November 20, 2018 full issue

Student-run newspaper since 1962 www.neiuindependent.org

tuesday, november 20, 2018

Volume 38 Issue 8

photo by Angelica sanchez

president gibson thanks veterans for service

A student’s take on the controversial character.

See pg. 8

The Book Nook: ‘Citizen illegal’ Jose Olivarez shares life as a first-generation immigrant.

See Pg. 10

read online exclusives Visit neiuindependent.org for more news stories and exclusive event coverage.

Got News?

See pg. 3

‘The Simpsons’ silence apu

online

New scholarship for incoming freshman.

Arts & life

‘The golden opportunity’

President Gloria J. Gibson attended the Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 9 where students with military backgrounds were recognized and celebrated.

See Pg. 6

Opinions

NEws

Inside News |

Let us know!

NEXT ISSUE IS OUT Dec. 4 Our office is located in E-049 at the main campus.

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news

november 20, 2018 | Independent

NEIU Receives Grant for DACA Podcast Amaris E. Rodriguez Opinions editor

neiuopseditor@gmail.com NEIU was awarded a $35,000 microgrant from the 2018 Challenged Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education on Aug. 8. With the money, NEIU launched a seven-part podcast focusing on immigration and undocumented students in the Chicago area called, “DACAmentation.”

“DACAmentation: Journalism

by Dreamers for Dreamers” is a new podcast series on Spanish Public Radio (SPR) organized in collaboration with NEIU that aims to showcase stories of undocumented students under DACA. Along with podcasts, there will be two town hall meetings, the first being on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

The first episode of “DACAmentation” aired live on Oct. 26, where Director of Undocumented Student Resources Luvia Moreno gave a DACA 101 crash course. The podcast’s moderator Monzerrath Gayton, along with Moreno, offered a history lesson of the Undocumented Resilient and Organized (URO) student club at NEIU. “In our university we didn’t have any scholarships available for undocumented students,” Moreno said on air. “We changed the process of our application, where now students can choose to say they are undocumented or leave the box unchecked and we can get in touch with them to assist them.

We also created scholarships specifically for undocumented students.”

In the interview, Moreno credits URO and student involvement for NEIU creating a position for a Director of Undocumented Student Resources.

Moreno said NEIU was the first public university to create this position, and recently the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC) created a similar position.

“Little by little the universities and community colleges are realizing that it is important to have someone to help students and guide them,” Moreno said.

Moreno said a positive change that occured since URO’s initiation was the “ally training” NEIU faculty can now receive.

The podcast episode covered the controversial term “Dreamers,” which is often used to refer to young undocumented individuals, primarily students.

“We are hearing from individuals who don’t like the term ‘Dreamers’ because they haven’t been just dreamers, they are people who have done things, who have fought a lot, who are active, not passive in their actions,” Moreno said.

“The term ‘Dreamers’ is used in politics on television and a lot of what they say is that the ‘Dreamers’ aren’t at fault of being in this country. That they are good, the perfect students and that we should help them.

“While that might be the reality, many feel that by placing undocumented students on a pedestal all the blame is placed on the parents of these students.

They want us to move away from calling them ‘Dreamers’ and refer to them as undocumented students to not criminalize their parents,” Moreno said.

In the first episode, Moreno talked about issues that undocumented students face such as struggling with depression, overworking to meet the ideal of ‘a perfect undocumented student’ and fearing the future of DACA. The “DACAmendation” series will air a new episode the last Friday of each month. The audience will be exposed to different stories on undocumented individuals and the issues they face including LGBTQ+ DACA recipients, high school guidance counseling and mental health.

The second episode of

“DACAmentation” will air on SPR on Friday Nov. 30.

The 2018 Challenged Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education funds are awarded to universities by The Online News Association, the world’s

largest association of digital journalism, to help them partner with local media sources and organizations to find new ways of providing information to their communities. NEIU was one of ten universities to receive this microgrant.

