The Orange and Black

By: Bella Walsh

Velocity dance team has worked hard all season to prepare for the National Dance Alliance competition (NDA). Starting in November 2022, VDT sent in a video to NDA to determine if they were eligible to attend the competition. A few weeks later NDA emailed back congratulating them on receiving a bid! Once the bid was received they immediately started working as hard as they could on perfecting each dance and raising enough money to go.

On March 2, 2023 VDT boarded the plane to Orlando for Nationals. After getting off the plane they rushed to their 11:40 practice at the Orange County Convention Center, where the competition was taking place. The competition began early Friday morning when VDT competed their hiphop piece first, and then their jazz.

Captain Sydnie Tetrick stated, “I think we did really well. I am very proud of us for stepping out of our comfort zone with energy, aggressiveness, and facials. I still can’t believe we were only 1.8 points away from making finals in hiphop!” Friday night, after finding out they did not make finals in jazz, VDT coach Mrs. Maye scheduled a mandatory roof top practice to prepare for the pom competition the next morning. They made a few changes and cleaned a few more parts of the dance. Saturday morning VDT competed in the competition pom category. According to Sydnie Tetrick, “Pom was our best performance all weekend! Watching the teams we were competing against was inspiring for us because we got to see what we had to do to perform on their level. Just like the other performances, we brought the energy, facials, and attack that pom needs. I really think the last minute roof top practice changes were very beneficial.” VDT’S best dance of the weekend was hiphop, where they finished in 13th place out of 20. We are so proud of VDT and everything they accomplished this season!

By: Valerie Clabaugh

Martinsburg High School’s Leadership class has taken initiative this school year to help the local Berkeley County community and find a deeper meaning in obtaining leadership traits. Leadership classes at MHS are held during two different class periods by MHS teachers, Mr. Gallagher and Mrs. Lantz. Both leadership classes work together to create the foundations of leadership and use the teachings for local service opportunities.

This school year, both Leadership classes have participated and held several service projects. At the beginning of the year, they partnered with non-profit organization, United Way, to donate and spread the word for canned goods. The canned goods were given to local struggling families in Berkeley County. During the holiday season, Mr. Gallagher’s Leadership class went around the school in hopes to bring holiday cheer. They went classroom to classroom and sang three different popular holiday carols. Leadership class has more service projects coming up in the next few months. On March 18th, both classes are also partnering with the local Boys and Girl’s Club to help volunteer at the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in downtown Martinsburg. Leadership members will volunteer throughout the day and help with fun games and activities. These volunteer opportunities have allowed Leadership students to become closer with their local community. Senior, Madison Fishel stated, "Leadership has helped me be a better community member by teaching me how to be an effective leader and has given me confidence to speak up in our community.”

Leadership class gives an opportunity for students to learn about leadership, while also completing the class as a college credit. The class consists of authentic learning and real-world practices of being a leader. Leadership class has participated in difficult physical and mental movements to improve leadership skills, such as 2-mile partner carry, 400 burpees, and a 5k run backwards. These difficult movements have allowed for students to witness their own personal determination. Fishel stated, “My favorite thing about leadership is the unity our class has obtained. We all have fun and learn effectively with each other, through group discussions and movements.” Leadership class is preparing students to be the best versions of themselves and continues to help the local community.

MHS Leadership Class with MHS Alumni, Dr. Rousawn Dozier!

By: Ruth Amoreno

MHS History teacher, Derek Gallagher attended the Berkeley County Schools Board Meeting on Monday, March 6, 2023 to address “some of the issues we are facing with our students and our state in terms of health and wellness.” He felt compelled to speak about these issues because, as he stated, “your physical health and wellness are tied to your cognitive health and wellness.” He informed the Board of Education that West Virginia is last in the state in terms of health and wellness. He mentioned the following statistics in his speech: “30% of teens and 40% of adults in West Virginia are obese; WV is number one in the country in hypertension with 43% of adults having it; and, 16% of our state is diabetic. The primary focus of his speech was that our school breakfasts are full of sugar that has a negative effect on our bodies. He is also concerned that our state has put such a focus on technology that they have forgotten about the importance of movement when it comes to cognitive learning and overall wellbeing. To read Mr. Gallagher’s speech in full, click on the link below:

MHS Breakfast Items and Nutritional Facts!

