Rising gasoline prices affecting how students commute to school

Due to the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Katrina, gas prices across the country have risen to staggering heights. Even though Utah imports oil and gas from Wyoming, our prices have still been affected by the events in the South.

Since the initial rise in prices immediately following the hurricane, Utah's gas-price range shifted from among the lowest in the nation to near the top, and now back to average. This shift reflects the rise and drop in crude-oil prices, which appears to have affected the rest of the nation before having an impact on Utah.

Last month, Utah's prices, while still rising, were far below many other states. In North Carolina, the prices were as high as $3.17 for regular gas, while in Utah the high was $2.81. Last week, the prices ranged from $2.79 in Oklahoma to $3.07 in North Carolina, with Utah at an average price of $2.85.

The rising gas prices have also affected high school students throughout the nation. In Georgia, where the price of regular gas has skyrocketed to $3.06, some schools have cut back on the number of school days, having four instead of five days a week because gas is so expensive. In Indiana, some schools have canceled all field trips.

We asked Utah students -- and one from Indiana -- how rising gas prices are affecting them.

"Well, I'm broke all the time now, and I try not to drive as much as I can. I see if anyone else can give me rides to school. I just try not to drive at all." -- Shanda Pratt, junior, Lone Peak High School

"I try not to drive as much. The biggest difference is that I used to get gas when it was at the top of the 'E' and now I wait until it is below the 'E ' before I go to the gas station because I am hoping that prices will go down. If prices go down, I fill up -- even if I am not on empty -- since I know they will go up again." -- Kirby Dawson, senior, Brownsburg, Indiana

"They make me make my dad drive to school." -- Mark Bennet, senior, West High School

"OK, they don't affect me, because my mom pays for my gas." -- Lyndsi Rufener, senior, Cottonwood

"It doesn't really affect me financially yet, but it affects my family, and it kind of affects me, because if they are spending more money on gas then I have less money for clothes and stuff." -- Chelsea Lindford, sophomore, Lone Peak

"I don't drive, personally, and so it doesn't really effect me, but I think it's ridiculous that you spend over $50 to fill up a Euro Van." -- Clare Cho, senior, West

"I don't pay for my gas!" -- Jeffery Sanders, junior, West

"The gas prices affect how I get to school, because I'm in a carpool now, and we have to drive as little as possible because we live so far away. I live 20 minutes away from school, so we refill gas every two days, so we're in a carpool to save gas, and it kinda sucks. because I get to school late." -- Autumn Gehring, junior, Cottonwood High School

"It's taking me forever to get my driver's license because my parents make me pay for gas when we go get driving hours." -- Emma Freedman, junior, West

"Rising gas prices affect how I get to school, because I have to pay for the gas. It costs me, like, a dollar a week extra, so I really don't care." -- Chase Clark, senior, Cottonwood

"I started carpooling because then we share gas prices. Because I live on the west side and it takes me 20 minutes to get up here, that's a lot of gas every single day of the week. And sometimes when you have extracurricular activities, you have to drive down and up and back. You gotta be careful on your gas; you don't want to be all cool and rev up your engine, that's a waste of your tank of gas." -- Kyndra Nydegger, senior, Cottonwood

"Well, gas prices don't affect me that much financially so far because I don't have to pay for the gas. But my parents, just because the prices are rising, are already more stingy with the amount I can drive, and as soon as I start paying it is going to be hard." -- Annie Watkins, junior, Lone Peak

"Right now I carpool, so I don't have to pay for gas, but I am getting a car soon, and I'm going to have to pay for gas, and that's going to suck because gas prices are ridiculous." -- Natalie Barton, junior, Lone Peak

Emily Miller is a junior at West High School, Jessica Sims is a junior at Cottonwood High School and Samantha Tuttle is a junior at Lone Peak High School. All are members of the Deseret Morning News Pulse team of high school writers. If you are a Utah high school student and have a topic you would like to see covered, please e- mail pulse@desnews.com or write to Susan Whitney at the Deseret Morning News.

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