If you have never read "The Allegory of the Cave," read it. I read it, and I still am intrigued. Instead of being bored by the long, assigned reading passage, I read it as if my mind was being fed its...

When the leaves start to resemble a light orange or a light red, that’s when you know that it may be time to transition some of your outfits from swimsuits and shorts to something slightly warmer. There...

Suppose you can imagine a large black shadow hovering over you, constantly whispering curses of the future while also dropping large stones into the pit of your stomach. In that case, that is the omnipresent...

Coach and math teacher Dave Fortino has a big year ahead of him. Not only is he the newest head football coach, but he also is starting a new chapter as a math teacher here at FHC.  “It was a combination...

I would love to have a bougie and impressive wardrobe and supply of items, but that is far out of my reach. I can’t realistically have Lululemon’s entire collection or 15 Yves Saint Laurent bags. Sometimes,...

A click of a camera can never capture the real beauty and elegance of life.  The colors won’t appear the same, the depth will be crushed into a single line, and the small details will be smudged...

The sun rises 365 times a year. Many of those times are spent in deep sleep, covered by clouds or buildings and trees blocking the sun and its framing colors.  Even when it isn't seen, the sun rises...

Teacher Cal Anderson has surprisingly taught a wide array of subjects, along with coaching sports, and assisting with clubs.  “I’ve taught for 31 years, 29 here [at Forest Hills Central],” Anderson...

After returning from spring break, the only thing on my mind is the upcoming summer. I fantasize about the school-free time, filled with adventures and warm air. I nearly obsess about what I will be doing,...

In elementary school, I loved school. I would wake up every morning, find an outfit, eat breakfast, and race out the door to meet the bus. I loved the bus. I would get to school and enjoy the entire day,...

It makes sense that early communities believed that the sun, stars, and moon revolved around the earth. From our point of view, it appears that way, but we almost always form our views as if the universe...

My favorite genre of movies is romantic comedies (rom-coms). They have formed a comfort genre for me. They are perfect for when I need to laugh or cry, and they will always make me feel better.  There...

I seem to notice symbolism popping up in day-to-day life. I wonder if it is symbols within my mind that are sometimes not truly tangible. They stand sometimes like a moose in a desert and other times like...

Senior Sofia Hargis-Acevedo is about to close a monumental chapter of her life: high school.  Her senior year has flown by and now she is about to begin a new chapter of her story, but not without...

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Once again, the ticking time bomb is back. It is like it is a haunting ghost that simply can’t get enough of me. It comes back to continue the...

I remember reading a profile of someone last year who said they were nervous about running out of things to write about. I didn’t think it was a reality for me, personally; now, I am beginning to think...

Recently, my life has been a complete train wreck. I have missing assignments, upcoming tests, and exams, and surely not enough time to accomplish it all. In this deep hole that I’ve dug myself, my solution...

Senior Quinn Hane has always had a love for art, but she never considered herself adept at most things. Things such as drawing and painting never came easy to her, but she loved art nonetheless. As she...

Vacations are my favorite.  Cabo. Key West. Orlando. Charleston. Cape May. I strive for the times when I can pack a bag or two and escape from my regular life for a few days or even...

Some things come and go that can not be remade or replaced. They can be objects, moments, people, or even memories. When on planes, I accidentally designate time to get lost deep in my thoughts. On...

My entire family hates me for my Instagram photos, but they’re my favorite thing.  I know they aren’t always the best photos, and the majority of them don’t get posted anywhere. Instead, I use...

Taylor Swift changed concerts forever with her three-hour, non-stop Eras Tour, which incorporates all of her albums into one show.  Now that all concerts have the Eras Tour as a competitor, it is hard...

If there is one person I could go to in the situation of something happening in my life, it is my brother.  I’m super close with my grandma, mom, dad, and friends, but through everyone, my brother...

Whether you’re traveling to tropical Hawaii or frigid Niagara Falls, it is integral in this day and age to have the perfectly sculpted outfit and hair for all possible photo opportunities.  Spring...

Certain things have always come easy to me. Certain things still are. School, I don’t think, can fall into that category.  I have never had to try hard to achieve high in school, but that route is...

So much of today’s media is focused on the “big” people of today. Of course, these people have reasons for being influential and have many achievements of their own, but it becomes a point where...

The closer people are to me, the quicker they seem to leave my life. All of my best friends have moved away or changed schools at integral times and just when they are the most important people in my...

I am not sure what I want to do with my life; however, as a child, I was convinced that one day I would become a photographer. Somewhere along the way, I acquired my grandma’s friend's camera. It was...

The Barbie movie was highly anticipated, and it is now highly praised for the exemplification of women and their role in society and the appreciation and credit that they are not given. In the months following...

I’ve always been awed by fascinating dancers. Since I was young, I could be easily entertained by sitting and watching girls dance and dreaming of being just like them. It is an art that is nearly impossible...

