I can’t put a number on the amount of money I’ve spent on makeup. This may be embarrassing, I know, but I love makeup. It’s not that I can’t live without it, it’s not that it drastically changes...

Every year, Christmas brings me immeasurable amounts of joy. Not just because of the snow, immaculate music, and spirit, however. My favorite part of Christmas is shopping. This may sound a bit shallow,...

I say I loathe the winter. I lament various whispers underneath my breath about the icy conditions of both the roads and my being as I freeze and grow accustomed to winter. I send complaints to friends...

She sits at the top of the stairs. Below her lies the faint glow of light reflecting softly across our front door window panes; along with the gentle light comes ripples of her mother’s laughter as...

To my family: Mom, for your unwavering and unconditional love I will never be able to put into words how much I appreciate you, but I will always try. I love your competitiveness and your compassion...

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. It...

The following story contains spoilers for seasons 1-3 and mild spoilers for Only Murders in the Building season 4. I love murder mysteries.  I own multiple unsolved case file board games and even...

Every single election year, the idea of a tie in the Electoral College is presented, and each time it is, I sigh and roll my eyes due to the stark improbability of that event. It seems as if the past few...

Social media and the prevalence of tragedy and horror common in what we consume every day have given us an apathetic view of the true atrocities of situations, and this is seen most commonly in the glorification...

Media bias, a pervasive force that shapes our understanding of events, often leads to a one-sided narrative. This narrative, in turn, creates an echo chamber where our personal ideals go unchallenged....

Recently, FHC has been undergoing a series of changes in both the new furniture and upcoming renovations, as well as in the numerous staff adjustments since last year. These new staff additions include...

Contains spoilers for Season 28 of The Bachelor and Season 21 of The Bachelorette. There is no doubt that Joey Graziadei’s season of The Bachelor revived the franchise. Throughout past years, we’ve...

This election year is historic for a number of reasons, including a second shot at the first female President of the United States being elected. After President Joe Biden stepped out of the presidential...

I am, embarrassing as it is to admit, a fan of reality TV. I love the drama, the arguing, and the on-screen romances and feuds.  I routinely watch The Bachelor and The Bachelorette with my mom, and...

This election year has seen a lot of unprecedented events and changes and is slowly solidifying its place in the history books as it continues to develop. If you’re anything like me, you probably like...

The summer of 2024 was Brat Summer. To those unfamiliar with Brat Summer, the movement’s overall concept is based on Charli xcx’s new album, BRAT, which encompasses the unapologetic party-girl aesthetic...

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,...

The Met Gala this year honestly blew me away, and for all the right reasons. Whereas last year, with a poor theme came a multitude of tacky and surprisingly many cat-themed outfits; this year, a theme...

Over the past few months on social media, there has been seen an influx of “new” trends that people are raving over. So many of these trends are being referred to as European or Scandinavian when,...

I adore life. I may have said it many times before on a bright, sunny afternoon when the sky returns a soft smile and breeze or when the leaves return to a perfect shade of green, and sunlight filters...

Senior Addy Cousins has always been living in her own mind. Not in a self-doubtful or insecure way, but in a non-stop imaginative world she created in her mind. Most kids have imaginary friends, but...

With tornado sirens blaring, people panicking, and phones buzzing with the threat of impending doom, senior Emalea Rooke went to grab her fashion homework to sketch dresses—not just any kind of dresses,...

I find politics interesting. Not interesting in a good way or a bad way, but interesting nonetheless. I’m not sure if this applies to most people my age, but every time the elections come around,...

When I go shopping, one of the factors I look for in all the clothes I buy is whether they can be dressed up or casual. As a (somewhat) shopaholic who has a tendency to make impulse purchases there are...

The eclipse through a telescope on the day I wrote this column.

I love reality TV. This may be embarrassing to admit, but I can and have spent multiple hours in front of my television watching grown women cuss each other out and fight over a rose, and I enjoy every...

I used to be a Sephora 10-year-old—not in the sell out Sephora of every skincare product they have in stock way or in a 25-step nightly routine way but in a buy-everything brightly colored way. When...

Although no one was slapped, no movies were falsely read as the winners, and no one refused their Oscar, this year’s 96th Academy Awards Ceremony was one of the most controversial and riveting. In the...

Ottawa County has undergone a series of radical—and controversial—changes over the past year. After dissolving the County Offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, firing their Health Director,...

