Recently gas prices met an all-time high. The JC community has been impacted just as much as everyone else, from teachers to student drivers.

Gas prices have had an influx between rising and falling. Math Teacher Robert Torres said, “It’s been that way since COVID.” During COVID, gas prices significantly dropped as many people were not leaving their homes and shipping the gas was put at a halt when the initial outbreak occurred.
While beginning research for this article, the common gas price for Maryland was $4.23 per gallon, but by press time, it had fallen about 60 cents. The decrease could partly be contributed to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s 30-day suspension of the gas tax on March 18.
An important factor in how much Patriots are spending at the pump is how often one travels. It is not always about distance, but it is the frequency of travel that can make the need for fills more consistent.
Junior Karlee Hartman mentioned that she must frequently travel for her commitments, “I live 20 minutes from school, 30 minutes from dance, and 30 minutes from work, so it’s hard,” she said.
“For some people, gas is a necessity, and right now, it is unaffordable,” she said. Work, school, and other activities are priorities in which people cannot participate if they cannot find an efficient way to get there.
“It is not doable or safe for me to use any other transportation,” Karlee said.
In cases like this, some people have no choice but to meet these rising prices.
In order to accommodate to higher gas prices, people have chosen to reduce their amount of travel as much as possible. One way of this would be spending more time at home or spending more time locally.
Senior Isaiah Magwood said, “I try not to go out a lot, but if I must, I try to get anything I need in one trip.”
Mr. Torres tries not to travel far out of town too often, but when he does go out, he and his wife “make sure to take the little car instead of the big truck.” This then allows for his family to get better mileage and save money in the long run towards gas.
Lieutenant General Mark Ramsey, the speaker for the Ukraine assembly, mentioned the war and its current impact on gas prices due to the import.
English Teacher Sherri Woosley added, “This is a reaction to what is happening in Ukraine, and we need to be able to support this country through small sacrifices. We are trying for diplomacy.”
The conflict in Ukraine has had an impact to gas prices as Russia is a source of gas and oil for the United States.
“We are a global community, and we need to be aware that what happens in one geographical area will affect another in a new and complicated way,” Mrs. Woosley said.
Although it may be difficult to meet these gas prices, it is a must for many people where other options are limited.