i'm live on campus. holiday season is finally here. we are looking into the surprising increase among holiday shoppers in this tough economy. not everyone will be waiting for the best bargain in season. we'll tell you which organization is focusing on a different kind of giving.

and i popular television show helps -- a popular television show helps hundreds in the bay area. from the school of urinal -- san jose state's program got an early christmas gift. the school received a $1 million grant to develop an afghan program. s js u will help train afghan professors. >> >> reporter: kristen. this grant is the biggest the it has received. the goal is free press in afghanistan. through this program, afghan students will develop a working relationship with american

students and have the chance to intern at bay area stations. professors will travel to s js u, to earn master's degrees. >> our ability to reach other nations in this way adds to the power. >> reporter: the mayor joined bill briggs and top administrators to explain how the silicone valley will be reaching out to the university. >> a country that doesn't have strong free press, and we want to help them get that, we want to do it with cultural sensitivity. >> members of the afghan coalition attended the reception. the bay area is home to the largest population of afghans in north america.

>> it was very important we begin to look at this. >> reporter: the professors will travel to afghanistan to teach, develop curriculum and install internet radio and tv technology. >> the significance of this grant hits home to susan mere. she lived there and went back this summer. >> i saw the conditions there. it is really not that good, especially the education system. so with the department helping them get this grant, it is big. >> it is 7000 miles away from california and 50 miles outside of the iranian border. conditions are still in need of improvement. >> my first reaction was oh, it is afghanistan. how safe is that? but to be involved in a

university in a country that is at war i think on the part of a faculty, it is a very bold kind of decision. >> the money will last three years and go toward equipment and new salaries. many americans are still pinching pennies, but not as tight as they did this time last year. black friday started as early as midnight the friday after thanksgiving. while skyrocketing discounts aren't new for the holiday season, neither is the tough economy. the sidewalks at a bay area outdoor mall were much less traveled monday after the infamous black friday. sale signs lingered in store wind doze, and some shoppers

continued to -- windows, and some shoppers continued to reap the bargain deals. >> retailers are pushing hard discounts. the consumer has gotten used to that. so why not shop, at this point? >> reporter: hendricks says unlike last year, many americans are shopping for themselves. the national retail federation says more than $45 million was spent on black friday. 212 million shoppers contributed to that growing number, averaging $365 spent per person, a 6% increase from last year's black friday. holiday shopper samantha fowler admitted she couldn't handle back friday, but still found great deals. >> the sunday i went out it was quiet but it was freezing outside. i didn't go on friday. i have friends who work in retail, they said it was crazy

and they were exhausted. >> one new trend is setting aside plastic and sticking to cash. economics professor says with the slow economy, many americans remain mindful of their spending i don't people's expectations of future growth probably aren't that high, even though they are better than they were last year at this time. >> he doesn't hold a crystal ball, but is confident the competent will continue to improve. the new shopping thrill, cyber monday, brought in a significant number of online shoppers. black friday may have jump started the economy with all the holiday spending but some americans are still holding tight to their pocket books. president obama proposed a two year pay freeze for all federal employees. this proposal will save $2 billion and an estimated $60 billion over the next ten

years. >> it is an important statement right now especially after what happened in the november 2nd election where a lot of voters expressed concern about the deficit and federal spending. this is directly addressing those concerns. >> christianson says it is a start to replenishing the $3 trillion group. people are being asked to donate to charitable causes. the average american will spend close to 7 this season on -- close to $700 this season. advent conspiracy says don't cut spending all together, but instead buy movie tickets or

coffee cards to do the activity together. it all started with one meal to a small handful of people in need. that was 30 years ago. now, instead of one meal one day, loaves in fishes family kitchen serves meals to homeless and seniors in san jose. precincts is cooking a meal for more than a hundred people. he has been at loaves and fishes for the last 25 years. >> anytime you are with someone that lightning, there has to be a law for it stovall and hundreds of others provide hot meals. community members, students and retired workers enjoy the fellowship and service of loaves and fishes. >> everything is from the heart here. they are nice and kind to people and serve really good food, too. it is a way to be involved in the community and easy to

do. executive director kristine says the program is going well. >> we have two soup kitchens running every day in san jose. it is a real benefit to work with people directionally, help them have better lives. stovall says in the beginning he felt depressed. but after these years, he has created bonds. >> it goes from the sadness to what can i do to help them? then that person becomes a friend. >> if you would like to donate, go online to their website or to any of their three locations. this holiday season the charity needs diapers and children's toys. a house where a furry testimonily lives might sound lick the setting of a movie.

