.
Destino intern Linda Ibarra said it is “daunting” how much gas prices have gone up and it’s overwhelming to see the numbers increase at the pump.
“Right now, because of what is happening in Ukraine, we’re not supporting that (Russian oil), and I agree,” Ibarra said.
According to AAA, the average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in San Antonio was $3.91 as of March 18. Regular unleaded gas peaked at $3.99 on March 12.
Marketing senior Fabiola Salas said she takes a 30-minute drive to campus once a week.
Prior to the spike in gas prices, Salas had switched her Jeep for a more economic car, a Hyundai Elantra.
“I don’t have to fill up as often as I would with the Jeep,” Salas said. “My Elantra usually fills up with $25.”
When gas prices increased, Salas said she noticed it cost $15 to $20 more to fill up her tank.
Chemistry adjunct Eric Banks commutes to campus on a daily basis. Banks drives over 30 miles to get to campus.
“Of course it’s affected me,” Banks said. “I just have to account for that in my monthly expenditures.”
While Banks usually spent $30 to $40 to fill up his tank, he is now spending anywhere from $50 to $60.
“I’ve been watching this gas price thing for decades now,” Banks said. “I really don’t understand what makes the price of the gasoline that’s already at the gas station go up when something happens in the world that affects the gasoline supply. It’s an interesting assessment.”
Banks said he has always been conscious of going out, though he has become more aware now that gas prices have soared. Banks said he has started evaluating whether he can combine trips as well.
Salas said she has also become more conscious of using her car and doesn’t use it as much as she did before.
The price of gas has slightly gone down due to the world scene, Banks said.
“Maybe the oil producers are adjusting their production rate,” Banks said. “Maybe we’re not as close to a huge global armed conflict as we were. Any of those changes will affect the price of gas.”
Gas prices will continue to fluctuate based on global events, Banks said.
Salas said the price of gas has gone down because the price of a barrel of oil has fallen.
“I know the price of the barrel went down recently so I think it (gas prices) is going to start going down. But I’m not too sure if it’s going to go back up,” Salas said.
Although the price of gas has gone down a bit, Ibarra said she doesn’t think gas prices will be going down further.
If gas prices continue to rise, Ibarra said she believes it will affect students’ decision to take in-person versus online classes next semester.
Ibarra said students will be questioning whether they take all their classes in two days rather than spreading them out throughout the week to decrease the number of times they will need to commute to campus in the fall.
“I think it is something they (students) knew they had to factor in (gas money), but right now it’s putting on much more weight than they expected,” Ibarra said.
