For the past month and a half, whenever junior Clare Knoester’s friends visited her house, Clare always made sure to fix them a cup of her newest obsession: a matcha latte.  More specifically, a...

I, with an insatiable bubble tea obsession, have been to every bubble tea shop in the greater Grand Rapids area. Not only that, but every time I visit a new city, my first Google search is for the best...

Recently, I’ve been obsessed with earl grey matcha lattes. Consisting of homemade earl grey syrup, skim milk, crunchy ice, and a ceremonial matcha mix, the taste reminds me of the remainders of a...

On a sunny day at the Shaggy Pines Dog Park in Ada, senior Mia Stibitz was enjoying the sunshine with one of her pets, an Australian Shepherd, Shiloh.  Shiloh, being her usual energetic self, splashed...

My film taste has evolved from the cult simplicity as I've grown. Instead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars, my taste has shifted to the often blindsided indie films that offer a deeper insight...

It’s a shocking plunge; chills erupt throughout my body, enveloping me in an encompassing cloud of bubbles. Although I am not gifted with the ability to open my eyes underwater without goggles, I...

Paddington Bear, beloved among both United Kingdom audiences and fans worldwide, has finally returned to his home country of Peru in the latest installment of the Paddington film series Paddington in Peru. It...

Opinions expressed in columns 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. I...

I’m six again, scribbling at the white, bleached space that fills the majority of the paper. As always, I’m doing my best to keep it within the boundaries of the unwilling black lines, but with...

The most recent time in which I claimed to be "freezing."

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. Not only do they provide crucial financial services to each city they populate, but they also add character to a community and honor the traditions...

As an INFJ-T personality type, my ambition tends to soar beyond the realm of possibility, leaving me stranded in the afterthought of an impossible idea. In a simpler turn of phrase, I have always been...

Sometimes, I feel guilty saying that I was grateful for the COVID-19 pandemic occurring.  With the world population on lockdown and others suffering from the very disease that caused people to stay...

From the first time I heard Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) belt “How Far I’ll Go” in Disney’s Moana, I have proudly declared that Moana was my favorite Disney Princess. However, that viewpoint...

Donning my worn Bewitched Tour hoodie and the exact pair of jeans I wore to watch Laufey in concert on Oct. 2023 in a 600-person capacity venue, I drove to see my first-ever film in an IMAX theater. IMAX...

The following story contains spoilers for the musical film Wicked. The Wicked effect is undeniable. For months on end, everywhere I looked, I’d see a brand partnership or new product advertising...

As the warm, salty air picks up a familiar chill, I observe the frost on the trees and the glistening dewdrops on spiderwebs with a bittersweet sadness. Summer shifts into a subtle fall, not unlike...

To Lily, for your near-daily Pusheen the Cat texts There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t miss your witty remarks and endless laughs. Each day when I return home from school, I fully expect...

In the 20 minutes that I interviewed junior Chloe Cox, it was apparent that there was a certain liveliness and spirit to her character that flourished when she spoke. Particularly, she alighted on the...

In the last row of the Masonic Temple theater in Detroit on Aug. 6, I was listening to Lizzy McAlpine sing while dying from a mild case of heat stroke. However, when she mentioned that she would play...

In between the lush blades of grass in my backyard, a firefly appears. I lunge forward and attempt to catch it, but as soon as my hand gets close, the firefly's light winks out. Suddenly, I am once...

There's this scene in Ratatouille that I think about often. It's when Anton Ego, the infamous food critic residing in Paris, visits his least favorite restaurant—Gusteau's.  In favor of giving Gusteau's...

Among all the courses offered at FHC, one of the most challenging but rewarding classes is AP Seminar. AP Seminar is a year-long course that places its main focus on students improving their research,...

Although I only vaguely remember most of the books I read in elementary school, I do know that The Wild Robot was one of the standouts.  Written by Caldecott Honor winner Peter Brown, The Wild Robot...

No, this column is not about The Sound of Music.  However, it easily could be. I am not joking when I say that I could talk for an hour about the wondrous 1965 musical. Every element of the film is...

A year ago, I became obsessed with Goodreads.  Books have been a major part of my life since I began reading at the age of two. Since then, I’ve read hundreds of books, picking up fantasy, historical...