By: Savannah Malatt

Martinsburg High School's Wrestling team has achieved many accomplishments for their 2022-2023 season.The MHS wrestlers had quite a few goals this season including making it to states; which they accomplished. MHS wrestler Keira Gladden was the only female on the team this season. She strived to accomplish whatever she put her mind to. Gladden has gone above and beyond for her first year on the MHS wrestling team and even made it to states!

Keira Gladden stated, “One of my main goals this year was to place and to beat a guy as a woman.” Not only was it challenging as a female to join this competitive sport, but it was also challenging succeeding in it as well. Gladden was one of the few MHS wrestlers who went to states this year. She expressed, “ I wouldn’t change anything at states, I know I put my best out there and got what I went for. I may not have gotten first, but when I got off the mat for the last time for awhile I was proud of myself and all that I pushed myself for all season especially as a female.” The team considers each other family beyond just the sport. The wrestlers eat, sleep, and breathe wrestling with each other. Gladden expressed, “we all sweat, cried, and wanted to give up, but being together as one we accomplished so much.”

MHS is proud to have Keira Gladden as our only female wrestler. She has been an asset to the team with her 13-14 Record and 2-3 record at states. Gladden has tried many other sports and has succeeded in all. With her athletic ability she has been able to be a victorious first year female wrestler. Keira has done an outstanding job in a male dominant sport and we hope she continues wrestling throughout the rest of high school!

Image of MHS Wrestler Keira Gladden ready to take on next opponent!

By: Phoebe Porter

On March 7th, senior Betsy Cushwa officially signed to run cross country at the

collegiate level while studying historic preservation at Shepherd University. “I chose to run at

Shepherd because I respect and admire the coaches and the way they’ve created a great

environment and dynamic in their team,” said Cushwa. Following a seventeen-year hiatus, the

Shepherd University Cross Country program was restarted in the year 2020, and has since

welcomed several Martinsburg High School graduates to the team, including Janette Salvador,

Maggie Salvador, and Nico Szabo. “I’m looking forward to meeting new teammates and

reconnecting with friends that I’ve already gotten to know,” said Cushwa. Cushwa has been a

member of the Martinsburg High School varsity cross country team for the past four years, and

served as the girls team captain during her final season. Throughout her high school career,

Cushwa and her team have received several noteworthy recognitions, including winning first

place at the Paul Clovis Invitational at Hampshire High School (2022), placing 2nd overall at the

Progressive Physical Therapy Invitational (2022), being named the 2022 Berkeley County Girls

Cross Country Champions, and qualifying for the WVSSAC State Cross Country Championship

for the past two consecutive years. “Betsy has been such an integral part of the cross country

team for the past 4 years. She is an amazing athlete and person,” said Martinsburg High School

head cross country coach, Ms. Whisel, “I am so excited to see her embark on this next chapter,

but she will be very missed around MHS.” “I love Betsy. She was an amazing cross country

captain, and she’s been so inspirational to me,” said Eva Craigie. “Betsy was a great captain, and

has always pushed me to be better. I am so lucky to have been able to be her teammate and her

friend,” said Mary Kate MacKinnon, “I am so happy for her, and I wish her the best at

Shepherd!” Congratulations, Betsy!

Besty Cushwa Signs to Shepherd University Amongst Family and Friends!

By: Ruby Amores

March has been named as the official month of music education in schools, commonly known as Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM). “It’s a month out of the year where music ensembles in our school get to share their hard work with their peers,” said senior, Ariadna Santiago. This month was dedicated to music education by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), previously known as Music Educators National Conference (MENC). The first MIOSM took place back in 1973, New York to honor music achievements and advocate for music in schools. The program has since grown into a national month-long celebration! “MIOSM raises awareness of the importance of music education for students and the impact it has on us daily,” said senior, Madison Fishel. We take this month to show our appreciation for music education in schools, and share our love for music with our peers.

