Participants in Isabella County’s Christmas Outreach Program started their Christmas giving Tuesday.

The program involving Toys for Tots — the collection of toys and other items for underprivileged families — began more than 20 years ago with members of Immanuel Lutheran Church, 320 S. Bradley St.

The program since has evolved into a community project encompassing many volunteers and sponsors.

“The program has become more community-oriented in the past years, growing to include churches, schools and social groups,” said Sue Hand, Immanuel Lutheran Church administrator.

The Christmas Outreach of Isabella County is in collaboration with the local Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program, and expects to serve almost 1,000 households during the 2002 Christmas season.

“We have already begun to receive donations, but we will officially start collection on Dec. 3,” said Gwinn junior Karen Paris, Christmas Outreach staff administrator.

People who wish to donate items can do so now until Thursday at the old Post Office, 208 E. Illinois and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at the same location.

Needed items include children’s clothing, adult winter outer clothing, boots of all sizes, sweatshirts, sweaters, new toys, infant wear, adult clothing, bed linens and towels, jeans of all sizes, mittens, hats and books.

Monetary donations also can be made at Isabella Bank and Trust locations, payable to Christmas Outreach.

Many volunteers are still needed to sort and distribute items.

“Anyone can volunteer in the community,” Paris said. “We already have about 50 volunteers signed up, but I will take up to 300.”

People interested in volunteering can call Immanuel Lutheran Church at (989) 773-4204.

“By 10 p.m. on Halloween, the Christmas stuff is out on the shelves already,” said Jesi Hartman, Alpena junior. “Thanksgiving just gets overlooked.”

Tradition has made the biggest shopping day of the year the day after Thanksgiving, when people line up at store doors in the early morning to get the best deals on Christmas gifts.

The focus of Christmas shouldn’t always be on the gifts, said Sara Brightman, Rockford senior.

“I don’t agree with Christmas being such a material holiday,” Brightman said. “I wasn’t raised religiously, but it should be about spending time with your friends and family, not about spending $100 to make someone happy.”

Hartman said college students have more to worry about than buying Christmas gifts.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that it seems to get worse every year,” she said.

Andy Schirmacher, Jackson junior, said the extent of holiday commercialization depends on one’s perception.

“I go home because it’s Christmas. I don’t treat the holidays as commercial,” he said.

But some students say the holiday is losing its meaning.

“I keep thinking about the ‘Tickle Me Elmo’ thing, and it was pointless,” Schirmacher said. “It turned Christmas into a competition, to see who could get their kid the popular toy.”

Hartman said she worries about the next generation of children.

“I’m afraid that kids of the next generation will forget that the holidays are about so much more than just presents,” she said.

College students find themselves faced with all kinds of gift-giving dilemmas as the holiday season approaches.

Some say they try to stick to a budget, while others say they employ the “buy now, think later” strategy.

Lansing sophomore Katie Bien said she spends the same amount of money on presents each year. Bien worked last winter break and spent some of that money to buy her family gifts.

“I think I spent a lot of the money I made, probably about a couple hundred dollars.”

Bien said she didn’t make a budget.

“My plan was to go to the mall and spend,” she said.

Beaverton freshman Brent Mishler said shopping for the holidays will become more difficult for him now that he’s in college.

“I’m going to spend less, for sure,” Mishler said. “But everyone in college is usually broke. It’s a fact of life.”

Cheboygan sophomore Derrick Green said he limits his Christmas list to a small group.

“I usually spend about $100,” Green said. “With my friends, there are too many of us to all get each other presents. I usually buy gifts for my girlfriend, best friend and immediate family members.”

Redford Twp. sophomore Jack Schuett said he’s already saved money.

“I am definitely going to spend less money on presents because I don’t have a serious girlfriend this year,” Schuett said. “I am saving myself some money right there, and I am also cutting back on my gifts because I am saving up to buy a new car.”

Tracy Schmitz said her family is scaling back on their presents this holiday season.

“We’re going to Florida, and we’re doing our vacation instead of big presents,” said Schmitz, New Baltimore senior.

But Schmitz said she still will fight the crowds at the mall.

“My friends and I usually spend about $20 on each other, and I’ll go shopping for them.”

Mishler said he’ll reserve a lot of his Christmas budget to buy a nice present for his girlfriend.

“I like to buy nicer gifts for her,” he said. “You take more thought and spend more money on some people you shop for.”

Green said he sets limits with his significant other.

“My girlfriend and I will set a certain dollar amount we’ll spend, and I try to stick to that,” he said. “I try to go into a store thinking that I’m not going to spend more than our limit, but I’ve gone over in the past.”

Bark River sophomore Leah Folcik said she spends under $100 on Christmas presents.  

