This was taken last May, before some of us went and got frozen yogurt at The Pump House.

Around this time last year, this photo was taken. For the first time, on this day, in this photo, I felt like I belonged on staff.

A picture of the 2021 Random Acts of Talent show

Some really cool people I'm blessed to have met this year.

Best hair: Brady Nolan Most fashionable: Emma Lohr Class clown: Jack Fitzgibbon Worst driver: Dawsen Beach Most likely to become a celebrity: Lauren Bont Most likely to be on a reality...

I spent three years rehearsing the same script: the parallels in proximity to its predecessors produced predictability.  Everyone around me followed that script with little to no interpretation; we...

Name: Rachel Schenck What is your favorite subject?  "My favorite subject would have to be Math. I love how there's only one answer, and it can be proved, not taken and twisted in a million different...

Name: Alex Shier What is your favorite subject?  "History [and] Social Studies." Where are you going to college?  "Undecided. I'm 90 percent sure I'm going to Calvin University, though I...

Name: Valerie Greenwood What is your favorite subject?  "Math and Chemistry." Where are you going to college?  "University of Michigan." What is your intended college major? "Undecided." Who...

Name: Avery Letourneau What is your favorite subject?  "History." Where are you going to college?  "Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania." What is your intended college major? "Engineering...

Name: Matthew Mahoney What is your favorite subject?  "English, Government and Politics, and Spanish." Where are you going to college?  "University of Michigan." What is your intended...

Name: Lindsay Larson What is your favorite subject?  "[It's a] tie between my English and Social Studies courses." Where are you going to college?  "George Washington University." What...

Name: Amelia Pointer What is your favorite subject?  "I'm torn between Biology and HAP." Where are you going to college?  "I'm going to the University of Michigan." What is your intended...

Name: Julia Kirkman What is your favorite subject?  "My favorite subject is science, and my favorite class this year has been AP Biology." Where are you going to college?  "I will be attending...

Name: Anika Garter What is your favorite subject?  "Math." Where are you going to college?  "University of Michigan." What is your intended college major? "Chemistry." Who is your...

Name: Eli Romijn What is your favorite subject? "Computer Science." Where are you going to college?  "University of Michigan." What is your intended college major?  "Biomedical...

Check out these Q&As with a few of the top students in FHC's class of 2021!

Moving more than 9,000 miles away from his childhood home in Malaysia, senior Daniel Suraj experienced a considerable culture shock at the mere age of 12.  Daniel moved to Michigan with enough time...

Check out these Q&As with a few of the main cast members and the three crew heads of FHC's production of High School Musical Jr! Go to fhfineartscenter.com to purchase an in-person ticket or live stream...

For the past year, only one question has been spinning through the minds of people all over the world: when will this all be over?  It began with the thought of the virus only sticking around for a...

Two of the alumni teaching the students during musical auditions

You have so much potential. You’re so gifted. You’re going to go so far in life.  So far. But look how far I’ve gotten.  I remember spending my days in elementary school testing into higher...

I never fully understood you.  Our lives, though forced together, were separate for so long.  You had your friends and I had mine. You had your hobbies and I had mine. There was never any clashing,...

Community.  A single word that perfectly describes the small town of Ada.  Though it has been known to be rich with history, Ada began shedding that reputation only years ago with the renovations...

I have only been a Marvel fan since the beginning of Phase Three. I never got the chance to see the movies from Phase One and Phase Two in theatres, but I made it my mission to see all of the Phase Three...

Her room is rarely in order. It’s in a constant state of disarray. The clothes on her floor protect her soft carpet from the footprints left by the feet she drags through each day. They provide her...

Troy: Gavin O'Meara Gabriella: Megan Fox Sharpay: Emily Johnson Ryan: Ben Lowen Taylor: Grace Hudkins Chad: Russell Baird Zeke: Linus Kaechele Jack: Daniel Suraj Mrs. Darbus: Josie...

