As the holiday season steadily approaches, all stores alike are making the final preparations for their anxiously awaiting shoppers. In a society were capitalism is not only commercialized, but accepted, Black Friday should come as no exception then that of any other sale throughout the year, or does it?
“I feel like the sales are just hyped up to be bigger than what they are, but there will be another one just like it at some point during the year,” says Eastern Michigan University Senior Mechelle Parham.
According to a report from ABC news, an estimated 140 million shoppers are expected to rush stores this holiday season. Retailers are said to be expecting 4 million more shoppers than last year, which accumulates to 138 million shoppers setting a new record for Black Friday. This seasons sales are projected to be 2.3 percent higher than that of last year; the strongest showing since 2006.
“Its usually extremely busy. The focus is servicing. Whatever they want, right when they want it,” says Lakeside Mall employee, Fernando Due.
Which brings us to the question of when are the so-called “Door-buster Sales” available for customers?
“They only apply that sale to items that were going on sale anyways. There will never be a door buster sale on a PS3 (Play station) or 4g I-pod. Just some aftermarket blue-ray player,” said Due. The 20-year old leverage associate who has worked with Guess over 1-year went on to say that the sales offered within most retail stores are on different on Black Friday, than that of any other sales on any other given day.
“I definitely just went out for the hype,” says Parham,
“There is a visceral excitement to going to stores on Black Friday; its almost like a sporting event,” said online Dan De Giandpre, editor in chief of online shopping and discount guide dealnews.com.
The website tries to bring customers the best deals available on the hottest items on the internet. It scores over 2,000 online retailers and tens of thousands of deals to deliver the best 100 plus deals each and every day, the kind of deals normally seen on Black Friday.
Retailers count on the excitement of Black Friday to ignite holiday shopping so the use big, attention-grabbing discounts to lure shoppers. The most notable deals are usually on big-ticket purchases like televisions, computers and other electronics, de Grandpre said.
Some retailers caution that with much less-inventory this year, they may no longer have everything you want closer to Christmas, and you may see fewer end-of season deals.
It’s safe to say that the glow from a record-setting Black Friday weekend has most industry watchers feeling pretty good. But retailers have been down this path before. Typically, shoppers retreat for the most part until the weekend before Christmas. That makes retailers nervous, especially this year because Christmas falls on a Saturday, leaving one less weekend to generate sales. Since the recession officially ended in June 2009, merchants have been trying to discern how shopping behavior has changed. One shift is clear: Deals drive traffic.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Black Friday Could Be Grey This Year
As many prepare for the chaos of which Black Friday entails, others will be unable to participate in this years post Thanksgiving tradition, due to the economic recession we are still currently facing. The following news clip will explain in depth as to why sales may not be as high for retail stores as many would like. Polls are also included to support this video clip.
Breaking Barriers
BREAKING BARRIERS
Conversations of A Classroom
For many students at Eastern Michigan University, African-American Literature serves as one less general education requirement to be completed. While for others, this course is taken out of a genuine interest, or curiosity, about life from a black perspective.
Whatever the students reasons maybe, one thing remains certain, Professor Heather Neff is the teacher they want to instruct the course.
“She embodies what a college professor should be,” says EMU Senior, Orlando Bailey.
The teacher, the novelist, and the poet are only a few of the titles Neff associates herself with since her arrival at EMU in 1993. The proud recipient of numerous teaching awards such as the Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the university’s highest instructional honor.
“I truly believe that I was born to teach. I love interacting with students and sharing the material that has deeply influenced my life. I believe that everything I teach has the capacity to improve my students’ lives, as well,” says Neff.
The course itself introduces students to the study of African American literature, thought and cultural practices through an examination of the oral traditional, texts, music and visual arts of African Americans and other peoples of the African diaspora. Readings include oral narratives, fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography, political treatises and essays from 1619 to the present.
“My role is to serve as a literature teacher, a historian, a sociologist and, sometimes, a psychologist. I try very hard to read as much about American culture as possible and to pay contining attention to the news. African-American literature is a fascinating evolving and highly inspiring genre of American writing. I try to impart my deep pleasure in my field to my students,” says Neff.
“When I first took the class a year ago I was a little intimidated by her but in a good way. I saw how strong of a woman she was and how intelligent she was and that made me want to get to know her better. When I started going to her office hours, she made me feel like I could anything I wanted and got me involved with Honors College and the McNair program so that I could reach my full potential at EMU,” says junior, Courtney Williams.
Williams who is now a supplemental instructor for Neff’s course hosts two study sessions a week for current students taking the professors class.
“What most impresses me is that she is very tough in (her) lecture(s) because she knows that the only (way) to reach certain students is to break down all other preconceived notions that they have. She goes through the course giving students background information so that they understand the history behind the literature they are supposed to read,” Williams went on to say.
“ I now have a more deeper appreciation for African-American Literature as a genre now because of Neff’s couse, in retrospect her class really put things in perspective for me,” said Bailey.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Life With Social Media
LIFE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
If college students of today are considered to be tomorrow’s leaders, then social media is the nucleus of future communication, as can be shown within the film, “The Social Network.”
