Despite living in Michigan for the past four years, senior Olivia Cormaci has always known North Carolina to be her one true home, yet unlike others, what beckons her to the state she used to live in isn’t...

One our first senior staffer profiles, for Linus Kaechele, Managing Editor of Online Assignments

Gilded like Gatsby and leaking rays of sun,  I knew not who I was when the crows descended. One by one, they emerged, seemingly from nowhere, Hungry for the fruition I, too, yearned for.   The...

Freshman Paige Harsevoort is just one of many students this year trying to find her footing in an unfamiliar building during a once-in-a-lifetime event.  Of all things she expected to have to get used...

Bathed in spring’s charm, I breathed deeply, inhaling the cool air adorned with cardinal songs. Months of decay dripped off me like tears down my cheeks, and it seemed the air was breathing...

Old as we were, we still managed to grow—like dead roses a little redder than yesterday. Dancing on the precipice of what was and what could’ve been, we threw caution to the wind as if life were nothing...

Registrar Keyla Acevedo-Hargis titled her imaginary biography The Adventures of a Puerto Rican in Michigan.  After moving from Puerto Rico to Grand Rapids to attend college, Acevedo-Hargis was faced...

I woke up at 8:30 on a Sunday morning by choice. I got a perfect score on my calculus test—yeah, like 100%. I finished a book for my book club long before I needed to. I deleted Instagram and TikTok....

For this entire year, I’ve found something in my life to romanticize with the beauty of language. Whether it’s the tears I never shed for the senior year that never was or the tears I did shed for...

Rain or shine, hybrid or in-person, senior Olivia Cormaci can regularly be found tending to the countless plants inside FHC’s greenhouse. As one of only two seniors taking an independent study with AP...

In spite of the bitterness that drips from my lips with every hour that I’m subject to the masquerade of my own compassion, life isn’t miserable. Though memories slip from my fingers like tears on...

Bits and pieces, like shredded memories, linger like her perfume in my car after she shut the door for the last time. She lingers the way my words linger in her heart, words shared between lovers and writers....

With geniality and wisdom like tricks up her sleeve, freshman Ayla Ahmetovic walks through life with the comprehension of important lessons that take others a lifetime to learn. All it took for her to...

After years of loyalty to Google Classroom, Forest Hills Public Schools District has made the decisive and divisive switch to Canvas, completely altering the way our students and teachers handle online...

Insignificant, betrayed, and loud, the night road was home for one moon longer. Despite the incantation and consolation heralded by the dark, fear lodged itself in my throat like a bottled message lost...

Dormant on the wet ground, the endlessly long highway I’m swimming in caresses me violently. Bereft of any virtue, I cling to the jagged cement in an attempt to fortify my absent courage, but my palms...

With every perfectly-executed turn, seamless kick, and unforgettable jump, senior captain Molly Vonk has become a staple member of the FHC Varsity Dance Team (FHCVDT). From assemblies to football games,...

2020 was irrefutably one of the most scattered and shocking years in a long time; from protests, to pandemics, to political elections, headlining events seemed to come a dime a dozen. But, with a year...

I’ve never been what one considers a “Swiftie.” For the longest time, my identity as a Taylor Swift fan could best be described as a Taylor Swift apologist. I listened to her music once in a blue...

After 17 minutes of listening to The Leo Sun Sets, I had reached a destination that proved the journey was worth the wait; unfortunately, a negative journey has the ability to taint an entire trip, and...

Out of the dozens of past royals, John Courcy and Sarah Tiggleman, members of the class of 2020, are the only two FHC alumni to ever have been crowned Prom King and Queen during a global pandemic.  “I...

As someone who used to consider themselves a connoisseur of the most underground, eclectic artists, my relationship with music has grown into something foreign, unexpected, and, frankly, sad. Discovering...

Koyuki Buckhold - for always saying ‘love you’ before you hang up Though I am the worst at answering your FaceTime calls, I hope you know that each time I hang up, I smile because I know I won’t...

A bat in the cave, yearning to go out in the night,  but he stays chained to a home that isn’t his: a prisoner suspended from a ghostly stalactite.   There’s a part of me that wishes...

