From FHC’s student-led news website, The Central Trend (TCT), and the sports blog, the FHC Sports Report, to the student news channel, FX, there is no shortage of information produced for and by the students of FHC.

However, there was no FHC podcast for the adults and students in the community to get daily updates on the high school until the Today in Ranger Country podcast was started in Sept. of the 2025-2026 school year.

FHC Advanced Placement (AP) Seminar teacher and TCT advisor Jordan George started the podcast as a passion project, but it is steadily growing as a way for daily updates to reach the larger Forest Hills community.

“I really enjoy podcasts myself,” George said. “I consume a bunch of podcasts every day. So knowing that we had the podcast equipment here…I decided to start experimenting with [it] a little bit… [My goal is] if [parents] are commuting for a nine-to-five job, or something like that, they can listen to the podcast on their way to work.”

Through student-run informational organizations, the student body of FHC stays well-informed on the school’s sports events, fine arts productions, and upcoming spirit events like Homecoming Week festivities. However, due to the lack of a daily newsletter, many Forest Hills parents, grandparents, and adults in the community are seeking consistent updates on daily FHC events.

This is why the Today in Ranger Country podcast is pivotal–it’s the first adult-focused source of news for the larger community in Forest Hills, something that George kept in mind when forming the podcast.

“I think parents and the [FHC] community crave a connection with the school, because they maybe come to sporting events, or they come to arts events,” George said. “But, it’s hard for parents and community members to get a feel of the pulse of the school, or what the hot topics are… it was almost like a gap in the market that we have…I thought that there isn’t enough out there for parents.”

Besides getting information out to the community, the podcast also features student guest speakers who talk about the happenings at FHC, recent athletic events they have participated in, or offer their thoughts on various topics.

George has only featured three people on the podcast so far: two seniors and a fellow FHC teacher. However, there is a long process that goes into choosing who to feature for each episode.

The featured guests’ perspectives make up the bulk of each episode, which is why George has realized just how crucial it is to feature students who have varying opinions and interests and a deep connection to the high school.

“I try to feature people that [are] upperclassmen or staff members, people that have kind of been around for a while, or have a good understanding of FHC and the culture here,” George said. “I [mainly] try to feature people that are involved.”

Senior Mady Scarlato was the first featured guest and is a perfect model for a guest on Today in Ranger Country. She is an editor-in-chief for the FHC Sports Report for the second year in a row, and a varsity water polo athlete who is extremely well-connected with the FHC community.

Mady had a great experience on the podcast and is even looking to get involved with the production of the podcast, possibly assuming the role of a social media manager. Working on the podcast would be an ideal opportunity for her to expand on her love for graphic design and social media marketing.

“Working with [George on the podcast]… It’s just great,” Mady said. “I like him as a teacher a lot, and he’s a great person. Just being able to talk with someone that shares the same ideas is always a great experience…he’s a really fun guy to work with, so it was a pretty positive experience.”

Mady was featured on the fourth episode of the podcast, “Senior Retreat Interview with Mady Scarlato and a Volleyball Sweep!” to talk about her recent experience during the annual senior retreat. She recapped the senior retreat to Camp Henry, talked about her favorite parts of the retreat, and what she thought about the production of the trip for around six minutes as she recorded an episode of the podcast for the community.

The Today in Ranger Country podcast may be extremely innovative for the larger area of Forest Hills, but it’s not the first official FHC podcast.

The history of podcasting at FHC dates back to 2020, when English teacher John Fisher petitioned the Forest Hills board to purchase podcasting equipment for the teacher and student body. He first learned about podcasting at the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) at Michigan State University, where he watched a seminar about the rising trends in podcasting.

“I thought that [podcasting] would be a really cool thing to get going in our school, because I knew a lot of kids were starting to listen to podcasts, and I was listening to podcasts,” Fisher said. “So, I wanted to make a room and get some equipment available so we could start dabbling in that at the local level.”

Eventually, the board reviewed the grant he wrote and chose which parts to approve and which to cut. The podcasting equipment was eventually purchased that year for around $3,000.

Once the podcasting equipment was finally purchased, many FHC podcasts sprang up. Fisher and fellow FHC AP World History teacher Brad Anderson hosted a podcast at one point, and the FHC Sports Report also held a podcast in the past. However, the Today in Ranger Country podcast is the most recent installment and the only FHC podcast that consistently has episodes being posted.

“Podcasting is so accessible,” Fisher said. “It’s right on your phone, a lot of people are already listening to podcasts, and you can put your podcasts on Spotify. Now, almost everybody’s on Spotify, so it’s just a click away from getting updates on what’s going on at school.”

The Today in Ranger Country podcast couldn’t be more well-timed with the increase in podcasting in recent years, as well as the accessibility for the community of Forest Hills to get quick and consistent updates about the school. It’s filling a much-needed role in the community, as adults and students alike are now able to stay connected with FHC and stay informed on community events.

“Podcasting is just really fun,” Mady said. “It allows you to share your opinions and just be creative. I think it’s a really good outlet for that [experience]… [and] it’s a great way to get a summary of all that’s going around and happening at FHC.”

This story was originally published on The Central Trend on September 18, 2025.