Absolutely True Diary tells story of part-time Indian

By Karen Baena

With witty and quick writing, a strong message, and explicit language that references sexuality and violence, Sherman Alexie author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (True Diary) captivates her reader from the start and does not disappoint.

True Diary is the story of a 14 year-old Native American/Indian boy called Junior who, when he enrolls in an all white school outside his reservation, struggles to rise above the stereotypes society associates with his people.

While True Diary attempts to break down society’s stereotypes of Indians, it also explores the trials of growing up.

Junior, the main character, is born with “water on the brain” meaning he had too much cerebral spinal fluid in the brain. It leads to his having various body deformities: 42 teeth (check your mouth you probably only have thirty-two unless you’re deformed as well), nearsighted in one eye, farsighted in the other, skinny, and huge feet and hands (in third grade, Junior’s feet were a size 11).

Because of his differences, Junior is bullied by other Indians. (In chapter four, three 30 year-old Indian men beat him up). But Junior is not only different physically but also academically. He is too smart, and has a strong desire to learn. When he realizes that the reservation school has been using the same books for over 30 years, he throws the book at the teacher.

It is that same teacher who urges Junior to leave the reservation. He explains to Junior that he has a light that everyone else on the reservation has lost and that in order for that light to remain, he must leave.

Following the teachers’ advice, Junior goes to Rearden, a school with an Indian mascot, (just like Lane). Rearden is a predominantly White school and there Junior has to learn new rules about the way people treat each other and the way they will treat him.

Facing the troubles of life outside the reservation and troubles at home, Junior turns to art to express his thoughts, fears, and frustrations. It is through his comics that he shows the world that that he sees, adding a smile to the reader.

Junior struggles throughout the book. While learning to adapt to a different culture and chasing a different life, he loses his best friend. He suffers additional torment when within a span of a few months several people he is close to die. All this leads him to conclude that he is living in a world where he doesn’t belong.

“Nobody in my family had ever gone near a college,” he says. “Rearden was the opposite of the rez. It was the opposite of my family. It was the opposite of me. I didn’t deserve to be there. I knew it; all of those kids knew it. Indian don’t deserve s***.”

Junior stands as a representation that goes beyond his heritage. He embodies hope to every person that is trying to rise above, and who faces hardships along the way. However, True Diary also has a social message that should speak closely to Lane students.

“They stared at me like I was Bigfoot or a UFO,” thought Junior on his first day at his new school. “What was I doing at Rearden, whose mascot was an Indian, thereby making me the only other Indian in town?”

Though Lane’s mascot is an Indian, I realized I’d never stopped and thought too much about Indians. If I had, I doubt that the image that would have popped into my head would have been anything like Junior.

My image would have been of a big, strong, and muscular warrior. In my mental picture he would be holding a spear. He would be in a defensive position, ready to attack the enemy. This is my idea of a Lane Indian. But it is not a real picture of what American Indians are anymore.

I refuse to think that whoever chose our mascot intended to ridicule Indians. It makes sense that we would want to model our sports and academic teams on the toughness and a dedication of Indian warriors. Our intentions are not in question. What is in question is our social sensitivity.

By declaring the Indian our mascot we open up a door to all sorts of arguments. For example, are we equalizing the Indian culture to the characteristics of Dolphins (Whitney Young), Wildcats (Lakeview), or Bulldogs (Shurz)?

Perhaps this isn’t a fair comparison. After all, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be a strong, muscular, and intimidating school? But is it ok to generalize an entire culture as a mascot? No.

Obviously, Junior did not fit the “Indian” stereotype. In fact, neither his family, his friends, nor his neighbors fit the stereotype. So what makes it right to pick Indians as our mascot when we know we are only referring to the warriors?

The Japanese had warriors too. They were called Samurais. Mexicans, Africans, Europeans, and every other culture has had warriors. So why are we not the Lane Japanese, or the Lane Mexicans, or the Lane Africans? Because that would be considered by most to be insensitive, if not blatantly racist. Yet, we have no problem calling ourselves Indians. We seem to have forgotten that the same sensitivity we should show toward different ethnicities should apply to all cultures equally.

We have ignored social duty in regards to Indians. We have forgotten that their minority is also sensitive.

Alexie’s True Diary is heart breaking. It exposes the reader to life outside “the rez.” It makes the reader face truths of life, whether they are about being a teen in a new school or admitting that as a society – or even a school – we have forgotten our manners.

Gamers answer Call of Duty

By Ricardo Guzman

The most anticipated video game of 2009 had gamers flooding into any and every game store in the country back in November.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, rated M, is a direct sequel to Call of Duty 4 and was developed by Infinity Ward, published by Activision. It is available on Xbox 360, Play Station 3, and Microsoft Windows.

Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person war shooter played in either single player or multiplayer modes. Single player campaign mode can be played in different difficulties depending on the player’s skill and confidence.

Campaign mode restarts where Call of Duty 4 ended. You are an Army Ranger put to the task of protecting the country from a Russian invasion and their “ultranationalists.” Adventures include racing down a mountain on a snowmobile, various man hunts, and a controversial mission where you are forced to go under cover and work for the enemy. I recommend the campaign mode to be played with an HD TV and a surround sound system.

The graphics are well-thought out, especially if you notice the minute details, such as a dirt spot on a soldier’s face or the occasional graffiti art seen throughout the game. The camera angles that are used in each scene made me feel as I was the actual soldier in the game.

