The Orange and Black

Mr. Sherman preparing for the rodeo.

By: Jason Bednarski

Mr. Sherman who has been our Principal for many years will be retiring after this year to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a professional bull rider. Mr. Sherman has been training to become a professional bull rider by riding cows that are owned by his brother Britt Sherman. According to Britt Sherman, “I didn’t really understand why he wanted to ride cows because they weren’t bulls, but I guess he was still able to train with them because he has become a good bull rider.” He has been riding bulls in amateur tournaments after school for many years. According to Mr. Sherman’s son Trenton Sherman, “It’s always been cool seeing him ride bulls. Especially at the bigger rodeos. I definitely think he will go 90 on his first bull going pro.”

Mr. Sherman has already signed up to compete in the PBR Bulls on the Beach in Ocean City, which is part of the Challenger Tour. According to former Martinsburg student Trey Sine, “I’ve never seen anyone make bull riding look so easy...he is in his prime element. The rodeo is where he belongs.” Mr. Sherman has always kept his school life separate from his private life of riding bulls. It can be shown with the motto Mr. Sherman came up with “No Bull Just Dogs.” According to former Martinsburg High School student Jared Foreman “I feel like Mr. Sherman should really embrace his rodeo background more.” A few former Martinsburg students knew that Mr. Sherman rode bulls even though he tried to hide the fact that he rides bulls, some found out because they would always go over to Trentons house and would watch Mr.Sherman ride bulls . According to former Martinsburg student Matthew Bednarski, “It was very cool and crazy to see Principal Sherman work with these big dangerous animals so calmly and also ride them in his own backyard.” Former Martinsburg High School student Bryce Morris recalls when he found out that Mr. Sherman rode bulls “Well one day I was at Touch of Texas and Mr.Sherman came walking in with his full cowboy suit and hat, and then he looked at the DJ and said play honky tonk badonkadonk and hopped on the mechanical bull and rode it for a good 2 minutes till he said this ain’t nothing like a real bull and back flipped off the bull and went home.”

By: Karlee Domenico

Mr. Sine, the Assistant Principal of discipline, and Mr. Moore, the Athletic Director, have both announced that they will be canceling spring sports this year. Their decision was made due to the cancellation of spring sports last year because of covid. Mr Sine says, “ It is only fair that we cancel spring sports this year due to cancellation of them from previous years.” Lacrosse, baseball, softball, and track will all be canceled this season. Cancellations will start April 4th of 2022. Junior lacrosse player Valerie Clabaugh says, “ I’m very disappointed about the cancellation of lacrosse because it's the first year MHS has had a girls lacrosse team.” In the years to come, spring sports will no longer take place during spring, they will be combined with fall and winter sports. There will be an assembly addressing the decision, which will provide more information for the students. There will be a student protest held to bring back all spring sports, which will take place April 10th outside of Mr. Sines’ house.

Mr. Moore and Sine's big decision on school sports.

By: Valerie Clabaugh

Martinsburg High's favorite rock and roll English teacher, Mr. Southlea, has decided to go back on tour with his band. Mr. Southlea is the lead guitarist in his band, “The Groundbreaking Ceremony”. The other band members include Jonnie Baker- Lead Vocalist, Chase Myers- Guitar, Jett Potter- Bass Guitar, and Dirk Smith-Drums. Mr. Southlea has been doing a lot of secret work after school with his band, so he has lots of new material coming out soon.

“The Groundbreaking Ceremony’s” biggest hits were “I Can't Believe It's Not Better” and “Don’t Tell Me What I Can’t Do”. They also had a very popular music video on YouTube (TheGBCTube) from another hit song, “Eleventh and Bleecker”. The band was created in his home state of Pennsylvania and grew in popularity from there. They had to split up nine years ago, due to Mr. Southlea pursuing his interest in becoming an English teacher. Mr. Southlea’s band went on small tours back in 2011 such as, Vans Warped Tour, but their new tour will be worldwide.