The irrevocable eloquence of nature has been something that I’ve always admired. I remember soaring through the air when I was eight on my neighbor’s tire swing, looking up at the light ardently...

Every 10 years, the fashion cycle repeats itself. What was once popular but waned beneath the spotlight of new fads rises again, and we find ourselves in a loop of repetition.  Everything popular comes...

2023 was a year of recycled trends.  It was a year of reliving and reviving older trends: 2000s style, 60s and 70s style flare jeans and leggings, the comeback of new and improved UGGS, and bows scattered...

She has been there since the light first filtered through my open, fluttering eyelids. She was always life itself; exuberance has a way of attaching itself to her aura and gently reaching out to those...

Every few years, there is a new “It Girl” water bottle that makes its rise and fall. Previously, it was the Hydro Flask that dominated schools all across the nation and could constantly be found in...

I’ve always admired the way flowers fold into themselves when they perish. Each delicate petal, once blooming in bright and imaginative hues, dulls down to a greyscale version of its previous self and...

There is nothing better than Christmas. The familiar feeling of waking up before the crack of dawn and waking up my younger siblings with the enthusiastic whispers of presents. We always had a family...

ASL is by far one of the most undervalued languages taught in American high schools. As of today, just over 1,000 out of 24,000 public high schools offer the course as part of the curriculum, whereas around...

Every year, our school hosts the annual Veteran’s Day Assembly. Often, students like the excuse for a break from class or complain about having to sit through the entire assembly, but many don’t realize...

Dear Shelly, In all honesty, I feel a little bit stupid writing this right now. For one, you can’t read, and secondly, you’re unfortunately an inanimate object. I guess that won’t stop me from...

I am a nerd. Not in the stereotypical “get shoved in a locker way” or even in the “getting 100s on all my tests” smart way, but through my interests. If you had asked me two years ago—and...

Last year, I wrote a story about my top five makeup products of the year, and it was a variety of primers, mascaras, lip stains, and blushes, but over the course of the past year, my style has obviously...

Each and every snowflake is different. This is a fact that we all learn in elementary school, and yet, quite frankly, I don’t think I’ll ever honestly believe it. The thought that the infinite number...

To my parents Mom, thank you for always being there for me; I love it when we watch Christmas movies together and when we make fun of stupid reality TV shows. I’ll never be able to put into words...

We are constantly spiraling more and more into a dystopian world. In our new era of technology, the world is ever-changing and evolving while we bear witness to its vast changes. We have no choice but...

“For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me” (Rio 211). This quote fully encapsulates my life. There are endless words strewn across my mind at any given...

Small-town boy meets busy city girl. They fall in love. He has abandonment issues. She’s afraid of getting hurt. This is the stereotypical Hallmark movie that I see at least five times every year,...

Romance. Coincidence. Comedy. Christmas. All of these are just a few of the factors of the recipe that make up the perfect holiday movie. Whether it be the city girl getting relocated to a small town...

I remember the first time I held you in my arms.  You were tiny and fragile, and I feared that you would shatter if I touched you; your hands were curled up into tiny fists, and you had the most peaceful...

Senior Katy Dykstra doesn’t just bake, she creates. From the intricate, painstakingly ornate details of her cakes to the rich flavor, she bakes each one with love. She doesn’t see baking as just...

It is often in solitude that we find peace. Whether it be your favorite chair where you cozy up to read a book or your basement where you watch your favorite movies, each place is individual and special...

#NotMyAriel. Imagine hundreds of thousands of people making videos, tweets, and comments all across the internet insulting you because of your role in a movie. This is what happened to actress and singer...

I have always loved fall with my entire heart and soul, and it will stay this way for the rest of my life.

The day the world changed. I remember hearing about the looming threat of a disease called COVID-19 and thinking there was no chance it could even remotely affect me. I remember being upset that a friend's...

Experience speaking Spanish in real-world situations is a necessity for a Spanish teacher, and Spanish teacher Ana Oshnock brings a lifetime of experience to her students. She’s been teaching Spanish...

Gate signs, maps, and scurrying people all blurred by tears. The fluorescent lights cross-fade into a mental image of birthday candles as I check the time on my phone, only to be reminded by the large...

Oppenheimer was one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. This primarily began when it was announced that Barbie and Oppenheimer would be released on the same day, which is what sparked the trend...

