About
The Central Trend strives to be your primary new source centralized around the students of FHC and the events in the school as well as the whole Forest Hills community.
In the beginning, we were a newspaper—white, long paper, black ink, and big, bold headlines. We called ourselves The Forest Edge. Then, slowly, The Forest Edge became a magazine—glossy, colored pages, fewer stories, and crazy expensive to print. It also brought InDesign- Adobe’s layout system- and all the stress that comes with it. Eventually, we made the move to begin posting online and rebranded ourselves as The Central Trend. Everything was new and exciting: more stories, social media, and the ability to write more of the “fun” stuff, like reviews and columns.
Four years in and everything is still constantly changing. We’ve added two new story types—short stories and poetry— along with new flourishes to our website, such as our email subscription and weekly polls. And with all the changes, we are excited to see where our site can go next. Last year alone, we cumulated over 150,000 views, surpassing our aggressive goal. This year, we not only want to exceed last year’s views but also strengthen our social media presence and our comradery in class.
What do we write?
Embedded in the pages of TCT (both metaphorical and the print editions) lies a variety of types of stories. Features, editorials, and columns to name a few. We do our best to write a variety of content to match each reader’s interest.
Features
While calling a story a feature is as broad as it can get, there is really no other way to describe them all at once. Whether it be a single person or the whole volleyball team, a feature narrows in on its topic and takes the reader into a little corner of their world. This can be done in many ways: a long story with multiple interviews, a Q&A, or a profile. No matter what, the goal is to provide readers with new information on the people that make FHC, FHC.
Humans of FHC is story type found exclusively on our Instagram. Unlike features, they don’t focus on the tell-tale, obvious questions. Instead, we snap a single photo in the moment and ask the subject to share something. . . anything that’s on their mind. Whether that be a story, a joke, a quote, it is up to them. But no matter what, it’s a toe dipped into the pool that is their world.
Columns
If you’ve been around for a while, you probably know exactly what this type of story is. A column rings true to its name, and its job is to let you inside of a high schooler’s head and hear what they are thinking. Columns, full of freedom and individual expression, are usually the most personal story type.
Editorials
While seemingly similar to a column, there is one major difference between the two: focus. While both types of stories share the brain waves of the FHC teen, editorials show their opinions on the things that are happening in the world around us, inside or outside the doors of FHC.
Reviews
Ever wonder if a movie or a book is worth your time? The Central Trend would love to help. Reviews are opinionated in-depth analyses of different forms of entertainment. You name it, we will review it.
Short Stories and Poetry
Though not a part of typical journalism, short stories and poetry are captivating glimpses into the imagination of creative teenage minds. Short stories are posted chapter by chapter whereas you never know what you will receive when it comes to poetry, whether it be free verse or a sonnet.
FHC Sports Report
The FHC Sports Report posts coverage of every sporting event of every sport at every level. With scores, game reports, and player profiles, the Sports Report has everything you need to know about FHC sports and athletes. Follow them on Twitter for real-time updates.