Dear readers,
Happy Fat Bear Week! For those unfamiliar, Fat Bear Week is an annual September tradition where the public votes for the Katmai National Park brown bear that has gained the most weight. 32 Chunk won last year, persisting through it all despite his broken jaw. Unfortunately, he didn’t stand a chance against 164 Bucky and was eliminated this past Thursday. #flop. Who will win this year? Make sure to stay tuned and vote for your favorite fat bear!
As you have probably noticed in our last few issues, the Herald has a huge soft spot for all things wildlife––especially bears. Bears are a very Heraldesque creature, that is to say they’re incredibly daring, but in a way you wouldn’t expect. They spend all of summer and fall eating as much food as possible to build enough fat so they can survive all of winter without ever opening a single eye. Can you imagine sleeping for seven months straight? Doing literally nothing at all?! FOMO fears the big brown bear.
This week’s issue will keep your spirits high so you can survive the next week and brave the harsh winds outside. Our writers and artists, like the brown bear, push the limits of daring to find new ways to create and adapt, even as our work piles up and we hit our annual semester slump. Beatrice Beale Tate discusses the tricky business of fictionalizing a real scandal that happened in her own hometown. Fabeha Jahra unpacks what home means to her, as she traverses between Bangladesh, NYC, and New Haven. Ami Gillon reflects on his changing relationship with a childhood friend. And so much more.
Fill out your predictions for which fat bear will prevail. Take the “Which Bear Are You?” quiz created by Max Chabries-Smith. Search up “fat bear week” on Google and enjoy the adorable animation. Snuggle up with your suitemates as you read this issue of the Herald, and get ready to hibernate because it’s going to be a long long winter… (actually we’re rebuking this).
Most Bear-ingly,
Angel and Hudson