Over this past week, fuel prices have skyrocketed. This has been causing problems across Michigan — which saw gas prices rising by a dollar over the course of a day — and the nation due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the Trump administration’s war with Iran. However, this is a global issue, and it's being felt everywhere. Students embarking on CHS’s 2026 Europe trip are concerned about the prices of their plane, bus, train, and boat tickets.
“It’s already a really expensive trip, and with the protests going on in Ireland with how long we plan to spend there, I’m worried it might increase the cost of the trip and jeopardize whether some students can go or not,” Brooke Hurst (‘28) said.
While faced with this problem, students are planning on walking as much as they can to cut costs on the trip.
“We have multiple bottles of water. We’re ready to be on our feet,” Eben Chrispen (‘27) said.
People going on the European trip are preparing to take alternative means of transportation to get around the fuel crisis.
“We’re not just traveling by bus, we're also thinking about traveling via trains and walking to places in cities,” Lane VanHevel (‘28) said.
Some people also raise some concerns about the instability of recent prices and how it will affect the city and how people will react to the prices.
“People are concerned about what might happen here. Considering how unstable the prices have been lately.” VanHevel said.
Here in the States, gas is definitely a lot higher than it was at the beginning of the school year. Depending on students' drive and what car they drive, they may feel the high price hikes more than others. For example, students who live outside of Chelsea and have parents who travel are becoming very concerned about prices. But it will cause many problems for parents and students who drive a lot for their commute.
“I drive a truck, so I definitely pay a lot more in gas than others, which doesn't help when trying to save money for the trip,” Fania Griecci (‘26) said.
As gas prices continue to strain budgets, the impact isn't limited to their own expenses. Many are also thinking beyond their wallets about how rising costs could affect their families' daily routines, especially for parents who rely on driving to work.
“In Chelsea, it feels a lot more expensive with our costs, so the more money it costs, the worse it will get,” Griecci said.
Although gas prices can hit the drivers of larger vehicles harder, the impact is being felt across the board. And the economic ripples this has caused will still be felt in the future.
“I think it's hurting all demographics, all ages. Especially here in Chelsea. And then the worse the prices rise, the more it hurts the people who don't have that money,” Griecci said.
