I haven’t kept track of how many days are left. I’m constantly reminded by my peers, though, that this season is coming to a close. We’re leaving next week, graduating soon after.  I don’t...

For the purposes of this article, both STEM and STEAM refer to the same general field of hands-on, science-based learning. Beginning next school year, FHPS will no longer offer world language for students...

It’s springtime. I can finally crack my window and welcome the slightest breeze into my room.  When I start to smell the grass and dirt, I renew my annual enthusiasm for experimenting. I try new...

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has created a new holiday—for certain taxes, that is. A part of her “Save Michiganders Money Plan,” this will establish a set period in which families will not pay sales...

Senior Sam Bauchan claims that he didn’t treat his hair quite “well enough.”  However, those around him apparently didn’t notice. Over the past two years, he received more than a few compliments...

Last week, I finished writing a story about the literacy crisis.  I interviewed three teachers and, throughout our conversations, my many strong opinions about FHC’s English curriculum—both good...

“Wuthering Heights” is a fantasy.  Specifically, the fantasy of director Emerald Fennell’s fourteen-year-old self. The movie is essentially mainstream fan fiction. However, it makes real what...

Religion is not supposed to be political.  And yet, right now, that’s exactly what it’s being made out to be. Christianity is being promoted as aligned with—and exclusive to—the Right. Before...

At merely a few weeks old, senior Colton Comiskey moved—or, was moved—to South Africa.  Colton was born in the United States, but his dad’s job at General Motors required their family to move...

College essays were difficult for me.  In answering the many, many prompts, I was faced with a harsh reality: I don’t know what I want.  There are almost 4,000 colleges in the United States....

Don’t panic.  This is what senior Frey Wu told himself during last year’s tumultuous tariff season. Faced with a volatile market, he impulsively sold his stocks. Only later did he, president of...

Timothée Chalamet’s specialty is arrogant men. Maybe he’s method acting—I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you how real his arrogance is, if it’s truly just a pillar of his own personality....

Last Monday, FHC students were herded through four different assemblies to kick off second semester. For seniors—myself included—most of the information presented was similar to what we’ve heard...

I first played Just Dance wearing an emoji-patterned gymnastics leotard. I was eleven years old. It’s been a decade since that particular, beloved edition of the game—Just Dance 2016—was released....

Senior Logan Cook was learning to read music at the same time he and his classmates were learning to read words. In elementary school, he first discovered his love for music, which has characterized his...

I was bored during my freshman-year summer.  Looking back, there are countless hobbies I could have pursued or topics that I could have mastered. However, I don't believe in yearning for a hypothetical...

I believe that Zootopia is the best Disney movie of all time.  Its punny humor, complex world-building, and adorable creatures captivated my eight-year-old self. Now, as an adult, it’s still at the...

I am immensely grateful for the many blessings I have received—especially the people.  Thank you to…   Chloe, my wizard girl in a Muggle world, for your magic  Chloe, I am grateful...

Contains discussions of gun violence. I don’t find violence to be funny.  Most of us, I hope and assume, would agree.  However, I’ve recently begun to question if our actions match our words....

Senior Colette Noble has heard the horror stories of dermatology. From facial fillers that are actually baby oil—which even someone unfamiliar with cosmetic procedures should recognize as wrong—to...

I’m not sure I love reading books. I’ve been assigned the label of “reader” since I learned to decipher the words on a page, yet I don’t feel that I truly am—at least not in the traditional...

The reality of senior year hit Ben Evans while he was watching the cartoon Phineas and Ferb.  The episode “Act Your Age,” where the stepbrothers have grown up and prepare for college, made Ben...

We’ve all heard of—and likely experienced—sensory overload.  Picture the white fluorescent lights that blind you as you trek through the mall. The sound of Ariana Grande’s 2024 single, “yes,...

Joaquin Dorado Gonzales hands out a lot of candy.  In 8th grade, the now-senior brought Jolly Ranchers to school, much like many students who bring gum. However, what started as a way to make his own...

In 2020, as a 12-year-old, I felt it necessary to have a favorite “TikToker.” Out of the five I knew, I chose Addison Rae, a teenage girl famous for her dancing. I stand by my decision—though...