“The Groundbreaking Ceremony” was seen by a professional record label, “DGC Records” earlier this year. This is the same record label that produced for Nirvana. Mr. Southlea will be releasing his new music on May 27th, 2022. Martinsburg High School will be hosting an assembly on that date, and his band will be playing live, which will be the start of their tour. The world tour dates and locations will be, June 15th, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, UK , June 18th – Wembley Stadium, London, UK, June 22nd- viva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, June 26th- Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany, June 29th – July 1st – Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway, July 5th – Accor Arena, Paris, France,, July 15th– O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic, November 22nd – Arena Monterrey, Monterrey, México, November 27th – Parque Salitre Mágico, Bogotá, Colombia.

Mr. Southlea took a lot of time to make his decision about leaving Martinsburg High School, but he decided to pursue his true dream. He stated, “It has been a fun one, but my heart will always call to rock and roll. I will miss all my Martinsburg students and staff, but I will soon be living life to the fullest.” “The Groundbreaking Ceremony” will be creating more hits and hopefully one day make it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mr. Southlea will be signing out autographs for anyone interested, with a low fee of 10 dollars. You can find him in the English wing, preferably during 7th period.

Mr. Southlea's rock and roll picture.

By: Kamaya Denson

The school will be installing cameras in all the bathrooms in order to catch the culprits responsible for setting off the fire alarm. This has been a huge issue throughout the school year and the administrators are upset about the continuous disruptions to class. They believe that the best solution is to create an extra level of security to deter students from using the bathrooms to vape.

These cameras will be installed on Monday April 4 after school and will be in working order the following Tuesday. These cameras will not affect any students that just wish to use the bathroom but will catch any images of students who vape, and administrators will be able identify anyone who is breaking the rules. Being able to identify which bathroom the alarm was set off in will then allow them to catch specific people involved in the disturbance.

An avid bathroom user at the school, Kaya Collings says, “Though it may be a little uncomfortable for students who just want to use the bathroom, I do think that these cameras being installed are for the best. The fire alarm going off every day disrupts the flow of class and throws everyone off.” Many students will be upset about this, but the administrators think this is for the best and will stop all the vapers.

Senior, Laya Chennuru gets caught in girl's bathroom.

By: Kaitlyn Dudley

Berkeley County Schools have been hinting toward Apple iPad usage for a few years. Although students are given laptops, the switch between a chrome book and an iPad has been long-awaited by students and staff. This change was expected to begin for the 2022-2023 school year, however, it has now been canceled for another device. This is due to county staff wanting to teach students about responsibility. Although the county has been promising Apple iPads, the community is now doubting if it will ever be possible because of this change. Beginning next school year, the chosen device for students will be a typewriter. Studies claim that when students use a typewriter, they are more focused on work and can be more grateful for technology today.

A student at Martinsburg High School anonymously states, “It is very disappointing to hear we won’t have iPads again. I’ve been waiting for this since I was in 8th grade and I’m a sophomore now. Using a typewriter is going to be a big change from an easily moveable device to something much larger.” Another student states, “Now I have to take weightlifting more seriously so I can move a typewriter around for the entire school day.” Multiple students have shown their frustration and are becoming impatient. If the county provides iPads, students would be able to have a more accessible and easily transported device. However, the county fights back by stating, “Typewriters are simply more innovative, they just haven’t realized it yet! We are moving forward and are promising to make appreciative, mature students from this upgrade.”

On April 1st, 2022 local students and other community members are going on a strike in downtown Martinsburg to show their frustrations. Participants are said to be dressed like Steve Jobs and demand Apple iPads in their schools. A participant shares, “I am excited about the strike. I have my Steve Jobs attire and I’m ready to stand for what’s right. No more delays or cancelations will be accepted! We don’t want typewriters, we need Apple iPads!”

It is unsure if this strike will put pressure on the county to bring in iPads, but the community is adamant about receiving a technology upgrade instead of a history lesson.