I refuse to sit in silence—but not consciously.  Each time I find myself in a quiet place, I am sempiternally stuck alone with my thoughts.   My thoughts hide from the world and everyone in it;...

The never-ending cycle of changes that belongs to a typical school day seems to be one of the only constants in the past year: virtual, hybrid, in-person learning. The bounce between the three learning...

Listening to music seems to be a common trend to merely fill space throughout the day, but for sophomore Athan Hillman, music is more than just a way to fill the void. Athan has made the most of his...

I remember that place. The journey there was tedious; I felt time slip away from me as I lost control of it. I felt stuck in a loop of disappointing hope.  It started to become a place in my mind...

As someone very immersed in the theatre community, I did not take it very well when Broadway temporarily shut down due to COVID-19.  I look forward to the escape I face when I sit in an auditorium....

I have spent countless hours sitting at my laptop simply because I have no clue how to address this. I rewrote the introduction several times simply because I couldn’t seem to find words that described...

1. How will R.A.T. look different this year as opposed to previous years? "We are trying to remain fluid with the dates and how it will be shared with our audience. It will also be hosted by two seniors...

I have always adored driving around at night and looking at the Christmas decorations that each house has spent hours perfecting.  Maybe it’s because my family has made the choice to keep our decorations...

I have very strong opinions about a lot of things. I could sit and argue with someone on a myriad of political topics for hours. I try to keep an open mind during these conversations—but frankly,...

Senior Lindsay Larson spent a substantial amount of time attempting to perfect her senior-year schedule. With only twelve available slots to fill throughout the entire school year, finding the ideal schedule...

Last May, chaos ensued in major cities—monumental, much-needed chaos—through the Black Lives Matter protests. This past summer held one of the largest movements in our country’s history. Unlike...

Julianna - for keeping me (somewhat) sane during show week  As much as I love theatre, there can be so much stress surrounding it. I fear the show won’t be perfect even though it always works out...

I will be blunt. 2020 has been the worst year of my life.  I have watched my friends and family test positive for COVID-19 and suffer through their days, sometimes weeks, of agony. I have lost every...

Junior Thomas Smith has a peculiar fascination with learning. The idea of absorbing new information has always seemed appealing to him. Though school fulfills this ambition, Thomas loves to find other...

Name: Tara Brace Grade: 10 Roles: Gretel and Prince 2 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having a smaller cast compared to other years? "The advantages are getting to be closer...

Change tends to be inevitable.  It is a well-known fact. There always seems to be something coming my way to discombobulate all of the comforts I have found. However, there was always one constant...

I miss kindergarten.  I miss how easy the workload was. I miss the openness of everyone becoming friends. I miss the feeling of constant relief. I miss the innocence of the child I once was. I never...

“You live to work; we work to live.”  Eight words that locked themselves into the crevices of my mind. Eight words that constantly creep into my thoughts at the most random of times. Eight words...

1. What was your reaction when you heard your name called? "I was surprised and happy, and I was just very excited to be voted on by my classmates to represent them." 2. Why do you think you were nominated? "I...

Senior Gavin Murray faces the common struggle of balance. Like most high school students, Gavin holds a part-time job outside of school at Panera. In fact, his dedication to his time-consuming job...

History teacher Brad Anderson looks forward to homecoming week every year, and this is no surprise. There are copious activities he looks forward to during homecoming week: the powderpuff game, the homecoming...

I watch the sun disappear over the horizon as night sneaks up behind me and taps me on the shoulder. The sky grows dark, but everything around me manages to capture the light the day so selfishly took.  The...

For over a century, Sherlock Holmes has been known as one of the greatest detectives to exist. Even to those that do not know of his adventures, the name itself holds so much power in the investigative...

White turns to black and a sudden feeling of relief enters my mind. Each stroke imprisons a mere thought--a thought that once swam freely in my mind.    A thought now trapped on a thin,...

Name: Zach Guikema Grade: 11th 1. How did you get into improv? Why did you decide to try out? "I got into improv because I was looking for something to do during the summer. I wanted to try...

