Walmart: Early Black Friday?

Trying out something new this year, Walmart is giving you a new Thanksgiving night option: you can go shopping all night long. Yes on Thanksgiving night! Now thanks to Walmart, after stuffing your face with turkey and grandma's sweet potato pie, you can get ready for Christmas before Thanksgiving is even officially over.

Traditionally 'Black Friday' is sanctioned for the Friday after Thanksgiving, when mobs of shoppers form outside of stores in the wee-hours of the morning to get ridiculous deals on merchandise for early Christmas gifts. But this year in hopes of eliminating crazy mob scenes and crowd mayhem, including last Christmas when a Walmart worker was trampled by shoppers, most Walmart stores will be allowing you to come in Thursday night to shop early. But before you get too excited, keep in mind that the actual "Black Friday deals" won't go into affect until 5 a.m. Friday morning, so be prepared to hang around for the sales; you might want to bring a turkey sandwich!

So the question is will you adopting this new concept? Or will you be cutting another slice of pie and sit back in the couch?

Fresh Face Generation Artist

Who? Alex Mitchell

Age? 20 years old; May 7, 1988

Located? University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Major? Communications: Mass Media with a minor in Art: Illustration


A little about Alex: 
   Originally from Portland, Oregon Ms. Mitchell is no stranger to painting and sketching. Though she did not begin taking actual art classes until college she tells Generation You that she always had a knack for expressing herself through art ever since she was in the third grade. She says, "As long as I had a pen or pencil and some paper I was happy."

   This weekend Mitchell entered into her first art showcase competition, the CAB Student Art Showcase on the UNC at Charlotte campus, entering three originally pieces; a sketch, a drawing in ink, and a painting. On the night of the results Mitchell sat anxiously waiting as the judges began to announce the winners for third place, second place, and then for first place. Mitchell's sketch "French Does It Better," a sketch that she drew in 4 hours with an ink-pen of a pair of luscious lips in the act of passionately kissing, took first place. After receiving her certificate and prizes, Generation You was able to pull her away from the excitement to ask her if she would be entering into anymore contests and with a giggle she said, "Oh yes, most definitely."

    Mitchell plans on furthering her art career by selling her artwork, which I (Ashlei Elise) have personally purchased several of her original paintings, and then hopefully leading it up to designing tattoos and eventually owning her own tattoo shop and art gallery. Two thumbs goes up for Generation You's 'Fresh Face Generation Artist' Alex Mitchell.
    If you would like to know how to get in touch with Alex Mitchell for any artwork email us at GenerationYou@hotmail.com


*photo: Generation You sources

Generation You writer Ashlei Elise

It’s Turkey Time!!

    Once again we have rolled around to that part of the year where it is generally accepted to eat to your heart's content and gain a net total of a million pounds in one day. November, the month that begins the societal thought-process of "giving thanks" and "family," is turkey month; the month of Thanksgiving.
    Usually for Thanksgiving I spend my time at home in Fayetteville with my family, but this year – seeing how I'm now in college – I will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia with my housemate to experience Thanksgiving with her family. I'm excited to see her family's traditions and how they differ from mine, and of course I'm extremely looking forward to the food!!
    What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Email us at GenerationYou@hotmail.com telling us your name and age, and what you'll be doing this year on Thanksgiving day.


*photo: http://www.guy-sports.com/fun_pictures/turkey_glitter.jpg
Generation You writer Ashlei Elise

Tragedy Hits Home.

Credit: Contributed Photo

 

    It is sad to hear when individuals die today, but it exceptionally harder to digest when it's an entire family who lived only minutes away from your home and right down the street from the high school that you attended. Though Generation You did not know the Maxwell family personally, I have many friends who did and were affected by this lost. Therefore my first Top News article will be dedicated to this horrible and unthinkable tragedy that fell upon this family. My prayers go out to the families, friends, the Fayetteville community, and everyone else who is in mourning; R.I.P the Maxwell Family.

     Monday night Billy Maxwell Jr., 47, shot and killed his wife, Kathryn, 43, and their two children, 17-year-old Connor and 15-year-old Cameron, and then himself in their home. Authorities have not disclosed any knowledge as to what might have driven Maxwell to kill his family and then himself that night. Friends are boggled describing the Maxwells to be good neighbors and active churchgoers. Billy Maxwell was a deacon at the local Snyder Memorial Baptist church while his wife often taught Sunday school.

    Both the children, Connor and Cameron, attended Village Christian Academy. Connor was a senior, active in the church choir and a varsity cheerleader; friends tell Generation You that "she was excited about applying for college…she couldn't wait." Caroline Harrison, a childhood friend to Connor, also told Generation You, "She was one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She was always working hard to help others…She will be greatly missed." Cameron was a freshman and would have been playing in this upcoming Junior Varsity Basketball team that Billy Maxwell helped coach for.

     Students at the school gathered to remember the Connor and Cameron Tuesday, sharing stories about the teens. William Warren, the principal at Village Christian Academy, said that Mr. Maxwell was excited about the upcoming basketball season. "Billy Maxwell was an inspiration to our young people as one of our basketball coaches," the school said in a statement. Later Tuesday night hundreds of people came to Snyder Memorial Baptist church in a candlelight ceremony to remember the Maxwell family. During the very emotional service, which was held only one day after the family's deaths, Alexa Copenhaver and Libby Rose, two teenagers, shared heartfelt memories of growing up with Connor and Cameron.

    It is unfortunate to lose someone from within our own Generation. In the words from the song of the late Michael Jackson, "Gone too soon." Connor and Cameron, along with the Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell will forever be in the hearts and memories of those lives that they touched along the way. Generation You will continue to follow this story, and once we get it so will YOU. Why? Because: It's made by you. It's for you. It's Generation You. Also if you are on Facebook, several groups have been made to pay tribute to Connor and Cameron and the Maxwell family. If you would like to join the groups to leave a comment of your own memories of the family you can find the group by following these links. "R.I.P. Maxwell Family" http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=203106113641&ref=ts created by S. Hobgood, and "Memories with Connor" http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=171317093657&ref=ts created by J. Saburro.

If you have any concerns, comments, or feedback about this story or about Generation You please send us an email at GenerationYou@hotmail.com and we would greatly appreciate it.

Generation You writer Ashlei Elise