According to recent internet propaganda that has been circulating through Twitter and Facebook, a supposed gas boycott was taking place this year on April 15. Many of Bear Rivers student and staff have no recollection of seeing this post, most assume this is a hoax.
Dr. Amy Besler, Principal of Bear River High School, clearly knew no such thing about the future occurrence.
“[Simply] I know nothing about it,” she said.
On the fact-checking website Snopes, it is explained that this “Gas Out” day on April 15 is not only convincing but misleading.
But with this said, students from Bear River High School still feel the need to participate in the scam.
Senior Jon Ferguson explained how he learned about the event and what it is ultimately meant to accomplish.
“I saw on Twitter about three weeks ago about ‘Gas Out’ day on April 15,” said Ferguson. “Hopefully if everyone participates in it, it will send the message to major oil companies that gas prices are too high and will hopefully bring the gas prices down.”
Ferguson added that he will be participating in the event because of the gas inflation, even with his skepticism.
“A year ago, it took me 30 dollars to fill up my tank once a week, and now I pay 40 to 45 dollars a week, depending on how low my tank is, to fill up,” said Ferguson. “It’s ridiculous, especially for people who live paycheck to paycheck.”
Ferguson continued to explain how hard it is to pay for other bills, let alone pay for the expense of gas now that the price has gone up.
“And even for us,” he said. “We’re all high school students who work minimum wage jobs, and we’re spending nearly our whole paycheck on a month’s worth of gas. It’s ridiculous because some of us need that extra money for other bills or to save for college.”
Senior Darian Laudenslayer said that she refuses to be a part of it.
“I’m going to get gas if I need it that day,” said Laudenslayer. “I’m not going to refuse getting gas when I obviously might need it. That’s stupid. Yeah, the gas prices are high right now, and it sucks having to spend near 50 dollars in gas a week to fill my Jetta to go to work, but I’m not going to go out of my way to not get gas that day in hopes that the prices will come down.”
Laudenslayer explained that either way if everyone in the U.S participates in the boycott, the oil companies will get their money.
“In the end the oil companies are going to get their money because people gullible enough to participate in this petition will get gas the day before or after,” she said. “So me being one person is not going to make a difference.”
Senior Tiana Langseth was oblivious to the ‘Gas Out’ day and explained her disregard for the phenomenon.
“Honestly, I saw this post on Twitter and then through Facebook and I didn’t think much of it,” said Langseth. “Apparently it happened back in 2007 or something which resulted in it lowering gas prices a little bit, but up until today, all that I knew of it was hearsay. Plus, it’s social media. What can you really believe?”