The Orange And Black

By Valerie Clabaugh

Covid-19 has brought many uncertainties to the new 2020-2021 school year. Martinsburg High School students are figuring out how to acclimate to these new education paths. Teachers and faculty are also learning how to teach in this new environment. Some students are struggling with the limited interaction with peers. While others see this school year as an opportunity to have a different education and viewpoint on school. Education is not the only impact on students, limitations on extracurricular activities, restrictions on interacting with peers, and having to follow healthcare rules are all challenges most students face daily.

On the decision of students going back to brick or doing click schooling was very diverse. One student stated, “I chose brick because it's my senior year, and spending my senior year online just wasn’t how I wanted to end my high school career," Kierra Anderson. Many seniors felt as if their senior year was being taken away from them. Other seniors had a different way of thinking, Leonna Holmes stated, “I chose click just in case someone got sick, I didn’t want to put my family in harm's way.” Many students agreed they chose click pathway to protect themselves and their families.

Click and brick students both agreed that assignments online have been the biggest struggle. Click students find it hard to remember assignments that are due and forget their teams' meetings. While bricks students are doing most of their assignments online and agree it's more difficult to manage. “The biggest inconvenience I have faced for brick schooling would be not seeing my assignments that are due, because I am not used to checking online this year,” stated Karlee Domenico.

Covid-19 has caused lots of panic and uncertainty on how school will keep the students safe. Most brick students agree that Martinsburg High School is doing a great job keeping everyone safe. Senior, Kierra Anderson stated, “I do feel safe being back, I believe everyone at MHS is taking all the precautions necessary to help us out.” Most click students also agreed they would be attending brick school after these first nine weeks, if no one has tested positive. All though Martinsburg has kept their students safe, click and brick students both agreed they chose the right schooling path for themselves this first nine weeks.

This 2020-2021 school year is all about new adjustments and rules. Some students are benefiting from these changes, while others are not. Wearing a mask is a big adjustment that students deal with daily. “Wearing the masks makes my glasses fog up,” stated Aysha Baker. While others reported some students and teachers were not wearing their masks correctly. Another big adjustment was the new schedule change. Brick students at first were confused with the new change. While click students saw it as an opportunity to finish up early. Safari Amanaka states, “I am able to finish my work earlier in the day and have the rest of the day to do my hobbies and interests.” Most students would agree they are doing their best to get adjusted to this new schooling education.

By Joshua Garrido

While this epidemic has been occurring one thing made an important appearance, masks. Masks are playing an important role during this time. So here are some things you need to know.

When COVID-19 hit, doctors started to recommend wearing masks around others. The CDC recommends wearing masks with two or three layers or cloth masks. They do not recommend wearing N95 masks, because they are for healthcare professionals. Also, if your mask has exhalation valves or vents, they should not be worn, to prevent the spreading of COVID-19. “We are dealing with contact and droplets,” said Ms. Colleen Coleman, MHS School Nurse.

As we are still in a pandemic wearing your mask is an important thing. Making sure that your nose and mouth is covered is essential. Also making sure that your hands are washed and clean is a big help to everyone near you. But having extra masks are important too, you can get them from your local stores and online. Most of the masks that people wear are disposables or cloth masks with designs.

By Addie Hughes

With the Corona Virus still in the picture, this year’s senior class is going to look different from the past. The differences include no football games, student sections, homecoming and much more. While some are focusing on the negatives, a majority of the senior class is coming together and trying to make the most of it. Class President, Alyssa Hedgespeth, has recognized seniors may be upset, and is doing her best to change that.

On the morning of the first day of school, the seniors collectively decided to meet up and watch the sunrise together. It was posted all over social medias. A vast majority of the class showed up. Social distancing was kept as everyone was in their own cars. Senior Ella Joseph states that “Although there wasn’t a great view of the sunrise, it was a nice way to see everybody after months at home.”

Another way students have used their creativity is parking outside the football stadium to still get a view of the game. Every Friday, people begin congregating near the stadium up to four hours before the game. Chairs get set up and the back of trucks are used. Hedgespeth has been planning student section themes. Students at home can take pictures of themselves participating, as well as those on the campus.

When asked if there are other plans in the making, Alyssa responded “I have a few fun ideas such as senior class intramurals.” She also stated that there are a few surprises she does not wish to share yet. The class president, along with all students, are doing their very best to make this year as normal as possible. Despite Covid19’s best efforts to get in the way, senior students are coming together to make one last year together one to remember.

By Haley Stotler

Seniors, it is almost time for college! While college can be stressful for many different reasons, you shouldn’t have to worry about the price of being able to attend your school, and how the actual application process will go. Scholarships are incredibly significant to applying to college, so here is some information about scholarships, and some tips and tricks to applying and their own college experience from some of your favorite teachers!