The Nov. 20 town hall meeting is open to the public with the agenda of discussing educational opportunities for dreamers and undocumented students.

november 20, 2018 | news

Student Newspaper

3

Incoming Freshman eligible for a ‘Golden opportunity’ “I love to hear opportunities like the (Golden Opportunity Scholarship) because it was hard for me to look for (scholarships)...I did not know a lot about the financial aid process since I am a new student, so I had to inform myself on my own.”

-Jennifer Hernandez, NEIU freshman

Left to right: Director of Scholarships Dr. Michelle Morrow and Executive Director of Financial Aid Maureen Amos. Photo by Leslie Hurtado.

Leslie Hurtado NEIU’s new Golden Opportunity Scholarship will cover full tuition and fees for prospective full-time freshman in fall 2019. Students who qualify for the scholarship will receive an award package of $3,000 for the entire school year.

In a conference call with Executive Director of Financial Aid Maureen Amos and Director of Scholarships Dr. Michelle Morrow, Amos said the Golden Opportunity Scholarship was part of an initiative through the state of Illinois.

“Legislators (in Illinois) wanted to address the issue of providing more financial assistance to Illinois residents,” Amos said. “Through the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, an initiative called AIM-HIGH grant program was created to allocate funds to (Illinois) universities.”

NEIU Freshmen Jennifer

Hernandez expressed disbelief when she found out there was a way for freshmen to pay full tuition.

“I love to hear opportunities like the (Golden Opportunity Scholarship) because it was hard for me to look for (scholarships),” Hernandez said. “I did not know a lot about the financial aid process since I am a new student, so I had to inform myself on my own.”

NEIU Junior Stephanie Gonzalez was not aware of the new scholarship that applied for incoming students.

Gonzalez said the scholarship would have benefitted her if the scholarship was available to current students.

“I think the Golden Opportunity Scholarship would have helped me stay in school,” Gonzalez said.

“Now that I’m older, tuition costs more. I would have applied for the scholarship if I had the chance.”

To qualify for the scholarship, incoming students should apply

for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students who are eligible for the scholarship will receive a notification that the award was posted to their financial package.

To be eligible for the Golden Opportunity Scholarship, incoming first-year students must be Illinois residents who attended a high school in Illinois and be enrolled for 15 credit hours.

First-time freshmen are required to have a 3.0 GPA and maintain a 2.5 GPA for three consecutive years.

Students cannot exceed an annual gross income of $61,000 or less after their first year.

For scholarship information visit: https://www.neiu.edu/financialaid/scholarship-opportunities or contact the Scholarships Office at: scholarships@neiu.edu or (773)-4424606.

Want to pitch us a story to write? Email the news editor at NEIUNewsEditor@gmail.com

4 News | november 20, 2018

Independent Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Cecilia G. Hernandez

Independent

Illinois and Cook County Election Results: What You Should Know

News Editor Nicole F. Anderson Opinions Editor Amaris E. Rodriguez photo by dgriebeling via flickr

Arts & Life Editor Robert Kukla Sales Director Tsetan Lungkara Payroll Manager Francisco Sebastian Writers Will Jones Leslie Hurtado Joanna Vaklin Armando Flores Cartoonist Brandi Nevarez Photographers Angelica Sanchez

The Independent is a public forum for all of Northeastern Illinois University’s campuses and surrounding community.

The Independent is entirely student-run and is published bi-weekly, except during summer and semester breaks. The editor-in-chief is responsible for the content of the Independent, and views presented do not necessarily represent those of the administration, faculty and students. The Independent is a member of the Illinois College Press Association and Associated Collegiate Press. For further details email theneiuIndependent@gmail. com.

The south side view of Chicago’s skyline. Statewide elections were held on Nov. 6 across the country.

Nicole F. Anderson

Illinois Attorney General: Kwame Raoul (D)

Illinois Comptroller: Susana Mendoza (D)

A “blue wave” washed over Illinois for the General Election with Democrats replacing their Republican counterparts. The following are seven of the recently elected politicians and their position descriptions:

The attorney general is the chief legal officer and chief law enforcement officer for the Illinois General Assembly. They represent the state, its agencies and officials in court. The attorney general is responsible for protecting Illinois residents from fraud.