but the critters in this -- family lives might sound like the setting of a movie. this little guy and 1500 relatives are getting ready for new accommodations. lauren paul says this rats were living and beating in one -- breeding in one california house. he had thousands of rats all around his house. concerned neighbors concerned producers of the show hoarders. andy's pet shop is providing temporary shelter as volunteers prepare the animals for adoption. veterinarians are providing on

site medical care and one of the few misconceptions is a disease will pass from rat to humans. >> they are prolific breeders. rats can have up to 20 babies in one litter and it is possible for a mature female rat to have a new litter every month. rats can make wonderful pets and they were relieved to discover these were not abused by their human companions, so most of them are healthy, happy and adoptions can begin after today. >> they are sleeping in your jacket, they come rushing up when you open the cage door. they are soaking up all the human attention. >> more volunteers are needed to

help with feeding and medical equipment. if you are interested, check the rescue website at north star rescue.org. jean walker, update news. privacy can result in a much heated debate as children transition into young adulthood, parents may be reluctant to give independence. >> privacy is important to all, especially college students who are trying to grow into their individuality. parents need to realize their children are not children any more. by the time they started college, they should be a well rounded adult. >> they have probably given them the parenting they needed already. in other words, their job is done. >> rosa moved out from her

parents in 2002 to gain independence, but had to move into her older sister's house in 2009. she only gets privacy when her sister is not home and says her sister does not trust her. >> she is always going to be expecting me to be the little sister. come home and that's it. >> living in the dorms is different, because it is all about respect. dorm life involves strangers coming together. >> you need to be respectful and to listen and be flexible. and be able to talk things out. >> junior veronica taylor has a lot of privacy with her dorm mates. the residence advisors have a problem with privacy. they will check her dorm room without notice and it makes her uncomfortable. >> i don't think it is

courteous. >> doctors say parents need to trust the children. >> if you feel you are note getting the privacy you deserve, -- you are not getting the privacy you deserve, get help from a counselor here at administration. some children are receiving special surprises this christmas. an organization in the bay area is making the holidays possible for families in need. students on campus are creating unique gifts for early shoppers. we'll show you which department is showing off this art talent. one program is teaching youth a new way to do math. update news returns in 60 seconds.

a new marketing research report shows a huge decrease in coffee drinkers.

>> reporter: coffee drinks may be losing steam. in the rise of energy drink sales, 50% a year over the past five years, may have something to do with it. grad student kristine preston works more than 40 hours a week. she prefers diet energy drinks over coffee for the taste and convenience. >> i drink so much caffeine, that coffee isn't what it used to be. >> laura saves a lot of money. she thinks it is healthier than what is becoming popular now. >> energy drinks, even the sugar free ones, they are full of all kinds of artificial ingredients, and coffee is coffee. >> healthy or not, energy drinks are powering over coffee. only 20% of those surveyed reach for a cup of joe. either way too much caffeine in a can or cup, can cause irregular heart beats.

>> i know a lot of college age students drink a lot of caffeine. but i think that it can negatively affect attention. marketers are paying attention to the drinking habits of students and in san jose, update news. now, margarita joins us. what do you have for us this week? >> it is december already. can you believe it? holiday here is in the air. cyber monday is over. internet sales are still rising this holiday season. cyber monday is the term used to describe the monday immediately following black friday. roughly 90% of online retailers participated in cyber monday this year. online sales rose 16% from

laugh year, bringing in more than $1 billion. jc pennies -- from last year, bringing in more than $1 billion. j. c. penney's says online shoppers can purchase holiday gifts without waiting in line for hours. an event this week was part of the museum and art gallery class. its goal was to give students hands on experience. the presentation featured paintings. scluptures and modern art forms. the exhibit was an important learning experience for students. >> i think they were able to elicit a lot of strong work from a variety of artists. >> reporter: the exhibit was

