As junior Micah McClarty enters her third year on staff as Editor-in-Chief, she is thrilled to start teaching Writing for Publications with her fellow editors and write alongside all the staff members this year. On a given day in the school year, you can find Micah driving her infamous red Mini Cooper from play or musical rehearsals, softball practices, or student council meetings. She also has a multitude of hobbies, which include collecting CDs she plays in Sparky (the Mini Coop), rewatching Community, thrifting, and making playlists each month. Micah is so excited for this year of TCT, and although she can’t even imagine saying goodbye to all her senior friends, she is grateful to have an entire year left with them.
Current obsessions: the flip-flop-capri combo and basement jam sessions
CD of the week: The Beach Boys’ Sounds of Summer (compilation album)
Things she would die defending: Apple Music, Summer from (500) Days of Summer, and the Oxford Comma
Her special talent: The ability to recite nearly any scene from the first three seasons of Community
I don't like columns.
If you're unfamiliar with the term, or at least unaware of how it's defined by The Central Trend, a column is a short opinion piece that is less a reporting story and more of a...
"[I]t is impossible for a man to begin to learn that which he thinks that he knows."
-Epictetus, Discourses 2.17.341
Late in Dec. 2025, I saw a film that changed my life—Wake...
In July 2009, a small elementary school in Wiltshire, England, produced a children's play about environmentalism. Hullavington CE Primary School had just one problem: the Californian Apple.
As wee children...
The 20-Year Rule is a theory used by mathematicians, fashion designers, and historians alike to describe the sinusoidal cycle of trends, essentially meaning that when something goes out of style, it takes...
Across his substantial array of accomplishments, Napoleon Bonaparte—also known as Napoleon I—will most famously be known for one thing: his notoriously lacking stature.
Though 5'6 was apparently...
Clairo. Father John Misty. The Backseat Lovers.
All of these artists have something in common. No, it's not their incredible Halloween costumes, nor their cult-like followings. Rather, all of them,...
Elle Manning grew up in a household where electronics were strictly limited, and most of her clothes were chosen for her until late in elementary school.
No, she is not a Latter-day Saint—nor was...
Anyone who knows me also knows that I love Steven Page. Or at the very least, knows that I love Barenaked Ladies, and through deductive reasoning would also know that I love their original lead singer.
Page...
Like many of my internet-dwelling peers, I document a great deal of my life online—including my taste in films. This has culminated in a shared hobby among my friends and me: Letterboxd.
Letterboxd...
When I was a little girl, my favorite color was pink.
It appeared everywhere: my room, my clothes, my hair. Each time Alabama's weather gave way to a centimeter or two of snow, I broke out my hot pink...
I am only slightly exaggerating when I say that I am Conan Gray's number one hater.
If I completely ignored some of his more acoustic tracks, I could say that I hate the entirety of his synth-pop discography....
Since its introduction in 2023, FHPS's most recent bond is nearly halfway through the six-year project. The bond was issued to fund $340 million in capital improvements, infrastructure upgrades, and modernized...
Never before have I been so grateful to have a grandmother with a craft room.
Marnie, as my family calls her, has graciously allowed us to live in her house for the last three months, and because of...
In his final year of perfecting his musical performance skills, FHC Orchestra director Andrew Pool had nearly finished his degree at the University of Iowa and, frankly, needed a job. On a whim, Pool decided...
Upon finishing Beowulf in my AP Lang class, I can finally agree that the Anglo-Saxon epic is a literary masterpiece.
I'll admit that I was underwhelmed at first. The age-old story of a Geatish warrior...
After finishing any film or television show, I tend to follow the same pattern: A. log the film on Letterboxd (if applicable), and B. scour TikTok for a barrage of doomscroll-worthy edits.
If you don't...
It is no wild statement to say that quite a lot of weird phenomena occur at FHC. From insane costumes that freshman girls wear during homecoming week to the drum line’s yearly ugly Christmas sweater...
From the very beginning of Wicked: For Good, the extent to which Hollywood glamourizes disordered eating became shudderingly clear.
As the film begins, the starring actresses, Ariana Grande and Cynthia...
Dear Sparky,
I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. It was almost cinematic—your previous owner’s garage opened with a sluggish pace, only to reveal the shining, red beauty that is now my...
To all my friends, new and old, who have shown me the beauty in simplicity, spontaneity, and words.
Seren-Aurora Kegley - epeolatry
noun | ep-ee-OL-uh-tree | The worship of or deep reverence of words...
The romanticist and the realist both sit on my shoulders. I can’t tell which has a horn and a tail and which has feathered wings.
They do not compete. Sometimes they argue, sometimes they fight, but...
Walking into my first hour class in my sophomore year, nothing could prepare me for the beast that was AP United States History (APUSH).
