NEWS: STUDENT AFFAIRS
disposable gloves for cooking. Chicken prices have increased due to shortages and lack of supply chain labor. “Chicken thighs almost doubled,” Adelman said. “They were historically cheap, like $1.25 a pound. We used to get a really good price on them. Now they’re literally double, like $2.50 a pound.” Novakovic said that for Ithaca College students, the effects of inflation will be felt particularly on the increase in tuition cost. In October, the Ithaca College Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase of 3.25% — an increase of $1,515 — bringing the cost of attendance to $64,060. This is higher than any of the college’s previous tuition increases after 2014. Novakovic said that for students who have already taken out loans at a fixed rate — interest on the loan stays at the same rate until the loan is repaid — inflation can be seen as a positive. “What’s really interesting is that if there is inflation and you have this fixed debt, inflation ends up being kind of a good thing for you,” Novakovic said. “If your wages rise because inflation has gone up and forced you to earn more money, the costs [of loan repayments] stay the same but the amount of money that you receive has increased.” In addition to loans and food, the cost of gas has been increasing significantly. In May 2021, gas prices passed $3 per gallon on average and by December hit $3.28 per gallon. In March, gas prices hit a national average of over $4, surpassing the highest gas prices since 2008. Experts predict that gas prices will remain high for a while because of increasing crude oil prices in response to global supply concerns. Junior Abby Schroeder said that since she was a freshman, she has had her car on campus with her. Schroeder said inflation has increased the cost of gas for her significantly, as she lives in Buffalo, New York, and drives home frequently. “I’ve definitely noticed the price going up,” Schroeder said. “It used to be pretty cheap. I never used to ask my friends ‘Hey, can you send me gas money?’ because I didn’t care. … I would say it’s increased 10 or 15 bucks for me to fill my whole tank.” Mattera said the cost of everyday items increased so significantly that he has asked himself if he needs to pick up a new job. “I lifeguard in the summer so that I can coast on that money throughout the rest of the school year,” Mattera said. “I’ve definitely noticed that it’s not as easy as it was freshman year when I could just spend whatever and then go back to work in the summer. It eats up a lot of my savings.”
Commentar y: Public transportation should be free for college students B Y N E H A PA T N A I K
When I visited my friend who was a student at Rutgers University, we got around using the campus bus system. Knowing the charges for New York subways, the San Francisco Caltrain and the Chicago Transit Authority, I scrambled through my wallet, trying to find a few dollars to cover the cost. While doing so, I asked my friend “How much is the bus?” She responded, “It’s free.” I could not believe it. Rutgers University has a bus system that is not only free but runs from 6 to 3:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday and for 24 hours a day Friday through Sunday. This allows for convenient rides to classes, restaurants, grocery stores and more. This also allows students to not feel pressured to spend money on a car and gas knowing that there is a reliable bus system to take them where they need to go. I know students on other college campuses who have expensive or unreliable public transportation systems, and they felt obligated to spend money on a car that they are still paying off postgraduation. This is something that is hard for them to do, especially with an entry-level salary. Before I had a car on campus, I was dependent on my friends who did have cars, on Uber and Lyft drivers and the Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT). There are so many colleges that have free public transportation systems that run 24 hours on all seven days of the week because of college being expensive enough and putting safety first to get students back to their homes. Ithaca is a town that has many steep hills that make it especially hard for those with disabilities and those who have anxiety when it comes to public transportation. Also, a lot of people say to those who don’t have cars, “Why don’t you just walk?” when some people cannot physically do so.
It’s hard to travel around Ithaca without a car. I remember during my first year at Ithaca College, I had a friend who was sick and desperately needed to get to a drugstore. I ordered a ride from Uber to help her get the medications that she needed, only to not find a car ride back home from either Uber or Lyft. There were no rides available and I could not find a TCAT bus. It took an hour of refreshing the Uber and Lyft applications on my phone to finally find a ride that would arrive at the drugstore in 20 minutes and take me back home. I understand that creating a free public transportation system will raise taxes in cities. However, I would rather have the cost of public transportation factored into the taxes that I pay, rather than paying on the spot. This can avoid the long lines for public transportation and keep people from fishing for loose change at the bottom of their backpacks for the $1.50 TCAT fee. As for college students, a bus pass for the time they are here would be helpful, too. Cornell University students can get free TCAT rides after 6 p.m. on weekdays and anytime on Saturday and Sunday. Shouldn’t Ithaca College students get that same privilege? Students at the college sometimes feel isolated and stuck on campus, so having the same TCAT benefits as Cornell students would push them to go out after classes and on weekends without hesitation. There are many benefits to having free public transportation. One bus can replace approximately 40 cars on the road. Global warming is a huge issue today, and it is especially caused by the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere. Having public transportation that is free can help to eliminate this. It can also help to cut the costs of buying a car and paying for gas. Students can also avoid the uncertainty of finding a ride through an app and feel safe knowing there is a reliable public transportation service in the area.
Abby Brady/The Ithacan
55