It all started with a zine: a miniature magazine that held poems, personal essays, and other writing assignments—all of which were delicately decorated and illustrated by the meticulous and artistic...

Alone in the sequin sky, beneath the expansive shadow of the moon, all of my thoughts seem to fly and free themselves from the horror that is ‘soon.’   Vibrations of vibrancy spill...

Deep in a hidden forest, where darkness is more than black,  a hidden sculpture emerges  and shows all that it does lack.   Unkempt hair, a jigsaw smile,  her face was full of...

With the smell of pumpkin spice permanently lingering in the air, jack-o-lanterns littering every doorstep, and the incandescent leaves falling in greater numbers every day, it’s difficult to ignore...

When the lightning strikes and the thunder bites,  I know I can’t stand the morning,   and all of this pain lets my doctor claim that I need prescription mourning.   The...

The blue jays at my window sing out a simple scream.   It is the dying day  of the woman named Irene.   Her son was at the movies; her husband in the hearse;   it’s...

For sophomore Ben Lutz, quarantine never really ended. As one of the students who chose to enroll in the remote learning program for the first semester of the school year, Ben has had more time to himself...

Activismo sin dientes. I stumbled across this phrase while reading an article in my Spanish class about the growth of Facebook, and I pondered it for longer than I should’ve. I thought about it so heavily...

Still reeling from the travesty that was the first Presidential Debate, Americans sat astute in front of their TV screens on the night of October 7, hoping to hear the messages and points that both President...

Five laborious years of preparation. Thousands of words. Countless conjugations and meticulous grammar rules.  The typical AP French exam has a four-hour duration that consists of multiple questions...

Bated breath and held hands created a sacrosanct circle as the moon looked down upon her children—happy and bright as the sun despite dwelling in the dark caverns of the night. Deliciously content, they...

A tattered quilt lies basking in the heat of your sullen shadow: your apathy a kindle to a new, old fire. Phoenix-esque in nature, no matter how many times a stick is stolen or a water pail is tossed into...

With the turmoil and uncertainty of living through a global crisis, a new school year is likely to stir up more nerves than ever before. But for junior Olivia Dewald-Davis, entering her third year of high...

For students and staff alike, the school population has noticed that Forest Hills Central High School looks different this year; everyone seems to have distinguished these dissimilarities differently....

My blessed garden isn’t abundant, yet its sweetness and incandescence radiate a beauty unachievable through quantifiable means. My garden may be small, but it is as beautiful as I could hope. It is as...

With fog licking at my lips and haze secluding my eyes from my heart, I sit alone—the watchman of my own, isolated lighthouse. Seeking refuge from the torrential thunder within, I look to the door.  Searching...

I’ve always sought adventure and accomplishment through the lens of eternity and inevitability. The way I walked was so integral to the mountains I was climbing, and the way I breathed was so important...

If quarantine has taught me anything it’s that I am nothing if not a receptacle for memories. The repetition of days and nights has gifted me the realization that life is monotonous and jagged without...

It was a regular night, plain and simple. I invited my mom to watch a movie with me, plain and simple. We sat in the living room chairs and turned on the TV, plain and simple. We hit play, plain and simple. As...

The ever-humming electricity, entrancing dance moves, and enveloping vibrations found in a concert crowd are something I’ve never been lucky enough to experience. To shout at the top of your lungs to...

I entered quarantine the same way a child enters a grocery store—with only the faintest knowledge of the store’s blueprints but a definite cognizance of where the candy aisle is located. Yet, much...

With stay-at-home orders wreaking havoc on the old normal, many of us have found cheap comfort in creating a new sense of normalcy. By sticking to routines that are anything but glamorous, we have forgotten...

“Later, virgin” is an eye-catching phrase, to say the least. When I first saw an ad for Netflix’s new original series Never Have I Ever, I was so shocked at the use of the crude humor that I immediately...

There’s something inexplicable about the serpentine nature of what happens behind closed doors. It’s the complex nature of the reverberating radio silence that echoes over the silent sound of tears—the...

