The Central Trend is proud to announce 16 winners and honorable mentions for the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) annual awards. We thank our viewers, who make it possible for us to continue...

Piano keys danced under her fingertips as they assured her she was talented, reminded her what would happen if she wasn’t. A genteel brush of the keys played underneath.   She danced...

I don't know you anymore   Exhaustion gripped the walls as the banisters twisted and bent and collapsed one after the next, all while the colors faded and the T.V. sat muted and displays...

The pain I have felt recently has me shelled out; it is indescribable. It has been months since I have written anything except sad poetry and the occasional column, and even working with most of what I...

In the night, she tossed and turned, but it was simply her body aching.   There were neither dreams nor nightmares, just unnerving nothing shaking her, waking her, breaking her as...

She dragged items of all shapes and sizes; cardboard boxes and plastic grocery bags held the paraphernalia of her past.   There were knicks in the mud where edges had caught on their way, and...

At the seaside I fly with the seagulls— am one with them.   But it all comes with a price, and I find myself living meal-by-meal (dream-by-dream).   We dip as one into...

An entire future held in the hands of a shriveling, crippling vine.   And when it died it fought with battered hands. It held her screaming deep within its skin, folded between suffocating...

In freefall I tumble, but it feels more like gliding to me. I chase the tragedy—reach my hands out and grasp for more and more as the pieces materialize in my hands like thick clouds in the sky. The...

“Don’t eat so fast.” “Hold your shoulders back and stop slouching.” “Stop wearing such big clothes; you have a great figure to show.” “Don’t swear so much; it isn’t ladylike.” All...

As we have run down the clock—entering the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic—we have made progress in a time of unceasing hopelessness and loss. We have passed the date marking the first COVID-19...

As I stood beside the wind that wasn’t strong enough to carry away the crusted remainders of the fall leaves, I found myself unable to pull it together enough to become a tangible thing in the air. Struggling...

For everyone around the country, January 20, 2021 marked a significant and pivotal moment in history—the inauguration of  Joe Biden, the United States’ 46th President. No matter what an individual’s...

Being a senior can be stressful and chaotic throughout the many months of anticipation leading up to graduation. This can instill burnout and motivation loss in students, especially when juggling several...

And it all froze.   Time stops when my eyes flash up in a burst of sudden confidence, only to meet yours and to feel insecure once again. I watch you as you watch me.   My brain...

Twinkling effervescence surrounded you as I watched you throughout the days where the grass melted deeper into its own pigment, and I came to know you in a world that functioned the way I imagined...

The holiday season has been losing it’s pine-scented touch over the years. Replaced by alternative supplements, the pill that is excitement for the holidays sits idly by in the cupboard under my sink....

There is this constant flowing of lava; secrets and destroyers of lives. Swimming— no, bubbling— singing just below the surface.   The red hot,  momentous mass creeps...

An apartment with nothing in it, but she did not move in.   Nor did anyone move out; it remained nothing, yet something all at the same time.   It was cold and alone, and...

Mason Yarnell, the new kid who moved in next door around eleven years ago. Mason, you truly are my platonic soulmate—sometimes even I struggle to find where you end and I begin. We have had our week-long...

It stares from the corner of my room, threatening—hovering in its own monotonous way.   It doesn’t appear with a certain color, nor does it apparate with feeling, since I don’t...

With countless English classes offered at Forest Hills Central, the opportunities to learn from literature are endless; yet, certain books litter the English department’s curriculum. In this series,...

My experience with required reading began the summer before ninth grade: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. In hindsight, this was the beginning of the end as far as “enjoyable” books go. While...

Concepts of Algebra Two: a class I had promised myself I would avoid at all costs. Nonetheless, to me and the district's dismay, I am not a higher statistic when it comes to math. But, through all of...

Sophomore Sophia Badaluco describes herself as “funny, mature for [her] age, and a big fan of Australia.” Nonetheless, throughout her tendency to focus on being responsible, there is so much more...

Name: Russell Baird Grade: 11 Roles: Narrator, Prince Charming 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having a smaller cast compared to other years? "It's kind of nice that it's...

Limited pre-sold tickets available only to families of cast/crew. Show streaming information is available on the FHC Theater website. There is also a pre-recorded version available.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A woman famous for her dissents; standing against the majority—and on the side of women through discrimination—on the basis of sex. Despite what many people may believe, there...

Claimed since the beginning of it all, the last week of April was always her week. Nonetheless, as time went on, it turned out to be a groundhog day of sorts—forgotten and misconstrued in the everyday...

1. What was your reaction when you heard your name called? "I was obviously excited, I mean everyone's excited, but there were just so many people I felt were so eligible for court that I didn't really...

As I scratch my story onto these cavern walls, and—as I lay dying—the question of two truths comes to pass: where do I begin, and where do I end? Stalagmites and Stalactites of fits of passion surround...

*WARNING: discussion of suicide* I’m Thinking of Ending Things, directed by Charlie Kaufman, is an existential roller coaster ride until the very last minutes of the film. Nonetheless, delving...

