I used to dislike having black hair growing up. Whenever I would look at my friends, I longed for the days I could have highlights.  But now, I adore the way my hair looks because so many people have...

There's a lot that I am thankful for this year, and although I could go on and on about all the people in my life that I am thankful for—I have decided to pay thanks to these special people in my life. Thank...

When it comes to entertainment, it doesn't take a lot to amuse me. I've never really been picky when it comes to how I utilize my free time. However—from time to time—I do find myself making the continual...

Dear Present me, Why do you play? There's a lot you don't know about me, and there's so much left for you to discover. Some aspects of my life will either remain hidden forever, like the president's...

Over the past few years of my life, I have become accustomed to encompassing social media into my life. In one way or another, it finds some way to fiddle with my life. Even though technology isn't...

From the beginning of senior Joey Sitarski’s life, the importance of having a close-knit relationship with his family has always been a constant.  From being the youngest in the family to having...

I have always been one of those kids who spent a copious amount of time on the internet. This consists of being a consistent fan of influencers’ lives on YouTube, grabbing cheesy life quotes from Instagram,...

Dear Present me,  Why is my life the way it is?  Why does it feel like I’m running on the seven seas, yet when I want to reach the highs and lows, I still can't stop? It feels like the highs...

As the world continues to spin on its invisible yet important axis, we are continually being brought to tomorrow's future today.  No matter what generation someone was born into, where their origin...

Dear Present me, You have been and always will be a massive Fan of The Flash. I don’t think there will ever be any show that I won’t have an emotional connection to after watching. Whether I’m...

Ever since I've removed myself from what is probably the most popular app at our school—TikTok—I have found myself relying on another source of entertainment, Instagram Reels. Although I wish my habit...

If I had to pick just one celebrity out of all the ones in the universe, it would be Grant Gustin. It's not only because he's in my favorite TV show, but also because he's just an all-around impeccable...

Dear present me,  What about the outliers? Senior year:  The twelfth grade is a student's fourth and final year of high school education. The year and the student are both referred to as senior.  This...

The new Health and Fit for Life teacher Paige Hallock was shocked when students didn’t recognize her from relatives who previously attended FHC, and, as a result, she has gravitated toward the environment...

After making the decision to finally finish The Flash TV series this summer, I got the word that there was a The Flash movie coming out; my excitement doubled over the amount that was already there.  Prior...

Dear Present me,  Why do you write? A girl once asked me, “Where do you get the ideas to write your stories?”  I responded with, “I write about the current events that envelop my life...

When I’m, sad I write. When I’m happy, I write. When I want to word vomit, I write. Whatever I’m feeling at the moment; I will write about it. Yet whenever I’m feeling tranquil, words just never...

This summer, I decided to run back in time and rewatch one of my all-time favorite shows, The Flash, which is a show about Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), a 25-year-old forensic scientist who gets struck by...

Yes, it’s finally here: my senior year. It’s hard to believe the words “my” and “senior year” are in the same sentence. But, for some reason, whenever I think about senior year all that...

She thought she would go to school on Friday. That one day of the week, she was ecstatic to attend school for two reasons: the day before, she was nominated for student of the month, and the next day was...

I never thought that I would be here writing this, but the time has now come when the school parts with the seniors and prepares itself to welcome the freshman; in with the new, out with the old.  Before...

What if I had gone in-person freshman year?  What if I had never taken APUSH sophomore year? What if I had never joined The Central Trend? What if I had never tested out of Algebra 1?  What...

It happened—exactly what happened, do you ask? That one event that every writer dreads to experience: writer's block. Don’t get me wrong—it’s not that I’ve lost a passion for writing; it’s...

Ever since senior Bernice Sam was a little girl, she has always had this everlasting dream of becoming some sort of doctor, but it wasn’t until high school that her passion for becoming one really started...

What was your reaction to the court announcement? "Initially I didn't know because people were cheering for their friends so I didn't hear my name [called]. I left 5th hour and went to class [but] I...

What was your reaction to the court announcement? "To be completely frank, it was the most random thing in the world. I was not expecting it whatsoever. It was fifth hour [and] I was in [AP] Statistics...

My planner sits empty like a blank canvas that has something to say but is silenced by the pens and pencils that just aren’t willing to dance. Pages and pages are filled with endless tasks just waiting...

Everyone’s experiences with senior year can vary, but for senior Kyle Friar, although he is enthusiastic for what college will have to offer, he will definitely miss all the memories that he has made...

Whether we’re aware of it or not, coping mechanisms are a common apparatus utilized by people. Whether this be fidgeting with your fingers, lightly tapping your foot, or even continuously clicking a...

It has always been a preconceived idea for me that every single student got the same amount of time on tests. Everyone would walk into the classroom, start the test, and then all finish the assessment...

Coincidences intrigue me until they scare me; a ghost from my treacherous past I continue to bury the more I move away from it. It’s interesting how coincidences happen, but the irony that occurs within...

Opinions expressed in editorials on The Central Trend are the view of the individual writer and are not the opinion of the entire staff of The Central Trend or the Forest Hills Central staff or administration. A...

Field trips in high school can have a plethora of interpretations, but for American Sign Language teacher Kimberly Anderson, they are eye-opening opportunities for students to bond.  “I think it's...

I seem to remember everything nowadays, except for the important stuff. For example, when to wake up or when certain assignments or assessments need to be completed. Regardless of what I can keep track...