For decades, Barbie has been the doll who was everything. Barbie is a doctor, Barbie is an astronaut, and Barbie is even the president. Barbie has always represented the core message that young girls could...

Every memorable moment in my life has been mentally preserved to reminisce on. Whether it be the many first and last days of school or just laughing with my friends, there’s a special place for my souvenirs...

290 days left. The school year started and led to the typical new stress, finding classes, where to sit at lunch, what to say on the ‘about you’ papers, and keeping up grades. I think near the beginning,...

This story discusses sensitive and possibly triggering topics such as rape and sexual assault. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been involved in over 4000 legal cases from 1980 to 2016.  The...

Everyone feels pressure to fit in. Everyone looks back on yearbook photos with disgust. And everyone is self-conscious about one thing or another. I am no exception to this. After looking at many old...

Both stunning and hideous outfits make up the Met Gala year after year, from some of the worst ones we’ve seen, like Katy Perry’s burger dress, to some of the best, such as Bianca Jagger’s ‘18th...

I used to love reading. I was the girl who would stay up late at night with a flashlight and book under the covers and read until I passed out. I would use all of the fancy words I saw in my books and...

Film: 21 Jump Hall Street Grade: 12th What is the premise of your film? My character "Donatello" and junior Keaton Michalski's character "Raphael" were called in as detectives to go undercover...

Film: Bogdan Grade: 12th What is the premise of your film? The main character Bogdan finally finds true love, but as soon as it came to him it got taken away by the Joker. In his rage, Bogdan...

My childhood is chasing after the ice cream truck, rifling through my mom’s makeup drawer, collecting Shopkins, and making puffball creatures.  Although I can’t quite remember everything as clearly...

When making sequels, there will always be people who hate them. Whether it's because the story didn’t have a proper ending, the characters changed too much, or people simply want something new to complain...

Have you ever felt that all of your ideas are unoriginal or based on something else you’ve seen?  I have. I find that almost all of the ideas I supposedly come up with can be traced back to someone...

Throughout the years, the Oscars has been a place for elegant and classy looks where people have their chance to impress—as of 2023—18.7 million viewers. With this opportunity, celebrities tend to...

Sophomore Norah Vanderweide finds herself engaged in not one but two artistically impressive pastimes. Having a multitude of creative outlets has allowed Norah to truly discover and experiment with who...

Flying cars, personal spaceships, and levitating trains are what futuristic sci-fi movies tell us the future should be like. Although these dreams may seem unattainable, with rapidly advancing technology,...

Every year as the leaves begin to fall, so does my mood. At first, it’s simply the subtle changes of feeling drowsier than usual and finding my ability to focus increasingly inhibited. Eventually,...

Ever since I was little, I’ve been entranced by languages. The way that the words flow together and roll off the tip of the tongue leaves me in awe with their enchanting sound. My mom’s first language...

Valentine’s Day is a holiday filled with hearts, love, and romantic gestures. A lot of Valentine’s Day gifts are cliché, overused, and a little too cheesy. That being said, there are some that stand...

If you’ve been to any of FHC’s musicals or plays within the last few years, you’ve most likely seen junior Gia Monterusso performing in them. From her role as the stepmother in Cinderella, Mrs. White...

Taylor Swift was the number-one female artist of 2022, but she was also the top-ranking celebrity in CO2 jet emissions. Unfortunately, she is far from the only celebrity guilty of making unnecessary expenses...

October 20, 2017. Brielle, this is the day you were born and the day that my life changed. Ever since I was little, I’d always wanted a little sister, someone to swap secrets with, try out makeup looks...

From apple crisps to cookies, baking has something for everyone. Whether it holds tradition through family recipes or is simply a whim born from a sugar craving, many people share a love for it. Sophomore...

FHC offers a multitude of after-school activities and clubs that students can partake in: one of these is the crochet club. The club is a place to learn and grow in skill and knowledge of crochet, where...

Every so often, while scrolling through TikTok, I’ll come across a video where someone walks up to strangers in public (usually Americans) and asks them a series of questions testing their knowledge...

Over the past few years of my life, I have traveled to some truly magnificent places ranging from the gorgeous views of our own Great Lakes to foreign countries. Traveling is one of my favorite things...

Diversity and equity are some of the fundamental building blocks required in a society. This is only one of the many reasons people are questioning the recent decision made by the Ottawa County board to...