The only downside to the mode is that it can easily be completed in 7 total hours, which is relatively short compared to other first person shooters. Because campaign is relatively short, when they conquer it gamers can play online multiplayer mode. This is where Infinity Ward really worked to improve and expand and is what caught my eye. With over 10 different games to be played during online multiplayer, which also has the largest online community, there is something for everybody.

Being a sequel there are bound to be comparisons with the original Modern Warfare. To avoid this Infinity Ward has added many new weapons and features. Some of the main additions are the new kill streaks, titles, and emblems.

The titles and emblems are unlocked by completing certain tasks and challenges that can be displayed to other players to show what each player has done, such as sprinting for a certain amount of miles or reaching a certain level. This combined with the deep ranking system keeps players interested in playing and makes online multiplayer virtually never ending.

Of course with any video game there will be players that are frowned upon due to their choice of playing style. ‘Campers’ and ‘boosters’ are the root of all evil in the Call of Duty world. Camping is when a player stays hidden in one spot and waits for an enemy to run by. This gives them an automatic advantage. Boosting is when two players from opposing teams help each other achieve challenges, which moves players up to higher ranks faster. Although there was an update to remove some of the glitches, there is no way to get rid of these styles of play.

Overall, Modern Warfare 2 has different ways to enjoy the game. Its campaign mode is short, but is made up for in its audio and visual quality. The online multiplayer’s new features and deep ranking system bring a better replayability factor. Beware of campers and boosters. All in all, I’d have to give this game an A-.

Will you be Left 4 Dead 2?

By Maria Murczek

A horrible infection has spread across the area. Everyone except you and three others have turned into zombies. The apocalypse has begun. Armed with the best of the best, can you survive?

Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2), the sequel videogame to the original Left 4 Dead (L4D), is the ultimate zombie game. Instead of releasing a massive online update to the original, Valve (the makers of L4D) released the second game. Many were skeptical of the quick release (practically a year after the first one came out), but it is definitely not a disappointment.

Four new survivors are introduced in the new location of the Deep South: Coach, Rochelle, Ellis and Nick. These four characters have to go through five new, awesomely dreadful environments in the campaign mode until finally rescued. From fighting zombies on rollercoaster tracks in ‘Dead Carnival’, to treading water and getting mud slapped in their face in ‘Swamp Fever’, the survivors face intense and chaotic combat in all environments. For some extra spice, weather conditions include torrential rains and strong winds, which negatively alter visibility.

Brand-new weapons can be picked up in all these settings. The guns have gone through major upgrades, along with a brand-new grenade launcher. But what I find more appealing are the melee weapons: no ammo, just man power.

It is pretty satisfying to hear the loud iron clang of a frying pan and seeing zombies fall to their death. What’s even more satisfying, though, is spinning in a circle with a chainsaw. If you’re into being a rock star, the electric guitar will help you gleefully shred through hordes of zombies. Other melees, such as a machete or katana, help you bloodily behead and amputate Common Infected (regular zombies).

Besides the original health packs, defibrillators and adrenaline shots have been included for the survivors’ benefit. Use the defibrillator to pump a friend back to life, or take an adrenaline shot for life-saving speed. However, like the original pain pills, adrenaline shots only give temporary health.

Sure, all of that is great, but that doesn’t make the ‘warfare’ any easier.

Notoriously known for causing major panic and perspiration, the Witch is a specific kind of zombie who curls up in dark areas and weeps. She is best left alone. If startled, the Witch will come after you with a shrieking, painful attack, leaving you incapacitated (incapped) or dead. Not only do several of them congregate in the dense sugar fields in L4D2, they now wander in broad daylight. I have mistaken them for Common Infected a few too many times, causing me to freak out about my survivor’s health (and life!).

There are new, ‘uncommon Common Infected’: mud men, clowns, flame-retardant HazMat suit zombies and heavily armored SWAT team zombies.

The Special Infected (zombies that have been mutated into stronger beasts) have three new additions to their original team of four. The Charger runs toward survivors and pummels them to death. The Jockey lunges onto the heads of unsuspecting survivors and steers them away from their team. The Spitter’s Spit is highly toxic and causes major damage to survivors.

All of the Special Infected are playable in Versus, an online game mode from the original game, which allows a group of four to play as infected and four as survivors. Whoever racks up the most points at the end of a campaign wins.

Yet another sweet addition is Scavenge, a new game mode. With the fun of Versus, this time-based challenge has the Survivor team searching for fuel to fill a generator as the Infected do everything to try and stop them. It’s fast-paced, suspenseful, and an emotion inducer (usually anger).

The sequel delivers the best zombie-slaughtering experience possible. The graphics are state-of-the-art (if realistically bloody is an art form). The sounds include freaky zombie groans, screams, maniacal laughs and cries. There are also some humorous comments from the survivors, over eerie southern music (out-of-tune banjoes, fiddles and accordions). With all this new stuff, L4D2 is constantly entertaining.

I have yet to leave this game without my palms feeling sweaty and my heart racing, raving to my friends and fellow players. Screaming into my microphone for help (or just for the hell of it) is a regular part of the game for me. Left 4 Dead 2 is one of the best multiplayer games out there right now, so grab some friends and enjoy the extreme co-op experience.