“I buy for a few of my friends and my brother, but not my parents,” she said. “I feel bad, but I don’t know what to get them. They already have everything, and they don’t want me to get them presents anyway.”

Folcik said she makes up a budget, and plans to keep doing this until she gets a full-time job.

Bien said she’ll return to her part-time job at the mall this winter break to buy more Christmas presents.

“Still, the point is not really how much you spend,” she said. “It really is the thought that counts.”

Eating and drinking in moderation are the keys to keeping off extra weight this holiday season.

“Keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of water,” said Commerce Twp. senior Jen Maida, who is majoring in dietetics.

She said there are three steps people can follow to help keep off unwanted weight.

“First, be aware that (holidays) are a time when people are more likely to overeat. Don’t skip meals, because you will be more hungry and end up overeating. Next, make sure to eat a small breakfast to put off being hungry. This will help to avoid overeating throughout the day,” Maida said.

The third step, she said, is to be active.

“Going shopping, walking around the mall, playing with the dog and just normal everyday activities will help you be more active and burn more calories,” Maida said. “Try to avoid lying around watching football all the time.”

Maida’s advice is Clio junior Josh Brewster’s style.

“I don’t really exercise, but I am always on the move. I live on a golf course, so if the weather is nice, I golf outside. I also go to indoor golf ranges and ski,” he said.

Ty Keyser, Harrison junior, said exercise is not his style, but that he does other things to burn calories.

“I don’t do too much. I just go skiing and play in my band,” he said.

Maida said there are certain things people do during the holidays that have negative results.

“A common mistake people make is to deprive themselves of food, and this will backfire most of the time,” she said. “When these people do consume, they will probably eat more. When they give in, they will indulge because they figure they have already failed.”

Dehydration is another factor to overeating.

“Try to be hydrated before the meal,” Maida said. “People who are dehydrated often can’t differentiate between hunger and thirst.”

Detroit senior LaJuani Kaii Winston and Detroit junior DeAndra Smith are two students who do not worry about overeating during the holidays.

“It’s not a big deal to me,” Smith said. “I feel if you have good eating habits and exercise during the year then you can indulge during the holidays, and vice-versa.”

Winston, who does not exercise regularly, said she does not easily gain weight, and the holidays are not an exception.

“I don’t really gain weight from overeating,” she said. “I walk a lot right now, but don’t do any extra exercise.”

Maida said another thing people — especially college students — have to monitor is alcohol consumption.

“Alcohol in general is empty calories, whether it’s beer, wine or liquor. Typically there are more calories in beer than in liquor,” she said. “Empty calories have a low nutritional content and are often turned into fat.”

She said that 12 ounces of regular beer has 150 calories, while a light beer of the same size has 110 calories. The average .5 ounce shot of liquor contains about 100 calories, depending on the proof.

The key is to try to have things in moderation, Maida said.

“Do not try to avoid any food groups and for a dessert. Try to find one with lower fat content and fewer calories,” she said. “Also, eat your meals more slowly then you normally would. You will be more likely to eat less, and enjoy your meal more.”

Many students said they get together with their extended family for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Most said they eat a big meal together and catch up.

“I go home (for Thanksgiving) and we make lots of food,” said Hillary Zyber, Gaines freshman. “We all get together and share stories of what happened since the last time we saw each other.”

When asked about the holidays, many students focus on Christmas.

“For Christmas morning, we open presents, then go to my grandma’s house for dinner, then to my aunt’s house for dessert,” said Michael Isgrigg, Waterford senior.

Isgrigg’s grandmother and aunt, who are from different sides of the family, live about an hour away from each other, so there is a lot of driving done on Christmas Day. He said he also goes to the same grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving.

Livonia senior Jennifer Killian said her family eats a lot of turkey during the holidays.

“(On Thanksgiving), we eat turkey, per usual, then we have a variety of pies. On Christmas, we have turkey again — we don’t like variety,” she said. “We open half of our presents on Christmas Eve and the other half on Christmas morning.”

Like Isgrigg, Killian said she splits her Christmas between two families.

“We do Christmas Eve with my dad’s family, and Christmas Day with my mom’s side of the family,” she said.

Some see the holidays as a time to remember lost relatives.

“On Christmas Eve, we let a bunch of green and red balloons go for my grandfather. His birthday was on Christmas Eve, and he passed when I was 1 year, 1-month-old, to the day,” said Abi Pruden, Connecticut sophomore.

A natural Christmas tree adds more that just aroma to a living room for most people.

The most popular Christmas tree is a blue spruce, and the trees grow both green and blue and have branches firm enough to hold holiday ornaments, said Ken Schaeffer, owner of Schaeffer’s Christmas Tree Farm and Nursery, 552 S. Whiteville Road.

