To find the original price \( p \) of the shirt, we can start by using the information given in the problem. The shirt currently costs $7.98, which is half of its original price.
We can write the equation as follows:
\[ \frac{p}{2} = 7.98 \]
Now, to solve for \( p \), we can multiply both sides of the equation by 2:
\[ p = 7.98 \times 2 \]
Calculating the right side:
\[ p = 15.96 \]
Therefore, the original price \( p \) of the shirt is:
\[ p = 15.96 \text{ dollars} \]