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The Great Vaporisation

The following piece was written by Lael Chisholm as part of her Level 3 writing portfolio in 2015. Lael was our Dux and also gained Scholarships in both English and Graphics. Since leaving school Lael has won the 2017 Gavin Bishop Award for Illustration – quite an achievement for an artist not yet 20. The book concerned, “Granny McFlitter The Champion Knitter”, is due for publication next month.

I was a very negative particle before I met H2. Life had no meaning for me and I never really had anyone that I could form a strong bond with. H2 was the opposite. So positive and happy, she embraced life with endless enthusiasm. We were instantly attracted to each other and formed what we call a ‘Water’ relationship: H2O. In most water relationships, ours included, life runs along smoothly. There is never an obstacle too big for us to move over, under or around, and we never have misunderstandings because everything is always crystal clear to us. Sure, we go through rocky patches sometimes but it takes more than a bit of bumping and bubbles to split us up. For centuries, Oxygen and Hydrogen atoms have been bonding together, staying strong through thick and thin, and for years they would continue to.

Or so I thought.

It was all over the news one particularly muggy day. “H2O molecules all over the world are claiming that they ‘don’t want to be together anymore.’” I watched H2 out of the corner of my eye. She was sitting as far away from me as possible while still inhabiting the same couch, eyes glued to the TV. I sighed. The forces that kept us together seemed to be weakening every day, and I had no control over it. The news reporter moved on, now informing us of the intense wave of heat that was sweeping the world. Temperatures climbing far above what they had ever been before. Reaching for the remote, I changed the channel. We had already heard about that.

But apparently there was more.

The next channel had President Watersby naming the climate change ‘ The Great Vaporisation,’ and the channel after that showed crowds singing about the end of the world, when believers would be evaporated up into heaven. The last channel was the National Scientific channel. A Nitrogen atom was explaining something on a blackboard swarming with numbers and diagrams. “And this, folks,” he was saying, “means that when the temperature increases, the attractive forces between the atoms are broken, and as a result the particles are separated. For example, if we have H2O, the energy from the heat will split th-…”

We sat staring at the blank screen of the TV for what seemed like hours, H2’s hand still clenched around the remote like a clam.

O pried the remote from my trembling hands and returned it to the coffee table. His face was grave, his furrowed brow betraying his negative thoughts. I could tell he was losing hope fast. “Be positive,” I reminded myself. “I have to be positive.” With this thought in mind, I bounced up off the couch and made my way to the kitchen. “I’ll make us some lunch,” I called out enthusiastically. But even I couldn’t ignore the hint of desperation in my voice, the faint undertone of helplessness wavering in the stifling heat waves in the air.
This weather really was unbearable.

It was a strained lunch, with O sinking further into depression and me trying to lighten the mood with irrelevant stories and questions. I was beginning to annoy myself, with all my incessant chatter and forced laughter. Why was I always so overly positive when things went wrong? I felt like there was a cord of elastic tied between O and I that was stretching tighter and tighter, and the only way I could cope with the tension was to pretend everything was fine. And everything was fine, wasn’t it? We were still together – still happily together.

Everything was great.

Everything was terrible.

And I could tell that H2 was worried because she was talking a mile a minute about nothing and had a big, fake smile pasted on her face, her mood seeming to improve almost as fast as mine deteriorated. What were we going to do? How could we save our relationship when it seemed like the forces of nature were against us? I couldn’t in ignore it anymore – the blatant truth was scorchingly obvious: the rising temperatures were the cause of our relationship troubles. And since we had no control over the weather, we were doomed.

“Breaking news!” The TV announcer’s excited voice broke through my thoughts like a bucket of ice cold water, trickling through my brain and gathering into a small puddle of hope in my stomach. “Scientists have discovered a way to save H2O molecules!” The camera flicked to the Nitrogen atom from the National Scientific channel. He was in a blustery room, the wind pelting his hair and flapping his tie back and forth like a flag. He was squinting and blinking manically, a massive grin straining across his face.
“AIR CONDITIONING!” He shouted. “KEEPS THE TEMPERATURE DOWN!”
H2 leapt up off the couch and squealed, but I tried to remain calm. After all, it might not even work – there was no use getting our hopes up about it.
H2 obviously didn’t agree. “We have to get an air conditioner!” she exclaimed excitedly as she ran out the door.
“It won’t work,” I called out after her. But she

was gone.

It did work.

The soothing, refreshing air from the air conditioner swirled around H2 and I in gentle waves, restoring us to our normal selves and somehow reducing the strain between us. It was like magic! I could feel my dark mood lifting, blowing away in the breeze and being replaced with contentment and relief. Our strong bond had returned once again like an old friend, and I knew that no matter what tidal wave or storm we encountered, we would stand strong together through thick and thin for many years to come.

 

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The Real Victim Of Verity McLean’s Death? Verity McLean.