The first problem that day was not knowing where the actual classroom...
Senior Ian Tyrrell's life, for quite some time, was characterized by overcompensating.
In fact, his eighth-grade year was a near parallel to Overcompensating, Prime Video's hit television show of 2025. To...
In November of 2023, when Letterboxd film-girl summer became video essay fall, I stumbled upon a YouTube essay titled “The Power of Ugly: The Blonde Bombshell and Why Sydney Sweeney Needs an Ugly Role.”
Essentially,...
It is hardly an understatement to say that a chorus of complaints resounded through my AP World History classroom when my teacher introduced the great phone jail. I’ll admit that one or two of these...
At age 16, senior Seren-Aurora Kegley’s creative streak came to fruition in a unique way: fanfiction.
Indeed, through the online repository platform Archive of Our Own (AO3), Seren brought her headcanons...
Norovirus, a highly infectious contagion that causes vomiting and diarrhea, has been terrorizing restaurants, cruises, and schools since 1968. With about 2,500 US outbreaks reported every year, it is known...
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.
As...
Upon thrifting a mysterious Video Home System (VHS) tape for the sole purpose of it looking “weird and old,” a '90s exercise network was the last thing junior Harris Ward expected to be watching on...
55 stories.
After three semesters of being on The Central Trend, I have written 55 stories. 55 narratives—some just musings of an inexperienced, hopeless romantic, some accounts of students who have...
I love matcha.
Nearly everything about it is immensely endearing: the sage-to-grass-green hue (depending on the concentration, of course) reflects my favorite color. I love how the frothy bubbles...
At the end of every softball practice and game, the Rangers sit in a circle and discuss. We anticipate the familiar closing chant of “Rangers!” and the camaraderie of our ending break, but mostly we...
Senior Rowan Szpieg, upon first picking up her nylon-string guitar as a child, found out that she was not, in fact, a very good singer—nor was she improving.
Unfortunately, Rowan made the worst...
This is it: the home stretch. With the last day of school (for non-seniors) less than a month away from today, the dream of summer is finally within students’ sights.
Unfortunately, for many students,...
I love beautiful people.
Just like every other human who has traipsed along this earth, I am hard-wired to search for aesthetic appeal. I look for it every day, in every class, in every moment. I find...
Dear Caden,
It’s officially been a week since spring break ended, and Mom and Dad have now made it very clear—it’s time for you to make a decision.
Though your college decision may seem simple,...
This review was written assuming the reader has read The Hunger Games. Watch out for spoilers.
One of the things I admire most about Suzanne Collins is her refraining from milking The Hunger Games...
When I received my official license last September, I thought I wouldn't be able to drive well into being 16 years old. At the time, the only available car was used by my older brother, who had no inclination...
“Peter, if you come for me—just once a year—I’ll do your spring cleaning. Will you come?”
The big moment is finished. Peter Pan, which the thespians of FHC have been working on since December,...
When English 9 teacher Jessi Dykstra was assigned to pilot the new English curriculum at the beginning of this school year, she wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but she certainly didn't expect College...
Upon opening the AP Seminar PT2 Stimulus packet just about a month ago, I was all but overwhelmed by the indigestible lexicon and terminology that created this 82-page document. I decided to tackle this...
Nothing brings me more excitement than making a new document.
It happened just a second ago, when creating this very column. I let my mouse glide over the colorful “plus” at the top of the Google...
Every year, around this time, a whisper of spring peeks out from its slumber, gracing the Midwest with a temperature of 50 degrees. It’s true—I wore a t-shirt yesterday.
But, alas, as February...
I am not the first and certainly not the last to say that I think I was born in the wrong generation.
Now, I say this not in a pretentious music enthusiast way, nor in a vintage fashion fanatic way—what...
On the morning of Winterfest, I became deathly ill.
My younger brother and dad had been suffering from unknown maladies for weeks. It was only a matter of time before they passed it on to me.
I sat...
It is safe to say that my favorite meme across many platforms is “The Ultimate 2011 Millenial Anthem.”
I have always been intrigued by the Indie, Tumblr-centric, and messy bun-filled era that was...
Senior Noah Oppenhuizen, on top of being one of the most impressive percussionists to watch during the drumline’s performances, helped start arguably the most important drumline tradition to date: Minion...
I am cursed. My curse is that every time I get really into a band or artist, to the point of putting their name in the bio of my staff profile—they release a highly disappointing album. Unfortunately,...
Past the 13,000 stories posted on this very website, through the password-protected barrier of the writing realm, and into the expansive “Stories” dashboard, one can find a category of stories hidden...
A common question asked at the myriad of FHC events, whether that be the Homecoming football game or a Science Olympiad tournament, is, “Why in the world are there so many cameras?” From Forest Exposure...
