By Brandon Ladd
A current issue for many Americans is the soaring cost of gas following recent foreign affairs leading to supply becoming more scarce.
The impact of the skyrocketing prices has affected students at SUNY Oswego. Feelings of anger have struck those who have been going to the college for multiple years now, as they have seen the price of gas rise from just north of $2.00 per gallon to now a citywide range of $4.19 to $4.29 in Oswego.
SUNY Oswego junior Thomas “Bubba” Turgeon feels the effect even more because of his diesel vehicle.
“Really just a feeling of disappointment and irritation,” Turgeon said. “As a person who drives a small vehicle that runs on diesel instead of gasoline it impacts me even more than anticipated paying a little more per gallon at the pump. With that being said it is one thing where prices are fluctuating a few cents per day, but when it is changing vastly more than that … it adds up quickly.”
This still has not caused Turgeon to make changes to his daily routine of driving but did anticipate that could change as his travel increases into the spring for work in his hometown on weekends.
“I am still driving to campus to my house the same amount of time I do weekly,” Turgeon said. “This may change in a few weeks once I go back to my job at home on weekends which is about 150 miles round trip and may limit how many times I go back home to work during the school semester. However at this very moment the answer is no, primarily due to a routine of coming back and forth from campus and the grocery store being the only places I have really gone.”
SUNY Oswego junior Joey Palatsky notices the price on the screen but tries not to let it overwhelm him.
“I don’t let the gas prices bother me too much as there is really nothing I can do about it,” Palatsky said. “But it definitely hurts after filling up my tank and seeing the price on the screen. I try not to pay attention to the prices that gas stations have up on the signs you can see from the street, but it is definitely a bit heartbreaking seeing the price after filling up.”
Unlike Turgeon, Palatsky sees how this is impacting his decisions during a normal week. Creating apprehension when it comes to deciding if a scenic, head-clearing ride is the right option.
“I still drive where I have to, but multiple times I’ve found myself wanting to go for a drive and I decide against it because of the gas prices,” Palatsky said. “I think it may change in the summer when it is warm and beautiful weather to go for a drive, I will probably opt for a walk instead.”
Neither student seemed to know who to put the blame on when it came to the rise in gas, as many media outlets have tried to pass the blame on individuals and events in recent months. Ranging from President Joe Biden, to the Ukraine-Russia conflict happening a hemisphere away or the policies of federal and state governments. Turgeon felt that the blame can be spread out but basic inflation and economics principles are pointing to what is happening.
“With the government’s actions towards the situation in Ukraine and Russia and even at just the state level I have noticed in the last few weeks how the difference between gas prices in states like New York and Connecticut,” Turgeon said. “[They have] prices varying almost as high as 20 cents compared to other locations. This is currently a situation though … where there are many people impacting what the gas prices are such as the businesses themselves, the location, supply and demand among actions by the governments as well.”
Palatsky had less emotional response but wants the situation to be fixed in the near future.
“I won’t act like I am an expert on why gas prices have risen,” Palatsky said. “I have heard a million different reasons whether it be war, the president, pipelines or other things. I don’t fully understand what is to blame but it is definitely an issue that should be fixed.”
Brandon Ladd | The Oswegonian