Michelle Duff attended FAHS from 1996 to 2000. She believes the most interesting stories come from the things we take for granted. In her decade of reporting, Michelle has worked on staff for Stuff, the Sunday Star-Times, The Dominion Post and the Manawatū Standard. Her freelance work has been published by Vice, the Listener, the NZ Herald and North & South. A Canon Media Award-winning feature writer, Michelle is a National Correpondent and columnist for Stuff covering health, social issues, and women’s rights.

The following article appeared on www.stuff.co.nz on 19 December 2017.
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Another woman killed at the hands of her partner, and a big, gaping hole where there needs to be two words: domestic violence.

These two words have been missing throughout the coverage of the murder of Invercargill mum Verity McLean, 40, by her estranged husband, Ben McLean.

He was a policeman at the time of her killing. Initial coverage of the case told us he was a “nice guy”, whose act was “out of character” and had shocked the small community. Initial coverage, and in fact the collective narrative of all news stories, has erased Verity McLean the woman almost entirely.

Verity Ann McLean was shot and killed by Constable Ben McLean on April 25, 2017. She had left her husband for his one-time friend, Garry Duggan.

McLean decided to kill her. In Invercargill High Court this week we learned he didn’t flip out, or make a snap decision. He meticulously planned her execution, killing her after gagging her and tying her, upright, to a couch. She had 36 bruises on her body, which he inflicted using a blunt instrument. He then shot her, point blank, in the head.

He couldn’t have her, so he exerted the ultimate form of power and control over her – causing her death. He made sure she would not exist without him.
The Family Violence Death Review Committee reports make for some light bedtime reading, if you’re ever interested. You can settle in with a cup of tea while hearing about how 194 people, including 56 children, died from family violence and related homicides between 2009 and 2015 – an average of 28 a year.

You can browse the section about intimate partner violence, which is where people (mainly men) kill their (mainly female) partners, which accounted for 92 deaths in the same time period. You can read the part about how separation does not ensure the safety of women.

Indeed, almost 70 per cent of female victims are killed, or their new or ex-partners are killed, in the time leading up to or following separation.

In court, McLean reportedly fought back tears as he said: “The real victims of this death are my three children. The two most important adults in their lives are now gone.”Bert [Verity] was the love of my life who broke my heart and my soul, and I will live with regret and the torment for having been involved in her death for the rest of my life.”

No. No. The real victim of Verity McLean’s death is Verity McLean. This is the voiceless woman who has been erased. Here, let’s look at the killer – what does he have to say? Oh look, he’s crying! He had a broken heart! No. He is alive, while she is dead. He gets to make victim-blaming apologies that minimise his actions, while she can say nothing.

Also down south, in the same week as the McLean case, a Queenstown District Court judge elected not to convict a man who violently assaulted his wife and daughter after seeing a text message exchange with another man. The Herald reported how Judge John Brandts-Giesen said the assault, in which the man kicked his wife in the ribs and held his daughter down by the neck, had to be seen “in context”.

“There would be many people who would have done exactly what you did, even though it may be against the law to do so….I consider that the consequences of a conviction are out of all proportion.”

New Zealand has the highest rate of domestic violence in the developed world. The way the courts and the media talk about domestic violence matters. Someone does not kill their partner because they are in a “deadly love triangle.” It is not just a factor that the victim and killer were in a relationship; it is the factor. And there are no situations in which abuse is deserved.

We clamour for a public apology from the murderer, when it’s largely superfluous. What matters is that we have created a society in which domestic abuse flourishes, and when it appears, we don’t want to look.
In a statement released by police on Tuesday, Duggan described Verity McLean as a loving, kind, compassionate woman, and an outstanding mother. He ended: “I ask today that we give more thought, more regard and more compassion to those that have been denied their lives by evil people.”
The one person who never says anything is the one who can’t. And these are the voices we need to listen to the most – while they are still alive to be heard.

Michelle Duff

https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/life/99989414/the-real-victim-of-verity-mcleans-death-verity-mclean

 

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An Open Letter To President Donald Trump

I’m Alexa Bishop-Matthews and I attended FAHS Feilding High School from 2013 until 2017. As I write this, I’m preparing to embark on a new adventure at Victoria University where I will be studying English Literature, French and German. This column was written over a period of a few days when I was hit with a bout of rage that will become evident as you read, though it later contributed to an Excellence grade in my Level 3 English Portfolio. I hope you enjoy it.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

I heard all about your travel ban: for countries that don’t fit your rigid business plan. Your “extreme vetting” of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia has been described by some as a “Muslim ban”. Which is a rather logical connection to make considering the aforementioned are the seven biggest Muslim countries in the world. If that were true and this is a restriction based on religion, this order is in violation of the First Amendment of the Declaration of Independence. Within which it states that the government cannot officially favour or disfavour any religion, you wouldn’t be acting as if you’re actually above the law now, would you? I have a major problem here, and it started with the announcement of this ban. How can you decide who cannot and who can legally cross your borders? You’re the President now, not a businessman.