“They last longer and they are nice and heavy. They don’t sag or anything when you decorate them,” said Pam Compson, employee of Alwood Landscaping and Nursery, 2945 S. Meridian Road.

People enjoy this kind of tree because it has a nice color and aroma, Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer also raises Frasier fir and white pine trees, but blue spruce trees sell the best.

People started purchasing trees last week and will continue to purchase them for the next couple of weekends, Schaeffer said.

“We are usually busy on weekends and now it has snowed,” he said. “Thanksgiving is late this year and people are going to be thinking about Christmas.”

Business really starts to pick up the day after Thanksgiving, Compson said.

People can come right to the farm and pick out any tree that they desire, Schaeffer said.

“Some people take 15 minutes to find a tree. Some people take two hours.”

The farm attracts second- and third-generation customers who come annually to select the perfect tree, Schaeffer said.

The farm raises a wide variety of trees to choose from. The largest tree is 18 feet tall and the smallest is a potted version, standing 3 feet tall.

Trees cost anywhere from $15 to $40, depending on the size.

A 10-foot tree at Alwood’s cost $50, Compson said.

The trees at Schaeffer’s nursery are grown to look natural and are not trimmed into a ridged cone shape like some grower’s trees.

“I don’t prefer a tree that is trimmed tight. We try to keep them natural,” said Schaeffer, who has been raising trees for 60 years.

Once a customer brings a fresh tree home, it is necessary to take proper care.

Some suggest putting a tablespoon of bleach and some sugar in the water in which the tree sits to keep it alive and prevent the growth of mold and bacteria, Schaeffer said.

However, these measures are not necessary.

“I just put my tree in warm water,” he said.

By keeping a tree wet, the fire hazard is lessened, Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer and his family pick out a tree every year.

“You better believe it there is a fresh tree in the house. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.

An artificial tree does not provide the same aroma and atmosphere the fresh trees provide, Schaeffer said.

The Schaeffer’s nursery is open year-round, also selling trees like maples and flowering crab trees.

Some students will spend their time during this holiday season outside in the cold, next to a collection pot. Others will cook for hours and not eat any of the food, while others still will walk dogs who are not their own.

“It makes (students) feel they’re making a difference,” said Shawna Ross, Volunteer and Service Learning Center coordinator. “It helps them focus their energies in areas that are important to them.”

Organizations like the Salvation Army bell ringers, the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, 202 S. Elizabeth St., and the Isabella County Animal Shelter, 1105 S. Isabella Road, rely on students to volunteer their time, Ross said.

This holiday season there are numerous groups looking for volunteers.

On Dec. 14, the North Midland Family Center is having a “Holiday Happening.” Students can help staff the party while children work on crafts and participate in games.

“We want students to focus on academics during the semester,” Ross said. “In their free time and during breaks we encourage them to volunteer.”

Before Christmas break begins students can work at “Light Up My Life,” a drive thru display of Christmas lights at the Midland Fairgrounds. Students also can ring the bell for the Salvation Army at locations in Mount Pleasant.

Students can get more information about these activities and many more throughout the year by going to the Volunteer Central Web site, osl.stulife.cmich.edu/vcentral/.

First, students should register on the Web site and then turn in a release form to the Volunteer Center Office in Bovee University Center. This allows registered volunteers to receive e-mails about events and sign up for them online.

For students going home during the breaks, there still are many opportunities to volunteer. There is a link on the Volunteer Central Web page that connects users to the Volunteer Centers of Michigan homepage. From this site, volunteers can find opportunities in their hometowns to participate in during break.

Look in the community newspaper if nothing else, Ross said.

“The seasonal programming may create a greater need for volunteers,” she said. “But volunteers are needed all year long. Particularly since students don’t have time to volunteer until break, now is the time to begin volunteering.”

’Tis the season to go shopping.

Online shopping will not take people away from the stores, but is an option for holiday shopping, said some CMU students.

“I think there is a variance in the population. I think there are some people that want to do it and those who don’t,” said Brandon Potter, Sanford junior. “I think it will affect the number of people in stores slightly.”

Angela Pincumbe, Holt senior, disagreed, saying she thinks a lot of people will shop shop online this year.

Potter said he has not gone shopping online and is not sure if he will.

He said he would stay away from it as long as possible, but would do it if he wanted.

What types of things would people buy online this holiday season?

Some students said they would buy compact discs and books, but were skeptical of buying clothes.

“I might go online shopping for CDs at www.CDnow.com
for my brother,” said Kate Maki, Grosse Pointe freshman.

Some students wouldn’t buy clothes online because they are not able to try the clothes on, Pincumbe said.

