The Orange and Black

By: Savannah Malatt

The school bond passed with 17,511 votes For and 10,368 votes Against. A school bond is a financial instrument issued by a public school district to finance approved capital projects. The Berkeley County Board of Education placed a bond measure on the November 8, 2022 ballot. This bond provides funding for capital projects such as purchasing property for schools, constructing new schools, or modernizing existing schools. The funds cannot be used for general operations or salaries. With this bond, 102 total projects will be added within Berkeley County Schools. This includes four new buildings, two remodels, and one new addition. Berkeley county is the second largest and fastest growing school system in the state. Having high quality facilities is crucial to every student’s success. Some improvements and renovations Martinsburg High School would receive are getting a new security system, concession stand and restrooms at Cobourn Field, an improved track and softball field, tennis lights, HVAC system, plumbing and electrical advancements, and a complete auditorium renovation. Martinsburg High School's librarian, Mrs. Hockensmith stated, “The bond is really important for Berkeley County Schools because we have a lot of older schools in our community that need renovations. Without the funding from the bond, it would not be eligible to go through with the renovations until the next vote for the bond in 2024”. On Tuesday, November 8, 2022 the polls to vote were open from 6:30 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. Voting registration began on October 18, 2022 at the Voter Registration Office located in the Dunn Building, through the DMV, or online. Early voting started on October 26, 2022 – November 5, 2022 (voting was open on all Saturday’s in that time period).

Owner Occupied Residence could pay up to $7.25/month for $100,000 in appraised value and Owner Occupied Resident with Homestead Exemption could pay up to $6.04/month for $100,000 in appraised value now that the bond is passed. The bond will greatly improve the learning environment in Berkeley County.

https://forms.office.com/r/xyN4SbANrM

By: Valerie Clabaugh

Martinsburg High School has created a distinct reputation with their school bathrooms. These bathrooms have been hot spots for vaping , vandalism, and skipping. MHS administration has tried to eliminate these school wide problems by shutting down all the bathrooms until 8:15am every morning. This brings into question is locking all the MHS bathrooms in the best interest of all the students?

Legally MHS administration has followed all state guidelines when it comes to bathroom policy, but does legal equal ethical? Many students ride buses to school and some are made to wait up to two hours to have access to a bathroom; these long waiting times are not only inconvenient but could potentially cause long-term problems. Medical problems such as infections, weakened pelvic floor muscles, and bladder dysfunction could occur due to the long holding periods. MHS Senior Madison Fishel stated, “There have been plenty of times I have had to wait until 8:15am to use the restrooms. It is very inconvenient and obstructs my learning because I am unable to focus on the tasks at hand.” Many MHS students have decided to go to teachers for permission to use faculty restrooms, or to see the nurse for permission to use the downstairs faculty restroom, which interrupts the student's learning and the teacher's instruction.

The MHS bathrooms are locked to keep students from skipping their homeroom class, so they can be counted present in school for that day. Only a small percentage of students from Martinsburg High School have gone through with these acts of skipping. How is it ethical to take away a natural body necessity, for the sake of punishing a small percentage of students? MHS administrators have other options to instill order in our school, while also giving students basic bathroom rights. For example, Resource officers or other faculty could take turns monitoring the cafeteria bathrooms until 8:15am, while keeping the rest locked. This would allow for students to have their basic needs met, while also keeping students from skipping. This small change in policy could alleviate stress on students and help good students focus on their work.

Martinsburg High School can eliminate the bad reputation of the bathrooms by changing the new policy. Monitoring the bathrooms in the morning would lead to less skipping and more convenience for those who actually need to use the bathroom. The ability to use the restroom should not be up for debate. There are more beneficial and ethical policies to keep bathrooms in check. Since the locking of the bathrooms, skipping has remained the same. Stricter policies and monitoring for skipping and vaping would eliminate these problems. Martinsburg High students want the ability to have basic rights when it comes to the regulation of their bodily functions!

Image of MHS Locked Women's Bathroom!

By: Ruth Amoreno

The Martinsburg High School Theater Department has many ,amazing events coming up throughout the year. According to the MHS thespians, "the shows the MHS Theater Department has coming up include: Our Place, the theater department’s competition piece for this year; Kingdom of Magic ,the tour group play, and The Mad Ones ,the musical for the year.”

Our Place, the competition piece this year is about “several people featured in five unrelated scenes that feel connected to each other through the wooden dock on the lake.” According to BizBooks.Net., Our Place is written by Terry Wayne Gabbard. Miss Kelly’s cast list is below. Our Place will perform its "pay what you can show," a fundraiser the theater department has for its competition show in the auditorium on February 3, 2023 at 7:30pm according to the Martinsburg High’s Theater Department website.

