Holiday Gift Guide

While the stores may continue to be packed with shoppers this holiday season, most consumers are planning on spending less money on gifts and entertainment compared with 2007. "I still think people will spend money on gifts, but they'll go to different stores to save money," said Joanna Bienias, sophomore in LAS.

Although the holiday shopping season has officially begun, some may find it important to step back and reflect on the generosity that is the spirit of the season.

Students do not have to wait until they get home to act in the spirit of giving, however. Many different charitable groups exist on campus and need student help.

First, who must you buy presents for? If you have a special someone, they get a Christmas present. If you are planning on visiting them over vacation because you just cannot live that long without looking into their beautiful eyes; their family gets a present too.

Celebrating the holidays away from home is easy in Champaign-Urbana. Here are some ways to start off holiday festivities early. The Nutcracker at the Krannert Center Tryon Festival Theatre The Champaign-Urbana Ballet performs Dec. 5 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, 7 2, 7:30 p.

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the first few flakes are starting to hit the ground, local retail stores are getting in gear for the holiday rush.

"Most of our DVDs and CDs will be on sale," said Jeff Brandt, owner of Exile on Main, 1 E. Main St., Champaign.

This is the holiday gift guide, so I'd like to take this opportunity give my fellow readers a gift: the gift of truth. From time to time I do tell it, and on special occasion I'll dispense some of it.

Thanksgiving is the best holiday of them all, no questions asked.

You know how I know Hanukkah is coming? I hear Christmas music everywhere I go. I'm in a cab and "Jingle Bell Rock" is blasting at me from crackling, blown-out speakers. "White Christmas" is playing on half of the radio stations in Chicago. My friends are shamelessly singing Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You.

Natten g†r tunga fj„t, runt g†rd och stuva. Kring jord som sol'n f”rl„t, skuggorna ruva. D† i v†rt m”rka hus, stiger med t„nda ljus, Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia. For anyone with a Swedish background, these lyrics bring to mind white attire, glowing candles, gl”gg, lussekatter - a traditional Swedish baked good - and of course, a mind-numbingly familiar tune.

It seems that every time I hear the song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," it actually starts to look a little bit more like Christmas. Mind you, not much in the outside world has changed. There isn't any snow on the ground, only a few neighbors have put up their decorations and the reindeer are simply MIA.

I've been begging family members to pool money together and purchase me a brand spankin' new laptop for the holidays, but I have a feeling it isn't coming. I could buy it myself, but come holiday season, I'll be spending all my money on the best gift of them all: a bowling trip.