Lockdown on literature

A FISH WHO FISHES – ATROCITY OF THE SEA

My initial focus when I began this series of factual pieces was to satisfy my hunger for ocean knowledge, and to give myself an opportunity to research parts of the Pacific Ocean and the creatures that live there. Recently, my attention was drawn away from the creatures, and focused more on the traits of the sea, but let us get back to the fun parts and discuss a rarer creature that was found washed up on a Californian beach back in November. Today’s focus is the himantolophus, more commonly known as the football fish or the anglerfish. This rare species is found 2,000 to 3,300 feet deep in the Pacific Ocean and doesn’t get any sunlight, the only source of light coming from their esca, which glows with light from photobacterium . This little light bulb, attached to their face, attracts prey, as the esca dangles right above its mouth. The anglerfish stays very still as the prey is attracted by the shiny light. Once it is close enough, the anglerfish sucks it in and uses its long, sharp teeth as a cage to keep the prey trapped in its mouth… you can imagine the rest. The size of the prey is only limited to the size of its mouth. The anglerfish eats anything it can get its fins on, including other fish, squids and crustaceans.

While the exact number of the anglerfish population is not known, it is a well-known fact that these fish are a rare sight. Yet, on Nov. 13, 2021, an anglerfish was found dead, washed up on a San Diego beach. The person who found it, Jay Belier, noted that it was significantly larger than the anglerfish found at the same location in May.

Concern began to arise when a third fish was found in Encinitas, Cal. on Dec. 10. All three fish were discovered around the same area, leaving experts to question the cause of the recent uprise in washed-up animals in California.

The unfortunate aspect of these creatures is our inability to research them fully. Divers themselves can only go 60 feet below the surface, and even with the technology we have to go deeper, submarines are used to study other things more often than anglerfish. If there was a threat to their population, it’s unlikely we would know as we don’t even have a clear estimate of how many there are in the world.

I saved the best fact for last, and one I only discovered recently that, to be completely honest, I am slightly terrified by. The mating ritual of the anglerfish is incredibly unique and just a little disgusting.

The male anglerfish is far smaller than the female, and

Rachel Davis

OP-ED EDITOR attaches itself to the female by biting her belly. The male then releases an enzyme that dissolves his and her skin and fuses them together, establishing a common blood circulation between the two. Yes, anglerfish mate by fusing together, and the male will eventually die or be fully absorbed into the female. H

PHUONG LAM | HAWKEYE

DESPITE CONTROVERSY, BANNED BOOKS MAKE AN IMPACT

In the past, I considered a good book to be one that allowed me to delve into a new world as an escape from reality. Though some of the stories I’ve read are quite idealistic, I just can’t help but long for the peaceful bliss in such stories. But, the painful truth is that the real world will never meet up to my perfect fantasies. Life will keep punching me in the face. With that in mind, I’ve discovered something that surprisingly led me to my enjoyment while not avoiding the harsh realities of life. In honor of a banned books unit covered in my English 10 Honors class, I read a banned book.

First things first, it’s important to know what book bans and challenges are and how they work. The American Library Association (ALA) defines a challenge as an attempt to remove or restrict materials based upon the objections of a person or group. A ban is the removal of those materials.

These book bans and challenges are usually done in the best interest of protecting children, and according to ALA infographics, the majority of people that initiate these challenges are parents.

Going back to the banned book I chose to read, “Looking for Alaska” is a young adult novel written by John Green. Although it has won a Michael L. Printz Award for the best young adult novel of the year, it has since become a continually challenged and banned book. The ALA lists the challenges for this book, including “offensive language,” “drugs/ alcohol/smoking” and “unsuited to age group.”

At first, I was skeptical of the book being any good because of the nature of the characters it focused on, which, I would say, are wild high school students who lead questionable lives. However, I quickly realized that these characters are representative of all kinds of people in real life, and It was an opportunity to learn about those who were different from me.

While I could never relate to the actions of the characters, I did find common ground when it came to themes of trying to find validation, identity and the meaning of life. So though I initially thought that I couldn’t see myself in those characters, I found that a tiny part of me did exist in them. Finally gaining an understanding of the characters in the book was eye-opening for me, and I’m glad to have read it.

Upon finishing this book, I truly found value in reading it. Overall, it enlightened me and gave me an understanding of perspectives I never considered looking at before.

As I thought about the book, I began to wonder why it was banned in the first place. The challenges listed above didn’t hinder me from understanding the point of the book.

This also came up in the group discussions my class had during our banned books unit. Oftentimes, we found that the reasoning for why a book is banned isn’t a real reason to not read it. So, is a book ban really for protection?

In the ALA Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021, the most common reasons included “sexually explicit,” “LGBTQIA,” “violence” and “profanity.” These reasons and others alike are Arabella Devera regarded as being

HAWKEYE STAFF hard-to-swallow and complex topics. Many argue that students especially aren’t ready to handle such topics. However, isn’t it best to tackle those difficult topics by getting educated and exposed to them? Learning about them now can help prepare us students when we face them in the future. Banned books, while they have controversial and hard-toswallow topics, reflect the reality of the world, and it’s important to be educated on such topics. It enables one to be openminded when facing books that bring in uncommon and new perspectives while having the ability to develop a personal opinion and to think as an individual. We could all use a better understanding of ourselves and other people. While before I used to favor books that would take me away from reality, I see now that books can also help me face reality. It’s time to seize those banned books back! H

Harper Lee’s famous controversial book “To Kill a Mockingbird” sits atop a shelf in the Terrace Library with other books that have been banned in the Tacoma School District. SERAS BRYNER | HAWKEYE