Rising Gas Prices

How are they Affecting students?

Amid turmoil and unrest in the Middle East, gas prices have reached new highs. The average price for a gallon of gas in Oxford, MS is $3.78, which is slightly higher than the average for the Gulf Coast. Experts predict that gas prices will reach $4 by this summer. These prices are a huge increase from the $2.94 a gallon last year. But what does this increase mean for Ole Miss Students?

While the majority of college students do not drive as much as the average American, most do need a car to get around Oxford. English major Emily Lassetter said that she is feeling the effects of the rise in gas prices. "I am definitely still driving my car to get around town but I do not fill up my tank completely at the gas station and I think a lot more about where I really need to drive instead of just driving around randomly" Lassetter said.

The university has offered several transportation alternatives for students, mainly the OUT bus. "I think the OUT bus is a really good idea but I don't know the pick up times so I never use it" Lassetter said. Between raising gas prices and limited parking on campus many students have begun using OUT busses daily.

Gas stations are seeing the effects of the raise in price as well. At the Oxford Chevron on highway 6 the manager estimated that since the gas prices started rising, they have seen a 10 percent decline in sales. A clerk at the chevron foodmart near the square had a different opinion. "Every body needs gas and we haven't seen any slow down in our customers even though we have some of the most expensive gas in town" she said.

Britni Riley