The Story of the Forgotten Game and the Men who Played

Joey Dalicandro


Carlisle vs. Army
By: Lars Anderson



Coach Pop Warner was attempting to light the dangling, hand-rolled cigarette when he realized he was nervously pacing back and fourth within the small confines of the WestPoint locker room. As the echo of the 5,000 plus fans roared, he was buried deep down in his own thoughts. He was focused on the game plan, what he had to do. Be that as it may he's having trouble finding the right words to say to inspire the young men who played for him. Time was running out. He had to think of something to spark a fire within their hearts. He's been daydreaming of this moment for months, he can't mess it up now. It was finally his time to take a turn of defeating Army, a seemingly impossible task. Be that as it may he had a plan, a game changer.

     On a cool Autumn day in 1912,  Coach Pop Warner unveiled a new offensive formation known as the double wing. This was his ace in the hole, his way of winning and defeating his nemesis, Army. Still, the coach lacked the words to inspire his players. Most of which were Young Native Americans. Young men who came from little reservations in the prairies of the mid west. Most of whom came from as far west as Arizona just to come to the Carlisle boarding school. Many if not all  had ancestors who had been massacred by white settlers at one point or another. And it was at this point he had an epiphany, he now knew what to say. Coach Pop Warner screamed with as his might "Remember that it was their fathers and grandfathers who killed your fathers and grandfathers. Remember it was their fathers and grandfathers who destroyed your way of life, remember wounded knee"(4-5). After hearing this inspiring speech the Carlisle Indians ran into the stadium like warriors much alike that of their ancestors did.

   After these events transpire author Lars Anderson begins to talk about the history of these two teams. The outcome of the game and what happened after Coaches pregame speech is left to interpretation for a brief two or three chapters. The author dives into the history of this historic rivalry and begins to fill us (the reader)  in on some useful knowledge about not only these two teams, but knowledge about the sport of football itself. Within the first few pages we learn about the assimilation of the young men who played for Carlisle. The teachers at this reform school tried their hardest to assimilate these young men " the Indians were forced to abandon every last trace of their heritage, the white teachers cut their hair and took their clothes(4) ". The rest of the chapter goes more in depth about about this. Anderson dives into the rich history of not only football but the history of life for these early Americans and what it was truly like for them growing up.
   If you're someone who enjoys reading biographies, loves sports, and history then this novel is the one for you. Being someone who likes all three, I highly and whole heartedly recommend this story. Though I'm only 25 pages into this book I still find myself enjoying it and wanting to turn each and every page. The author uses rich and colorful detail to describe the setting and to convey the most important events in this time period. Anderson offers unique perspectives that almost allows the reader to get inside the heads of the characters. As well as being a story of sport this novel is a great story of smashing prejudices and stereotypes. All and all this story is a great American novel that perfectly depicts the toughness we as Americans have.
     

Old Yet Unknown

Julliany Leal

Still Alice
By Lisa Genova

Old but unknown surroundings. Alice lives surrounded by people who have been there through her life yet she doesn't know them. Sure she can say their names, for now, yet she doesn't really know them. Who are they to her? How did they come into her life? Where is she and why is she there? These are the questions Alice thinks in her head. 

Alice is diagnosed with Alzheimers and this is a shock to her and her family. They are unsure of what to do and what to say around her. Her family whom she was once so close to were treating her like an outcast. They make the choices for her now and she just obliges and goes along with what they say, she doesn't know any better. They look out for her and show her the love she needs. Her life went from her peak of amazement, wisdom, and knowledge to someone others now need to take care of and look after as if she were a kid. They connect with her and try to make her as comfortable and happy as possible. They know who she is and what she once was and respect and love her. Alice sees this and appreciates them for it.

I would recommend this book to people of all ages. You see how even when the worse thing imaginable is happening you can still get through it and have a happy life. The book touches you and is heartwarming. Seeing how hard her life has gotten and how she deals with it is beautiful and encourages others to enjoy life and that not everything is as bad as you make it out to be. I feel that her story gives hope to others in the same situation, both the families and the ones in Alice's spot. I would highly recommend this book. 