In the late summer of 2024, I discovered my unwavering passion for scrapbooking. Hours upon hours of stitching together magazine clippings of architecture, letters, and art created the perfect cover for...
White crayon on a windowsill. Ice down the toilet. Spoon under the pillow.
Pajamas inside out AND backward.
Countless rituals exist for children to choose from, even more than the previously stated...
Some of the most interesting philosophical discussions have been held at the end of my French class. Contrastingly, some of the most deplorable words have been said to me in my corner of the room, but...
Science teacher Bob VandenBerg’s world was turned upside down when he realized that he could not, in fact, turn upside down. At least, not without puking.
As a Purdue student studying aerospace...
To Mama, for making every living moment special
From doing endless Christmas shopping for your five children, husband, and more, to bringing me and Kylie to concerts of artists you haven’t even...
I am starting to hate French.
Little, green, eighth-grade me glorified the AP dream. French all five years, take the AP test, and get my Seal of Biliteracy. The perfect plan–but just the naive musings...
I can confidently say that the worst thing about listening to a relatively niche band or artist is not having anyone to share it with.
Days dancing in my yard as I rake leaves with The Backseat Lovers...
As Lindsay Lohan once said, “Halloween is the one night a year where a girl can dress up—”
That’s where the quote will end today, I think.
Anyway, in the modern age of 2024, where the average...
FHC’s annual homecoming tailgate started with Brad Anderson, a dumpster, and a dream.
Believe it or not, our homecoming tailgate—the largest high school tailgate in the state of Michigan—began...
In the meta-modern age of 2024, I can confidently say that I have discovered most of my favorite bands and musical artists online.
For the longest time, I prided myself on my tendency to favor “dad”...
09/26/2009
A baby sits on a high chair, her knees bouncing and basking in the early autumn sun. Her legs tremble even more as she eagerly awaits the colorful, icing-slathered cake she sees in her mother’s...
Taylor Swift, as if one doesn’t hear that name enough, is under fire for hugging her friend. That’s right, the exalted American singer-songwriter embraced her year-long friend, Brittany Mahomes, and...
On Friday, April 20, 2024, the staff of The Central Trend (TCT) received disappointing, if not devastating, news—their beloved teacher and advisor, Ken George, was leaving FHC. But this shocking announcement...
Although I was excited to see my schedule on Aug. 1, the PowerSchool notification on my phone brought me to the realization that summer was ending. Like many other teenagers, I had not hung out with my...
The earth rotates around the sun at 1038 miles an hour, 24,912 miles a day, a total of 584 million miles—one full rotation—in a year.
In that time, the sun's light seeps into the darkest, most...
About a month ago, a friend and I went to see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on the day of the film’s release. I was giddy to see another addition to the acclaimed series after rewatching the original...
When I was a little girl, I slept with a blanket—as most do.
This blanket was special, though. It was my version of a stuffed animal, dubbed “Blankie,” cleverly enough. I slept with it every night...
Freshman Kayla Boerma is very excited to see her relatives for Christmas.
Like many other Christians, Kayla enjoys all of the traditions and celebrations that come with Christmas. She loves spending...
When I was younger, every time I stepped into a tourist shop in a highly visited area, I scanned the rotating rack of cheap souvenirs for my name. It was never there. Even if it was, it wouldn’t be decorated...
Thank you to my awesome family, who helped me become who I am and continue to help me grow into a better person.
Thank you, Mama, for keeping me in check. Whether you remind me to clean my room...
I can’t wait until Thanksgiving break.
But after Thanksgiving break, I won’t be able to wait until winter break. After winter break, I won’t be able to wait until spring break, and so on and so...
One might be a bit intimidated upon meeting senior Amelia “Millie” Alt. She is a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, a feat accomplished by less than 1% of those who apply for the scholarship.
However,...
I have many crushes.
A hallway crush, a childhood crush. A crush for half of my classes. A studio crush and a returning crush.
Most of these people haven’t spoken a word to me, and I don’t talk...
“Hello, I’m a fat person, fat, fat, fat.”
This introduction is certainly not the statement one might expect from a 6-year-old girl’s lips. Stereotypically, preschool to elementary-aged girls...
FHC's Health Occupations Students of America club, or HOSA, certainly lives up to its name: a club of students interested in the medical field who study health topics and compete in health competitions....
Sophomore Italian exchange student Chiara de Franceschi grew up surrounded by delicious Italian cuisine paired with the warm, buttery wash of family tradition.
As a young girl, she spent her holidays...
Last spring, my brother and I listened to music while he drove me home from my youth group. Throughout the ride, he skipped through some of his favorite flavorless raps, only listening to the first minute...
