Completed Journal

PAC

Hey everyone.

My name is Irene. I'm here tonight for the same reason you're here: to give voice to my thoughts in hopes of protecting what matters to me.

I've been at this school for my entire high school career and Byng has come to matter a lot to me.

And I know that byng matters to my peers, and when I say Byng I mean not only the community but the reputation of Byng too.

As Myim mentioned before, our school has a certain reputation. A reputation for being lively and open and accepting. While for me, I've grown to see Byng as comfortable and homely, there are students that see Byng as a respite from their home life and a step further there are students here who see Byng as a haven, who have dropped everything to come here.

The reality of it is that Byng is a safe haven for many LGBTQ students.

When PAC published their open letter I saw that what I want to protect is exactly what my peers' do as well. There were social networking campaigns to spread word and raise awareness, students came to me as the Gay Straight Alliance President to express they stand by an equal and accepting Byng. Not only that but I have had Byng graduates, in the midst of preparing for finals get in contact with me to say the same things. When they see Byng's name brought up online, in news articles, attached to views that are contrary to the promise of safety they felt when they were here themselves, they worry for their siblings currently attending Byng.

When they come to me, I want to reassure them, and I guess in part myself, that’s there’s nothing to worry about, but I’m not sure I can.

I hope in your discussions tonight, you will keep in mind the repercussions many Byng students are experiencing even now, and the effect PAC is having on potential students.

Body Stuff

Three weeks ago I started using this ah-mazing new grapefruit body wash.

Two days ago I realised it's actually a body lotion.

Oops.

View Finder 3

1.
The clear film over her face makes it look like she is, because she is, wearing a clear, shiny mask. At first, the children weren't sure why mommy's face was all gooey and strange looking, but daddy explained later it had to do with the big red mosquito bite on mommy's cheek.

2.
Her second skin was coming in nicely. Each one of her pores were slowly opening to the gel smear, drinking it in, sucking it up, merging seamlessly with it. The lustrous shine of youth will soon be hers again.

3.
It had been so long since they had seen water that when it came again neither Tom nor Elise knew what the transparent stuff was. The two gathered around the pool of sloshing clearness, tentatively touching and probing at the surface. It was slimier than they remembered.

Broken Glass (The Tears I Shed)

Grad Song

INTRO

Tuesday, Nov. 14

7:00am, brushing my teeth

From downstairs I hear my dad calling

“Hey, Irene. You awake?”

Little does he know,

I’m awake.

Yeah, it’s a Tuesday. It’s a school day.

Walking to school

Backpack half full of food

Do I have books? Only two

And so it begins that we start a new day

Grade 8 in our path we press on anyway

Cause there’s places to be

and essays to slay

At school

No body thinks that we’re cool.

VERSE 1

First class of the day

Wait block flip? It didn’t say

This hasn’t happened since grade 8

They say the grad hall is so great

With tv sets fun theme days

But it’s too crowded, now I’ll be late

I forgot I had a test

For most the questions I just guessed

Whatever, mom. I tried my best.

CHORUS

‘Cause there are 43 weeks that we spend at school

But have you ever thought what they meant to you

I bet you haven’t

But you probably should.

VERSE 2

Now it’s lunch, time to roll

Off to clubs here we go

My social life it’s out of control

It gets better when I get home

Doing my homework all alone

Can’t be bothered I’m in the zone

Go to sleep at half past one

Stay up late to watch reruns

Rise up early with the sun

CHORUS

VERSE 3

Although our school is really pretty awesome

We all have experienced some hashtag byng problems

Like have you noticed all the prices in the caf exploded

We’re teens not queens. Do they think we’re loaded?

Yeah we’re broke, we’re pretty poor

But we brush it off and walk through the door

To byng reach

Where it seems I wasn’t teached

In history

‘Cause Mario was too busy saving Peach

What’s with the thermostat?

I’m super cold all day

But then I walk into CIV

And the heat has gone way up

Down, up, down, is usually how my day goes

Walking to the different floors is really quite painful

My thighs are burning, marching up the stairs

They told me to take PE but I just took a spare

Yeah that’s right I did take that spare

Back in grade nine I remember them saying

There were boys in the quad rapping, word playing

I wanted to join them but I knew they couldn’t handle

My mean street slang since all they do is ramble.

But in all seriousness we were just kidding

We don’t throw down harsh insults that would be bullying

And we’re not bullies we’re pretty cool friends

If you want to hang with us, then I guess it depends.

Like do you even know our names?

CHORUS

You Make My Heart Happy

Too Lazy To Move

When the summer sun cuts through your curtain,

Blinds can’t hold it back. The room is filled

With sweltering heat, sweat dribbles and drops

From your brow to the ground, sticky and hot

You roll from your sheets, naked and flushed

Cheeks bellow in protest –the window stays shut

The wasps they buzz, busy bodies they buzz.

When the summer sun cuts, it’s slow.

At the pit of the stomach, the lower half
Of the torso grows soft and softer still,

You refuse to open too. The outside

Clear skies beat unheard by your ears

Behind glass the fast rhythms of summer,

Of busy bodies with warm orange glows.

The wasps they buzz, busy bodies they buzz.

When the summer sun lays waste the will

To leave, to stay, to do, you stay –no retention

of guilt for days gone to waste. The sweat drops.

The air smells better beyond the closed door,

But permission is granted, lay back in bed
Back to window –how hot, still shut– don’t look!

The wasps they buzz, busy bodies they buzz.

Description Assignment

--------------------------------------------------------------1970-------------------------------------------------------------

 

 “Uhhh, Suze?”

  A moment passed without answer.

  “Suze?” Brent tried again, hiking his whisper up a notch, fighting to be heard over the sound of a cover band belching Take My Breath Away on the stage at the front of the gym.

  Suzy could feel Brent’s hands, slightly too warm, clasped around her waist as they swayed to the melody of the song. “Yeah?” she replied.

  “Uhm, I was thinking…

  “What?” Suzy craned her neck towards Brent, trying to catch the end of his sentence as the boy’s voice seemed to peter out again.

  “Oh, uh… Do you want to–”

  “I totally can’t hear you over the music, Brent! Do you want to, like, get out of here?”

  In that instant, Brent’s ears flushed a nearly comedic shade of red. Without a word he nodded his head five times quickly in succession.

  “Radical! Let’s book it then!”

---------------------------------------------------------------2013------------------------------------------------------------

  “Uhhh, Suze?”

  A moment passed without answer.

  “Suze?” Brent tried again, hiking his voice up a notch, fighting to be heard over the sound of the booming sound system. LMFAO’s Sexy And I Know It was pumping from each of the nine stereos positioned all around the gym. Suzy’s head swayed from side to side and her fists were raised into the air, she gave no gesture of having heard Brent.

  “Suze? Suzy?” the blood in Brent’s face started to colour his ears a bright red. Though she was right next to him, the pounding music and throng of bouncing bodies around them seemed to drown out any noise Brent made. He considered yelling her name but the possibility of attracting the attention of classmates nearby made him blush all the more. He didn’t want to seem salty or anything.

  Brent slipped his camera phone back into his suit pocket and mumbled under his breath “Maybe we can get a selfie later…”