95 stories and two years of my life later, I have finally reached something that appeared to be so insanely far away from when I first walked into Mr. George’s two rooms on the first day of sophomore...

“Check your mailbox.”.  “I left something on your porch.”  “Come outside.”  Texts like these have been sent to me biweekly throughout quarantine. Whether I’m reading a book, watching...

In quarantine, there hasn’t been much to look forward to. So, was my calendar marked for April 10 because that was the day Trolls World Tour was released digitally, even though I had seen Trolls maybe...

Just last month, right before Outer Banks was #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 in the U.S. Today, a little show called Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness was #1 for weeks. Whether this reflected people’s...

Name: Ella Byam Grade: 12 Role: Co-producer of senior video 1. Was it challenging to finish the senior video earlier than you planned? If so, why?  "Finishing the senior video was a bit difficult...

To be honest, I haven’t been a fan of the whole superhero thing for very long.  During the second half of my freshman year was when I was taken to my first superhero movie: Infinity War. It was definitely...

I became engrossed in On My Block almost immediately after the release of its first season in 2018. The show describes the experiences of four unique, diverse protagonists living in inner-city Los Angeles...

Name: Tracy Collar  Place of Work: Metro Health University of Michigan Health Cancer Center Job Title: Oncology Social Worker 1. Before the coronavirus outbreak, what did your responsibilities...

Every guy wants a girl whose love isn’t easy but worth the chase. Every guy wants a girl who is loyal to him and allows him to be himself without judgment. Every guy wants a relationship where what he...

In Miss Americana, I distinctly remember Taylor Swift saying that her relationship with her fans is unique because she grew up alongside them. Although Swift is almost double my age, I categorize myself...

Just a couple months short of an entire year ago, a euphonious song with an addictive beat accompanied me while I got ready in the morning, drove to dance, and did homework—basically all of the activities...

Being a freshman is tough. Freshmen are incorporated into the chaotic jungle of high school arguably overnight; one night they soundly fall asleep as incoming freshmen, and the next, they nervously...

When the tide of the school year retreats back into the ocean of stress, anxiety, and deadlines, my environment turns into a gorgeous, fulfilling summer, and my storm begins to brew.  When my summer...

On Thursday, February 20, the cafeteria was greeted bright and early by the tired faces of FHC’s academically successful students. Lined with tables decorated with an impressive arrangement of delectable...

Roughly fifteen months from now, I will be done with high school. I will know where I’m going to college. I’ll have some idea as to what my life is going to look like for at least the next four years....

Listening to my Today’s Hits playlist on Apple Music while I prepare myself for the day ahead, a captivating, alluring song begins to spread its sound around the area of my bathroom. Encouraging freedom...

The fire in me burns bright. I feel like it always has. Resilient, tenacious, brave: those words make me me.  With a flaming, bold red on my outside, I threaten and come off strong. My actions...

Sinking slowly into firm, soaked sand, sophomore Kevin McPoland steadies and stares through his camera, confident that he’s set up to capture the perfect shot. Decorated under a delicate blue raspberry...

Squished between a golfing facility and a pizza place, Knapps Corner Nutrition’s simplicity does not stand out to the ordinary eye. With a plain exterior and basic black and white logo, the eatery does...

When simple strums of a guitar accompany Nick Jonas’ angelic, unfabricated voice, you know a song is going to be good. So, when the Jonas Brothers’ latest single “What a Man Gotta Do” began with...

Bathed in the incandescent light of the gym, six senior boys stare down the six junior boys across the court. With the goal of redemption and victory engraved in the senior boys’ minds, they prepare...

“Gotta jot it down, and then get it out. And then I’ll be on my way.”  These two simple, stark sentences accurately describe the tone of Halsey’s catchy, biting latest single “You should...

On one of the few warm, almost-like-spring days that winter break featured, I wanted to go ice skating. Why? I had been in Mexico over Christmas, and there were a few more winter activities I wanted to...

Two innocent, charming, and adolescent sisters embark out into the woods—their family’s secluded forest—to retrieve their younger sister at the hidden lake. Once the three children are together and...

