For Jazminne Lopez, filling up her gas tank has become a weekly calculation.
“I used to fill up my tank once a week for about $40,” said Lopez, a senior chemistry student who lives in Bell Gardens. “Now, it’s getting closer to being almost $75, and I’m starting to skip certain events or just stay home more just to make my money stretch.”
Fuel prices nationwide have surged in the weeks since the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, with the average cost of a gallon of unleaded gasoline exceeding $4 per gallon.
According to the American Automobile Association, gas prices in California are nearing $6 per gallon. For the thousands of commuter students at CSUDH, the strain of rising fuel costs is reshaping daily routines and budgets.
Like Lopez, Toros are cutting back on extracurricular activities, carpooling more often, and even skipping classes to stretch their budgets. Fuel costs have become a persistent stressor, especially for first-generation and working-class students who already juggle jobs, family responsibilities, and long drives from cities such as Long Beach, Inglewood, and Norwalk.
Sophomore mechanical engineering student Leanna Morales laughed when asked to comment on the price of gas.
“Gas is so high that I’m thinking about majoring in teleportation,” Morales told The Bulletin.
Ariana Delgado, a 21-year-old junior majoring in sociology, says the increasing costs seem like a raw deal for students who are already struggling.
“It’s costing us so much money to fill up our tanks, yet we’re getting very little in return,” Delgado said. “It seems like every week I have to choose whether to fill my tank or buy groceries.”
As gas prices rise, gas station workers around campus report that they’ve noticed an increase in consumer irritability, ranging from complaints and venting to outright hostility.
Freshman computer science major Marcus Nguyen, 19, stated that he tried to shift to using public transportation in order to reduce expenses, but the financial benefits have been less than expected.
“Using the bus system does help me out somewhat, but not much,” said Nguyen. “I am able to save some money, for sure, but I lose so much time each day just getting to school.”
Complaints about costs are not unnecessarily uncommon, said Mario O’Herrera, who works at the Arco station located at Rosecrans Avenue in Norwalk. But in recent weeks, O’Herrera told The Bulletin that customers seem to believe workers like him are responsible for the high prices.
“I’m seeing more than seven to almost 12 people a week, and they get really upset, like it’s our fault,” O’Herrera explained. “I get it—people are stressed, and I am also stressed about it. But I’m just the guy behind the counter who gets minimum wage.”
David Dixon, a political science professor at CSUDH, told The Bulletin it is important to examine the issue holistically. Although the war against Iran is largely unpopular among Americans, Dixon said they will still bear the consequences of decisions made in Washington, D.C.
“The working class is the hardest hit by such events,” Dixon said. “The American electorate has to decide that this was a mistake and correct it during midterms and other elections.”