Students go back to typewriters.

By: Antonio Diaz

Mr. Arndt has been teaching science for a long time. He teaches 9th grade science honors, physics, and AP physics. One thing every one of his students knows is that he hates rocks and finds them very boring. What if that wasn’t the case though? What if Mr. Arndt actually has a special place in his heart for rocks? This may not be as far-fetched as some have been led to believe.

After years of denying his love for rocks, Mr. Arndt has come out and revealed that he actually has a deep-rooted passion for rocks. “Rocks rock! Not only do I like to teach about them, but they also bore my students to death. You should see their faces when I talk about rocks! That’s two birds with one stone!” Mr. Arndt has also revealed that he not only has a massive rock collection, but he also has a pet rock. Mr. Arndt named his pet rock Bob after his favorite radio station, 101.5 Bob Rocks! Bob is one of Mr. Arndt’s closest friends, he states “Whenever hockey is on, Bob and I sit down to watch the game.” If you want to meet Mr. Arndt’s pet rock, you can stop by his classroom anytime to meet him.

Mr. Arndt also has plans to go on several research expeditions during summer. Some of these expeditions include visits to the San Andreas fault, Stonehedge, and Mt. Everest. He has stated “I’m excited to go to all of these, but I’m most excited to go to Mt. Everest because I heard that there are unique rocks that are only found up there and I want to add them to my collection.” Mr. Arndt also wants to extend his geology unit for his 9th grade classes starting next school year. If this comes to pass, then upcoming freshmen better be ready because Mr. Arndt and Bob ready to rock ‘n roll!

Mr. Arndt and his beloved pet rock.

By: Quinn Hughes

In case you haven't noticed, the local Taco Bell sign has fallen down! Most people don't know how this happened, but we finally have answers. On February 25th, the Taco Bell employees had to start telling people that they had no more nacho fries. At around 2:50 in the afternoon, the crowds began gathering. Nearly ten minutes later, the entire Foxcroft Avenue was closed down. Crowds of community members began to grow. Junior Haylee Sherman says, “I was in my car at the Dunkin drive-thru at about 2:45 and saw that the Taco Bell sign was starting to lean.” There were a few people, at first, standing out there and then all of a sudden it became a massive group of people.They were all so angry due to the lack of nacho fries, so they all successfully knocked down the huge sign with their own hands. As of right now, the sign remains on the ground of the parking lot at Taco Bell. There has been no talk of putting it back up any time soon.

Senior, Cannon Evans at the Taco Bell protest.

By: Colin O'Kelley

After years and years of being known as the MHS Bulldogs, our school has decided to change their name to raise awareness of another type of animal or rather, an insect. The community has come together and decided that the new mascot shall be none other than the Bumblebee!

Of course, with a name change comes changes to plenty of uniforms. Many of the uniforms will now be yellow and black with translucent bumblebee wings attached to the backs. This will not give our players an unfair advantage or disadvantage as it is more for the flare. Also, the wings that our school has are not the flight capable ones, so the members of the sports team will not be able to take flight. Lots of the orange and black theme of our school will be transformed into yellow and black instead.

This change may seem odd, but the community and the school want to raise awareness for these little guys. At games, a new chant is going around which is, “Who are we? Bumblebees!” After that, members of the teams will make a buzzing noise when running out from their huddle to get the crowd pumped. Also, at games members of the band are going to play “Flight of the Bumblebees” which is taking place of the fight song. This again is to further embrace the spirit of our new school mascot, the Bumblebee.

Many of the community members are not disappointed at all with the name change. Buzz L. Yeer, who is a bumblebee farmer up on Honey Hill Street said, “Yeah, I really do appreciate what they are doing down there at Martinsburg Highschool. I think it will help raise awareness for all bumblebees.” Many people feel the same way as Buzz and are excited to see the MHS Bumblebees in action.