The Comptroller is the chief fiscal control officer for the Illinois General Assembly. They review and pay the state’s bills and help set policies for state finances.

Illinois Governor: J.B. Pritzker (D)

Illinois Secretary of State: Jesse White (D)

The governor is the chief executive officer of the Illinois General Assembly. They have the power to approve or veto bills passed by the Illinois General Assembly, see that laws are carried out and proposes an annual state budget.

The secretary of state is in charge of licensing drivers, issuing license plates and keeping driving and vehicle records. They also keep the Illinois General Assembly and the Executive Branch official records, the state seal and are in charge of the Capitol building’s maintenance.

The treasurer is the state’s banker and is in charge of the safekeeping and depositing the state’s money.

News Editor

neiuNewsEditor@gmail.com

Illinois Treasurer: Michael Frerichs (D)

Cook County Assessor: Frederick “Fritz” Kaegi (D) According to their website, the cook county assessor is responsible for setting “fair and accurate” property values, assist

with stimulating the development of the economy, creating jobs and constructing affordable housing.

Cook County Board President: Toni Preckwinkle (D) – ran uncontested The cook county board president is the chief executive officer of cook county. They oversee the cook county offices that report to the president and are to present a balanced (cook county) budget to the Board of the Commissioners.

For more information on who else was voted into office, please visit our website: NEIUIndependent.org for a longer, more in-depth article.

november 20, 2018 | news 5

Student Newspaper

nov. 4 to nov.16

Transcribed by the Independent Nov. 4: NEIU Campus: Student believes an acquaintance may have installed spyware on her computer and is stalking her. Case was referred to Title IX officer.

Nov. 6: Library: Unknown

offender drew a swastika on the back of a door. Facilities were notified for clean up.

Nov. 8: B-Building: Verbal altercation between subjects over family matters turned into

Events approved for funding

by COC november funding Muslim Students Association Community Dinner $967.95

Events Funded by Student Activity fee for the weeks of Nov 20th – dec 3rd

Council of Clubs Updates

ODE INDUCTION Monday, December 3rd Economic Honors Society Golden Eagle • 5pm–9pm ALUMNI PANEL Tuesday, November 20th Pre-Law Society Golden Eagle • 6:30pm

push-and-shove. No charges filed; both parties just wanted incident documented.

Nov. 8: P.E. Complex: Unknown offender wrote graffiti on white dry-erase board in a

POW WOW WORKSHOP AND CELEBRATION Tuesday, Nov 20th SACNAS SU 214 • 3pm–5pm

UNAPOLOGETIC MIGRATION: ART, POETRY, & STORIES Wednesday, Nov 28th ChiMexLa, URO, Rebel Poetry Alumni Hall • 7pm–9pm

TOY DRIVE Tuesday, Nov 27th Omega Delta Phi Alumni Hall • 7pm–9pm

Student Leadership Development HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS WEEK November 14th – November 21st • HHAW TABLING • Village Square • SLEEP OUT IN FRONT OF THE NEST Tuesday, Nov 20th The Nest • 8:30pm–6am

northeastern Programming board LATE NIGHT BREAKFAST Thursday, November 29th Cafeteria • 9pm

classroom.

Nov. 9: Library: Complainant was approached by unknown male asking him to give him a ride to off-campus location and wanted the incident documented with the NEIU police.

Nov. 10: BOB: Unknown offender stole copper-wire from rear of building, causing power loss.

Officers are viewing surveillance cameras in the neighborhood.

Nov. 10: P.E. Complex: Parents got into shouting match with soccer coach over seven-year-old son not being allowed to play in the last three matches.

Nov. 12: The Nest: Student trapped inside elevator. Staff was able to get her out before fire department’s arrival. She refused EMS. Nov. 12: The Quad: Officer conducted a well-being check on subject who appeared to be crying.

He told the officer he is okay and that he was dealing with girlfriend issues. He then left campus.

Nov. 13: Lech Walesa Hall: Building service worker reported suspicious writing on a classroom blackboard. Words were documented and the origin of the words unknown at this time.

