by Kathryn Claire Watts | Nov 14, 2011 | News Slider, Opinion
Commercials litter football games and Thanksgiving Day programs, and the newspaper is stuffed with ads the day before Black Friday. Some people stay up the night before to make sure they’re at the store on time, others sleep off the turkey and others go all out. Eric Heath, a senior law, justice and society major from Atlanta, Ga., has been planning a Black Friday Bash for the past five years. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving night in the Best Buy parking lot. Extension cords are brought in to generate power to the multiple televisions, heaters and even crock-pots. Lawn chairs are set up in theater style seating in front of one TV playing movies and another with video games. There is no doubt they go all out for this event. “This has been a tradition in my friend group for many years,” Heath said. “We’re being stupid in a safe way. Everyone comes for the experience, but only half of us really stay for the shopping. We’re not there for the consumerism; it’s for the friendship, the community and the experience, not for the sales.” Some have strict traditions. “On Thanksgiving, we lay out all the ads and map out our plan,” said Sydney Hale, a sophomore nursing major from White House, Tenn. “You have to really organize to get the best deals. We usually hit up Target and Toys-R-Us first, and then the mall once we’ve had some sleep.” Others are not so enthused. Many find it annoying and unnecessary. “I don’t go out on Black Friday because of all the crazy people,” said Megan Inman, a...