I know that I’m not a robot, but sometimes I feel like one because of the facial expressions that I make. Usually, when I’m upset, the first feature to convey that to you is my face, and I can’t...

For any college-level course, it’s expected that there’s an exam to follow, but the elements of each exam can vary from class to class. For AP Seminar teacher Morgan Beckett, the fundamentals are what's...

These months of the year can either go one of two ways for me: stressful or joyful. It’s the start of a new year, and that’s exciting for me, but it either goes down one path or another. This time...

I dislike Valentine's Day, but that could just be because I spend it alone every year. I like the concept behind it, but It starts to get old the more I see the infinite string of stories of couples posting...

Earth is a miraculous planet, but it’s hard to find appreciation in things when you don’t stop to pause and take in everything around you. This is something I have been trying to do more lately.  Being...

When history teacher Kyle Carhart first heard about senior exemption, he was unsure as to what it entailed for students, simply because it was never a policy that was enacted when he was a high school...

I loathe shopping. Just kidding, I adore it, but only if it’s online. For some reason, going inside stores has never really been my forte. I’ve always been someone who loves to purchase items from...

If I had to describe myself in one word from the perspective of someone who just met me, it would be "shy." I am a very shy person. In fact, I’m shy to the point that when you talk to me, we won’t...

Entertainment; that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the word "break." Whether that be watching shows on Netflix, short videos on TikTok, or even people’s lives on YouTube, this...

Before I started high school, I never really considered myself someone who liked to be affiliated with history. It was always a monotonous subject for me. I always thought that you had to be constantly...

Dear junior year, I’m going to be completely honest, I am not loving junior year, and it’s weird for me to even say those words that are coming out of my mouth right now. It’s nothing like I thought...

Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and so on. I’m sure we’ve all heard of these words before, right? But what’s the one thing that comes to mind when you think about these platforms?...

For many people, owning pets can mean as little as one or two animals, but for senior Sammy Deridder, this means 35. Since she lives on a farm, she is constantly surrounded by animals; these creatures...

A couple of days ago, I turned 17, and although it’s never really been a special number, I knew that my birthday would feel a little different this year. Whenever I think of birthdays, I don’t think...

Dear Katelynn,  It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I realized that there were such kind people in this world, and I never realized the true gravity that friendships held until...

Thank you to… Mom - For always being there for me  Despite how stubborn I can be, you never choose to give up on me, and I think that’s what makes you such an amazing person. You always make...

When most people think about a club, they often think about collaborating with other students within their school. Junior Lucy Wu, one of the eight members representing the Student Advisory Council for...

Lately, I’ve been feeling the need to hold on to the present for as long as I can. It’s my junior year of high school, and it’s now just hit me that I’m not living out my high school experience...

I love November, but to be honest, who doesn’t? It’s one of the last months before the end of the semester, my birth month, and a month for giving thanks. Ironically, it’s also the month when Black...

For as long as senior Emma Costello could remember, she has always held a passion for the medical field. But, she never anticipated that she would find such satisfaction in doing simple tasks such as being...

AP US History teacher Steve Labenz has had students with parent's expectations set so high he thought they had to be joking. Because Labenz teaches one of the most difficult AP classes at FHC, he understands...

Growing up, I was a very curious person, and whenever I would inquire about my parents' childhood, it would always revolve around their life in school.  My parents are from India, and back then, they...

Name: Ava Redmond Grade: 12 What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the word 'grades'? “Hard work, studying, and tests.” What advice you would give to someone who stresses...

Name: Ian Mahoney Grade: 12 What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the word "grades"? "The thing that comes to my mind when I think of grades is spending nights studying for tests...

Dear Chloe,  Joining Model UN in my junior year of high school was one of the best decisions that I ever made.  Before I met you, I never realized the power of friendship, and I can honestly say...

I know that feeling.  That angst-ridden feeling you get when you're just aching to know what score you got on an assessment seconds after turning it in.  The lump sensation you get in your throat...

I am someone who would revolve my life around grades. No matter what I had to sacrifice, what mattered to me most was the numerical value upon completing any assignment or assessment.  But, over the...

When I was younger, I remember telling my mother that I would simply walk or bike everywhere because I was too afraid to drive.  But, when my mom would ask me, “What will happen when it rains or...

Senior Addy Scholtens finds it funny every time she is asked if she is related to Human Anatomy teacher Chad Scholten. Although they have similar (but not the same) last names, there is no relation; however,...

I have never been someone who was ever really worried about the way our environment functions, but ever since I started taking AP Environmental Science, I realized that we impact the world more than we...

This Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending Improv Central, provided by FHC’s theater department in the auditorium. Although this show was neither a play nor a musical, I was entertained throughout...

In high school, they say that junior year is supposed to be the most stressful, yet important, year of high school. But my year so far has felt neither strenuous nor pressurizing, and it’s hard for me...

The first word that comes to mind when I think of the word math is 'numbers.' But, the first object that comes to mind is a calculator. Ever since the 6th grade, I have always used a calculator when it...

For the first time in three years, Central Singers will be attending Vocal Jazz Night, a one-day event at the Fine Arts Center on Oct. 20, giving choirs from different schools a chance to come together...

As someone who is stuck in the continuous cycle of going to school, participating in extracurriculars, and constantly doing schoolwork for upcoming assessments, it would be dishonest if I said that no...