“And I just want to be there tonight.”  For the past three years when Christmas time comes around, I have been forced to recognize the fact that I do not have any family that resides in Michigan,...

On a Wednesday night in the spring of 2018, the girls' varsity soccer team was preparing to compete against Forest Hills Northern for their second time that season. Having sprained her ankle two days prior,...

In the streets of bustling and hectic Tokyo, Japan, five men and a Japanese model—all dressed in colorful clothing—strut across the middle of the street and catch the viewers’ eyes. The group completely...

When students were finally called down to the gym floor for the highly anticipated line dancing “flash mob,” the forest green bleachers that surround the gym rattled as excited students grabbed their...

Molly Vonk and Delaney Michalski-for listening  Molly and Delaney, you two are people whom I trust with my life. You have modeled your undivided loyalty to my secrets and problems time and time again,...

From writing a lead in a profile about Rebecca Nurse’s entrance onto the stage to conducting interviews with three different cast members of FHC’s fall play The Crucible, I believed that I was rather...

Honestly, snow has the power to do some crazy things. On Monday, for example, it allowed us to get out of school fifteen minutes early when we were already on a shortened schedule that day. And last year,...

Name: Desiree Tuohy Grade: 10 Role: Village girl 1. What part of being in the play makes you the most nervous? "I think just the fact that this is such a powerful show, and we don't want to...

Name: Meredith VanSkiver Grade: 12 Role: Abigail Williams 1. What part of being in the play makes you the most nervous? "A lot of things make me nervous. I think the two biggest ones are...

Name: Linus Kaechele Grade: 11 Role: Reverend Hale 1. What part of being in the play makes you the most nervous? "Probably the amount of lines I have—I have one of the biggest parts, probably...

Family: a blessing, a moral compass, an outlet of unconditional love, your biggest fans, your inspiration. Family: a backbone, an unrivaled support system.  Family: everything.    Sophomore...

Every single time I view a romance movie on Netflix, I am provided with the same melodrama, dry plot, and static, bland characters. I constantly critique the lack of skill behind how each character is...

I walked into AP Chemistry on a Monday morning kind of really dreading the two-hour-long test we were about to take. I sat down, assessed how prepared I was—which was very because I studied excessively...

As junior Brittney Probst walks through the halls of Ada Elementary School, she surveys the unique and creative artwork and writing that is sprawled across the walls of the hallway outside of each classroom....

Over the summer, I was constantly nagged by my parents to find a job. I did apply to numerous businesses that ranged from restaurants to retail; however, not one of them hired me. Whether or not it was...

A poised, aged figure steadily emerges from behind the coal-colored curtains that perimeter the side of the spacious, decorated stage. The click of her heels bring to light the utter silence that is present...

A few weeks ago on FX, there was a segment included about teenage driving. Interestingly, the featured students were primarily juniors—most who had only had their license for a year or less. The juniors...

Each day as I approach my seat in Mrs. Whalen’s room—middle left column, farthest seat back—a black poster with various colored rows captures my attention. Literally, the poster is almost exactly...

While in the process of completing a lab in AP Chemistry, I was instructed to rewatch a video on standard deviation which could be found on teacher-Youtuber Mr. Nystrom’s website: apstatsguy.com. However,...

As the bell rang marking the conclusion of third hour on Tuesday, students instantaneously heard an announcement presented over the loudspeakers. The announcement provided information about a food truck...

When a teacher announces an upcoming group project or assignment to their class, their classrooms are typically filled with mixed reactions.  The slackers rejoice because they will be allowed to continue...

1. What bug are you?  "I'd probably be sow bug or a pill bug." 2. What is your favorite improv game?  "4-square." 3. Tell me a story...  "At one of the practices over the summer, I played...

When I get onto Snapchat after the school day concludes, I often discover pictures of delicious meals from restaurants displayed on the stories of primarily students at East Grand Rapids High School. Whether...

As I approached the double army-green doors of the freshman hallway on the morning of the first day of school, I noticed Mr. Passinault was holding the doors open for incoming students. Hesitantly, I tucked...

