This weekend retailers across the United States will see millions of shoppers trying to find the best deal for Black Friday, which is traditionally the day after Thanksgiving.
Nutritional science sophomore Xinran Bian is a Chinese international student and she said she is not going back to her home country this weekend. Bian said there is not enough time for her to go home, but she is still planning on traveling.
“I’m leaving to New York, my aunt is in New York, so I’m going to visit my cousins,” Bian said.
Computer science junior Tao Tao is also not going back home to China because the break is short and only lasts a few days, he said.
“The holidays seem so short and during that time my friends and parents work,” Tao said.
Even winter break is a challenge for Tao to make a trip back home, he said. While Tao is on campus this Thanksgiving break, he does plan to do a few things, including possibly Black Fridayshopping.
“Maybe do my homework, maybe shopping for the Black Friday, rest, sleeping maybe, cooking by myself, meet some of my friends and have a big dinner,” Tao said.
MSU's Office for International Students and Scholars, or OISS, is partnering with Tanger Outlets in Howell to provide international students who remain on campus a chance to shop during the long weekend.
International student adviser and community outreach coordinator at the OISS Joy Shantz said this is the first year they are offering an event like such.
“We actually were approached by Tanger Outlet management, and they were interested in reaching out to international students,” Shantz said in an email. “We decided together that Thanksgiving would be a great time to have an event that offers especially students who don’t have transportation a chance to get off campus and do something fun over the otherwise quiet long weekend.”
Shantz said this event offers international students an opportunity to experience American cultural traditions of Black Friday shopping.
“Events like this give international students a chance to experience various American cultural traditions – in this instance, shopping on Thanksgiving weekend,” Shantz said. “Many of our students don’t have cars, so getting to the Tanger Outlet mall is complicated, Tanger is providing transportation via buses."
Tanger will also be providing the students with goodie bags for participating in the shopping, Shantz said.
“Tanger Outlets reached out to us, so it was their initiative and idea,” Shantz said.
The shopping outing will take place Saturday. More information about the trip can be found here.
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