The first time I walked out of the ice cream and chocolatier shop with iconic maroon awnings, I clapped my hand over my mouth in a frail attempt to restrain my excitement.  I had just landed my first...

Once, when answering a phone call at her workplace, Cascade Roadhouse, junior Rebekah Roub picked up the phone and said to the receiver, “Forest Hills Central, how can I help you?” “I don’t...

“The juice is loose.” On March 21, these four iconic words confirmed the return of one of cinema’s most beloved characters: the one and only Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice (1988) is easily one of...

Last year, Forest Hills Public Schools officially established a new administrative position: the Director of School Safety and Security.  Former military member and teacher Ryan Kimball has taken on...

On the day of the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s gymnastics floor exercise final, I was deathly sick.  Even so, I still forced myself to wake up at an early time when I was not at school: 8:20 a.m.  I...

Open-mouth sobbing while watching new movies in theaters seems to have become a common experience for me. This was the case on July 21, 2023, the opening night of the Barbie movie. My family and I had...

Every day after school, junior Lilah Yoder warms up on the track, ready to start one of her many cross-country practices. After a week of these practices, running in the blazing August sun, Lilah will...

In August, it all comes rushing back. The syrupy sweet taste of honey coating my hands, and the way I can never seem to wash it off. The honey drips in slow, agonizing droplets, symbolizing the slowing...

Various times throughout the process of interviewing basketball coach and English and Writing for Publication teacher, the one-and-only Ken George, he was passed by a colleague or a student, and each time,...

On August 19, 2023, I told my dad that I urgently required a trip to the beach at sunset that day. It was the last Saturday before school started again, where it would recite its endless cycle for another...

In this day and age, I am constantly reminded of the harrowing treatment women have been subjected to for centuries. From America Ferrera’s speech in the blockbuster film Barbie highlighting the...

My knee bounced up and down anxiously as I watched the 2024 Grammy Awards Ceremony live stream, an event held before the mainstream awards to present additional honors that couldn't be fitted into the...

I used to wonder why women constantly feel the need to contort themselves. I grew up with women around me who idolized the ideas of cosmetic surgeries and achieving the perfect body, and while I never...

When I arrived in Ada directly after school on April 23, I nearly leaped out of my car to run to Plumfield Books, where a special new release awaited me. Romance author Emily Henry began to receive...

For as long as she can remember, senior Lily Bouma has always been besotted with sharing her voice.  Whether singing, writing, or signing in American Sign Language, Lily has learned to express herself...

“In-Yun.” A Korean proverb that is generally translated to the word providence. But more specifically, it refers to past lives. A longing glance. A brush of clothes while walking past each...

After the regional final rounds of the 2024 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, there were plenty of upsets to discuss.  Some top ten teams, Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri, and UCLA, were knocked...

Senior Mekha Daniel-Poulose began taking recreational gymnastics classes when she was five years old. Now, as a senior in high school, she just recently quit the classes, leaving behind a bittersweet ending...

"I don't know what it is like to not have deep emotions. Even when I feel nothing. I feel it completely." - Sylvia Plath On July 29, 2023, I came across this quote on social media. I was struck...

Since the beginning of his career with his debut EP Sunset Season in 2018, musical artist Conan Gray has long been heralded as one of the great pop artists of this generation. He delivers heartbreaking...

In her sophomore year, junior Lauren Lutz spontaneously decided to try out for the varsity cheerleading team. With no prior experience in cheerleading, Lauren was extremely nervous to meet new friends...

I’ve always fallen into the category of “quiet.” “She’s too shy. She won’t talk to you.” “All she cares about is grades.” “I don’t think she has any friends.” These...

Dune: Part One was released to critical acclaim in Sep. 2021 as an adaptation of the famous novel by Frank Herbert. Directed by the visionary film director Denis Villeneuve, Dune was an immediate success...

When junior Ashley Hibma was first diagnosed with Celiac disease at age twelve, her life was changed forever. Due to the extreme dietary change Ashley was thrust into at a young age—Celiac disease...

The first vacation I vividly remember was one of my family’s international trips in 2014. This time, it was a completely new place for my sister and me: the Bahamas. More specifically, Atlantis Paradise...

