DECEMBER 2, 2019 HAVE AN OPINION? Email us your thoughts 10 PERSPECTIVE [email protected] EDITORIAL Operation Black Friday: Death Con 2019 It’s that time of the year again: of the holiday. If anything, gift battling people at Target over giving should be more valuable the latest electronic to make than receiving a gift. sure you receive the love you’re These holidays should be fo- dying for from that certain fam- cused on coming together with ily member. families, having fun and laugh- While the term Black Fri- ing as you relive memorable day showed up in 1951 talking moments. Rather than spending about workers calling in sick the time with your family after eat- day after Thanksgiving, it didn’t ing on Thanksgiving, many peo- start to gain traction until the ple end up leaving just to wait in 1980s. lines for early sales. Throughout the years many Every year, people demolish have become more focused on stores across the world. Crazed purchasing gifts, or tackling by the Black Friday hype, peo- others in line, for items on sale ple go as far as camping outside during the holidays. These hol- stores, aggressively pushing and idays like Thanksgiving, Christ- shoving, cutting through lines mas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are and getting into fights—but meant to be times spent with over what? family and to cherish what we Viral videos surface each year have around us. showing people fighting for While Thanksgiving does things like the bigger and better seem like day to just pig out on TVs, game consoles and elec- a smörgåsbord of food, it is a tronics. One of the most viral day to reflect on what we have videos happened last year when in our lives, and to share tradi- a Victoria’s Secret employee was tions with our families. Sitting preparing and waiting to survive around with your family or close the experience of working Black friends and going around the Friday but was not prepared for table to tell everyone what you people to push and shove each are thankful for is the whole gist other for fleece hoodies that of the holiday. Next to stuffing were on sale. Although the price your face with turkey and cran- of the hoodies was a good deal, berry sauce. $95 to $35, people grabbed While the December holidays whatever they could grab, not may be portrayed as holidays caring that they were terrorizing ZOE PEREZ | FOGHORN NEWS where gifts are given to others, the employee, who had to jump Friday, there are no boundaries. chance at a good deal? I mean most likely be the same: people many seem to have taken ad- on to the display to avoid get- People think it’s life or death if what are you going to do with throwing fits, threatening peo- vantage of that opportunity as ting trampled over. they cannot get their hands on three pots, re-sell them for a ple, yelling, kicking and scream- it is all they looked forward to Is it really necessary to act that InstaPot that is for half price much higher price than you got ing for that Lego set to make now. Yes, getting excited about like wild animals on Black Fri- from the original. But is it neces- them for? their child happy for a few days receiving gifts is normal, but it day? Is it worth getting hurt sary to grab three of those, not There is no telling how Black before they ask for something should not be the main focus over? When it comes to Black allowing other people to have a Friday will be this year, but it will else. FAREWELLCOLUMNS

personally going through things. Have faith, I have started an adulting column with the Foghorn where I simply encourage and Finding myself while helping give advice to college students, specifically trust and don’t through my own experiences and others. I also had a faith column that I have strug- others along the way gled with as I was honestly dealing with my It has been an incredible experience to give up own problems with having faith. write about the multiple students, faculty, Everyone has their own life with differ- and events that take place here at Del Mar ent obstacles, and we are not alone in this College. journey. It’s exhausting working and going Being a part of the Foghorn has given me to school. It’s exhausting going through life many opportunities to not just learn more while going to college. As college students, ANNALISA about myself but learn about the amazing most of us are working one or two jobs. PERALES people that put this paper together. This SAM We could be parents that have sacrificed aperales@ paper would not be possible without the GUTIERREZ for their children and are finally going to get foghornnews.com hardworking team behind it. sgutierrez@ that degree to better support our families. Everyone behind the publication made foghornnews.com We could be someone that is dealing with my experience here fun and memorable, having to provide for themselves and strug- As my chapter at Del Mar and the Fog- as everyone helps each other with any is- gle with being able to even afford college, horn is close to its end, I can’t help but feel sue they have and silly jokes during press My time with the Foghorn News has even if you are living with your parents. a mixture of sadness and gratitude. nights are made as we put the paper to- come to an end. It was a learning experi- I want to encourage you (whoever is out When first starting at Del Mar I had gether. ence working for this publication. there wanting to give up) to keep going been one of the many new students who I cannot express how grateful I am to There were many challenges that I faced and don’t stop going forward. Perhaps a were nervous and lost. have had our advisers, from dealing with pushing myself to being little break won’t hurt, but don’t lose the de- Throughout most of my Scott Beckett and Robert more out there to learning what is more termination of achieving your goals. Some- life, I was always shy and Muilenburg, at our side as important. I have my very own experience times, it is OK to rest. scared to be around other Throughout they help us put the pub- here at Del Mar College that I will never College can be really exhausting and people as well as talk to most of my life, lication together and give forget, and I want to leave with encourage- drowning to who you are as a person. Don’t them. feedback and encourage- ment. let college affect who you are as a person While attending I had I was always shy ment to help us become But first, I want to thank my advisers Rob- negatively. If you feel like it is affecting your met many influential stu- better journalists. ert Muilenberg, for being the goofy person life that way, take a break because continu- dents and professors and and scared to I would also like to that he is and making this experience en- ing with that mind set will only destroy your made many friends along be around other thank my amazing fellow joyable and teaching me everything that I joy of achieving your goals. the way, which helped editors, Sam Gutierrez and need to know, along with Scott Beckett. It has been a constant battle between me come out of my shell people. John Oliva, for helping me I am very grateful to have been able to having faith and trusting in God, but I have more. But I believe that throughout the year with get to know a lot of people through this always held on to that tiny little fire that after joining the Foghorn stories and designing and experience and I will forever cherish every kept me from giving up completely. I still last November, I have truly making me feel like a part moment with John Oliva, Annalisa Perales worshiped God in my own little way. grown as a journalist and as a student. of the team. and of course Charlie Blalock. Don’t beat yourself up for wanting to rest Writing has always been a passion of If you love writing, taking photos or For those that don’t know me, I am a wor- or when things don’t happen the way that mine, and becoming not only a reporter drawing I would encourage you to join the ship leader at my home church in Rockport, you want it to or when you want it to. God but a news editor had given me the chance Foghorn, because in the end you won’t re- the Rock Church. There, I minister to people has all the plans for us. God knows who we to do what I love as well as learn about gret it. through music. God uses my voice and my- are and where we are going, we must trust many of the great students and programs Peace out peanut butter and chocolate self to minister to people, even when I am and have faith in that. here. lovers.

QUESTION: DO YOU THINK THE HOLIDAYS ARE MORE ABOUT SHOPPING THAN FAMILY TIME?

“I think the holidays are more about “I think it’s a mix but mostly family, “I grew up with my beliefs that “I do think that recently people family, personally, because you as a lot of people have family in family time is more appreciated have been more caring about what don’t know if it’s the last time you different places and take the time than getting gifts for each other. they are getting other people, and get to celebrate it with them. ” they have to go visit them. ” Spending time with family and how that image affects them. ” — Sharon Martinez, — Sarah Gonzalez, friends is a better opportunity to — Nicole Ramos, psychology liberal arts make memories together. ” math — Samson Garibay, process technology