Kingdom of Magic, the tour group play, is actually a passion project of mine. It is one I wrote in 6th grade for a sleep away camp called Melwood and also played a big part of in my decision to become a writer when I grew up. I had given it to a 6th grade teacher named Ms. Rockwell to read to her class because she was running out of ideas for her English class. I eventually got letters back from the kids saying I should write books and that was when I knew I was supposed to be a writer. Now I am excited to help Kingdom of Magic on another part of its journey. For, not only have I written Kingdom of Magic, but I am also co-directing it with Miss Kelly ,as well as acting in it. The cast list that Miss Kelly and I collaboratively decided upon is below. I play Cinderella. Kingdom of Magic tells the story of a preschool teacher that takes her class in a magical book of fairytales. The date for Kingdom of Magic is May 13, 2023 at 7pm in the MHS auditorium as stated by Martinsburg High’s Theater department website.

The musical for the year The Mad Ones is a show that follows “Samantha Brown as she faces her future and the choice between following in the footsteps of her mother or making her own path,” according to Playbill.com. The cast list of the Mad Ones is below. This show will perform on April 21 and 22 at 7pm and April 23, 2023 at 2pm in the auditorium. There will be more updates about these shows throughout the year.

By: Phoebe Porter

The week of November 12th, 2022 is recognized as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week all across America. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is the perfect opportunity to give back and support the community of Martinsburg. Meals on Wheels of Berkeley County, an organization that collects and delivers food to homebound families and seniors, is asking for donations this holiday season. Additionally, Meals on Wheels organizes an annual Thanksgiving pie fundraiser; this year, the pie flavors available are lemon cream and pumpkin pie cheesecake. Holiday pies will be available for pre-order until November 16th, and will be distributed on a donation basis. The suggested amount for a donation is $10.

The Martinsburg Rescue Mission is also asking for donations this Thanksgiving. In their November newsletter, the Rescue Mission announced that they will be collecting turkeys, pies, vegetables, fruits, coffee, cream, sugar, tea bags, canned yams, and mashed potatoes. Additionally, monetary donations are accepted; a donation of just $5 can help provide 2 meals this Thanksgiving Day. Any donations can be dropped off directly to the Rescue Mission.

The Student Council Association plays a crucial role in the preparation of Thanksgiving festivities here at Martinsburg High School. On Thursday, November 3rd, Martinsburg SCA announced that they have officially begun collecting items for a school-wide Thanksgiving food drive. Donations will be accepted until November 14th. SCA President, Chloe Thomas, is encouraging students to donate this Thanksgiving by adding a competitive element to the food-drive. Each grade level has been assigned specific items to collect; freshmen will collect corn and cranberry sauce, sophomores will collect mashed potatoes and gravy; juniors will collect stuffing and yams; and seniors will collect green beans and mac and cheese. The grade level that brings in the most donations will be awarded the MHS spirit stick at our next pep rally! All donations can be dropped off in the library.

James Rumsey Technical Institute is hosting a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day! Registration before November 10th is $15 for ages under 13, and $30 for ages 14+. Runners who register early will receive a long sleeve T-shirt. The price increases to $40 after November 10th, and participants are not guaranteed to receive a T-shirt. Donations will also be collected on race day that will go towards the local backpack program. A free, non-timed 5k is also available for kids 13 and under, as well as a free Kids’ Fun Run for ages 10 and under. The Kids’ Fun Run will begin promptly at 7:45 A.M., followed by both the timed 5k and the non-timed 5k beginning at 8:00 A.M. Martinsburg Cross Country Captain, Andrew Cottam, says he is excited to “Run, gobble, sleep!” this Thanksgiving day.

By: Ruby Amores

In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday, we decided to find out what MHS’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes are. We researched some Thanksgiving “classics” to create a poll for students and faculty to vote on what they think are the best dishes. Nominees for each category were chosen based on commonality and general popularity. There were four categories of dishes which included: side dish, main dish, sauce, and dessert. Before we calculated poll results we interviewed several students to get an inside look at what they think the best Thanksgiving dishes are.

The first course on the ballot was best side dish. Candidates for best side dish were; mashed potatoes, green beans, mac and cheese, dinner rolls, Brussel sprouts, corn, butternut squash, corn pudding, yams, stuffing, broccoli, Lima beans, corn bread, and shrimp cocktail. Junior, Koby Bailey stated his favorite side dish was sweet potatoes with marshmallows simply because “It is better.” After a week the poll shows that MHS’s favorite side dish was mac and cheese. Several students commented their distaste of stuffing. “Well stuffing is not my favorite because it tastes like day old wet bread that has random crunchy things in it," said Sydney Wert, freshman.

