Rants

Black Friday

For people who struggle with anxiety, Black Friday is a nightmare waiting to happen — especially in department stores where hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people assemble at the doors awaiting the opening, ready to stampede with full speed to get the leading deals. And the eager Black Friday shoppers, the ones who have been Black Friday shopping for years, will do whatever is necessary to get what they desire before it is sold out. This means shoving, heaving, and being unreasonably aggressive towards other shoppers.

It is understandable for someone to have priorities while shopping, but putting someone else in danger for a pair of shoes or a sweater is just outrageous. Why would someone go out in the brisk weather on Black Friday to get deals, when they can do the same thing on Cyber Monday from the comfort of their home?

Traveling to see family

Yes, it is understandable that family is very important, but do you really want to be stuck in a car or on a plane for several hours on Thanksgiving or Christmas day, just to spend some time with distant relatives? Do you really care how your mom’s third cousin is doing with their new job? Do you really want to listen to your aunt’s boyfriend talk about his band for the third year in a row? It doesn’t sound very appealing to me.

Oh, and let’s not forget about adults constantly harassing you about your future, when you have no idea what you want to do with your life. It is so much more refreshing to wake up in your own bed, go downstairs to see watch the parade on TV, and have a calm and peaceful day with the people you are closest to. Plus, there is always the option of reaching your distant family through Facetime or Skype.

Obligation to buy people gifts

That moment right as someone opens a gift, when they feel special and loved, is a moment I would never give up or resent. But feeling obligated to give someone a gift ruins the entire idea of gift-giving. As a child, my mom would always send me into school a few days prior to winter break with gifts for all of my teachers. I didn’t think about it too much because I was just a carrier pigeon for my mom, but now that I’m older, it is my choice to give my teachers something around the holidays or not.

Also, when someone gives you a gift, you automatically feel obligated to return the favor, regardless of who it is. Then you determine what you get for them based on what they got you. If you give them a gift of lesser value, will you feel guilty? Better get them a gift of equal or greater value. Then you get stuck buying extra gifts and spending more money than you planned. And let’s be real, we’re in high school, so we don’t have an ample amount of money to blow on random things for people we’re not that close to.

Raves

Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is all about getting great deals from the comfort of your couch. No need to race to stores in frigid weather, all you need to do is press some buttons and you receive the same deals without the hassle! Along with the effortlessness of shopping online, it is also more efficient. It is not necessary to wait in lengthy lines to check out, you don’t need to shuffle through clothes to find sizes, and there is no walking or driving from store to store.

And most websites offer a continuation of their Black Friday deals, oftentimes dropping the prices even further. Overall Cyber Monday saves shoppers money and time, and it also saves them from losing sleep, unlike most Black Friday shoppers who sacrifice their sleep to wait in bitter weather to get good deals. There is nothing that compares to getting comfortable, sipping on warm hot chocolate, and saving money with every tap of a button.

Long winter break

Surprisingly, North Allegheny has gifted it’s students with an extra-long winter break this year! Ten days off of school (not including weekends), starting on December twenty-third. So, altogether we students and faculty will be out of school for fourteen days, two whole weeks off of school! This means additional time to spend with your family, extra time to do exciting winter activities, more time to relax, and you can have that New Year’s Eve party you always wanted to throw, without daunting school the next morning.

The past few school years our winter break has been briefer than most students expected, but I don’t think anyone will be complaining about 16 days off of school. This is especially favorable for seniors who have already been accepted into college because most of them have already put their academics on the back burner. This upcoming winter break is one all students and staff of North Allegheny can appreciate while also reaping the benefits of it!

Thanksgiving food

Thanksgiving is the greatest part of the entire holiday season! There is no other day in which it is acceptable and even encouraged, to sit around all day while watching football and eating way too much food. And this isn’t just any food, I’m talking about grandma’s special recipes, the ones that are only pulled out for special occasions. Every inch of the dinner table is covered by dinner food that will eventually be replaced with deserts.

After bloating yourself with turkey and stuffing and all the classic Thanksgiving foods, the food coma rolls around and you’re prepared to take a fantastic nap. Upon waking from your well-deserved nap, you get to eat more, but this time it’s chocolate cake and apple pie and cookies. Just when you think the parade of food is over, the morning after Thanksgiving, you get hit with a whole week’s worth of dinners in leftovers. Thanksgiving food is the gift that never stops giving . . . until you finish the leftovers. But then you get to wait a year and do it all over again!