Dear Present me,  April 12th, 2024,  Where it all ends.  It was the first time I had ever seen him shed tears, and for the first time in forever, time had stopped, but not in that room, not...

Dear present me,  It’s officially a week before your high school graduation, the day you dress up in that forest green wrinkly cap and gown with the white stole and walk across the stage in front...

Dear present me,  She always knew that was the school, but she didn’t quite know how to confirm it. At the time when she first discovered the school, college wasn’t even something that she was...

Dear Present me,  I think I’m in a state of contradiction regarding how quickly things are changing—it’s like all my peers around me are racing toward the future, and I just want to stay in the...

Dear present me,  Here’s the thing about being a teenager: sometimes, it’s not always “the best years of your life.”  Sometimes it’s the worst, or sometimes it’s just in between the...

For as long as I can remember, I have been a homebody. Pretty much anyone close to me can figure that out about me within seconds. I love staying at home; anything and everything I want to do can easily...

Senior Zariah Knuff will never forget the first time she made her first large purchase of a monumental piece of music.  “This massive [collector's edition album] is the one I spent $300 on,” Zariah...

Dear Present me,  To all the adventures, Ollie,  You’re the best car I’ve ever been able to drive—and also the safest—so thank you for all the excursions.  At first, I wasn’t very...

The scheduling showcase can mean a plethora of things for high school students. For some, it means choosing courses designated towards a course of study in college while for others, it means fulfilling...

 It’s natural for humans to be creatures of habit, and I for one fall into this demographic of people.  I can’t speak for everyone but being a ‘creature of habit’  for me can look like only...

The first notable memory that comes to mind when senior Trystan Tilton thinks about golf—his all-time favorite sport—is the time he got drenched working at a golf club.  “There's a hill where...

Dear present me, Sentimental. Miniscule. Brisk. If my senior year was a person, these would be the words to best describe it. Four years ago, I didn't think I would make it through high...

Dear present me, I am in the midst of the unknown. Senior year has a convoluted way of tricking me into a plethora of decision-making moments, but perhaps the biggest one is where I want to spend...

A research study conducted by professor & chair of Psychology at the University of Scranton, John C. Norcross from 1978-2020 states the following about New Year's resolutions. After one week, 75%...

Dear Present me,  2024 is your year.  144 days ago you officially became a part of the eldest grade in the school and embraced your last first day of high school.  116 days ago you went on...

For most people, it’s a preconceived notion when friends find out their peers have siblings. However—for senior Hannah Kelly—most people are shocked to find out that she has not one, but two baby...

Dear present me,  What’s the best gift in life?  The gift of gratitude.  The gift of gratitude is the best in life because it’s the gift that keeps on giving. It’s renewable, replenishable,...

For as long as time can tell, learning has never been something that I enjoyed. It feels tedious, and at times, it can feel like it’s constantly the one thing that brings me the most joy but also mentally...

As I have grown up, I’ve learned. As I’ve learned, I’ve come to the realization that the concepts and topics that we are taught in school aren’t always the ones we will be able to apply to our...

I used to dislike having black hair growing up. Whenever I would look at my friends, I longed for the days I could have highlights.  But now, I adore the way my hair looks because so many people have...

There's a lot that I am thankful for this year, and although I could go on and on about all the people in my life that I am thankful for—I have decided to pay thanks to these special people in my life. Thank...

When it comes to entertainment, it doesn't take a lot to amuse me. I've never really been picky when it comes to how I utilize my free time. However—from time to time—I do find myself making the continual...

Dear Present me, Why do you play? There's a lot you don't know about me, and there's so much left for you to discover. Some aspects of my life will either remain hidden forever, like the president's...

Over the past few years of my life, I have become accustomed to encompassing social media into my life. In one way or another, it finds some way to fiddle with my life. Even though technology isn't...

From the beginning of senior Joey Sitarski’s life, the importance of having a close-knit relationship with his family has always been a constant.  From being the youngest in the family to having...

I have always been one of those kids who spent a copious amount of time on the internet. This consists of being a consistent fan of influencers’ lives on YouTube, grabbing cheesy life quotes from Instagram,...

Dear Present me,  Why is my life the way it is?  Why does it feel like I’m running on the seven seas, yet when I want to reach the highs and lows, I still can't stop? It feels like the highs...

As the world continues to spin on its invisible yet important axis, we are continually being brought to tomorrow's future today.  No matter what generation someone was born into, where their origin...

Dear Present me, You have been and always will be a massive Fan of The Flash. I don’t think there will ever be any show that I won’t have an emotional connection to after watching. Whether I’m...

Ever since I've removed myself from what is probably the most popular app at our school—TikTok—I have found myself relying on another source of entertainment, Instagram Reels. Although I wish my habit...

If I had to pick just one celebrity out of all the ones in the universe, it would be Grant Gustin. It's not only because he's in my favorite TV show, but also because he's just an all-around impeccable...

Dear present me,  What about the outliers? Senior year:  The twelfth grade is a student's fourth and final year of high school education. The year and the student are both referred to as senior.  This...

The new Health and Fit for Life teacher Paige Hallock was shocked when students didn’t recognize her from relatives who previously attended FHC, and, as a result, she has gravitated toward the environment...

