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
I know, I know.
You’re ready to go.
But please, stay just a little bit longer. I have yet to run out of things to say.
Yes, even I am surprised that, after three consecutive years now, I still...
It did not take the entirety of her adolescence for Spanish teacher Tammie Dykhouse to know what she wanted to do for a living.
Teaching had always called her name ever since she was a kid. And, once...
To be transferred from one world to another with the simplicity of words flowing through one’s mouth is no simple task.
They must be eloquent; they must be eager; they must be passionate.
However,...
Three years.
It has been three years since I first walked into room 139.
Within those three years, I have had to say goodbye to far too many people.
And, once again, I have found myself crying...
It’s normally not difficult for me to write a good column.
Usually, I can quickly type how I feel on a Google Doc with ease.
Today, I cannot seem to find the words.
I am reaching the season...
Senior Allie Beaumont, Editor in Chief of The Central Trend, was not always known for her talent of writing.
Instead, she grew up with her teachers telling her parents that she was behind in her language...
Since I started high school, Lana Del Rey has released three albums, one in each grade.
Freshman year, it was Chemtrails Over the Country Club. Sophomore year, it was Blue Banisters. Her most recent...
My chest has felt awfully tight lately.
I cannot pinpoint the exact reason as to why. It could be the weight of every class and exam and standardized test pressing onto me. It could be because of...
Netflix has just pulled off one of the smartest marketing methods of the year.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 was released in 2015, which was eight years ago. However, due to such a gripping...
For the longest time, “Take Me to Church” was the only song by Hozier that I knew.
Eventually, “Cherry Wine” was added to the list as it was another one of his popular pieces.
However, since...
I told myself I would live during the month of March.
I told myself that, no matter what, I wouldn’t get engulfed by every taxing chore that took up my life.
Yet, that is exactly what is happening...
Junior Liam Bennett goes thrift shopping almost every day.
After dropping off his little brother at the YMCA on Burton, he promptly makes his way over to the Goodwill that's not even a minute away....
I have always wanted to travel to Alaska.
The breathtaking mountain ranges and the aurora borealis are absolutely beautiful. The animals roam freely, and to me, it is one of the most beguiling states...
The world’s finest cuisines are always described to be located in five-star restaurants with decadent presentations, wowing those who eat it. However, for junior Alex Chen, one of the best foods he has...
The last time we heard from the Pogues, they were stranded on an island they proclaimed to be named Poguelandia.
With a dramatic finale to season two of Outer Banks, I was left speechless, waiting...
On the weekend of Feb. 18, the Science Olympiad team found themselves running across the University of Michigan campus to get to each of their competitions.
Going up against 60 different teams at this...
The 2023 Grammy awards were filled with iconic moments in history and controversy like no other. For the past month, I have heard all about the drama surrounding how Beyoncé should have won Album of the...
Today, I saw dust particles flying through the air.
Spotlighted by the sunlight beaming through my bedroom window, the particles danced with one another, basking and rejoicing in the beautiful day that...
How do you feel about being on Winterfest court?
"It's very exciting. I was definitely shocked, but I was really happy about it."
What was your reaction to the announcement?
"I was definitely...
How do you feel about being on Winterfest court?
"I was very surprised that I made it on the court, and I'm also really excited because I think I'm the only person who wants to do the lip sync, just...
As widely known to the American public, world-renowned journalist Barbara Walters passed away on Dec. 30, 2022.
Her death shocked the country as she was beloved by all and known for her fantastic...
January, February, and March are my least favorite months.
Nothing good has ever come of these ninety days, simply hazy skies tainting my skin in a dull gray. I trudge through those months, waiting...
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...