I first heard of the controversial actress Rachel Zegler in 2022. I was browsing mindlessly through Disney+'s movie recommendations when I accidentally clicked on the live-action remake of West Side...

For each new country that junior Arsenia Tompkins travels to, she journeys to a local Pandora Jewelry store and selects a charm to place on her travel charm bracelet for a keepsake. Last summer, when...

One late night a few months ago, I was scrolling through my camera roll when I caught a glimpse of a photo that had long been lost to me.  It was a simple photo with nothing extraordinary about it;...

Every year, millions of viewers gather online to critique the red-carpet looks from multiple exclusive events: the Emmy Awards, the Golden Globes, and most recently, the Grammy Awards. Famously deemed...

Through after-school cleanups in the fall and project-based activities in the winter, FHC's environmental club strives to raise awareness of the detrimental natural conditions on planet Earth while encouraging...

On a slow, leisurely July afternoon, a girl’s dad was driving her down Cherry Street when she spotted a welcoming stand filled with endless, tiny porcelain figures. She gasped in delight—she has a...

I was sitting on a black, wooden footrest in my uncle's house on Christmas day when my aunt asked me what I would be doing for the next few days until winter break ended and school began its rigorous demands...

Senior Maya Fitzgerald has considered golf her passion ever since she was nine years old when she began golfing with her dad at The First Tee, a youth golfing organization. She began taking classes and...

I began rummaging through the messy contents in my old memory chest, looking for a specific item. I had just picked out a pamphlet in my mind that I had recently placed in this box a few months before.  My...

Occasionally, I walk into my local Sephora, looking for a brand-new product to add to my skincare or makeup assortment. When I first began visiting Sephora last year, I was usually one of the youngest...

She sits on the fading beige carpet of her bedroom in trepidation, a slight wave of fear crawling up her spine. It’s been years since she’s rifled through the never-ending contents of her two memory...

I was once one of those people who tried to see rationally. My life has been colored in black and white since the moment I was born. Pencil on paper, a mundane winter’s day, the canvas of childhood...

On a wonderfully clear day in New York City, New York, junior Amna Makic had plans to journey above the numerous skyscrapers and see a view talked about among avid tourists. This view was from the Hudson...

When I walked into Barnes and Noble earlier this year, I was not expecting to see a huge stack of copies of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, the Barnes and Noble Book of the Year in 2022.  Determined...

I began reading when I was two years old. My parents say I was an especially eager reader. By picking up absolute masterpieces like The Cat in the Hat and The Pout-Pout Fish, I was destined to become...

Despite being locked out of the orchestra room for 10 minutes, the new FHC Guitar Club managed to hold a successful first meeting with a well-rounded turnout of students. The guitar club officially joined...

Dad (Pop)- You know me better than anyone. I will never be able to express how thankful I am for you supporting me in anything and everything I do. I cherish every car ride, every boba stop, and every...

Waking up on Oct. 27, 2023, I had only one intention in mind: to listen to the new 1989 Taylor’s Version (From The Vault) tracks as soon as possible. Having grown up with Taylor Swift’s first official...

On an extremely late night for a twelve-year-old, I was crying because I had to go back to school. In the midst of the pandemic, I decided to take online classes for the first semester of 7th grade....

When senior Lydia Gurley’s friend senior Kadence Rolfzema showed her the incident in the bathrooms at Luna of Ada, Lydia was extremely disgusted by the sight before her.  “Somebody pooped on the...

After standing almost motionless outside in the bitter Chicago air for two hours, I was more than ready to get inside and watch a concert I had been anxiously anticipating for nearly six months. Laufey...

On a bright sunny day in Florida, I made the executive decision to visit the Miami Seaquarium.  I was 11 years old and as obsessed with dolphins as any one child could possibly be. I had at least 20...

I couldn’t contain my excitement while bounding into the theater. I also couldn’t care less that it was seen as childish to be this excited about a Disney movie at 15. I had been eagerly anticipating...

I open the door to see a small girl sobbing on the bed.   She doesn’t have glasses yet, and there’s snot running down her chin, but I would recognize her anywhere. Tentatively, I begin to walk...