Our candidates for best main dish were; turkey, ham, chicken, lobster, steak, crab, and crab cakes. Noticing there was a lack of vegan options on our ballot, we asked vegan sophomore, Lily Ervin what they would be having for Thanksgiving. Lily’s choice for main dish was roasted potatoes, stating “Roasted potatoes are better than mashed because they are crispy and better seasoned while mashed feels like baby food.” According to the poll, MHS has chosen turkey as the clear winner for best Thanksgiving main dish. Interviews revealed many agreed that “Turkey is a classic and is literally THE Thanksgiving meat," said junior Josh Appiah. Some even went as far to express eating anything other than turkey was improper.

Next on the ballot, we had sauces including; cranberry, gravy, steak, and cocktail sauce. The real competition was between gravy and cranberry. Some found gravy unpleasant claiming it was “just thick meat juice” stated Lily Ervin. Regardless of some people's distaste, gravy was voted to be the best Thanksgiving sauce.

Of course we couldn’t have forgotten dessert! Contestants for best Thanksgiving dessert were; pumpkin pie, pecan pie, chocolate pecan pie, snickerdoodles, bread pudding, gingerbread, Boston crème pie, pumpkin roll, fruitcake, brownies, cheesecake, and sweet potato pie. There was much discourse upon best dessert, with there being so many delectable options to choose from. Regardless, the fall favorite and Thanksgiving classic, pumpkin pie was elected best Thanksgiving dessert. “My grandma makes the best pumpkin pie!!” said senior, Madison Fishel, an avid pumpkin pie supporter.

With plenty of discussion and debate the MHS Best Thanksgiving meal has finally formulated. Best side dish; Mac and cheese, best main dish; turkey, best sauce; gravy, and best dessert; pumpkin pie! Thus concludes our 2022 MHS Thanksgiving Favorites!

By: Mackenzie Carper

On October 17, 2022, Chick-fil-A announced that they will be closing for long awaited renovations. On the 27th of October our beloved Chick-fil-A closed its doors for the next 3 months. After the surrounding chain establishments renovated: getting better seating, bigger kitchens, and permanent drive-thru structures including heaters and fans; Foxcroft got on board giving our restaurant the facelift it deserves. The Chick-fil-A Instagram mentions “We are going to be receiving a new look in the dining area, fixing our drive-thru, and maybe a new playground look.” However, they will not be expanding their parking lot but are hopeful with the drive-thru the traffic will subside. Tyler DeOms, a team member at Chick-fil-A, said, “I was happy but sad. The building needs renovations and the drive-thru layout needs to be redone. It’s also sad that I won't see my coworkers as much. During the renovation I will be working at the Ranson and Winchester Chick-fil-A’s. I will also be participating in community service projects. I am leading a group of employees throughout the renovation to make sure they are participating in the community service projects and assignments.” Tyler will continue to work there once it opens back up. “I am looking forward to the improvements, the kitchen will be much bigger. The dining room will have new furniture, and tiles will be replaced. These are just a few improvements that will be done.” Tyler was asked what he will miss about the old building, if anything, “Since I grew up at that Chick-fil-A, I will miss the memories. I have been working there for 5 years and grew up eating there as a kid, but I am happy that it will look new and refreshed!” Several other employees who attend Martinsburg were asked how they felt about the upgrades. “I’m sad, but very excited about the renovations,” said Millie Cushwa, Chick-fil-A team member. “It’s sad because I can’t get the peppermint shake,” said Betsy Cushwa. Aiden Ruiz feels that “someone needs to pay me gas money,” since he is driving to Chick-fil-A in Winchester for a job. “The kitchen was basically falling apart so I guess we needed it,” Aiden continues. Josh Appiah states, “I have mixed feelings about the closing. Partly because I’m going to miss working with my people at our restaurant. I am excited for the renovations though, because they will give us a better workspace for more efficiency. I’m looking forward to seeing the fresh new look the building will have. Its gonna be like getting a new car.” MHS student Vaylee Olack said, “I’m really upset about them closing, because the closest one to us is Ranson and I wont have it for a while. I’m kinda excited for the renovations. They said they weren’t fixing the parking lot so I have no idea what they are going to do and how they are going to fix the traffic. I guess I’m going to have to DoorDash it now.” Gabby Mongan states, “I feel sad about it closing since it’s the Chick-fil-A that we’ve all grown up around and the people there. I’m so excited for the reopening, ready to see the changes and how it will improve. I am 100% willing to drive to Ranson.” While it is sad to see the walls being torn down on the well loved restaurant, this renovation will continue to keep our beloved Chick-fil-A around for many years to come.