Nov. 13: Parking Lot C: Officer responded to report of unintended vehicle left running in parking lot. Officer shut off car, secured vehicle and dropped off keys at the information desk.

Nov. 14: Access Road: Three state citations and I-bond issued for disobeying stop signs. According to the log sheet provided by the NEIU Police Department, “Suspended license and no insurance vehicle was released to owner with valid license. “

Do you have a desire to write news stories?

Email our news editor at: neiunewseditor@gmail.com

black caucus BLACK GRADUATE RECEPTION Saturday, Dec 8th Alumni Hall • 2pm–6pm Formal Attire | Email bcaucus@neiu.edu for registration.

Graduates are free.

Guests: $10 for adults, $7 for children.

KWANZAA SHOW Friday, December 7th Pedroso Center • 5pm–7pm

Student Government Association members are part of various committees aimed to better NEIU. If you have any concerns or issues please visit the SGA offices located in the lower level of the E building near Health Services.

If you need accommodations to attend these or any University event, please contact Student Disability Services within 48 hours of the time of the event at (773) 442-4595 or SDS@neiu.edu.

6 news | november 20, 2018

Independent

Founder of neiu’s student veterans club returns for ceremony News Editor

neiuNewsEditor@gmail.com Students with military backgrounds were recognized and celebrated at Northeastern Illinois University on Nov. 9. Those in attendance were invited to attend a ceremony and luncheon sponsored by the Student Veterans Club.

NEIU President Gloria J. Gibson said in a targeted announcement, “Today, on this national observance of Veterans Day, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all those members of our University Community who are veterans.

We are able to enjoy our freedoms because of your sacrifice, courage and dedication to our country.”

Chad King, NEIU alum and retired Army veteran, spoke at the Veterans Day ceremony.

NEIU ROTC Cadets Sam Kim, Troy Choi, Rowan Quinain and Jazmine Vazquez.

The NEIU Peace Garden serves as a memorial for those who died in Iraq by hanging dog tags.

NEIU Alum and original founder of the NEIU Student Veterans Club, Pastor Joe Hertel, spoke at ceremony.

Photos by Angelica Sanchez

Nicole F. Anderson

Student Newspaper

november 20, 2018 | Advertisement

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opinions

november 20, 2018 | Independent

Apu Is A Walking Stereotype: ‘The Simpsons’ silence Apu’s character Robert Kukla Arts & Life Editor

neiuArtsLifeEditor@gmail.com

I remember being young and watching the 10 p.m reruns of “The Simpsons (1989)” with the volume really low to not disturb my parents. I remember laughing at Homer’s ignorance, Bart’s need to cause trouble and Lisa’s nerdiness. I even laughed at characters like Apu, the Indian-American character in the show.

All throughout television history we have seen the media mock different racial groups, whether its Long Duk Dong from “Sixteen Candles” or Jim Crow in Disney’s “Dumbo.”

Unfortunately most of the time we brush these portrayals off and just see them as a funny joke without thinking of the racism behind them.

It wasn’t until I came across the documentary “The Problem with Apu” by Hari Kondabolu that I began to question the problems with Apu’s character on the show.

“Rather than have an authentic representation of an Indian person, the character (Apu) becomes a caricature and what White Americans see as representing all Indian people.”

The main problem with The Simpsons’ Apu is that he perpetuates racial stereotypes of Indian people. He is the owner of a convenience store, portrayed as being cheap by consistently raising prices and is given a really thick Indian accent.

Kondabolu interviews Utkarsh Ambudkar in his documentary, an Indian-

Photo by Mark via Flickr To promote “The Simpsons Movie (2007),” 7-Eleven Inc. turned a dozen stores into Kwik-E-Marts according to an article by The Associated Press on July 1, 2007. The 7-Eleven located at 6754 W. 63rd Street Chicago, Illinois, was one of the stores to participate.

American actor from the tv show “The Mindy Project.”

Ambudkar said, “That creates a problem when one of the most popular shows on television, which it was, is showing mainstream America what an Indian is and it’s a potbellied dude, who cant speak English, is an idiot basically.”

