Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2014, Page 62

Description:	The strings of white lightsadorning the Courthousewere first illuminated at theCanopy of Lights celebrationon November 27.COURTHOUSEBusinesses decoratedthe fences lining thestreets of CourthouseSquare with greeneryand bright red ribbons.& AtMeet senior Charlene Sapal,Black Friday shopper extraordinaire.This was it — the moment the crowd ofshoppers had been waiting for.Victorias Secret was about to open itsdoors on the most important shoppingday of the year: November 29, alsoknown as Black Friday. There were justa few tense seconds left, and then - atlong last - the gates went up with aloud rattle. Suddenly, the crazedshoppers exploded with sound andmovement, clapping and screaming asthey poured into the store. SeniorCharlene Sapal was in the thick of thecrowd, fending for herself, when afellow shopper pushed her into a rackof clothes. Though initially shaken,Sapal reclaimed her balance — andher good humor. I just laughed, shesaid. Still, Black Friday had managedUN SQUARE WALNFountain Square Mall ushered in ^^4the holiday season with severalChristmas trees, colorfuldecorations and a visit fromSanta Claus himself.While snow was covering thestreets of Bloomington, a bitof extra flair found its way tothis street marker on the edgeof Walnut Street.UT STREETyiLri ijSOMAA local cafe, Soma,advertised warm holidaydrinks when the winterweather was at its worst.Its [black] f riday,to rattle Souths most dedicated ofshoppers; even in Bloomingtons ownCollege Mall, shoppers verged onviolence.Despite the close call, Sapalwould let nothing get in the way of herBlack Friday experience, an annualexcursion that she did not undertakelightly. This is not a game. This is reallife, Sapal said.As an avid shopper, Sapalbelieved the deals were definitelyworth the commotion, and she greatlyvalued Black Friday - even if itrequired her to get up as early as 6a.m. Why else would I get up in themorning? she asked.Having learned a few tricks fromher many years of Black Fridayshopping, Sapal was willing to sharesome tips: Be assertive when in line —dont let people cut you; find yourdeals quickly; bring a snack while inline; and have someone wait in linewhile you are shopping.On the flip side, senior EvaMarsh worked at the mall for sevenhours straight on Black Friday. Whileshe avoided the type of confrontationthat befell Sapal, she did see evenmore worrisome signs of shoppingmadness. People wore J-Lo track suitsso they could literally sprint from storeto store, Marsh said. And even worse:We were playing music from Mulan[in the store], and not one personstopped to sing — an obvious indicatorof crazy people.Snowflakes lit up thestreet corners ofdowntown Bloomingtonall evening during theithe gooddoctorThese Whovians dressed as characters from BBCs Doctor Who inhonor of the shows 50th anniversary special on November 23.SOPHOMORE CATHERINE MAY (dressed as a Dalek)Favorite Doctor: David Tennant (10)Favorite companion: Rose TylerTime devoted to show: Many, many hours (multipleweeks) per month to watch the showWhy do you like Doctor Who? I like it becausethere arent any other shows like itSOPHOMORE SOPHIA HOFFMAN (Dalek)Time devoted to the show: At least(collectively) 3 monthsFavorite catchphrase: Allons-y!Why do you like Doctor Who? It has greatplots, casting, and concepts, but it can alsogive quality bits of knowledgeAnything to add? Run62 I ACCELERATIONJUNIOR KATHRYN BRINSER (TARDIS)Favorite Doctor: David TennantFavorite companion: Rose TylerTime devoted to show: Ive seen all of thenew seasons (since 2005).One word to describe it: Fantastic!Why do you like Doctor Who: It reallymakes you think because it can getconfusing, but its very clever. It has a greatmix of humor and drama.What did you do to celebrate the 50thanniversary special? I wasnt able to watchwhen it was on because I was at aconference in Indianapolis, but I did wear myTARDIS dress that day!
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/9168
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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