Last spring, senior Olivia Jeong entered the congested side of the parking lot where the rest of the incoming seniors’ cars were located. Olivia, along with the Class of 2020, was holding a breakfast...

In advanced English classes year after year, I've been assigned to read both over the summer and in class. The Grapes of Wrath, Brave New World, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher...

When students walked into the stadium for last Thursday’s football game, they were confronted with a major change: the student section was located on the complete opposite side of the home bleachers....

As I completed reading the concluding sentence of the AP World History summer reading booklet, I sat back in my chair and released an exhale of utter relief. As I flipped through the pages of notes that...

Name: Payton Corcoran Grade: Junior Running for: Vice President 1. Why are you running? "I love participating in all the Homecoming activities that bring our grade together." 2. How do...

When my second-to-last dance team auditions concluded last week, a rough draft of the eighteen members of the 2019-2020 FHC varsity dance team gathered into the gym. To initiate the team’s process of...

Approaching an hour of debate among the judges, freshman Alexa Parent was anticipating answers along with the previous members of the dance team and a few hopeful incoming freshmen in the hallway outside...

Last Friday, the improv team independently held its final improv show of the year: Improv After Dark. Promising to provide an enjoyable, PG-13 show, the improv team prepared hilarious improv games to play...

On May 20, the Class of 2019 will officially pass down the responsibility of being seniors to the Class of 2020 at the Candlelight Ceremony. Consisting of the passing of flames from current seniors to...

I unknowingly came to discover a significant amount of repetition that has snuck itself into multiple aspects of my sophomore-year life. This repetition involves a theme that has become central to my life,...

On April 22, people around the world expressed their appreciation of the Earth through collecting litter along roads and beaches, planting trees and plants, utilizing reusable water bottles, and posting...

Film: Mind Games Producers: Peter Bardelli, Cole Beaufait, and Nathan Hartline Interviewee: Peter Bardelli 1. What’s your film about? “Our film is about two best friends, and one of them...

I have discovered that a commonality that I share with a remarkable number of my peers is the consistent maintenance of an overwhelming anxiety involving the future. As a sophomore, I have witnessed peers...

Along with the rest of the sophomores in Honors English 10, sophomore Rachel Lynch strenuously and tediously prepared for her Ted Talk over the past two months. First assigned in February, Rachel finally...

Viewing the intro of #Roxy, I instantly noticed that it looked very professionally done. I developed a glimmer of hope that I would not have to witness another painful-to-watch Netflix movie. That glimmer...

As I begin the concluding months of my sophomore year, I have come to realize that I will be coerced to experience a significant amount of change in a relatively short amount of time. In less than...

Last year, The Central Trend staff set a goal of reaching 100,000 views on the site during the school year. Their expectations were completely surpassed as the site accumulated over 130,000 views. Determined...

Every girl wants a boy to be utterly in love with them. Every girl wants a boy who is guided by his loyalty, who makes her feel like the only girl in the world. Every girl wants to receive an unconditional...

At a dance convention this weekend, one of my instructors argued that each person in the class had something to give to the room. But, she also argued that each person also had something they could take...

It is a popular argument that a person’s high school years are some of the most influential and valuable years of their life due to the rapid change it evokes in their development. Senior Sam Williams...

We depend on our sense of touch for everything we do every day. This review could not be completed without contact being made between my fingers and the keyboard keys on my laptop. Teeth could not...

Junior Finn Terwin has found himself increasingly involved in his community this school year. Following in the footsteps of his older brother and sister, Finn decided to apply to become a member of...

As I leisurely strolled down the main stairwell of FHC, I glanced out of the generous, gargantuan windows that accompany the landing between the two flights of stairs. A rowdy blizzard had just commenced,...

During the four months I have been on The Central Trend staff, I have sparked an interest in reviewing the new MarVista Entertainment movies that are released onto Netflix each month—these mediocre movies...

As I transitioned from the raised platform of the large airplane onto the jet bridge, an instant gust of freezing, bitter air grazed my face. Leaving no space for the frigid temperature, I squeezed my...