Our school is lucky to have Tri-M to organize special events such as MIOSM. Tri-M is MHS’s music honors society, the three m’s stand for modern music masters. “Tri-M is important because it highlights and inspires music throughout our schools,” said senior and Tri-M secretary of two years, Madison Fishel. March 24th, Tri-M will be hosting an event for all grades to be able to experience the greatness of our music programs by watching a performance during school. The MIOSM showcase will feature: the Lady Choraliers, Good Times Show Choir, Steel Drum Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and MHS members of the All-State Choir. “In Good Times we are performing our show "Home Alone" featuring multiple Christmas selections along with Beat of My Drum, Get This Party Started and Another Way out!,” said sophomore, Jae Smitherman. Jazz ensemble will be performing: Count Bubba, Wichita Lineman, and Blue Bossa and the Chicken. “For Jazz we might throw in another song, Gospel John, which we just learned within the last week,” said Mrs. Adams, the MHS band director. The Steel Drum Ensemble will be performing: La Bamba, Oye Como Va, Under the Sea, and Island Break Down. The Lady Choraliers will be performing: And Sure Stars Shining, Child with a Starry Crayon, and Flare. Martinsburg members of the All-State Choir will be performing a song called Soon I Will Be Done. The Concert Band will also be participating in a county wide band concert celebrating MIOSM, at Musselman High School, on March 25th.

Music in Our Schools month gives the music department a chance to share what they have been working on with other students. “It’s a good opportunity for them to see we don’t just focus on academics and sports, we focus on music and fine arts as well,” said Mrs. Adams. Many of the students performing are excited to share their talents for the other students and the staff as well, who don’t get the chance to see them perform. Senior, Paytan Diamond, singer/dancer and vice president of Good Times said her favorite part of MIOSM is “showing our school what the arts programs have been working on since Labor Day weekend.” Members of the MHS Music department are grateful to share their music with their classmates, “Many people overlook the hard work that ensembles put into their shows in order to produce excellence; MIOSM gives people the opportunity to embrace that,” said Senior, singer/dancer and President of Good Times, and member of All-State, Chloe Thomas. Be sure to be at school March 24th to hear what the music department has to offer!

By: Jason Bednarski

The NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament has not always been called March

Madness. The first coining of that phrase “March madness” was used in 1939 by a former

basketball coach Henry V. Porter who led Athens High Basketball team in Illinois to a second place finish in the state tournament when he was describing the fans who looked forward to the annual tournament he said, “little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel.” This was also the same year that the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament started.

The term March Madness did not become associated with Men's Basketball until 1982

when sports broadcaster Brent Musberger used it describing the tournament during his coverage of one of the games. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament began in March, 1939. This tournament only had 8 teams when it started and then it gradually grew throughout the decades; it then reached 64 teams in the 1985 tournament. Then in 2011, because 3 new athletic conferences joined Division 1, they were able to receive automatic bids to the tournament, which made the tournament grow to a 68 team format. When they did that, the NCAA had to add three more games to the tournament. According to Mr. Shallis, a teacher at Martinsburg High School, “Having 68 teams selected to participate in this tournament is an honor for each school. Your play through the season determines if you get selected for the big dance. Fans cheer on their alma mater, favorite team or the underdog making this tournament fun for many people not only the serious fan.”

Every March Madness there is always something exciting or surprising that happens

during the tournament like an underdog to upset another team or for a team to have a large

comeback to win a game. According to Mr. Shallis, “March Madness is the greatest sporting

event because 68 college teams get to compete to determine who the National Champion is. The smaller colleges get a chance to compete against the bigger schools and upsets happen often, which makes this tourney so exciting and appealing to many people.” The greatest upset happened in the 2018 tournament when 16-seed University of Maryland, Baltimore County beat 1-seed Virginia 74-54. The largest comeback happened in the 2001 tournament when Duke was trailing Maryland 39-17 in the first half. The Blue Devils were able to rally to win 94-84. This comeback from trailing 22 points became the largest comeback in tournament history. In the 80 Men’s Basketball tournaments that there have been since its inception in 1939, one team has had the most appearances at 57, which is Kentucky.

