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ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

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New realm of gifts being given this holiday season

It is that time of year again. The cheer of the holidays will soon be near, reinforced by the acts of giving. When buying gifts for others, there are many things of which to be aware. The gift recipient’s preferences, the personal bond between a giver and recipient, and what gifts are popular amongst the greater population. With the rise of technology, modern fashion and music, 2015 will bring about new gifts for people of all ages.

The rise of the digital age is leading to new developments for technology devices. Apple devices have been a popular gift for years, and with the introduction of products such as the fourth generation Apple T.V, the Macbook in gold with Retina Display and the iPhone 6/6, sales have increased to dramatic heights.

Video games have become popular purchases in 2015 as well. Games such as “Until Dawn”, “Heavy Rain” and “Life Is Strange” have been well-received by the teenage demographic for their action- filled content and storylines that adapt to choice. With the diverse characters and subjects, the video games have a realistic feel and keep the player engaged enough to not want to put down the controller. These three games cost anywhere between $13 to $59.99, depending on where one purchases them and for what console you purchase the game.

“‘Heavy Rain’, ‘Life is Strange’, and ‘Until Dawn’ are the kind of games with multiple endings, which I always love. You make decisions throughout the game that determine the outcome. Different decisions can kill off characters, cause you to overlook items or make you miss huge chunks of the story. I would recommend all three to anyone, gamer or skeptic,” said Vanri Rogue, game critic for RealWomenOfGaming.com.

From the rise of YouTube hauls to the trend of #OOTDs, most people in the public eye seem to showcase their own sense of style or serve as inspiration to others. 2015 has been a year of fashion risks, and with various styles and emerging brands comes a multitude of choices for gifting. When giving clothing gifts, one needs to be aware of the recipient’s preferences. When giving someone a specific gift of clothing, trying to study the gift recipient’s choice of fashion for a few months is beneficial. By bringing up clothing as a topic of conversation from time to time, one can have an idea of what purchase would be the best gift option for the other.

“My daughters each have a different sense of style, similar in some ways yet different,” said Kacy Craig, parent. “Clothing has always been a hard item to buy for each of them, so I always try to have girl-to-girl conversations just about fashion. It makes shopping for them so much easier.”

If one does not want to be specific and buy the clothing themselves, a less risky option would be to purchase a gift card. Before getting them the gift card, one should survey the store themselves and have an idea of their budget. For instance, a person may not want to purchase a $10 gift card from a more upscale store like M.A.C or Urban Outfitters. When giving, a buyer should make sure the card would actually be useful for several items, not just one item or none at all.

“You can never go wrong with gift cards. They’ve always been a Christmas gift favorite and my girls haven’t complained yet,” said Mercy Edo, parent.

Music is an art form with many variations, from mashups to collaborations to subgenres. These days, music tends to not fit a single definitive category and that’s what makes it so diverse. Music streaming has reached new heights this year with services like Spotify and Apple Music, and with premium features comes a cost. This holiday season, an iTunes gift card would allow friends and family enjoy ad-free music right from their phones.

“Spotify has been by far my favorite app to use this year to listen to music. But who wants to go Premium and pay? I hate the ads, so that iTunes card I got last year came in handy,” said Helena Batukuemi, sophomore.

Another music related gift that would be easy on the budget is a playlist either burned on a CD or written on paper. For a unique musical gift, record players are available in stores like Urban Outfitters and Target. Despite being relatively old fashioned, many of today’s top recording artists sell vinyl albums. Depending on the brand and model, record players in stores range anywhere from $100 to $199.

“I have a Crosley record player in my room, and I’m in love with it. There’s nothing like coming home and putting my favorite album on the turntable, ‘Crybaby’ by Melanie Martinez, and just relaxing after a long day. The light blue goes with my room perfectly, and there’s a variety of colors and patterns to choose from,” said Monica Wallace, junior.

Known for their vibrant colors, celebrity endorsements, and larger amounts of bass, Beats by Dre products are also popular music electronics for all ages, more specifically the under 18 demographic. The Beats Pill+ speakers and Beats Solo 2 headphones on average range from $150 to $200.

“The Beats Solo headphones have been one of my favorite gifts so far. I love the color and the quality is great. They are well worth the hype and the price,” said Batukuemi.

Giving someone a gift takes time and thought. One has to consider many factors and circumstances. The end result, seeing a smile spread across someone’s face or getting that sincere ‘thank you’, can be rewarding enough this holiday season.

“I love the holiday season. As much as I love getting gifts, giving them makes me feel so much better about myself though. It’s the thought that counts, and I always make sure the person I’m giving my gift to knows that,” Wallace said.

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