High gas prices in Vermont are forcing students to stay on campus for necessary supplies and food or for recreational purposes, according to several Norwich students.
The largest grocery stores nearest to Norwich are located in Montpelier and Barre, and there is a small Grand Union about a mile and a half from campus. The other option students have are on campus, the Mill and the school bookstore.
The average price for regular gas in Vermont is $2.89 per gallon, according to vermontgasprices.com. This website also says that a year ago Vermont gas prices were $2.67 per gallon.
Kathryn Fullerton, 19, from Weymouth, Mass., a sophomore and a double major in English and nursing major, expressed that she leaves campus as often as possible, which is only about one to two times a month.
Daniel White, 19, Exeter, N.H., a sophomore majoring in criminal justice, tries to leave once a week.
White, with the exception of going home, only travels to the Berlin Mall. He said, “I think there’s only so much you can get on campus. So it really doesn’t bother me to go out every once and awhile.”
He also said that he travels far from campus to go to the movie theatre or spend time with friends.
Siena Morgan, 19, a sophomore from Dallas who is double majoring in English and communications, said she leaves campus about three or four times a week. “I really like driving so I do tend to go out driving a lot. This is bad and costs me a lot of money as far as gas goes but I do like to drive so if I’m stressed out I do go for a drive,” she said.
“If I go anywhere it’s usually really quickly and it’s usually just to Wal-Mart; and driving other people to places they need to go but they usually pay me for gas” Morgan said.
Thanks to the cost of driving, Norwich students appear to be doing more activities on campus and when they do leave, they do not travel far. Most students mainly leave campus for necessities and not for social reasons.