Masuk Free Press

The new price of snacks from the Mart is the cause of many broken hearts this school year. In previous years, all food from the beloved Mart cost just a dollar. This was not only convenient for cashiers, but for students as well. They simply had to pull a crumpled bill from the depths of their backpack, and a warm brownie was at their disposal. 

Now, the prices have risen to a costly dollar-fifty. 

Student response has been extreme. To the pupils of Masuk High School, these new prices are the worst thing to happen this year. The extra fifty cents is a bother and a nuisance. A simple dollar was much easier to manage than coins. Typically, teenagers barely carry cash on them, and now coins have been made into a necessity. Most students do not own a wallet, let alone quarters.
“The clinking of the coins in my pocket has been very annoying and inconvenient,” said Aryan Sharma, a sophomore. “I don’t see a single benefit other than them making more money.” 

The biggest and most repetitive complaint of the new prices is the headache that comes with carrying change. Students prefer holding onto bills rather than an extra two quarters. 

“It’s just inconvenient, now I have to get 50 cents, or 2 dollars, when before a dollar was so simple,” Samantha Dube, junior, said. With the pounds of books already weighing down the shoulders of students, change and coins are the last thing to be stuffed into backpacks.

To students, the extra change in their backpack is the only problem behind the new prices. However, this is a great example of inflation in the U.S. on a smaller stage. Groceries are the most easily noticeable form of current inflation. CNN Business reports that the average price of bread has increased by about 22 percent since January, and butter is 31 percent more expensive. 

It has become increasingly difficult for citizens in the United States to afford the snacks they enjoy so much. To the dismay of many, inflation has finally hit the Mart.
Rosemary Buckley, a coordinator of all Mart business, stated, “All the products that we buy from the store have raised in price. We were at a dollar for a very long time, we just raised it fifty cents so we can break even with our products.” 

This change in pricing does have its benefits. 

Buckley said, “I think it’s good math skills for our students, learning how to give out change.” 

Where else are teenagers dealing with nickels and dimes? 

“When I get change I normally dump it in my piggy bank and forget about it,” said Dube. Can students tell a nickel from a quarter? Forcing them to use coins in exchange for cookies teaches them a real-world skill.

Not only is the use of change new to many Masuk minds, but for many Masuk students this is the first time they have encountered inflation in their personal lives. Teenagers are not the ones buying groceries for the week or filling up a tank of gas. However, when a price increase is detected in the adored Mart cookies, inflation has become the talk of the school.
“I never really think about inflation, except when it’s affecting my cookies,” said Riya Pooskur, a sophomore. How dare the Mart coordinators attempt to profit from their sales?

The question many Masuk students are now asking themselves is this: is it really worth it? 

“I can get the same sized cookies for the same price at the cafeteria, so why should I even bother with the Mart?” said Thomas Rodriguez, a sophomore. Rodriguez is correct. The cafeteria offers the same prices or less. 

“I understand charging more for the homemade love put into the cookies, but a bag of chips? Come on,” said Rodriguez. “I would expect bigger products and better quality for the extra fifty cents.” 

Students have recognized this injustice in portions. Cookies are the same size, rice-krispies the same flavor. There has even been a noticeable decrease in stock at the Mart. 

With the increase in prices, an increase in quality should be expected. However, “I haven’t seen any increase in quality, I’ve noticed the variety of snacks has gone down,” said Pooskur. “Last year there were so many different types of chips, they’re always out of red Doritos when I go now.” Not only have the prices increased, but the variety has decreased, and quality has stayed the same. 

With the new school year, a new Mart has been born. Nonetheless, many students are reminiscing on what once was…