The buzz is up about which stores will be opening on Thanksgiving Day and what their hours will be for the two-day shopping extravaganza. Ad magazines have begun to pour into households, showcasing the mega savings shoppers can get.

Should stores return Black Friday shopping to its rightful place: Friday? During the past couple of years, stores have slowly pushed Black Friday shopping earlier and earlier, leaving many workers upset. Some major retailers are open as early as 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. This provides more time for people to shop, but the longer hours cut short Thanksgiving festivities for thousands of employees who are required to work on Thanksgiving Day.

Megan Manteaw, sophomore in pre-business, will work this Thanksgiving Day at a retail store in North Grand Mall. She has been working in retail the past three years at various stores and has worked every single Black Friday. This year, she is required to work on Thanksgiving Day. Luckily, she got to choose her hours for both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

“It was so hectic, and everyone was running around and getting upset with the workers,” Manteaw said when reflecting on past Black Fridays.

Manteaw hopes to be able to come home for an hour or two to spend some time with her family. 

“I didn’t get to spend anytime with my family, and by the time I finally got home, all I wanted to do was sleep,” Manteaw said of past experiences.

Manteaw is one of many ISU students who will spend part of their Thanksgiving Day working in the retail industry.

Many stores have not yet revealed their hours for this year’s Black Friday event, and there is controversy about which stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day. Nordstrom, Costco, Van Maur, TJ Maxx and Barnes and Noble are among the stores that plan to remain closed throughout Thanksgiving Day.

Employees around the country are protesting working on Thanksgiving Day. Stores that will opening on Thanksgiving Day include major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Macy’s, Old Navy and a few others.

There is a Facebook page dedicated to the controversy titled “Boycott Shopping on Thanksgiving Day.” The about section states, “Stop retailers from opening on Thanksgiving Day, plucking employees form their Thanksgiving Celebration.” The page has more than 12,000 likes. There have also been several petitions on Change.org to urge certain retailers to keep their doors closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Whether choosing to shop on Thanksgiving Day, remember that employees are cutting their Thanksgiving Day celebrations short to serve the nation’s obsession with shopping. Lines will be long regardless the time shoppers hit the stores, but try to remain patient throughout the experience and appreciate the people spending their holiday working.

Danielle Retallick, junior in kinesiology and health, will shop on Black Friday this year with her boyfriend and his dad.

“I like to people watch, so that’s the fun part for me about any holiday shopping,” Retallick said. “I think that stores can do what they want and make money how they want, but I don’t think that employees should be forced to work on holidays — it should definitely be optional.”