Rather than have an authentic

representation of an Indian person, the character becomes a caricature and what White Americans see as representing all Indian people.

Kondabolu also points out that the voice of Apu is done by Hank Azaria, a white actor.

I see why this is offensive because not only are the creators making a mockery of Indian Americans but also adding salt to the wound

by having the character voiced by a white actor.

In a clip from an interview featured in “The Problem With Apu,” Azaria said, “they [the creators] said: ‘Can you do an Indian voice and how offensive can you make it?’”

See APU, pg. 9

November 20, 2018 | opinions 9

STUDENT NEWSPAPER

From the very beginning the creators had clear intentions with how Apu’s character was going to be presented.

Due to the increased criticism after “The Problem With Apu” released, the creators of The Simpsons took measures to decrease the offensiveness of Apu’s character. In the recent season Apu was given no lines of dialogue and rumors circulated that the creators might eliminate the character completely from the show.

There’s no denying that Apu is a beloved character on The Simpsons. A lot of NEIU students praise him when asked by the Independent how they feel about Apu. NEIU student Milan Bhatt said, “He’s a great character. He brings cultural diversity, which is always good, in a very humorous way. Along with that there’s exposure of different ideals of Eastern Asian Culture or technically Indian culture.”

Regarding the elimination of Apu from the show, Bhatt also said, “At first I feel it would be not too great because he’s a very prominent character on the show. He’s very prolific and people would miss him.”

“I can understand where people are coming from,” NEIU student Zachary Utterback said. “I can understand how Apu can be seen as insensitive. However, Apu is a unique character. There aren’t a lot of others like him. Not only an ethnic representative, he’s different compared to the other characters. I find it’s a shame that Apu is being taken off because I think he brought a lot to the show.”

I do find Apu’s portrayal racially insensitive and I honestly feel guilty for finding him funny. If you break the show down, we are all essentially laughing at the racial stereotypes of Indian people.

I don’t necessarily agree with eliminating him completely because he is such a beloved character but some changes to his character would be appropriate. I think we should keep Apu on the show, but rewrite him so that he is not just a walking stereotype of an Indian person. Maybe give him a storyline where he no longer is the owner of the Kwik-E-Mart.

I do definitely think the way he is currently portrayed on the show is racially insensitive and quite frankly offensive, so I wouldn’t mind his elimination from the show.

There is no denying how much people love Apu on the show but are they loving him for the wrong reasons?

Golden Perspectives: ‘What do you think about Apu?’ Will Jones The “Golden Perspectives” segment is where the Independent reporters ask a few members from the NEIU community their thoughts on a specific topic or question. The question or topic is highlighted in the headline.

photos by Will Jones

Apu

“Taking a closer look you do see what is going on in society nowadays so it is not that it is a bad thing that he is taken off but for people who are diehard fans of “The Simpsons” or the characters and the story line the characters are a part of, it may be a heartbreaker.

Personally I think it they are doing the wrong thing by taking him off but whatever floats societies boat.”

- Milan Bhatt, NEIU student

“I think it’s kinda sad that he is taken off the show. I think if they portray him in a different way rather than a stereotypical way, bring in different dialect for him, maybe then the character could stay on. But I think the character is causing too much controversy.”

- Allene Sodavaram, NEIU Student

“I can understand where people are coming from. I can understand how Apu can be seen as insensitive. However, Apu is a unique character.

There aren’t a lot of others like him. Not only an ethnic representative, he’s different compared to the other characters. I find it’s a shame that Apu is being taken off because I think he brought a lot to the show.”

- Zachary Utterback, NEIU student

10

november 20, 2018 | Independent

arts & Life

The Book Nook: ‘Citizen Illegal’ shares life as first-generation immigrant Armando Flores

spying on my life because they often reflected my own thoughts and beliefs. These coincidences started off small, like the fact that in his poems he argues that VapoRub is pronounced vah-po-ROO and that his family uses it as a cure all, even though the label clearly says that it’s for cough suppression.

Jose Olivarez, a Chicago native who recently published his book “Citizen Illegal,” led a discussion about his book at NEIU on Nov. 6.

