Sofia is a junior entering her third year on The Central Trend as Editor in Chief. She is on the FHCVDT and has been dancing for fourteen years. Since she joined the class her freshman year, Sofia has learned to express herself through the wonderful art of writing. She has found a home in room 139 and cannot imagine spending her sixth hour anywhere else with anyone else. When she's not in the classroom or on the dance floor, you will find Sofia at the bookstore picking up every book she sees, flipping through the pages, and then writing down the name of the book in her notes so she can come back for it later. She also loves to spend her free time with her friends laughing and driving around. She is more than excited for this school year and all that will come with it.
Her top item on her bucket list: Go to a bunch of national parks out west, specifically Mt. Rainier in Washington
Her favorite book:The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller
Her comfort movie:Juno; it's such a cute and goofy movie
Is she still scared of flyingthings? Yes, unfortunately she still is
On the first day of school, seniors Lara Butlevics and Allison Kelly ran up to their classmates and asked them their thoughts on senior year.
Now, this was not without motive, as Lara and Allison have...
Each year towards the middle of January, every dancer across the nation—including myself—turns their undivided attention to the UDA College Dance National Championship.
All the college dance teams...
In the fifth grade, my favorite book was A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.
My teacher read it to the class as a read-aloud, and, lucky for me, a movie based on the book was released later in the...
As a junior in high school, Dylan Pomeroy swiftly slices through the water as he races down the pool. And, while he loves to be in the water now, his passion for swimming did not have a voluntary beginning...
I used to think of reading as a chore.
I thought it was boring, and I would groan whenever my teachers handed me a reading log to complete. There would be small bursts where I would find myself engrossed...
With my frigid feet, I was standing on frozen grounds. Not a single crack was visible from five feet and four-and-a-half inches above—I was standing on solid ice.
I tried walking, but I couldn’t...
Her head is pounding.
She is racing through the mental list she has made herself over and over again, hoping it won’t take hours to complete.
But that is never the case; she will always have something....
December is only a mere few days away. With this, the holiday season is drawing near. Black Friday came and went, just like Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. An abundance of sales has prompted...
To The Central Trend staff, for brightening my day as we walk into room 139
Eva, thank you for entertaining me with incredible stories and gossip during sixth hour. Kiera, thank you for always being...
I’ve always loved pictures.
They’re a moment in time, a frozen piece of life that can be preserved forever.
I spend my free time when there’s nothing else to do scrolling back through the years...
Senior Val Garza remembers exactly when she believes she became a true Taylor Swift fan.
While she grew up listening to “Mean” on repeat on her iPod Nano and Red on CD in her family’s minivan,...
I hate to admit it, but I have fallen under Colleen Hoover’s spell.
I have heard of her best-selling novel, It Ends With Us, for years now, and with her books gaining a lot of traction on TikTok,...
I can’t remember a time in our lives when we weren’t attached at the hip.
When we were young, we would play "restaurant" with imaginary food and guests—unless our family was willing to indulge...
Grade: 10
Role: Unexpected Cop
Why do you enjoy being in the play?
"I think it gives me a good opportunity to express my acting ability, and I get to hang out with my friends all the time. I...
Grade: 12
Role: Miss Scarlet
Why do you enjoy being in the play?
"I enjoy being in the play because all the people in it are so amazing to be around, and they make me so happy every time I see...
Grade: 10
Role: Wadsworth the British Butler
Why do you enjoy being in the play?
"There's a really good sense of community and it's a lot of fun. It's a place you can be yourself in and it's...
There will one day come a time when all I will have is my stories.
It will be after I have paid my dues and served my purpose; a time when all I can give to the world is memories from my past.
I...
Senior Tara Brace was about to go onstage to perform for Odyssey of the Mind World Finals when she got the news that would forever alter the course of her time in high school.
She had reached the goal...
During the years of 1957 and 1958 in Brighton, East Sussex, a beautiful, yet forbidden love story touched the hearts of many viewers.
Those viewers included myself and alumna Jessie Warren, who I always...
For my ninth birthday, I got to see Taylor Swift in concert for her 1989 tour in Chicago.
It was the first real concert that I ever went to. We were about ten rows from the very top of the stadium,...
Every day, junior Jonas VanderWoude goes to bed at around 8:45 p.m. so he can wake up at 4:45 a.m.