The war between students and administration rages on as high schoolers push to have Homecoming. And, with some being denied the opportunity, COVID-19 thrives under the prospect of community-hosted "homecoming...

Sophomore Sam Logan is no stranger to change. In fact, one could even go as far as to say he embraces it; almost every aspect of Sam’s life has involved him putting himself in a more-or-less uncomfortable...

While COVID-19 is still alive and well, many members of Ranger Country have grown wary of what will happen to the traditions so close to the hearts of the members of the community. This series delves deep...

In truth, LANY was a band with minimal songs peppered throughout my everyday playlists. Prior to listening to their new album, mama’s boy, I thought of them in the sense of a few hit songs but nothing...

“Will you shut up, man,” Democratic nominee Joe Biden said during the first 2020 presidential debate. This simple statement encompasses what a portion of the nation is feeling in recovery from the...

For FHC students, teachers, and parents, it's no secret that there is a new dynamic in the building this school year. Nonetheless, education moves on—whether that be through choosing to go completely...

Social, political, and economic equality are the three root principles of feminism. And to add on to this, there is also a battle for women against systemic inequality on a daily basis.  As if on cue,...

Living in Michigan, what can be expected besides the predictable unpredictability of lake-effect snow and just overall average weather conditions? However, for places such as California, this is simply...

“My choice isn’t what I breathe in, it’s what I exhale... And right now, in this moment, I feel a need for all of us to breathe fire.” Months ago, I came across this quote in a Twitter thread...

Time. I, for one, have spent way too much of it thinking about how much of it I have lost—hence the never-ending cycle of me switching my mindset between giving up and having hope. It is exhausting,...

Conversations null and ideas become an infrequent whisper  The minutes on the clock tick By now, I search and scour for some clue as to where I can uncover the secret key to which will unlock...

Name: Frankie Anderson Grade: 9 1. How has having parents who are teachers impacted your experience with online learning compared to the average student? "When I don't get stuff, I know I can...

Name: Adam Mix Place of Work: Spectrum Health Job Title: Director of the Solid Organ Transplant Program and the Cardiac Surgery Program 1. What did a normal day in your job look like before the...

Treading through the thick mud that had settled into the trenches on the farthest edge of the concrete road, Winnie’s regrets and aspirations sank into the tracks left behind by her size-six combat boots. She...

Like a book without a name, I stumble blindly into a missed array of blatant pages—  falling into an endless dive down to questions still unanswered.    Left with no heading over my...

Lucky amongst the more than 1,000 students at FHC, Vinod Rajakrishna has had the opportunity to live in several places throughout his lifetime. And, through these experiences, Vinod has developed a strong...

Burnout. An illustrious shadow hiding behind many FHC students’ school personas. Like an old friend, it comes back around again and again, though each time different from the last. For some, it shows...

Like a scene from your favorite movie, she rides down the middle of the street on her golden bicycle, her summer skin caressed by the fading sunlight she so desperately yearns to chase away.  Away—anywhere...

For junior Rachel Schenck, her schedule is packed to the brim with advanced classes as well as extracurriculars. Rachel is a multi-sport athlete. This winter, she is on the FHC wrestling team and is...

Homecoming and Winterfest have long had a variety of attributes that set them apart from one another. For many students, the appeal of Homecoming branches from all the bells and whistles—ranging from...

the similarity of antonyms   the sameness of love and hate    the one to whom the likeness shows but unable to relate   scalding mixed with a polar chill to create...

Happy New Year. Though it took me a few listens, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this hidden motif at the beginning of Summer Salt’s new song, Fire Flower. Although Summer Salt has taken...

Exams are a daunting tidal wave. With the testing expeditiously approaching, it’s no wonder that students’ stress levels are increasing as each day passes by. Sophomore Jaelynn Carlson, who,...

There are times when everything feels bland.  Times where no amount of creativity can dig me out of a hole of insignificance and doubt. To some, this lack of variation can be reassuring; for me,...

Freshman Madi Zeien loves to travel. In fact, she has visited over twenty places around the world already—ranging from Europe to Puerto Rico. Out of all the places she has visited, France is by far...

Lexi — for hyping me up Thank you for always staying so positive. You pick me up when I’m down, and you laugh with me when I’m on top of the world. Whenever I am with you, my smile appears boundless,...

Cavetown has long hidden behind the use of upbeat, soft strumming guitar and ukulele; Things That Make it Warm is no exception to the continuous flow of similar-sounding songs. Cavetown has long been...

As the chilly, unforgiving weather sets in during this closely approaching winter season, road conditions deteriorate, leaving many drivers—students, bus drivers, staff, and parents—unsettled. Road...

She simply entered in search of something new; she believed a quick in-and-out run should be efficient enough. All it took was the faint air of a sugar-cookie scented candle to bring her home; the sweet...

1,400,000. This is the estimated amount of suicide attempts in 2017 in the United States alone. Beyond this, there are at least 123 suicides a day. Netflix’s brand new series, The Politician...