Name: Andrew Belsito Job Title: Teacher 1. How difficult was the process of switching to remote learning for you? "For my role, [it was] fairly smooth. My students have already been set up using...

Every day that I wake up, I thank my lucky stars that my respiratory system is fully functioning. Every day that I wake up, I feel blessed that my family has not personally been drastically affected by...

Despite FHC’s school population numbering in at over one thousand, there are only two students who can say that they have placed as finalists at States for DECA for two back-to-back years. These two...

If you knew me when I chased the smile in my mirror, recognition and a siamese nature would not be the first thoughts to cross your mind. If you knew me when I trapped my thoughts in cages in my mind,...

There are days when the sunshine seems brighter, your feet feel lighter, and your smile looks whiter, and there are days when there’s only the cold. Orla Gartland’s new EP Freckle Season permanently...

From dawn until dusk, senior Elise Rapeyko is unapologetically herself. At her core, her main goal in life is to bring a little bit of happiness to the world around her. With a kind heart and contagious...

Comfortably sprawled on a gingham square, my mismatched limbs lie at my side, adorning my broken-doll-esque figurine of a body. Unhinged at the jaw, my shattered face is locked in an eternal screaming...

A day rarely goes by without me asking someone for a weirdly specific fact about them. Whether it be where you were born or what‘s the exact time you were born—yes it has to be exact--I’m always...

With stellar academics, renowned sports teams, and exceptional fine arts programs, the Forest Hills Public Schools District is constantly supporting its students in multiple ways. Without a doubt, this...

With my thirst for hope bathed in your incandescence, I’ll think of a future. A future with green grass and blue skies and fluffy clouds and you, smiling. A future with sandy beaches and rolling waves...

1. What was your reaction to finding out? "I was quite shocked, to be honest with you. I absolutely did not think I would be on Winterfest Court; it was a surprise, for sure. With my class, when we...

Sad music is the hardest music to write; there’s no question about it. To write a truly sad song—a good one at that—the artist has to be able to ensnare a listener and encourage them to throw their...

Despite being able to speak four languages, play the piano, and create and program robots, sophomore Lani Quach sees herself as no different from the average teenager.  “I'd like to think I'm pretty...

Stepping on toes protected by wet canvas, you shuddered past me, leaving me nothing but my new nickname and a phrase not synonymous to excuse me. It was obviously about me; the double-take and the sighing...

Teddy Hyde and I go way back. His premiere album, Sock-Footed, was the first time his lemon tart voice graced my ears, and I’ve been waiting to hear it again ever since my whimsical enamoration of his...

Whether it be sitting in the audience for FHC’s production of The Crucible, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat or Improv Central, you’ve likely seen senior Pranav Nalam on stage. Acting, singing,...

Threadbare and belittled, I stand as you look at me with eyes of expectance. Indebted to you because I am myself—as if my existence can be doled out, an allowance to those eager. With repulsion painted...

In the season of snow days, sweaters, and sugarplums, there’s one ingredient that adds to the droll distinction of December that cannot be ignored. When the splendor and fascination of the first snowfall...

 I celebrate Christmas connected to Catholicism. Each year, my family on my mom's side plays White Elephant. It's just a game where everyone wraps a gift—it’s usually a pretty funny gift; It could...

I do a lot in order to celebrate Christmas, but I think most things are pretty common. The day before Christmas Eve I usually go to my mom's parents’ house in Grand Haven. We spend the night, and on...

I grew up an atheist, so I didn’t really celebrate Christmas as a kid. Instead, we celebrate Winter Solstice. We do a lot of the same things people do on Christmas: open presents under the tree and whatnot....

My family starts our celebration of the holidays over Thanksgiving. Every year, we visit my grandparents in Baltimore and meet up with the rest of my dad's side of the family. My dad's side of my family...

[My family] celebrates Christmas; my celebrations are based on my personal Christian beliefs and my cultural beliefs, so it’s a combination of the two. Where I come from, Christmas is not so much a commercial...

#1: I think about you often, and I sometimes wonder how I would be doing if I kept you at my side. I’m grateful for all you have done for me—genuinely, I am, but the worst crimes committed against...