With three and a half years in front and only six months behind you, you’ve somehow already managed to upset “the currency manipulator” known as China; repealed the only health care act that supported low income families; and attempted to sue those who exposed you for the explosive liar you are and have proven to be time and time again. It’s really no surprise that your Twitter has been rampant with past accusations coming to light as new, self-contradictory statements are published daily. Now I, like most people, took your campaign as a joke – surely you’re just giving the SNL cast ammo for their skits, rather than actually running for President. Alas, the Electoral College would seemingly rather allow a racist, xenophobic, bigot to rule over one of the most influential countries in the world than a woman. Nevertheless, this is not about your opponent and it just so happens that, in my opinion, neither you nor Hillary Clinton was best suited for the position.

Still, it does worry me that while your voters may not be racist, xenophobic, bigots themselves, the fact remains: they still voted for one. They voted for the man who said he would “Make America Great Again” – yet, I am also not alone when I say that America was never great to begin with. There have been a few achievements in recent times, the election of Barack Obama for example or the legalisation of gay marriage. But, for a country that pioneered the oppression of the Native Americans; the enslavement of the African people; carried out forced deportations when we all know who’s really illegal; and gave summer camps to the Japanese: who needs internships when you have internments? Is it really a shock that so many people – the majority of the US actually – disagree with you and your politics? I hope you can make America great, truly I do. On the other hand, “Make America Great Again” involves an adverb that forces me to question your judgement. As your carving digs so deep and divides through every state, and you’re just filling up hearts with fear as a result of hate.

Although, when you’re President of the United States, maybe it becomes easier to appear better than those who are inferior to you. It takes nothing more than the flick of a switch to bomb citizens of Syria in the hopes that you will somehow destroy ISIS – is the collateral damage that comes with this tactic justifiable? Do you realise that by using chemical weapons against Syria you have done little else than poison children not much different from your own? How can we blame you? Your son Eric has claimed the decision to attack in the Middle East was swayed by a “heartbroken” Ivanka. This is just a little something to consider, I don’t recall anyone voting for Ivanka’s heart to dictate US Foreign Policy. However, even if we ignore that for now, you’re still doing exactly what ISIS wants: they have infiltrated these areas in an attempt to dismantle them, and you’re only speeding that process up.

Maybe that doesn’t bother you after all, how much do you truly care about the children of your own country in the end, excluding Ivanka and her heart? Tell me, what would happen if Syria decided to bomb your country, to do unto you what you have done unto them? To put you in your place after you left the residents of Flint without fresh water or allowed gassing of Native Americans at Standing Rock? You were right though, when you said “there has never been a presidency that has done so much in such a short period of time,” in this case, corrections could be made to this quote so it specifically references the damage you have caused. How far will you go, rather how long will it take you to “Make America Great Again”? I feel a sense of foreboding that we are in for a very long, very destructive wait.

I don’t know how you’re going to remedy this and do what you set out to do. But, for whatever my opinion is worth, I do think it should start with you accepting that you may not be the one for this job, not as your predecessors were, at least. To be quite honest, you have as much experience in this area as the majority of the citizens of the US (eliminating the last six months, of course). The difference is, only one of you is trying to pretend that they are knowledgeable enough to do it well and Donald, your facade is failing you – rapidly. People are losing trust, rightly so I might add, and it’s up to you to regain the support of your nation and the people in it. Whether or not you do, the consequences lie with you – there’s no one else to blame now. No more Crooked Hillary with her emails, nor any Lyin’ Ted with his Zodiac Killer accusations. It’s time for you to be held accountable.

In spite of all of this, unfortunate though it undoubtedly is, I am aware that this letter won’t change your thoughts – in the end we’re more likely to see your tax reports.

—
Best,
Ale

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Welcome To Our Blog

I realise that you’re never supposed to start off with an apology but this is a necessary evil, I reckon. If anything goes awry with the set up and structure of this blog, don’t be surprised. I will have fouled something up. I’ve never attempted such a task before and, to be entirely honest, I have no idea what I’m doing. In fact, I don’t understand most of the technical terms used and, as a Kiwi bloke, I admit to an innate aversion to reading instuctions of any sort. Without the help of my daughter Alex, who set the technological process in motion, this project would not have proceeded beyond the theoretical. Thanks, dear.

Anyway, during the recent Christmas holidays, I had an idea. Having taught at Feilding High School for something over four decades I’ve had the privilege of coming across a large number of smart people, many of whom are using their writing to make successful careers. One thing we all need to succeed, whether we’re teenagers or not, is confidence and it occurred to me that if I could assemble a collection of pieces of writing created by our past students, just maybe this would boost the confidence of our current cohorts and inspire them to improve their writing so that their employment opportunities and choice of leisure activities are greatly widened.

So that’s the dream. Over the next few days I’ll be introducing some established writers and a few who are yet to be “discovered”. You’ll be reading columns, essays, poems, editorials, sports news, satire…..just about everything.

Philip Jeffreys