Senior Carson Deines has spent years preparing for the final moments of his high-school career. Outside of school, he spends his fall playing football. Carson’s hard work and dedication to the team has...

Copious people have that actor or actress that they would instantly fawn over if they met them. I never understood how one person could have so much power over someone else’s life so easily, yet even...

I keep putting off my final assignments for the year. I could not admit to myself why I would do this, though.  At first, I told myself it was because I was merely tired of working on school and every...

The coronavirus has caused many alterations in the day to day life of many people, but for one particular group it has caused a considerable amount of changes: students.  Switching to online classes...

Last Christmas, I asked for a bullet journal.  I merely desired a place to write down my thoughts, design my future, and reminisce on the past. I wanted a place to escape from the real world, so for...

Ever since this quarantine has started, my head constantly feels as though it is splitting a multitude of ways.  There are so many ways to feel about the current situation, yet I cannot seem to decide...

We live in a world that is immensely dependent on technology. There are countless movies that even find a way to completely submerge the characters into their technology as a way to remove them from the...

Name: Kali Coppess Grade: 10 1. What do you typically post on your art account on Instagram? "I like to post mostly paintings and some calligraphy pictures." 2. What inspired you to create...

I have always loved traveling. I feel like it is such a delightful way to gain a fresh start for a short amount of time; no one knows who you are.  I used to tell myself traveling was the ideal escape...

My least favorite part of reading a book is trying to power through the beginning to reach the interesting points of the plot.  Trying to reach those riveting moments is one of the many reasons I prefer...

Name: Steve Harvey Role: District AP Testing Coordinator 1. What does the new Advanced Placement test format look like?  "Each test is a 45-minute exam that students can take at home. The only...

I have lost all motivation to complete anything. Ever since school was canceled, I have felt like there is no need to try. I never particularly enjoyed waking up at 6 a.m. to go to a place where I am...

Johnny Orlando is like a more refreshing version of Justin Bieber.  Orlando has been producing music for over five years. His first songs, however, are the antithesis of his current music. When Orlando...

Sophomore Emmalyn Holmquist idolizes the world of music.  She receives an extensive amount of joy from taking the time to produce music both with and for her friends and family.  Currently, Emmalyn...

There is a point in time each day where the clouds lurk over the sun. Its shining glory can only be seen through the small crevices of hope between each cloud.  It is at that point in time that the...

A year and a half worth of waiting led to only one moment, but it was one moment that gave me something to look forward to at the end of the day on February 12th—the release of To All The Boys: P.S....

Sophomore Ben Taylor has always enjoyed the snow.  Just one year ago, during the polar vortex, Ben found an extensive amount of joy hidden beneath the piles of snow in his backyard. The weeks of freedom...

I did not know them for long.  I still know them but, perhaps, not as well.  Nothing else in the world seemed to matter when they were by my side.  They were my everything for what I wish could...

In the midst of the cold, cruel winter, a splash of summer is requisite to maintain the hope of sunlight. Without that sliver of sunshine, Morning Belle could not be seen.  Morning Belle recently opened...

Freshman Tori Bates, like every other high-school student, looks forward to summer the moment school starts in August; however, Tori does not necessarily look forward to summer for the same reasons other...

The nostalgic memories of Disney seem quite popular with the current high school students, but so does depression and anxiety.  At first, I believed there was no way that the two could correlate, yet...

While walking through the two glass doors, I was quickly reminded of my six-year-old self; I was reminded of the memory of choosing the vibrant, teal hue for my bedroom.  The blinding sight of the...

Sophomore Kali Coppess makes putting other people first her top priority.  Whether it is the extreme extent of mission trips or a subtle act of making a card, she strives to make someone’s day better.  Kali’s...

When I look back on the days when I was in elementary school, I only recall how much joy I found in waking up to get on the big, yellow bus every morning. There was always something to look forward to:...