the art class's final project. google volunteers are trying to solve the shortage event. 40 volunteers took to the classroom. >> math is his favorite subject and he likes robots. >> he is really fun to play with. how you program him. >> more than 200 students are involved in the program, using software called mind storm, children learn how to solve problems, such as programming a robot to find its way out of a box. software engineer glenn says kids need to be introduced early on. >> the first class i asked

students what an engineer is. usually the best they come up with is someone who fixes things. and it is not true, they design and help build the world around us. >> classes are benefiting children who are having a hard time with regular material. bishop elementary principal says there is no substitute for the opportunity to interact with an engineer. >> you are working with an adult who does this day in and day out. they use their math and science skills to problem solve. especially in our area. it is huge. a lot of people in this community see it as doing this for a living. >> the school plans on having this class even after google leaves. teachers are prepared to

continue the classes. the 19th annual holiday toy drive is on the way. the goal of the drive is to collect as many toys as possible for the families of students on campus of the collection bins were placed on campus november 29th and will stay there until the end of december. the university police department encourages all members of the community to donate any type of toy for children, ranging from the ages of 1-14. mainly neighborhoods around the campus. this year we are serving any faculty, staff member or student who family may be in need this holiday season. volunteers from the community and campus are working on sorting all the toys. the seasonal art sale kicked off this week. student artists are selling

glass masterpieces. some of the items were tree ornaments and glass candy canes to get in the holiday spirit. the unique pieces were a reflexion of the artist's individual -- reflection of the artist's individual style. >> he does all the faces in the work. >> the money raised from the sale will fund future activities and school scholarships and guest speaker appearances and some of those were great gift ideas. >> planning on checking it out. the quality of sportsmanship is expected in all sports. we'll show you an incident raising concerns for some fans. we'll tell you how the spartan football team did against the louisiana tech

team. but first, we asked students their favorite holiday gift. >> i'm going to say when i was a little kid, i always wand a power wheel and i -- wanted a power wheel. >> the best present was a laptop from my dad for college. i was a senior in high school, i got a laptop from my dad. the best gift might be from my boyfriend. i ever got? a car. that is a tough one. probably my red rider bb gun. i get pregnant. i had a baby.

and now, dulaney caldwell is here with sports. what do you have for us? >> it was a good week. but it was senior night. that is where we'll begin. the last home game honored seniors. it was a cold night at spartan stadium where family, friends and fans came and watched 12 seniors play their last home game. players stood by their parents on the field as their names were called out. 10 of the 12 men have been devoted but the focus, however,

is getting their conference victory. the louisiana tech bulldogs, let's begin in the third as they win by 7. looking to add more. weaves his way down the sideline. for an 88-yard punt return it doubles down for a 38-24 lead. coach mack looks on. 486 yards and this touchdown. but the quarterback ross jenkins told everybody 45-38. ethe team finishes against the vandals this weekend. finally, everybody has crouching tiger hidden dragon. sportsmanship is something not

often talked about. but the issue was brought to the forefront recently when two nfl players were fined but not suspended for fighting on the field. titans defensive back fined $25 each for this altercation. the fact that punches were thrown and no suspensions were handed out has surprised coaches in football. one sport is approaching it a bit differently. they want you to fight for stuff. so it is interesting how it goes from sport to sport. the player plans on appealing the fine and both have accepted the penalty and that is all we have for sports this week. ladies, back to you. let's hope the artisans pull out a victory against idaho this weekend. as the semester comes to an end, here are fun times, frustrations and fumbles with

the update news staff. ♪ [ music ] ♪ ♪ [ music ] ♪ [ music ] ♪ [ music ] the update news. i'm going to need you to get audio levels please. ♪ [ music ] ♪ [ music ] ♪ [ music ] thanks anyway. you can be on tv, too.

can we do commuter view? >> we've got one. i'm melissa here with sports this week. >> this week is taking us to the ballet. >> get the dog. and that does it. thanks for joining us. see you next week.