He devotes himself to this daily regime before school so that he can work out for basketball, as he...
Name: Chad Scholten
When do you normally go to bed and wake up?
"I personally try to get about eight hours of sleep. I find that that's when I work best. In the school year, I will try to get up...
Name: Alex D'Alexander
Grade: 9
When do you normally go to bed and wake up?
"[Around] 11:30 p.m. and I wake up pretty early. I wake up at like 5:30 a.m."
Would you say that you have a consistent...
Name: Grace Berlin
Grade: 10
When do you normally go to bed and wake up?
"I wake up super late in the day, super late compared to most people. I usually wake up at like 6:45 a.m. I get ready...
Every day, after attending school from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., high school students across the nation enter their packed lives outside of the classroom. They meet at their clubs, they join their teammates...
I know it’s getting worse when I wake up in a daze.
When my lights are still on and my computer is still open; when my music is still playing and I have papers still scattered around my bedroom floor;...
She stands there, motionless, peering into the dark abyss beyond the streetlights.
Barefoot, she stands in the flooded streets. The water is cool, and the hem of her red, plaid, pajama pants were carelessly...
In high school, the most basic, yet dire, necessity is sleep. It is also what many high schoolers are deprived of the most. I can admit that I am a part of the fraction of sleepless students. Sleep, though...
What was your reaction when you heard your name called?
"I was very surprised. I had a couple people come up to me and tell me that they voted for me."
Why do you think you were nominated?
"I...
A few years ago, I wrote down a list in my Notes app of all the shows I would, someday, like to watch. On that list was the Netflix original The Umbrella Academy.
I don’t remember what exactly prompted...
What was your reaction when you heard your name called?
"I was definitely surprised, but it was a good surprise. I was really excited."
Why do you think you were nominated?
"I'm a very chatty...
Last year, the choreographer for FHC’s Cinderella musical told sophomore Keegan Redmond that he at least had “great effort” while rehearsing a ballroom dance.
Keegan admits that he is not the...
September 22nd was the first day of fall.
Coincidentally, it was the first day of the year when the air felt noticeably cooler, and there was an extra nip in the morning.
That night, I slept with...
The first time I ever watched an Emma Chamberlain YouTube video was in my neighbor’s bedroom inside her massive blanket fort.
We watched her drive around in her car and drink coffee while she showed...
Recently, along with the disheartening news following H.M. Queen Elizabeth’s death, articles and posts popped up on my social media remembering the impact of Princess Diana of Wales on the world. Her...
To AP World History teacher Brad Anderson, comradery within the classes is one of the most integral aspects of the ideal high school experience.
FHC has been continuing a unique tradition since 2004,...
I was never one to avidly listen to Elvis Presley.
Of course, much like the rest of the world, I was fond of the King of Rock, but I was no superfan. I knew some of his more popular songs such as “Jailhouse...
In the fourteen years since we last embraced, I forgot what she truly looked like, how she smelled, what she sounded like, and one last important aspect:
how much I love her.
At age two, I could...
It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I’m writing this right now.
I would fantasize over this moment just two years ago, back when I thought my dreams were unrealistic. I remember...
On the West Coast of the US, states are being engulfed by the unforgivable, unremorseful flames of forest fires.
Specifically in California, homes are being destroyed, many people have been either killed...
They’ve danced wistfully through these past two years with one another, arms interlocked, feet hitting the concrete in unison.
Together, the two young girls have embarked on a treacherous journey;...
Things are ending now.
The past nine months race through my mind like a film in fast motion. What started in vibrant colors faded to a dull black and white over time. We are reaching the credits scene,...
Eight hundred and eighty-nine days.
That is how long it has been since Harry Styles released his sophomore album, Fine Line. Since then, he has gone on tour, released a nail polish line, and has headlined...
On May 12, 2022, US History and AP Seminar teacher Steve Labenz was presented the Bed Emdin Guiding Principles and Action Award. This is given to "individuals who have had a long-term commitment to Forest...
The windows were down, the air was cool.
Six of us were packed into Nat’s red minivan. As the two youngest in the group, Syd and I were stuck in the third row.
As we flew down the highway, Olivia...
What was your reaction to getting on prom court?
"I was surprised and happy that I got called up."
What are your short-term future plans?
"[I will be] attending GVSU studying supply chain management...
