Somehow, in the course of the last decade, Thanksgiving has markedly changed. In contrast with the long, tranquil Thanksgiving weekends of years past spent with friends and family, this year we are ready to embrace an emerging, but super fun and trendy new activity: Black Thursday.

Yes, the emergence of Cyber Monday was all the rage only a few years ago, but as poor college students and often employees of those big box stores, we could not be more excited about Black Thursday. Instead of embracing the darkness of the back of our eyelids during a food coma and watching football with our families, we are quite thrilled to feel the pounding footsteps of thousands of overjoyed shoppers looking for the very best deals as stores will open on Thursday night.

Since almost all papers are due the day before Thanksgiving break, we feel liberated by our privilege to help people buy more stuff they do not need. Indeed, Black Thursday is an affirming aspect of our beautiful American culture, which never indulges in excessive spending and buying.

There is nothing better than racing to get the last Playstation Four or jumping out of the way as the crowd floods in to seize the day (and the great deals). We feel much more fulfilled when we are helping someone purchase an iPad for their 13-year-old daughter than when we are enjoying the presence of the friends and family we see so rarely.

After all, holidays are centered around the material, not the intangible, right?