![Sophomore Lily Bell posing as a player in the senior assassin game. Seniors participating in the game eliminate others by squirting them with a water gun, and can wear goggles for immunity against others. “People did have to go out and buy [water] guns, but most people have the googles at home, but you don’t even have to use a gun, you can use water of any sort,” senior Gwyn Christensen said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-1-1-900x1200.jpg)
![The shadows against a captivating blue are a nod to the “Catch Me If You Can” musical poster, both for this performance and the blue from the Broadway show. The detectives in this scene are at shooting practice, in preparation for when they finally encounter Frank Abagnale Jr. “We always say our motto is ‘theater is a team sport,’ and really just emphasizing to our students that everyone is welcome in the drama department. There's always a role for you, whether or not, on stage or behind the scenes, in the costume shop, in the scene shop. [There are] all sorts of different things that go into bringing a show to life. So we love our drama hawks and welcome everyone to drama,” Drama Director Mollie Jo Blahunka said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/cmiyc-1200x800.jpg)
![Henry, Emily (2021). People we meet on vacation [Book cover]. Berkley Books. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review. Haley, Brett (2026). People we meet on vacation [Movie poster]. Movie poster courtesy of 3000 Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment. Made by Adilyn Hoop using Canva.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/vacay1.png)
![Lockhart, E. (2025). We fell apart [Book cover]. Delacorte Press. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review. The newest book in the “We were liars” collection was released Nov. 4.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/wefell1.png)
![A Group of PEOPEL PE students and helpers set up an obstacle course during class. The “Amazing Race” unit had started in PEOPEL PE where the students and helpers got to compete in a variety of different activities and games. “We try our best to make [inclusion] a school-wide event, but it's just so much more different when you actually engage with the students hands-on and actually get to know them as people.” Sophomore Bree Christensen said. Photo Taken by Ada McNulty.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-12-1200x900.jpg)
Black Friday tips, tricks
Are you braving the crowds for tomorrow’s (Nov. 26) deals?
The huge Black Friday crowds and disputes over deals created a headache for the police, who worked longer shifts than usual as they dealt with traffic jams, accidents, shoplifting, and other issues. The phrase Black Friday originated in Philadelphia back in the 1960s which was coined due to the chaos that tends to come along with the deals. Now Black Friday is known as a day for scrambling for good holiday gift deals and cheap discounts (and the door deals).
November 25, 2021
The day after Thanksgiving is often referred to as “Black Friday.” Britannica states that the use of the name dates back to the early 1960s when police officers in Philadelphia began using the phrase “Black Friday” to describe the chaos that resulted when large numbers of suburban tourists came into the city to begin their holiday shopping, and, in some years, attend Saturday’s annual Army-Navy football game.
Some people stay home to avoid the long lines, the fights over merchandise, and the crowds. Some people may prefer the comfort of their own home to attempt to grab online deals on Cyber Monday, which was created by retailers to encourage people to shop online. Britannica also states that Cyber Monday was coined by Ellen Davis and Scott Silverman of the National Retail Federation and made its debut on Nov. 28, 2005. However, the increase of scalpers (individuals who attempt to purchase mass amounts of highly demanded items online with auto-clicking bots) will lead this year’s Cyber Monday to be left without some of this year’s most anticipated products, such as Xbox’s and Playstation’s newest consoles, and Computer graphic cards such as the RTX 3090.
When it comes down to gratification for getting out of the house to go shopping in real life (IRL), there are a lot of things that can go wrong. When going out to grab all the best Black Friday deals, there are sets of tips that have proven helpful to follow when getting discounts.
Here are my top picks that have been most effective in the last two years of Black Friday shopping:
-Make a budget and stick to it. I know it’s hard to resist the temptation of overspending when there is that one item you feel like you cannot live without, but it is good to monitor and manage your money.
-Check deals online to make sure you have enough for what you intend to purchase.
-Go as early as you can if you want the best items before everyone else, people will still be sleepy from a big Thanksgiving dinner, so sleep will be first on their list of priorities.
-If another customer is ready to argue or fight over the last item, let them have it. It is not worth a fight for some materialistic object.
-Go shopping in groups. It is important to have a friend or two to back you up when swarming those highly desired items.
-Make sure to have a phone with you (fully charged) because crowds often swarm stores, leaving a high risk of losing your fellow companions.
-Make the stores with your most desired items first priority. People will not wait for you to get there, so if there is a store with something you have been waiting for, make sure to go straight for it.
-Use loyalty programs when shopping for those deals. Best Buy has a free membership program, which can lead you to save even more.
-Make sure to stay hydrated. In the rush of going from place to place, you can lose track of the time and of how much water you drink. It is always good to keep hydrated to make sure that you avoid fainting or gaining unwanted headaches.
Obviously, everyone’s top priority is to have fun with the experience, but safety comes first. I hope that these tips will help you have a better experience with Black Friday shopping.
Happy shopping!
![Sophomore Lily Bell posing as a player in the senior assassin game. Seniors participating in the game eliminate others by squirting them with a water gun, and can wear goggles for immunity against others. “People did have to go out and buy [water] guns, but most people have the googles at home, but you don’t even have to use a gun, you can use water of any sort,” senior Gwyn Christensen said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-1-1-225x300.jpg)