There is another Men’s Basketball Tournament and it is called the National Invitational

Tournament (NIT) that gives basketball teams that failed to receive an invitation to the NCAA Men’s tournament a chance to compete in tournament format just like the way March Madness is set up. The National Invitational tournament is actually older than the NCAA tournament because it started in 1938 a year before the NCAA created its tournament. “The NIT does not get the publicity and spotlight as March Madness but at the end of the day it’s another option for college teams to compete against each other to win a championship! When teams are placed in a bracket where it’s win or go home this will always be special to a person or fan who loves competition,” said Shallis. This year’s March Madness bracket will be available on March 12.The tournament will start on March 15th and end on April 3rd with the Championship game.

By: Aden Reid

In 2013, a professor of evolutionary biology at Arizona State University started a competition on Twitter. They set out to see who could figure out the big "what if" question of who would win? The science teachers at Martinsburg High school have had their students participate in this competition for the past three years.

March Mammal Madness was created by Katie Hinde with the goal of mixing fun narrated battles with the scientific research of many species. With inspiration from the NCAA college basketball tournament in March and online articles asking people to rank animals, MMM was born. The first one was run by Professor Katie and her colleagues. Now, also run with the help of Anali Perry as primary library contact; René Tanner, Janice Hermer, and Mimmo Bonanni's expert assistance; and many others for the past ten years. The way MMM works is there's a bracket including 64 animals and 2 wild cards. Each animal is designated into 1 of 4 groups where a simulated battle is held between each animal in a tournament style. After 6 rounds of battles only one animal is crowned the victor.

The why and how an animal wins a battle is based on the biological research done by the organizers behind MMM. They take information about each combatant's weaponry, armor, fight style, temperament, motivation, and special skills. Then, based on what round the animals are in decides the habitat for the battle. In the first 3 rounds, it's decided on who has the higher seed. In the final 3 rounds, it's randomly selected between a set of habitats. The animals are not forced to fight, so anything could happen, from one running away, to simply ignoring each another.

The science department at MHS works this competition into their classes. Mrs.Haines, one of MHS's biology teachers, participates every year. "It's a fun way to put a focus on ecological and environmental concepts and bring it into the class. I want them to understand the diversity of life, the different classes of species, and how different adaptations affect those species." All the science teachers and most of the classes compete together. The first year Mr.Arndt won, then last year Mr.Munley won. Mrs.Haines said that this is her year and she'll win for sure. She thinks the emperor penguin will win, but the wolverine and hyena are also good contenders.

MMM started on March 13th and will continue every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday until April 3rd. You can find a play by play with all the scientific research on their twitter, @MMMletsgo, or on the Arizona State University LibGuides. You can find more information about MMM on the Auburn University Museum of National History website, these are also all the locations I got my information. But, if you just want a quick recap on all the battles, you can find MC Marmot and friends hosting the rodent recap since 2017 at Rodent Roundtable on YouTube.

MHS March Mammal Madness Board!

By: Mackenzie Carper

Martinsburg High School is offering a free SAT to all eleventh grade students on March

22nd. The SAT is a three hour standardized test administered by College Board that tests

students performance in three major areas: critical reading, math, and writing. Many colleges

require SAT scores for admission and scholarship offers. “You are not your test score.However,

the SAT is important when it comes to college admissions and scholarships, so that’s why we

need to do our best,” said Mrs. M. Elliott. Many students have previously taken the PSAT, and

have become acquainted with the layout and material on the exam. Several eleventh grade

teachers have been working throughout the school year to prepare their students and hone their test-taking skills and abilities. “Everyday in my class we work on critical reading and thinking

which will help students not only on the English portion but on the math portion as well,” said

Elliott. Additionally, Martinsburg High School offers a one-semester SAT/ACT prep course

taught by Mrs. Foreman which targets the material students are tested on during these exams.

This year, the Martinsburg High School administration is incentivizing students to raise their

previous test scores by 10% by offering students a choice of rewards including a free parking pass, a free athletic pass, a voucher to opt out of semester exams, and more!

Top Row- Ruth Amoreno, Mackenzie Carper, Aden Reid, Phoebe Porter, Jason Bednarski

Second Row- Bella Walsh, Ruby Amores, Savannah Malatt, Editor- Valerie Clabaugh

Third Row- Advisor- Ms. Foreman