Some other reasons are delivery time and shipping and handling, said Vanessa Gembarski, Port Austin sophomore.

Online shopping is useful, but only if one is sure of what they want, Pincumbe said.

“If I already knew what I wanted and I was going to run in and leave, I would shop online,” she said. “If I was going to shop with someone and make a day of it, I wouldn’t.”

Jackie Coch, Woodhaven freshman, said in a lot of cases a person just wants to go in and get it themselves.

Detroit senior Jamarr Allen is going to combine traditional with online shopping this holiday season.

“Most of my shopping I will go out and pick up, but the things that are more expensive or hard to find I will buy over the Internet,” he said.

Allen said he likes to go on www.ebay.com
to find almost anything and www.eastbay.com
for shoes.

“I think (shopping online) will always be second nature because people like the shopping environment,” he said. “Shopping over the Internet takes away that environment.”

Trisha Ritter, senior department manager for JC Penney Co., 2231 S. Mission St., said online shopping will continue to increase for a while before it reaches a plateau.

“My personal opinion is it will increase until it hits a steady level and than level off,” she said. “My general feeling is the more people get comfortable with using credit cards online the more it will increase.”

Ritter said JC Penney started online shopping two years ago. It has increased each year it has been offered.

Unlike other businesses, JC Penney was better suited to make the switch to online shopping, Ritter said.

“It was easy. We were in a good position because of catalog sales,” she said. “Because we were in the catalog business for years, we didn’t really have to start from scratch.”

Ritter said she believes online shopping will increase and could possibly
have an impact at a store level.

While some people frown at the white, wintry mess of snow, others prepare to enjoy the excitement of winter sports.

With so many options, one may find difficulty choosing a sport.

Yet, according to local resorts and businesses, two rise above the rest in popularity.

“I have seen an increase in snowboarding,” said Jason Leonard, manager of Dunham’s Sporting Goods, 2129 S. Mission St. “We have had to increase the number and variety of snowboards we carry as a result of this increase.”

Leonard is not the only one noticing the increasing trend.

“Snowboarding has been the fastest growing winter sport for several years, and popularity has spread worldwide,” according to the United States of America Snowboard Association Web site, www.usasa.org.

Snowboarding now is respected worldwide in the Winter Olympics, appearing
first in the 1998 Games in Japan, according to www.usasa.org.

Others choose classic downhill skiing as an all-time favorite.

“The purchasing of snowboard equipment has increased recently, but downhill ski equipment is always steady,” said Al Denton, manager of MC Sporting Goods, 1416 S. Mission St.

Skiing traces its roots far back in the history of mankind.

“Skiing, as a sport, has comparatively recent origins,” according to www.kokotele.com. “Skiing as a means of travel, however, existed from the time man’s earliest migrations, physical evidence dates back to about 2500 B.C.”

Located in the center of Michigan, Mount Pleasant residents are surrounded by a number of opportunities for winter sport.

One such place in Shanty Creek, located in Bellaire, about two-and-a-half hours from Mount Pleasant.

“We offer a variety of winter sports including skiing, tubing, sleigh rides, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and many more,” said Barry Godwin, Shanty Creek Marketing director. “I must say that downhill skiing is still the favorite.”

Another nearby attraction is Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, about two hours from Mount Pleasant.

Crystal Mountain features 32 slopes that are accessible for both skiers and snowboarders, as well as a number of other activities including ice skating, snow shoeing and sleigh rides.

For a listing of Michigan ski and winter sports resorts, visit www.skimichigan.net.

Like some international students, the senior from India has gone home every year between the fall and spring semesters.

“This being my last year here, I’m just going to hang around Mount Pleasant and maybe go to New York or California for New Year’s (Eve),” he said.

He also will take the opportunity to prepare for the graduate school admission process.

Bhatia is combining a few of the more popular options international students at CMU have.

“They have a variety of options. Some go home with friends they’ve made here. Others spend the time with their host families,” said Tracy Nakajima, International Education Office director of students.

Many who are confined to campus and the Mount Pleasant community for most of the school year decide to explore other parts of the United States.

“Some international students actually have relatives in other parts of the U.S., so they spend the break with them, but even those who don’t know anyone else in this country decide to get the most out of their time in the states and chose to travel,” said India sophomore Siddharth Singh, Barnes Hall multicultural adviser.

Barnes Hall is the only residence hall on campus that remains open between semesters.

For international students staying on campus, traveling is a more attractive option than paying the extra money to live in the residence halls over break, Singh said.

Singh will travel to Toronto with several other international students, he said.

The International Education Office will continue to set up international students with a family for the holidays. Anyone wishing to host a student may call 774-4308.