Javier Moreno, nursing major, has a lot on his plate. Class projects, relationships, studying for finals and work take up much of his time, but even in the midst of the busiest shopping day of the year he maintains a cool head.

As a sales associate at Los Cerritos Shopping Center’s Forever 21, Moreno was one of the many college students forced to work on Black Friday. However, this is not his first time dealing with the hectic pace of this day.

“I was with Toys ‘R’ Us last year and had to work during Black Friday then as well, so I already knew what to expect and how to handle it all.”

The mall opened with what the management called Midnight Madness. Crowds of people clamored to get a jump on the sales select retailers were offering at their 12 a.m. opening.

An estimated 40,000 people were present and taking advantage of all the low prices and bargains.

Megan Richardson, marketing manager for Los Cerritos Shopping Center, says, “This is the second year we’ve hosted Midnight Madness and the turnout is twice as much as last year; probably the attendance of Disneyland on an average day.”

The mob inside the shopping center was a reflection of the millions of citizens across the nation eager to take advantage of the many savings to be had.

Vinny Ziko and Josh Marks, Downey High School students, were there to experience their first Black Friday as they roamed the Forever 21 searching for early Christmas presents.

“We had to come out for the sales. We just finished eating Thanksgiving dinner and now is a perfect time to do some holiday shopping,” Marks said.

Ziko says, “I heard there was an 800 dollar winter jacket here for 20 bucks. It’s so perfect for a gift; I had to jump on it.”

Marks and Ziko were not the only student shoppers visiting the mall.

Claudia Wong, accounting major, and Camila Veron, undecided, stormed the halls seeking the “awesome sales” Veron learned of at her place of work, Hollister. Being their first Black Friday, the two women were more than surprised at the turnout.

Wong says, “I really didn’t expect so many people to be here. It’s so overwhelming!”

However, not everyone was attending solely for shopping’s sake.

According to Jodie Goya, kinesiology major at California State University Long Beach, Black Friday is a perfect time to get friends together and go shopping.

Brett Butler, communications studies major at CSULB, believes it makes for a great after-Thanksgiving activity.

“It gives a lot of families the chance to get up and do something after their big Thanksgiving meals. That way they aren’t just sitting around on their butts.”

Watch students at Los Cerritos Mall take advantage of Black Friday.