By: Jason Bednarski

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is the first World Cup since the 2018 cup that was hosted in Russia. This World Cup is being held in Qatar which is going to be the first middle eastern country to host a World Cup. The World Cup will be held from November 21st through December 18th.

According to FIFA, the World Cup is set up in Groups that are A through H and the groups consist of 4 teams. At the beginning of the tournament all the teams in the groups will be playing each other over a period of 12 days from November 21st to December 2nd. After that the winners of each group and the runner-up from each group are then going to move onto a round of 16 elimination games, which are held from December 3rd to December 6th. The quarter finals will consist of 8 teams and will be held on December 9th to December 10th, the semi finals will consist of 4 teams and will be held on December 13th to December 14th. Finally, the 3rd place final is held on December 17. Then the World Cup final is held on December 18th and this is the match that will determine what country will be the World Cup champion. According to Martinsburg High School varsity soccer player Gabriel Gutierrez “I am excited about this World Cup because it is Lionel Messi’s, Cristiano Ronaldo’s, and Neymar da Silva Santos Junior’s last World Cup, and I will be able to see them play one last time.”

The World Cup consists of 28 teams and out of those teams the favorites of the World Cup are teams like Belgium, Spain, and France. Some of the next up are teams like Portugal, England, and Croatia, and some of the countries that are capable of winning are teams like the United States, Mexico, and Poland. “The United States team has been doing a bit good, but to be honest anything can change, so you never know,” said Gutierrez. For Qatar to be allowed to host the World Cup they had to build more accommodations to support the tournament. They have invested 220 billion dollars to be able to build things like new roads, public transportion, hotels and state of the art stadiums. Some of the stadiums that have become famous are stadiums like Stadium 974 which is built out of shipping containers and this helped cut the construction cost of the stadium because it is in modular form. Another well known stadium is Al Thumama which is designed to look like a ghafiya which is a traditional woven cap worn by men and boys in the middle east. This tournament is also going to be the first World Cup held outside of the summer months due to the extreme temperatures of Qatar in summer. According to Gutierrez, “Feels a bit off since the 2014 World Cup was in early August.”

By: Bella Walsh

As we all know, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is coming up! The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in 1924 thanks to a group of Macy's employees who came up with the idea for the beloved event. Every year since, the parade has been held at the famous department store's Manhattan location in Herald Square.

Since 1924. the annual Macy's parade in New York City has continued the tradition with huge balloons since 1927. The holiday associated with Pilgrims and Native Americans has come to symbolize intercultural peace, America's opportunity for newcomers, and the sanctity of home and family. The parade starts at 77th Street and Central Park West in Manhattan, with participants marching the route from Central Park West to Columbus Circle, turning onto Central Park South and heading down Sixth Avenue, before turning west at 34th Street and ending at Seventh Avenue in front of Macy's Herald Square. MHS senior, Sydnie Tetrick shared, “The Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade was so much fun! It was very crowed though, it was hard to move around other people. It was a once in a lifetime experience, so I am thankful I went!” You can watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 24 at 9 a.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock!

By: Aden Reid

A large turkey is perfect for any feast, especially a Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone enjoys a good main course, even the President of the United States, but they don’t always have to be eaten. The presidential turkey is a yearly tradition where the current president pardons a turkey and allows them to live out their life.

The first record of a president sparing a Thanksgiving turkey was Abraham Lincoln in 1863 when his son took a liking to it. A few presidents after him also spared their gifted turkey like John F. Kennedy in 1963 when he used the term, “Let's keep him going.” Not until Ronald Reagan spared his meals in 1982 and 1987 did a president officially give a pardon to the bird. It didn’t become a yearly tradition for the president to pardon a turkey until George H. W. Bush continued it when he took office in 1989. He gave a speech during the turkey press conference, “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone's dinner table, not this guy he's granted a Presidential pardon as of right now and allow him to live out his days on a children's farm not far from here.” This tradition takes place in late November, shortly before Thanksgiving. Starting in 1947, the National Turkey Federation (NTF) started supplying a yearly turkey to the president. This festive bird is usually a male of the broad breasted white variety.

This tradition of the president pardoning a white turkey has continued until present day. Recent US presidents such as Obama, Trump, and Biden have all partaken in the yearly sparing. The 2022 presidential turkey pardon ceremony will be done by current US President Joe Biden. This is his second time sparing turkeys after last year when he pardoned Peanut Butter and Jelly. You can watch the ceremony on CNN, ABC News, CBS News, PBS, and other news services.

Image of Presidential Turkey!

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