When sophomore Madison Rogers first viewed a performance of The Nutcracker at age six, she was instantly attracted to the beautiful costumes and the graceful dancing the show and dancers provided. It took...

I am a paradox. I am not the most loyal fan of country music. The number of country songs I know by heart can be counted utilizing one hand; each is a song that appeared on Spotify’s Today’s Hits...

“I transferred from Northern to Central this year. The first time I met the hockey team, I only knew the Ott brothers (Cole and Xavier) and the Mielock brothers (Carl and Johnny). In the beginning, I...

"I was ten years old when I started modeling. Modeling has been a great opportunity to meet and work with some really interesting, creative photographers, staff, and models. It is a way to make great...

As I stood in the front of Mrs. Gootjes's room assisting a group of her fifth graders on informing the rest of their class on the dangers of abusing prescription drugs, I was appalled by their extremely...

Senior Logan Schenk first created digital art in AP Studio Art and enjoyed that mistakes were never final; undoing previous strokes or restarting complete designs were possible at the click of a touchpad....

As I surveyed the audience, my scanning eyes landed upon my mom. Phone in hand, she was prepared to record the upcoming dance and forward it to me immediately following its conclusion—so I could critique...

It’s challenging to not be instantly attracted to a dance-related movie whose actors are technical dancers. The dancers’ high-caliber dancing was stunning; but, it only almost allowed me to ignore...

For the majority of first semester, math teacher Tracy Will observed students during second lunch excitedly devouring their food and divulging in conversation with each other. However, she also consistently...

Every inch of my body itched with utter discomfort and terror as I viewed the sequel to 13 Cameras: 14 Cameras. As I saw the ease with which the landlord of the vacation house could successfully, secretly...

With an eight-year-old child being murdered by an uncatchable serial killer within the first episode, it is effortlessly accurate to argue that Somewhere Between was intensely intriguing from its beginning....

Twenty-one years ago, current paraprofessional Becky Haywood finalized her life-changing decision to transition from working in the administration office to interacting with special needs students. Haywood...

While attempting to interpret what 2018 truly brought me, one word consistently stood out compared to the multitude of others that happened to clutter my thoughts. This word proved to have defined the...

After misjudging the number of hours I spent on Saturday diligently completing homework for Spanish 3, APUSH, Chem 215, Honors English 10, and Algebra 2, I was fully prepared to conclude my homework for...

Cradling a sleeping infant in her arms, senior and student council board president Tess Bond felt relaxed and in her element. As she gazed over at her peers and the other “holiday elves” who were...

Having strict parents could be considered the most profound setback a teenager experiences throughout high school. Teenagers are not allowed to make irresponsible choices because their annoying parents...

As someone who has been singing since elementary school—from school choirs to the Grand Rapids Youth Chorus—senior Hannah Weinman has recently decided to debut her impressive talent and take the next...

With popcorn sitting in my lap, I tucked my phone into the pocket of my charcoal, furry winter jacket—I was preparing to provide my fullest attention to the movie. As the theater lights dimmed, drawing...

I have always been instructed in dance to never let a mistake on stage show through my facial expressions. I believe a similar thing happens when life decides to snatch its own reins from my seemingly-fastened...

Tucked in between Groskopf’s Luggage and Gifts and Superior Watch Repair is a quaint, cheerful cantina that is overlooked by the constant bustle of Monroe Street. Situated in downtown Grand Rapids, its...

Monday through Saturday. 6 a.m. practice on Monday. 5:30 a.m. practice on Tuesday. No morning practice Wednesday. 5:30 a.m. practice on Thursday. 6 a.m. practice on Friday. 7 a.m. practice on Saturday....

During Homecoming Week in late September, senior Fadwa Kamari was randomly called down to the main office. For most students, this is an unusual circumstance; Fadwa was justifiably stumped as to why she...

On the first day of school this year, my AP US History teacher Steve Labenz displayed a TedTalk video regarding an intriguing topic: stress. The woman presenting, Kelly McGonigal, argued that stress is...

“...dance is a poem of which each movement is a word.” - Mata Hari. This year, after taking my first season ever in my entire life off from you, I am once again returning into your welcoming arms....