If my emotions didn’t fray the cuffs of my shirts, I’m certain I wouldn’t be cognizant of the heart I wear on my sleeves. The hollow, vapid thump-thump that ricochets in my ears when I’m unable...

It feels as though there is nothing holding me together, yet I haven’t been torn apart. I can’t tell what this feeling is. This feeling. Feelings. Feeling is what I’m doing, but there’s nothing...

It was a dark room, but my hand could still find its way to yours. Maybe it wasn’t the light I needed but rather your warmth. Maybe it’s the way I could feel my cheeks kindle with the flames burning...

Abbey Calderwood - for being my ‘grughfriend.’ I could have never expected a more peculiar start to a friendship, but I can’t say I’m surprised because the very things I love most about you...

When I met you, the trees were a lustrous blaze of bronze, and the leaves on the ground flickered at my feet—licks of golden yellow and flames of fierce burgundy. The world was painted with a palette...

Pride. “I love seeing everybody get involved. I love seeing kids put money in the bucket and help each other out. I just love doing it for those families.” Tradition. “I think if people...

There’s nothing quite as beautiful as being painfully different. There’s a hidden satisfaction in failing to mold. There’s something sweet in being able to look back at myself and smile when I’m...

I can’t see the weather; I can’t see the sun, the clouds, the fog, the hail, the snow, the sky. I can’t feel the temperature, and I can’t smell the air. I can’t touch the rain, and I can’t...

To a stranger, tiles just blanket a kitchen floor or make a nice sound when walked on, but to junior Ayesha Jeddy, they’re somewhat of a fascination.  “I like tiles,” Ayesha said. “I don’t...

Hanging out with beautiful souls at an idiosyncratic coffee shop: vibey. Pictures of clustered shoes: vibey. A knit beanie: vibey. A horrendous illustration by the inner machinations of my soul’s...

I was slurring my way through a Sunday afternoon. Silence surrounding my steps. I scrolled through my Spotify looking for a soundtrack to surprise me. That’s when I found So You’re Mad About the Cups....

1. How surprised were you when your name was called at the homecoming assembly? "I was extremely surprised. I was not expecting it at all. I feel like I'm kind of talkative to other people, but other...

1. How surprised were you when your name was called at the Homecoming assembly? “I was pretty surprised. I didn't really expect myself to get called. I think that was probably the fastest I've ever...

1. How surprised were you when your name was called at the Homecoming assembly? I was pretty shocked. I mean, some people had said that they were going to vote for me and whatever, but I didn't really...

1. How surprised were you when your name was called at the homecoming assembly? Surprised beyond words. I really wasn't expecting it at all, and I was on the opposite side of the gym from the rest of...

1. How surprised were you when your name was called at the Homecoming asssembly? "Well, honestly, I didn’t even hear my name called at the assembly. It was the kids around me that were like, ‘hey...

1. How surprised were you when your name was called at the Homecoming assembly? "I was really shocked just because I feel like so many other people deserved to be on Court too, but it was just really...

1. How surprised were you when your name was called at the homecoming assembly? "I was very surprised. I didn’t expect it, and it was a big honor for me. " 2. How did you react? "I was very...

How surprised were you when your name was called at the homecoming assembly? "I was absolutely shocked because I didn’t think I was going to get on at all. I don’t know; it was all just so surprising...

How surprised were you when your name was called at the homecoming assembly? "Honestly, pretty surprised. I had a few of my friends come tell me that they voted for me and, as much as I appreciated...

1. How surprised were you when your name was called at the homecoming assembly? "I was really surprised. My friends and a lot of people during the week were like, 'I voted for you,' and that was super...

Two CapriSun juice pouches stood at my side, resting against a bowl of a few too many Goldfish. I sat dead-center on my couch with my laptop balancing on my right leg. Fox Academy’s newest album Angel...

Words have never tasted so rich nor have they sounded so lilting. They’ve never smelled as sweet, not like a flower wilting. Words can be soft, but none can be softer than those from "The Dandelion Girl"’s...