After making the decision to finally finish The Flash TV series this summer, I got the word that there was a The Flash movie coming out; my excitement doubled over the amount that was already there.  Prior...

Dear Present me,  Why do you write? A girl once asked me, “Where do you get the ideas to write your stories?”  I responded with, “I write about the current events that envelop my life...

When I’m, sad I write. When I’m happy, I write. When I want to word vomit, I write. Whatever I’m feeling at the moment; I will write about it. Yet whenever I’m feeling tranquil, words just never...

This summer, I decided to run back in time and rewatch one of my all-time favorite shows, The Flash, which is a show about Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), a 25-year-old forensic scientist who gets struck by...

Yes, it’s finally here: my senior year. It’s hard to believe the words “my” and “senior year” are in the same sentence. But, for some reason, whenever I think about senior year all that...

She thought she would go to school on Friday. That one day of the week, she was ecstatic to attend school for two reasons: the day before, she was nominated for student of the month, and the next day was...

I never thought that I would be here writing this, but the time has now come when the school parts with the seniors and prepares itself to welcome the freshman; in with the new, out with the old.  Before...

What if I had gone in-person freshman year?  What if I had never taken APUSH sophomore year? What if I had never joined The Central Trend? What if I had never tested out of Algebra 1?  What...

It happened—exactly what happened, do you ask? That one event that every writer dreads to experience: writer's block. Don’t get me wrong—it’s not that I’ve lost a passion for writing; it’s...

Ever since senior Bernice Sam was a little girl, she has always had this everlasting dream of becoming some sort of doctor, but it wasn’t until high school that her passion for becoming one really started...

What was your reaction to the court announcement? "Initially I didn't know because people were cheering for their friends so I didn't hear my name [called]. I left 5th hour and went to class [but] I...

What was your reaction to the court announcement? "To be completely frank, it was the most random thing in the world. I was not expecting it whatsoever. It was fifth hour [and] I was in [AP] Statistics...

My planner sits empty like a blank canvas that has something to say but is silenced by the pens and pencils that just aren’t willing to dance. Pages and pages are filled with endless tasks just waiting...

Everyone’s experiences with senior year can vary, but for senior Kyle Friar, although he is enthusiastic for what college will have to offer, he will definitely miss all the memories that he has made...

Whether we’re aware of it or not, coping mechanisms are a common apparatus utilized by people. Whether this be fidgeting with your fingers, lightly tapping your foot, or even continuously clicking a...

It has always been a preconceived idea for me that every single student got the same amount of time on tests. Everyone would walk into the classroom, start the test, and then all finish the assessment...

Coincidences intrigue me until they scare me; a ghost from my treacherous past I continue to bury the more I move away from it. It’s interesting how coincidences happen, but the irony that occurs within...

Opinions expressed in editorials 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. A...

Field trips in high school can have a plethora of interpretations, but for American Sign Language teacher Kimberly Anderson, they are eye-opening opportunities for students to bond.  “I think it's...

I seem to remember everything nowadays, except for the important stuff. For example, when to wake up or when certain assignments or assessments need to be completed. Regardless of what I can keep track...

I know that I’m not a robot, but sometimes I feel like one because of the facial expressions that I make. Usually, when I’m upset, the first feature to convey that to you is my face, and I can’t...

For any college-level course, it’s expected that there’s an exam to follow, but the elements of each exam can vary from class to class. For AP Seminar teacher Morgan Beckett, the fundamentals are what's...

These months of the year can either go one of two ways for me: stressful or joyful. It’s the start of a new year, and that’s exciting for me, but it either goes down one path or another. This time...

I dislike Valentine's Day, but that could just be because I spend it alone every year. I like the concept behind it, but It starts to get old the more I see the infinite string of stories of couples posting...

Earth is a miraculous planet, but it’s hard to find appreciation in things when you don’t stop to pause and take in everything around you. This is something I have been trying to do more lately.  Being...

When history teacher Kyle Carhart first heard about senior exemption, he was unsure as to what it entailed for students, simply because it was never a policy that was enacted when he was a high school...

I loathe shopping. Just kidding, I adore it, but only if it’s online. For some reason, going inside stores has never really been my forte. I’ve always been someone who loves to purchase items from...

If I had to describe myself in one word from the perspective of someone who just met me, it would be "shy." I am a very shy person. In fact, I’m shy to the point that when you talk to me, we won’t...

Entertainment; that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the word "break." Whether that be watching shows on Netflix, short videos on TikTok, or even people’s lives on YouTube, this...

Before I started high school, I never really considered myself someone who liked to be affiliated with history. It was always a monotonous subject for me. I always thought that you had to be constantly...

Dear junior year, I’m going to be completely honest, I am not loving junior year, and it’s weird for me to even say those words that are coming out of my mouth right now. It’s nothing like I thought...

Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and so on. I’m sure we’ve all heard of these words before, right? But what’s the one thing that comes to mind when you think about these platforms?...

For many people, owning pets can mean as little as one or two animals, but for senior Sammy Deridder, this means 35. Since she lives on a farm, she is constantly surrounded by animals; these creatures...

A couple of days ago, I turned 17, and although it’s never really been a special number, I knew that my birthday would feel a little different this year. Whenever I think of birthdays, I don’t think...