Black Friday: Fun or Frightening By: Krista Crider             What can be more entertaining the day after Thanksgiving than the chaos of Black Friday?  Some Helias students say nothing, while others can make a list.  Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving has been a national tradition for years, and with the new technology and expensive fares, any kind of discount could make fighting the mob worthwhile.  Lines begin to form early in the morning and do not die down until closing time, which leads some to wonder why those who participate subject themselves to such pandemonium.  There are many different reasons shoppers come out on Friday: great deals, family tradition, or just pure entertainment, but whatever their reason, they are keen on the task at hand. Stores advertise their deals weeks ahead of time in hopes that consumers will set aside part of their day to make a visit and possibly take them up on some of their offers.  Many buyers form a shopping list ahead of time in order to make quick, efficient stops without wasting any time, to take advantage of as many sales as possible throughout the day.  For some people, Black Friday is when they plan to start and finish their Christmas shopping for the season, and no one or thing will get in their way. For some families, shopping the day after Thanksgiving is a tradition going back generations.  Grandmothers show the ropes to their granddaughters, aunts to their nieces, mothers to their daughters, and with every family comes a strategy: ask for Christmas lists weeks ahead of time, compile ads the day before for use the day after, or wake up before daylight in order to beat any competition.  Whatever the strategy, these families spend quality time together plotting and scheming, and the family that schemes together teams together the day that it really matters and wins the war of the wish lists. Unlike the focused consumers, some come out the morning after Thanksgiving for the mere entertainment of people watching.  According to Maggie Crider, “Watching old ladies pushing each other and stealing each others carts,” is easily the best aspect of Black Friday.  Some also wake themselves from slumber in order to graze the food samples and receive other festive Christmas freebies. Those who do not brave the outlet-malls and department stores of the world are another story, and even though they may seem rather anti-social, they avoid them with valid reason.  “I like to sleep in, and there are mean people that hurt you and scary old ladies out there, it’s all too busy for me,” noted Jessica Schepker, a senior at Helias, when asked about Black Friday.  It is rather self-explanatory, cold fear and desire for sleep keeps these people away from the masses of lines and retailers. Collectively, Black Friday has become nearly as big of a deal as Thanksgiving itself, and a much bigger deal when it comes to the economy. Many people enjoy buying presents for others or themselves, and without the proper inhibitions, some also have to learn to enjoy hours of checkbook balancing and online bill pay.