In his book Olivarez writes a series of poems that deal with multiple topics, primarily those of Chicano pride and life as a first-generation immigrant.

While Olivarez delves into the world of immigration and status, he also stops at times to bring in a sense of comedic relief, some of which are my favorite poems such as his “Mexican Heaven” series where Olivarez describes his version of a Mexican Heaven.

“What really surprised me was his poem “I Tried to Be a Good Mexican Son... . I called my mom after reading the poem because his guilt became a part of my own for also not being a good Mexican son.”

“There were times when I was reading his poems that I had to stop and wonder if he was secretly spying on my life because they often reflected my own thoughts and beliefs.”

Olivarez’s poems range from a serious tone to that of a comedic tone as he analyzes different aspects of his life. He touches on different feelings, ranging from being out of place in New York or that of professing his love towards cheese fries.

When reading Olivarez’s poems, I thought that his poems were written as a result of a spur-ofthe-moment decisions. But when taking a closer look at his poetry, I sensed that Olivarez thinks long

photo by Jose Olivarez via facebook page If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy of “Citizen Illegal,” Barnes and Noble offers the book for $10.67. Amazon offers the book for $11.00.

and hard about his word choice.

A strong example of this is the combination of the word “Mexican” and “illegal” as they juxtapose the words “American” and “citizen” in

the poem titled “Citizen Illegal,” or his strong use of imagery.

What really makes Olivarez’s poems memorable is the relatability found within them, even though

his poems are about his own experiences.

There were times when I was reading his poems that I had to stop and wonder if he was secretly

What really surprised me was his poem, “I Tried to Be a Good Mexican Son.” In this poem, Olivarez struggles with the guilt that he feels for not living up to his mother’s dream of him studying law or becoming a doctor. He even feels guilty for not sharing or liking his mother’s Christ memes on Facebook. This poem was too real for me. I called my mom after reading the poem because his guilt became a part of my own for also not being a “good Mexican son.”

Olivarez’s poems are not only relatable to Latinos as they can be relatable to any person, it just so happened that both of us were Mexican.

Olivarez’s “Citizen Illegal” is a great book; I really recommend reading it, not only because it’s a great read, but for its relatability.

November 20, 2018 | Arts & life 11

STUDENT NEWSPAPER

‘The Hate U Give’ portrays Racial Conflict on the big screen Amaris E. Rodriguez

“The movie made me cry as it resonated with the fear that a lot of minorities, such as myself, have when dealing with police authority.”

opinions Editor

neiuOpsEditor@gmail.com

I waited for months for “The Hate U Give (2018)” to open in theaters and it was worth the wait.

The big screen adaptation of Angie Thomas’ young adult novel opened nationwide in theaters on Oct. 19 and was directed by George Tillman Jr., who previously directed “Notorious (2009)” and “Men of Honor (2000).”

The film is based on the critically acclaimed novel by the same name and follows the story of Starr Carter, a high school student who is the sole witness of a police shooting that kills her childhood best friend.

“The novel itself was inspired by the shooting of Oscar Grant III, a 22-yearold African American man who was fatally shot in California by a police officer. ” movie poster via facebook page The novel, which debuted at Number one on The New York Times’ young adult best-sellers list, deals with the aftermath of a racially motivated police brutality case, a social issue that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the country. The novel itself was inspired by the shooting of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old African American man who was fatally shot in California by a police

If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy of “Citizen Illegal,” Barnes and Noble offers the book for $10.67. Amazon offers the book for $11.00.

officer.

The movie adaptation starred Amandla Stenberg as Starr Carter, a black teenager who lives in a predominately poor black neighborhood and attends Williamson Prep, a predominantly white private school in a different neighborhood.

Just as in the novel, the movie highlights the pressures Carter feels to have two separate parts of her personality; one for Garden Heights and one for Williamson Prep. This tension only increases as the events unfold.

Carter’s school friend, played

by Disney Channel’s “Boy Meets

Girl” star Sabrina Carpenter, is used throughout the movie to add tension to situations that might be considered racist and insensitive such as a comment about fried chicken.

