Across the United States, spiking gas prices have left consumers in general, and students in particular, anxiously waiting for relief. Gas prices continue to rise, seemingly by the hour, leaving many people wondering when the price will stabilize or, more importantly, drop.
According to CNN.com, gas prices nationwide dropped approximately nine cents earlier this month; good news for drivers yearning for the days of inexpensive joyriding, owners of gas-guzzling SUVs, and regular consumers who have been staying put and citing expensive gasoline as the main cause.
While the decrease may be welcome, there is little indication that gas prices will likely remain under $3.
Consumers can thank slight decreases in crude oil prices and corporate profit margin shrinkage for the price break, but as drivers enjoy the cheaper gas and buy more, the price will rise again.
At Winston-Salem State, students and faculty are struggling to deal with fluctuating gas prices.
“Gas prices have been affecting me tremendously. It’s been taking a lot of money out of my budget to keep my car filled so I can go places,” said junior Quiotti Ratliff.
Although he can’t drive his car on campus, freshman Kelvin People has felt the sting of rising rates for gas.
“I don’t have enough money to do what I want to do. It’s so expensive for me to go home since I live so far away,” he said.On the other hand, senior Marcus Gill doesn’t think too much about the prices. “I think [gas is] rather costly, but you have to do what you have to do if you want to go somewhere. It’s not really affecting me that much. It is an inconvenience,” he said.
Justin Grandison, a staff member at O’Kelly library, is outraged by what he sees as price gouging.
“Exxon Mobil, which is one of biggest crude oil refineries in the world, posted record-breaking earnings for the years 2006, 2007, and probably 2008. This means that they’re in no shortage of moneyor funding to distribute their gasoline at a price that everybody can afford. I think it’s a total debacle on the part of the government, state agencies, and the companies that provide the service to us,” he said.
Steven Epps, director, at Gleason-Hairston Terrace says he does not like the fact that he spends $80 to $90 at the pump every week, but he sees little that can be done about it.
“I’m going to do what I want to do regardless,” said Epps. “I just have to spend more than I want to spend.”