ORIGINALLY WRITTEN SCOTT NUSS
First, I can’t believe it’s time to be talking about Christmas. It seems like just a couple weeks ago that I moved into my dorm here at Pratt and now it’s just a week and a day until I move out for the Christmas Break.
The Christmas season never ceases to confuse me. I have a lot of questions that seem to usually go unaddressed.
For instance, what is it that makes the day after Thanksgiving such an amazing shopping day? I know most of it has to do with the fact that most people have the day off, so they take advantage of it to go do some early Christmas shopping.
But why do stores all the sudden decide to have huge blow-out sales on this day? It’s definitely a way to get people into their stores to spend money.
While I might go take advantage of a big sale or something every now and then, I don’t think I’d line up hours before a store opens on the Friday after Thanksgiving just to save a few bucks on the newest toy.
In some places, you’ll get stampeded when you open the doors. I think it’s time we stop focusing so much on road rage and maybe concentrate a little more on shopping rage.
Whatever happened to the tradition of putting up Christmas lights on Thanksgiving weekend? A few places around here have had Christmas lights up for weeks already.
The college is no different. I walked into the main building the other day and felt like I was in an evergreen forest. We have no fewer than 20 trees and 15 or so wreaths hanging up in our commons area and numerous trees elsewhere.
The whole campus has run amuck with lights. I guess I don’t know what I’m complaining about. I’m not the one paying the electric bill, so I guess I really have no right to be opening my mouth.
I could mention another bone I’d like to pick concerning the status of Santa Clause, but since my parents, grandparents and other relatives who might give me stuff for Christmas might be reading this, I think I’ll pass on that one.
An interesting idea was brought up the other day. A teacher was talking about having to put up a nativity scene at his church when he got to thinking, why doesn’t somebody come out with an all-season nativity scene?
I’ll admit the idea might seem a little sacrilegious, but it’d be interesting. You could have the traditional scene at Christmas time, put party hats on the wise men on New Year’s Day, Joseph could give Mary roses on Valentines Day, the scene could be transformed into a feast scene on Thanksgiving.
Why can’t the wise men and shepherds celebrate the other occasions? I’m not sure if I support this idea or not, but it’d definitely be interesting.
I think a few more things need to be addressed. These, however, are not related to Christmas.
First, is it just me or have cell phones gone way too far? Now they’re making camera phones, phones that double as mp3 players and just about anything else you could ask for.
I don’t own a camera phone and my life is just fine. I really don’t intend to own a camera phone either.
I attended a basketball coaches/officials rules meeting put on by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, and the camera-phone topic came up.
Apparently, other states have already had cases of athletes taking camera phones in locker rooms and taking pictures, then putting them on the Internet.
I know people in the telecommunications industry will do anything to earn a buck or two, but I think camera phones went a bit too far.
Well, even though it doesn’t seem right, the next column I write will be the first column written from Hillsboro in five months. Finals week will be over, our women’s basketball team has a decent shot at being 14-0 (we’re 11-0 right now), HHS basketball and wrestling will be well under way, Christmas will be over, and K-State will have played in its bowl game.
Good luck to all athletes and have a great Christmas season and a great new year!