Senior Kristin Hotaling’s turning point was the American Revolution. Well, Chapter Five of her AP United States History (APUSH) textbook, that is. Before her sophomore year, Kristin had no inclination...

Straightened, bleached-blonde hair cut to the shoulder, layered with curtain bangs. A whimsical baby-blue slip dress—flirty yet simultaneously sweet. Cinderella-blue tights, capped with sparkly silver...

The College Board, the nonprofit behind Advanced Placement (AP) classes, has colonized most high schools across the country. And, as any FHC student would know, Ranger Country is no different.  During...

After witnessing 2024’s Descendants: The Rise of Red, I moderated my expectations for Zombies: Dawn of the Vampires. The series’ fourth installment arrived in July, six years after the original, beloved...

The more I write, the better a writer I become. I’m better than I was in August, in my sophomore year, in 7th grade.  And yet, some disinclinations—warped efforts that aren’t quite writer’s...

When looking to foster a dog, junior Arcadia Pawloski didn’t care about gender or color. Her only request was that it wasn’t a poodle. To her delight, Arcadia ended up being placed with Forest,...

Crafting news stories for FHC's broadcast show, FX—short for Forest Hills Exposure—permits almost full autonomy for students in deciding what to make. For junior Raegan Price, this creative liberty...

Mickey 17, directed by cult-classic Bong Joon-ho, joins the ever-expanding dystopian subgenre of “what happens when we make the Earth inhabitable?” The film, released in the United States on Feb....

The two Advanced Placement (AP) Exam weeks are finally over. For many juniors, seniors, and an increasing number of underclassmen, this means that classes are primarily done for the year, even though school...

With the first AP exam week in full swing, my free time is understandably in short supply.  This has meant less time for movies and cinematic analysis, as the pastime has been pushed to the side. For...

Contains spoilers for the films “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2” Even though a quarter of 2025 has already passed, I am still catching...

This review contains spoilers for the film A Real Pain. American movies about Europe are often one of two extremes: an absolutely devastating war trauma or a modern, light, and dreamy summer fantasy....

On May 1st, FX students will present their own short films to the public.  The event, dubbed Film Fest, is set to begin at 7 PM, with a format similar to that of a real movie festival. Across three...

In an airport, again. Like Charlotte, again.  I am flying home from a foreign place that has become more familiar with each narrow-streeted city I visit. Not Charlotte’s Japan, but my Spain.  I...

The best aspects of the United States, according to exchange student Lauryane Christophel, are bagels and the grocery store can return. While these might be ordinary for America, neither is common in Lauryane’s...

Learning is articulating my thoughts in a language that isn’t mine.  Speaking with someone whose mouth molded into these words naturally, the dialect in which their first coherent thoughts met the...

It’s March, and let’s be honest, most of us are losing academic motivation.  Outside, it’s brown and grey, and the ground is a combination of half-snow, half-dirt. Still, in our classes, lessons...

For senior Cory Lathwell, high school has been bookended by musical trips to Disney World.  Going to Florida as a freshman, the trip was one of his first memories of authentically loving music. Cory...

How could I be unhappy? The window is half-open, and the smell of the bare trees and greening grass fills my bedroom. It’s more refreshing and real and lovely than any candle scent ever is. I could...

DISCLAIMER: This story contains discussions of sexual assault At her lunch table, junior Sadie Koffman shared her plan to create a self-defense class. She was met with exclamations of enthusiasm from...

February, although the shortest month of the year, marked one of my highest counts for movies watched.  After spending the latter half of 2024 slowly growing my love for movies, analyzing and discussing...

In the snowy woods, half a dozen ferocious wolves’ eyes gleam as they prepare to attack a large bear-like creature. The pack is intent on ripping out their prey’s heart, and their teeth are barred...

Today, I learned that some hyperboles float in the space between a truth and a lie.  For months, I’ve had it in my head that I hate all hyperboles. That they’re glorified lies. That they’re what...

While not unusual, my family refuses to spend more money than absolutely necessary on streaming services.  Basically, this means we rarely have more than one platform at a given moment, and we most...

At the beginning of 2023, amid the myriad of misses in Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist, I stumbled upon a track that shockingly aligned with my taste in music. This song was the perfect combination...

I can’t recall much about the political climate of my elementary school years. However, I can remember the fascination I felt upon looking at First Lady Melania Trump’s clothing.  It was Inauguration...

