Amber McKenna

Editor in chief

Dominic Baez

Managing editor

Sale. Clearance. Clear out. Stampede. Mob. Shooting. Some of these words are expected on Black Friday, the self-proclaimed shopping day that signifies the start of the holiday season, some are not.

Annually, shoppers switch from thankful on Thursday to frenzied on Friday, trying to find the best deals on electronics, clothes, household items and more to save money on holiday shopping. People even camp out in store parking lots as early as two days in advance to be the first inside. Some stores, such as Kohl’s, open as early as 4 a.m., with most opening at 5 or 6 a.m. Once in, consumers are known to grab aggressively push to get everything on their lists. Giveaways and freebies are common, which makes the early morning worth it, for some.

This year, however, Black Friday was dark indeed, with shopping related deaths on both coasts. In Long Island, N.Y., a 34-year-old Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death as he unlocked the store’s front door at 5 a.m. According to CNN, approximately 2,000 customers were waiting outside of the store by opening time, and once the doors were opened, crowds tread over more than a
dozen people.

To add insult to injury, emergency workers
trying to assist the trampled man were jostled by shoppers still stampeding into the store. When did half-priced plasma screen TVs become more valuable than a human life?

In Palm Desert, Calif., two men shot and killed each other in a Toys ‘R’ Us around 11:30 a.m.  According to the Los Angeles Times, the incident stemmed from a personal dispute, as the men involved are thought to have been members of rival gangs. The shooting was apparently not shopping related, but the fact that it took place among the frenzy of customers and their children shopping in a kid’s toy store adds to the stress of the situation.

Cyber Monday, a day of online sales following Black Friday, is a concept that eliminates the
danger of crowded shopping malls, but it still focuses on superfluous buying. Commercials and advertisements state things such as “Make it the best holiday ever,” and, “You’ll see your kids’ smiling faces,”
making it seem that gifts are the only things that matter.

It seems ironic that today the holiday season marks a time of brutal bargain hunting and intense consumerism when it was meant to represent something so different.

The holidays are a time for families to come together and spend time with each other. They are a time to give thanks for good friends and good fortune. Gifts should not be the focus of the holiday season, merely an added bonus. It stops becoming a bonus and turns into a requirement when scouring stores for gifts becomes a priority.

Being able to have time off for the holidays is a gift itself, especially for students in their college years. Although it is hard to explain to little kids the value of thankfulness, almost anyone can understand the importance of reflection and appreciating others.

If gifts are a holiday tradition for you, just make sure they are coming from the heart. Getting someone a random, meaningless item solely to have something to give them is a waste of money and time. Homemade objects and gifts that show you know the receiver will say much more.

So, this holiday season, avoid the dangerous whirlwind of shops and sales for the most part. Think before you buy. Think about what the holidays truly mean to you and to those you care about most.