Grab your black and yellow and come support the Martinsburg High School Bumblebees at any of the sports teams' games. Make sure to invite your neighbuzz to come along with you as well. Watching the players “bzzz” out the competition out of their “hive” is a thrilling experience.

Image of new MHS mascot.

By: K'Marion Dowe

Martinsburg High School’s beloved science teacher, Mr. Arndt is not the biggest fan of technology, to any student’s knowledge. He charges his phone once a week in school and treats his phone like a brick in front of others. Martinsburg students have identified Mr. Ardnt as someone who does not enjoy technology and barely needs his phone.

Martinsburg newspaper went into a deep dive into Mr. Arndt’s phone time and made a surprising discovery. All along, Mr. Ardnt has been averaging 15 hours of screen time per day. He spends his time on his Instagram account highlighting the life of his chickens and using snapchat to make connections and distribute eggs.

Martinsburg High School student Kailey Jaston said, “I caught Mr. Arndt using snapchat after school to catch up on all the messages he missed during school!” Mr. Arndt has surprised many students with his heavy use of his phone and social media, and tricked everyone. You can follow Mr. Arndt’s instagram account @ScienceChickens and add his snapchat account @ScienceEggs.

Mr. Arndt's screen time.

By: Margarita Salvador

The science teacher Ms. Whisel has decided to retire from her teaching and coaching career at MHS. She teaches chemistry, AP Chemistry, and zoology. Ms. Whisel has been at MHS since 2010. After teaching for almost 12 years, she has thought about her future more and wants to run marathons full-time. She started coaching at MHS in 2011 for cross country, and track long-distance since 2013. Ms. Whisel loves to run, and she has run multiple marathons. She said,” I would like to run in different continents around the world and explore new places to run marathons.” She also wants to go out of the USA and travel while she is continuing to run.

Some of her reasons for leaving and quitting teaching were because the hours are too long, and too time consuming. For 12 years Ms. Whisel has made many good memories at MHS. Ms. Whisel has mentioned,” I will miss being able to spend time with the kids and watching them graduate as they receive their diploma.” Also, she mentioned about her coaching the distance saying” For more than 10 years I been coaching, I have enjoyed being a coach and have accomplished many things." MHS will genuinely miss Ms. Whisel as she begins her dream to run marathons full-time.

Ms. Whisel after competing her Marine Corps marathon.

By: Aden Reid

All public school libraries in the Berkeley County area are now closed. Until all books that were deemed inappropriate for the high school age group are removed, the libraries will be inaccessible, including Martinsburg High School. After a vote from our concerned parents at the county board meeting, and a lot of complaining, the decision has been made to ban all non-text books from the schools. Once they had voted to take 247 books off the shelves it was obvious that any book not containing educational information had to go. Quick and decisive measures are being taken to clean out the libraries and classrooms of all illegal material. At our school the librarian Mrs. Hockensmith will be in charge of this action. She said “I’m very sad to be emptying these shelves. They've been filled for so many years and I don’t agree with what has been decided upon.” At the end of this school year Mrs. Hockensmith will be returning as an English teacher and will start a petition to bring certain books back to the classroom. On Monday April 4th, MHS will be hosting a mass bonfire in the student parking lot to get rid of all the unwanted books. At 3:00pm after school the fire will start. Parents are strongly encouraged to bring any books from their home that they think are unsuitable for their children. As an added bonus, Ms. Kissner, our Technology Specialist will be providing hot dogs for roasting. Once the fire has gone out our library will be reopened as a studying and test taking room. School funded book clubs will also be banned and replaced by a bird watching club. The signup form is now available in Mrs. Foreman’s, room 2051.

Image of the closed library.

Back Row- Antonio Diaz, Aden Reid, Colin O'Kelley, K'Marion Dowe, Kaitlyn Dudley, and Advisor Ms. Foreman.

Second Row- Laya Chennuru, Editor- Valerie Clabaugh, Karlee Domenico, Quinn Hughes

Front Row- Margarita Salvador, Jason Bednarski, Kamaya Denson.