So many significant and fantastic things can happen in a year. I experience all the holidays, months, birthdays, school activities, and many opportunities.  A lot of people I have talked to told me...

Most fundraisers at FHC return the profits to the school for activities such as dances, sports, and new furniture or resources. A unique fundraiser is the annual Family Promise fundraiser, in which profits...

Fashion is a constantly changing industry; one day someone posts that she loves her outfit and the population is buzzing over it, and the next someone else bashes the outfit and it becomes uncool to wear....

A while ago, probably around fifth grade, I was at my grandma's house for Christmas Eve. I am always comfortable at her house since I lived there for a year when I was younger and always found myself there...

Years ago, while snooping through my grandma’s movie cabinet, I found the Haunted Mansion movie. Before discovering it, I hadn’t even known that it existed. The movie was quite dull, with no clear...

Everyone enjoys different things, and different things bring different people joy. There are the universal things that bring the majority of people that so-called happiness, some of which may include puppies...

A landscaping truck.  That is all it took for my energetic, chaotic puppy to become a struggling, aged dog.  Two years ago, when my dad took my dog Mocha for a walk, she lunged at the road and...

There are so many people that I wish I could tell how much I appreciate them. There are so many that I could write a book about all of them and the reasons. But now is not the time for that, instead, a...

The first of November is the Christmas season.  At least, it qualifies as the Christmas season for me.  Annually on Halloween, I watch a Christmas movie to initiate the year's festivities once...

Life will end, which is inevitable.  You won’t know when, or how, but it is slowly creeping up from behind.  Death, luckily, is near the bottom of my list of worries, yet other things that have...

Monday through Friday, students at FHC are given an average of 30 minutes a day in the cafeteria. This time is reserved mostly for socializing and eating. This time is sacred to many students and teachers...

With recent homecoming festivities, a fraction of teenage girls' preparations are commonly nails. Whether it is acrylics, dip, or classic paint, the majority of them are decked out in various sparkles,...

I get headaches daily.  I’ve asked doctors and tried medication, but nothing resolves the problem. I have adapted to the solution of ibuprofen, caffeine, chocolate, showers, and ice packs as my DIY...

On September 12th, the annual MTV VMAs occurred.  The VMAs are always highly anticipated and are arguably one of the most significant nights for pop culture. The events are discussed for months before...

From sports to dances, senior year captivates so many memories. It is an experience with memories that will last a lifetime. Senior Jae Painter is able to capture these memories from a different point...

September 21, 2023 The day started out frigid with a dense fog hovering from the nearby Thornapple River. Sitting on the bus, I felt motivated; something about the hazy air made me feel like I was a...

1.) What subject do you teach? English 9, Creative Writing, Senior Lit - I'm also directing the fall play & spring musical! 2.) Is this your first year teaching Nope! I used to teach at a...

I began listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s second album, GUTS, with somewhat low expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I adored her first album, but I was unsure of what to expect and didn’t know if she...

Every morning, my friend sends me a picture of her outfit for the day, and every time—regardless of the season—she has the most adorable outfit. They always vary from each other and each one is...

Our world will always be full of constant reminders of time, coming in the form of changes of growth and movements. I always feel the seasons are the most consequential of them all.  Summer is undoubtedly...

The population is constantly changing. Every eight seconds someone is born, every eleven seconds, someone dies. From the time those people are born until the time they die, billions of things will change...

When most kids wanted to grow up, I was the kid that never wanted to. I wanted to live in Neverland and stay young with my childhood–and still do.  Many of my fondest childhood memories are the ones...

Christmas on Mistletoe Farm was unenjoyable except for a single hilarious character. Without them, I would have stopped watching.  The movie is a new Netflix original movie. Netflix tends to be hit...

According to Zippa, the average person sees between 4,000 and 10,000 ads each day. Although this seems exaggerated, it makes sense when you think about all the places you see ads in day-to-day life. There...

To my dog- You are my favorite animal on the planet. I would choose you over anything. You are my therapy dog for all the times that I get anxious or upset or worried and I wish I could bring you everywhere....

Sometimes, I feel like I’m having an exceptional day, and I’m in a marvelous mood, and then, a minuscule thing happens and my day is turned into the worst of my life.  Situations like this happen...

History vs. Hollywood teacher Kyle Carhart’s class is usually taken by upperclassmen as a relaxing class to watch movies and do very little work. So, when faced with a project, he has to make sure it...

During the COVID-19 shutdown, I was constantly bored. I would do just about everything and anything possible to keep me busy. One thing I did a lot of was listen to music. I would scroll through my phone,...

It was a dark and stormy night—one of the classic starts to a horror story. Practically an omen of fear and darkness, yet it is one of the things that comforts me the most.  I consider myself somewhat...