The movie earned $2.5 million on opening day and faced criticism after videos surfaced of Kian

Lawley, who was originally cast to play Stenberg’s love interest, using the N-word. Lawley’s character was re-casted and played by K.J. Apa. Carter’s father, played by Russel Hornsby, is a former gang member turned good who now believes in helping out his community.

Throughout the movie he is a strong presence, representing the struggles African American men can face in this country. A strong scene that captured this was when he is questioned and physically restrained by police officers in front of his kids.

The movie made me cry as it resonated with the fear that a lot of minorities, such as myself, have when dealing with police authority.

“The Hate U Give” is currently still in theatres.

Interested in writing movie, book or play reviews?

Email us at: neiuArtsLifeEditor@ gmail.com

12 Arts & Life | november 20, 2018

Independent student newspaper

Red Dead Redemption II: join our team!

Game of the Year Candidate Will Jones Editor’s Note: Article contains spoilers.

Rockstar Games released the second installment of the “Red Dead Redemption’ series on Oct. 26. In a rarity, the second installment of a video game series does not surpass the first.

game cover via facebook page Rockstar Games’ “Red Dead Redemption II” was released on Oct. 26.

The second installment exceeded my expectations. The story takes place around a decade before the beginning of the first game. Rockstar set up the story structure this way to show the events leading up to Dutch Van Der Linde’s gang falling apart.

The main character of this story is Arthur Morgan. Arthur is Dutch’s right hand and he greatly portrays a cowboy in the dying Wild West.

Rockstar had to have spent a large amount of time with the attention to detail of this game. The main character from the first game, John Marston, plays a dominant role in the prequel. Marston’s wife and son, who are revealed towards the end of the story in the first game, have a big role too.

Marston’s son, Jack, is absolutely

adorable in the prequel. There’s one mission where you teach him how to fish.

For the length of the game, Dutch and his gang are on the run from the law. They committed a robbery in the main town of Blackwater and it went horribly wrong. There are a total of six chapters with two epilogue chapters. In total, this game has over 100 missions to partake in.

Bill Williamson and Javier Escuella are the two men that Marston is enlisted in to hunt down by the government. Seeing them in the prequel is an amazing experience because they serve as great comrades in Dutch’s gang.

There is also a heap of side missions. They range from intimidating people that owe the gang money to finding lost exotic animals for a man’s circus. I had a wonderful time breaking up a KKK rally!

A warning to new beginners, you must take care of yourself and your horse. Arthur’s vision can become heavily blurred and shaky if your health and stamina cores are low.

Rockstar took a page out of the customization book from “Grand Theft Auto 5” with the horses. You can name your horse and you can customize it. You have to spend an extensive amount of time unlocking different perks for your horse. I accidently killed my first horse, Genesis, and I felt extremely bad about it because I lost the time and perks.

Growing a close bond with your mount is key because it can become angry enough to throw you off. If you don’t feed it or brush it, it will become agitated. Beware of the different predators throughout

the different areas of the map. A gigantic bear almost ripped Arthur in half and the fight scene was intense!

“Red Dead Redemption’s” new Eagle Eye mode helps you track down your prey and it highlights items of interest. Hunting is a lot harder on this game which is why Eagle Eye is super essential to use.

There’s a fictional Louisiana located in the eastern region of the map that is crawling with gators.

There’s a mission where you have to help a man that has this legendary albino gator trying to eat him.

I am currently on the last chapter, and I am sad to say that Arthur has tuberculosis. It is slowly killing him and his abilities are hindered. I am eager to see the game’s conclusion and Dutch is turning into the crazed man we see in the first game.

“There are a total of six chapters with two epilogue chapters. In total, this game has over 100 missions to partake in.”

This description is only the tip of the iceberg of what this game has to offer. Beware of the rival gangs because they will come out of nowhere to try and kill you. I don’t mind paying sixty dollars for this game because I know what I’m paying for. This game should easily win game of the year, and I highly advise picking up a copy of this sensational game. Be prepared for a long download. This game is at least 90 gigabytes.

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