The movie depicts the story of how the social networking website, Facebook, was created and developed, as it profiles the creator, Mark Zuckerberg during his days spent as a socially awkward computer prodigy at Harvard University. Much like the film, the site has drawn critical acclaim over the course of its release, thus, giving birth to a whole new regime in regards to social networking.
“Social networks have become part of the fabric in today’s society, where the majority of Gen X and Gen Y say check the Facebook before they get out of bed in the morning. With the amount of time spent on social networks, the logical follow is that companies, politicians and others will follow,” says Social Media Director, Tonja Deegan for Airfoil Public Relations.
According to two Pew Internet Project surveys of teens and adults reveal a decline in blogging among teens and young adults and a modest rise among 30 and older. In 2006, 28 percent of teens ages 12-17 and young adults ages 18-29 were bloggers, but by 2009 the numbers had dropped to 14 percent of teens and 15 percent of young adults. During the same period, the percentage of online adults over thirty who were bloggers rose from 7 percent blogging in 2006 to 11 percent in 2009.
“Social networking has allowed me to connect and meet people that I wouldn’t have in real life. It really becomes a global village and helps change your world view,” Deegan went on to say.
New survey results also show that among adults 18 and older, Facebook has taken over as the social network of choice, 73 percent of adult profile owners use Facebook, 48 percent have a profile on Myspace and 14 percent use LinkedIn.
Secretary of the NAACP organization, Porschia Harris, of Eastern Michigan University commented on the matter by saying that, “Facebook enables the people who want to attend an event that are organization is currently offering, a permanent place to view such information, a recent event was the “Battle of the Classes” basketball game. The event was held last Thursday in the REC/IM building on Eastern Michigan’s campus.
“Social media has altered the way we find, share and digest news and information. Social media is just a communications tool, and its use will be monitored and subject to criticism just as mobile phones and the amount of TV watched are debated,” said Deegan.
If college students of today are considered to be tomorrow’s leaders, then social media is the nucleus of future communication, as can be shown within the film, “The Social Network.”
The movie depicts the story of how the social networking website, Facebook, was created and developed, as it profiles the creator, Mark Zuckerberg during his days spent as a socially awkward computer prodigy at Harvard University. Much like the film, the site has drawn critical acclaim over the course of its release, thus, giving birth to a whole new regime in regards to social networking.
“Social networks have become part of the fabric in today’s society, where the majority of Gen X and Gen Y say check the Facebook before they get out of bed in the morning. With the amount of time spent on social networks, the logical follow is that companies, politicians and others will follow,” says Social Media Director, Tonja Deegan for Airfoil Public Relations.
According to two Pew Internet Project surveys of teens and adults reveal a decline in blogging among teens and young adults and a modest rise among 30 and older. In 2006, 28 percent of teens ages 12-17 and young adults ages 18-29 were bloggers, but by 2009 the numbers had dropped to 14 percent of teens and 15 percent of young adults. During the same period, the percentage of online adults over thirty who were bloggers rose from 7 percent blogging in 2006 to 11 percent in 2009.
“Social networking has allowed me to connect and meet people that I wouldn’t have in real life. It really becomes a global village and helps change your world view,” Deegan went on to say.
New survey results also show that among adults 18 and older, Facebook has taken over as the social network of choice, 73 percent of adult profile owners use Facebook, 48 percent have a profile on Myspace and 14 percent use LinkedIn.
Secretary of the NAACP organization, Porschia Harris, of Eastern Michigan University commented on the matter by saying that, “Facebook enables the people who want to attend an event that are organization is currently offering, a permanent place to view such information, a recent event was the “Battle of the Classes” basketball game. The event was held last Thursday in the REC/IM building on Eastern Michigan’s campus.
“Social media has altered the way we find, share and digest news and information. Social media is just a communications tool, and its use will be monitored and subject to criticism just as mobile phones and the amount of TV watched are debated,” said Deegan.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Gateway to Membership
THE GATEWAY TO MEMBERSHIP
You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies, or so it would seem as depicted in the film, “The Social Network.” The movie conveys the tale of how Facebook was conceived and developed, as it chronicles the creator, Mark Zuckerberg during his days at Harvard, portraying him as a socially awkward computer prodigy. Through a recipe of 1 part idea-borrowing and 200 parts genius, he launches a service available only to his classmates. As the movie progresses, so does the site along with its members and its value, henceforth, creating a whole new regime in regards to social networking; opening doors online for millions.
Among these millions consists of thousands of student organizations who utilize Facebook to selectively share information with a targeted audience. The NAACP and Public Relations Student Society of America, or P.R.S.S.A of Eastern Michigan University is among those student orgs.
“Utilizing social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Skype is vital to the longevity and success of any student organization, not just ours in particular, and for those who choose not to utilize such websites, probably won’t be around for too long,” says EMU junior Deondra Powers.
There are over 275 student organizations registered at Eastern Michigan, with an estimated 23,503 students in attendance.
“Students will never know of the opportunities that campus organizations can give them if we don’t use the technology accessible to us,” says Brittany Maeir, the senior President of the PRSSA organization.
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