Love has a Thousand Faces

Divya Arora

A Time For Dancing
By Davida Wills Hurwin

The most unanticipated time of their lives is here. Juliana and Sam never imagined that they would ever have to witness such a  devastating moment in their lives. It is finally time to say farewell to Sam's best friend, Julie, who has cherished her few final dancing, family and friendship memories. Sam tries to be a true friend, supporting Jules during the months of testing and treatments but the horrifying pain and indignities that Jules suffers, and the feeling that she has lost over her own life, forces her to a place where even Sam cannot follow. Cancer becomes an inner journey that gradually distances her from family, friends, and in particular Sam- in ways none of them could have predicted. They both have to accept the reality that the cancer might never go away. As their lives proceed, the two best friends drift away from each other and Sam blames Jules for being selfish and ignoring her amid of her sickness. As a result,  Sam begins to spend more time with her boyfriend, Paul. Paul and Julie don't like each other which upsets Sam even more. For instance when Paul asks Sam to end her friendship with Julie and exclaimed, " Julie may been a pretty girl before she got sick. But the person I met was just... scary-looking. I don't understand how you can be around her"(176). Even though Sam has reminded herself that she has put "Jules in the back of my mind... she just wasn't immediate" (191), she felt immensely offended to Paul's reaction and she broke up with him. Deep down she sincerely cares for her "One and Only" and wouldn't trade her for anything. On the other hand, Jules decides to end her chemotherapy treatment because she can't bear the immense pain anymore. She has lost all hope and is overwhelmed of how her body physically looks. Her family agrees with her decision and support her to relieve her from the pain.

Davida Wills Hurwin has carefully crafted the novel that includes two central point of views which allow readers to imagine how life and death might look different at a young age. It is a page turner and intriguing. Over the course, readers witness Julie's own growth into accepting her destiny and Sam's growth into an emotional and psychological independent young woman. Hurwin did a good job having each girl narrate her own side of their rollercoaster story in alternating chapters. He adds various subplots such as boyfriend issues/betrayals, tension with friends and family without diverting attention from the intimate friendship, a bumpy course full of shocks, periods of silence and strains. The novel is beautifully dialogued with plotting that makes readers turn the pages through their tears. Both characters know that Jules is going to die but make one last effort to celebrate her life with dance, her passion and love.

 I would definitely recommend this book to everyone including all genders (not just young women), and ages. I makes you appreciate your friendship, life and most importantly oneself. Hurwin made the story quite believable about their friendship. It's a heartwarming story about the struggle with cancer at such a young age.

Solitude

Upstate
By: Kalisha Buckhanon


Antonio and Natasha are in a romantic relationship but are living in two different worlds. Antonio is in prison, while Natasha is out in the free world. They are living seperate lives but are connected by their love. However Antonio isn't very happy with his decison to taking the plea for unvoluntary man-slaughter because this means he'll be spending more time away from the love of his life, the life he could be living, and his family.


Above the surface this book is about romance, but underneth it's about solitude. While locked up Antonio has done some soul searching and discovered a lot of things about himself. He had an epiphany while putting a Rubik's cube back together saying," I get to see things all ****** up and coming back together again and plan five, six, seven steps ahead. I wish I could've done that on the outside, with my life" (107).  This just shows how we often take the opportunities we have in life for granted. No one knows what's coming in the future, which is why you have to do everything in your power to make your life worthwhile. That's one of the messages the author sends through this book. This book is tru;y powerful because it makes you reflect on yourself. Another important theme contained in this book is unity. One of the characters stated that, " Rivers connect everybody in the whole world to one God like veins in the bidy that pump blood from one heart" ( Buckhanon 123). It portays the idea that all of us on this earth are unified.

This book is absolutely powerful and will change your perspective of the world. I wholeheartedly recommed this book to thinkers and people who are open to making a change in themselves before making a change in the world.

Girlhood and Growing Up

Hallie Melville

This One Summer

by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

Every summer since she was a little girl, Rose and her parents have been going to Awago Beach. Her friend Windy is there too, acting as the little sister Rose never had. Rose and Windy previously had seen this trip as a relaxing getaway, however, this summer is different. Rose's parents won't stop fighting, and in an attempt to distract themselves from the drama, Rose and Windy find themselves witnessing tragedy unfold in the small town of Awago Beach. Themes like growing up, mental illness, and girlhood appear as the two girls trial through secrets and sorrow during the summer.

"My mom told me. Used to tell me all the time. That she dreamed of me before I was born" (296).

Rose's relationship with her mom is complex and interesting. She seems to have depression, but Rose finds it difficult to see what she is going through as she writes her off as lazy or uptight many times. It's moving yet heartbreaking at times to see Rose's feelings towards her mother shift throughout the book. Because this is a graphic novel and a fairly quick read, I would recommend this to anyone interested in art or anyone even a little bit interested in the story. The beautiful artwork brings the words to life, helping the story really flow.