Contains spoilers for the film A Complete Unknown. Considering the film stars Hollywood’s favorite millennial actor, Timothée Chalamet, I expected A Complete Unknown to get more press attention.  While...

Despite planning to pursue environmental engineering, senior Carly Sutherlund never considered herself someone who likes science.  “I hate biology and I hate chemistry—in the nicest way possible,...

Crafted in the midst of a serious health scare, Halsey’s latest album, The Great Impersonator, was born from her fear of dying. Since 2022, the singer has battled a mix of systemic lupus erythematosus...

Debatably the most important—and unpredictable—holiday in December, this year’s Spotify Wrapped Day fell on Dec. 4. Technically, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Hanukkah remain the most celebrated...

Entering into Our Little Secret knowing only that it was a Netflix Original Christmas film starring Lindsay Lohan, my expectations were quite low.  So low, in fact, that when it proved to have some...

A compulsion to reach for your phone, to check for a new notification, to make sure you haven’t missed any earth-shattering events since the last time you flipped over your compact device—sound familiar?...

The air is stuffy and warm, and keeping my eyes open feels like a losing battle. Half of me cannot handle another voice, another statement, another human within my 10-foot radius. The other half recognizes...

If you’ve attended FHC, you know—or know of—Larry DeBoer. Maybe he introduced you to the empires that dominated the ancient world as a seventh grader. Possibly, he helped you become a better athlete...

My countless thank yous go out… To Autumn, for giving me the absolute best GAHA moments You could easily just revisit my Countless Thanks from 2023 to get a solid idea of how I feel about our 11-year...

"I like your images but I'm broke. Give me your photos, I'll give you clothes.” In 1997, fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, better known as just Alexander McQueen, befriended photographer Ann...

Relocating from Lowell High School—a longtime rival of FHC—new assistant principal Jacob Strotheide could be considered “the enemy.” However, even before his time at CHS, Strotheide has been involved...

With Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat, Charli XCX created an entirely new standard for deluxe albums.  Not one for ambiguous titles, XCX released the accurately-named compilation...

Whether you possess coordination or not, Just Dance is an active, entertaining video game that caters to dancers of all levels.   Originating in Paris and rapidly spreading across the globe, the video...

As elementary schoolers, Halloween was made complete only by the festive school parties and extensive parades around campus.  With students eagerly donning outfits that put them one step closer to...

Through her 2024, lime green album, Charli XCX transformed the meaning of the word “brat.” Once an ordinary noun, possibly evoking images of the 2000s fashion dolls, XCX turned the term into a common...

While junior Haley Groesser loves to make food, she is not to be confused with a cook.  Inheriting her love of crafting delicious delicacies from her family, Haley has had a passion for baking since...

In sixth grade, while I didn’t have much of an idea what I was doing or how to execute it, I wanted to achieve the alternative style that flourished under the heat of the pandemic.  In seventh grade,...

Reflecting the tumultuous state of the United States in the early 2020s, Alex Garland’s Civil War depicts the country’s demise.  Set in the near-future, the U.S. has split into factions, with the...

Kicking off her joint tour with pop star Troye Sivan, Charli XCX showed us that, yes, she is all about throwing parties. Releasing her first full album in 2013, Charli XCX is no stranger to the music...

As an upperclassman, many find freshman year to have been regrettable.  From not taking enough of the “right” classes to not spending enough of that now coveted free time with friends or even just...

Born and raised in Chicago, Principal Jonathan Haga “lost the war” to his wife upon moving from the bustling city to suburban Michigan, where she is originally from. Haga—a proud Chicago Bears fan...

“I'm ba-ack!” cried Maleficent in the original Descendants’s iconic scene as she crashed Auradon’s coronation ceremony.  Now, in 2024, Descendants: The Rise of Red seems to proclaim a similar...

Contains mild spoilers from the first to fourth seasons of Gossip Girl.  As a devoted Gossip Girl viewer and fellow fashion enthusiast, it makes perfect sense that I would love Jenny Humphrey.  Unfortunately,...

Recently, Pixar’s popularity has been waning.  Elemental, Lightyear, Turning Red, and Luca—all Pixar films released in the past three years—have underperformed at the box office. Whether due...