What was your reaction to getting on prom court?
I was honestly very surprised when I heard my name. I wasn’t expecting it at all and the 'Abigail' through me off at first.
What are your short-term...
Recently on TikTok, a snippet of Jack Harlow’s single “First Class” became extremely popular across the app. After hearing it multiple times as I scrolled through aimlessly, the chorus quickly became...
Senior Jack McNamara was put in one of the smallest groups for the 2022 FHC Film Festival on May 5th. This year, his group consists of two other people: seniors Ryan Fitzgerald and Ivan Wheland.
While...
As a young girl, senior Jessie Warren would spend hours wandering the woods in her backyard, losing herself in the deepest corners of her brain. There, she would recount elaborate stories out loud for...
Timidly, she walks, creeping closer and closer to the edge.
She slowly puts one foot in front of the other. Her breathing is quick. Her heart is pounding. Her entire body is trembling. All she has to...
Breathe in
the faint aroma of a light rain shower
and musk from the trees that have had snow resting on their branches for
too long
and the car air freshener that leaves lilacs
lingering...
Every week, Spotify updates its playlist, titled “New Music Friday.” They take the top 100 newly released songs of that week and add them to the playlist, making them easily accessible to listeners...
This is an ode to people watching.
It is the art of observation; the art of soaking up your surroundings. It takes much practice to take in every minute detail. This is mostly because the term “people...
My knowledge of the band Weezer doesn’t go far beyond two of their more popular songs, “Buddy Holly” and “Island in the Sun.”
Other than the well-known facts that the group has been together...
On the corner of Robinson Road in Eastown, the oldest comic book shop in Michigan resides under the ownership of Roger Haight.
Argos Comics & Used Book Shop first opened in 1975, and its walls are...
She is forgotten about often.
No one seems to mention her, acknowledge her, care for her.
She still cares for them, nevertheless. She keeps them safe from harm and keeps them warm from the harsh...
I can proudly admit to the fact that I have been a raging Twilight fan since eighth grade.
It took me a while to fall under the spell that entranced so many girls before me, but I have read the book...
This past summer, senior Josie McGuire was barely awake as she practiced until one in the morning at cheer camp.
In early August, the FHC Varsity Cheer Team traveled to Alma College and was being judged...
For far too long, I have been left alone in the dark.
I have made a home in the cavern with too much space for just one girl, with the only light too far off into the distance. It is a small light,...
My friends have impeccable music taste.
I like to say I do as well, but I always get compliments on the songs that I get from those friends.
This is the case yet again after my dear friend chastised...
Out of all things, sophomore Sam Wordhouse is most excited to “bust it down on the dance floor” while wearing his spectacular suit this Winterfest.
Since the sophomore class has yet to experience...
I've never been 33,000 feet in the air surrounded by a dome of deep, navy blue bleeding into soft hues of fuschia and blood orange.
I've never looked down to see thousands of buildings sitting so cozily...
All of my favorite songs have a build-up to the most extravagant point of the track. Whether it is a gradual crescendo or a sudden outburst, it makes the song that much more interesting, engaging, and...
There is always one special thing that secures the life-long bond between father and son. For senior Tate Greer, that thing is comedy.
A few years back, Tate’s dad started to show him videos of comedians....
Colors painted in spontaneous navy swirls remind her of her old home on Dean Street.
The cream horizontal paneling with azure shutters and front porch will forever be a picture ingrained into her mind....
Comedy TV is where I live and breathe. It is how I relax, how I calm down, and how I fall asleep. I have a select few series that I watch time and time again—one of them being How I Met Your Mother.
The...
As an AP Lang and AP Lit teacher, Lisa Penninga likes to have Socratic Seminar sessions with her students to discuss as a class.
In using the Socratic method, Penninga has her students ask and answer...
As the sky transforms from hues of fuschia, auburn, and tuscany yellow to a vibrant baby blue, and the sun gradually rises from the horizon line, my day progresses from a luminant gold to a cloud of crimson...
I have never had a very strong penchant for movies. For me, TV shows have always been my go-tos. However, with not much to do this holiday break, I found myself watching a wide variety of movies that ranged...
His name is January.
He is beautiful. His thick tufts of white hair blanket his head and tickle his ears. His wardrobe consists of knit sweaters ranging from light tan to deep teal, warm pants with...