Scholarships are essential to college. No matter if it’s a couple thousand dollars or a full ride, scholarships will always help. The best time to apply for scholarships is as soon as possible. No matter if you’re a junior or a senior, you can always apply for scholarships. Just don’t wait too late into the year, such as March, to apply for scholarships. The Promise Scholarship, which is for West Virginia students planning on attending an in-state school, is one of the best scholarships you can receive!

Another significant part of college is the whole experience. When asked about his college application process, Mr. Czarnecki, a teacher here at Martinsburg who attended Summitt University in Pennsylvania, said ‘’I mean it went pretty smooth, just committing the time to fill out all the applications and all the work you know just setting the time aside to do it was the big thing.’’ Mr. Czarnecki also received partial scholarships! Ms. Weber, an English teacher here at the school, even has some advice for seniors applying for college. ‘’Apply to as many colleges as you possibly can and have options and don’t panic if you don’t have a major your freshman year.’’ Ms. Weber first attended Shippensburg University, then transferred to Western Michigan University, and she received two academic scholarships and a scholarship from her church for going into education. Also, don’t stress and don’t panic! No matter what your questions or concerns are, just know there are teachers and guidance counselors who would love to help guide you!

One of the traditional gameday expectations for high school football games is having bleachers packed full -- not only with parents and other students, but community members who have gone to games for decades and people who have had former players in the program. COVID-19 has changed this for all fall sports.

With the COVID-19 outbreak, schools all over West Virginia and other states around the nation have not been allowed to have packed stadiums to support their local teams. This has led to a much different gameday experience for both the players and the fans. Missing are the rambunctious student sections, the rowdy fans of the rival teams, and the roar of the home fans after a big play. Players of different sports may have different feelings about there being no fans during the games.

Personally, I don’t mind the fact that there are fewer fans at games. As a center, I prefer to be able to hear the quarterback during the play, so the snap count is not messed up. If I were to mess up the snap, it would mess up the entire play and we would not be in a good spot on the field. I definitely feel as if my opinion differs from other players on the team, so I interviewed Senior Cornerback/Wide Receiver Doryn Smith, who also started for the team last year during the championship run.

I asked Doryn a couple questions about how he feels about no fans in the stands and how his fellow teammates feel as well. When asked about how different the game felt with fans, he responded with, “It doesn’t feel like a Martinsburg football game. The fans make the game and the atmosphere. Sometimes I don’t really get pumped in the game because when I look up in the stands and there’s barely anyone there and I miss the dog pound being in the regular spot.”

I also wanted to see if the number of fans impacts the way he plays the game. Doryn responded with, “No not really because they don’t really have a physical impact for me, but I know deep down that they are still here with us.”

I also inquired about Doryn’s preference between the new number of fans or the packed crowds we were all used to. He replied, “I prefer the crowds because the community has to wait for every Friday night to watch their favorite team in the county play. I also enjoy the younger generation being there because they look up to us and want to be us in the future.” I wondered if he felt any different about the community’s support for the team, and he responded with, “Yeah I do because since they can watch the games on tv I think of that and I know that they are there in spirit.”

And I wanted Doryn’s take on how he thought the team as a whole felt about the restricted number of fans. “I believe that they think that it’s not as exciting without the fans being there but at the end of the day we are all playing the sport we love so that’s also how we have energy during the games.”

The effects of no fans during games has an impact on all the players, some think of it positively and some think of it negatively. But we all love the game very dearly and wouldn’t do anything to risk our chance of playing, regardless of the number of fans in the stands or the regulations we have to meet.

By Jadelynn Joseph

On September 2, 2020, Charli D’Amelio partnered with Dunkin Donuts and came out with her very own specialty drink. Charli D’Amelio is a 16-year-old Tik Toker with over 80 million followers and a is HUGE self-professed fan of Dunkin. Her love for coffee is very real and genuine. On Charli’s Tik Tok, she can always be seen with a Dunkin drink, whether it’s bought or made at her house. Charli is even seen wearing Dunkin’s merchandise. It is no shocker that Charli was able to partner with Dunkin and that they even noticed her because she’s their biggest fan. Dunkin even let her come out with her own drink. Charli’s signature drink is a cold brew coffee with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl. ‘The Charli’ can be described as a sugar rush wrapped up in one cup.

Drayton Martin, Vice President, Brand Stewardship at Dunkin' quotes, "Charli is one of our biggest fans and the feeling is mutual. We're thrilled to finally make it official and make it easy for people to run on Dunkin' just like Charli."

There are 11,300 Dunkin Donuts restaurants worldwide. This cold brew coffee drink has been sold all over the world among these 11,300 Dunkin restaurants. There is no doubt that the popular cold brew is a fan favorite. Fans across the globe have wondered why Charli partnered with Dunkin in the first place. Obviously, there’s a reason besides her love for coffee. The story behind Charli’s reasoning is very touching and personal. In an article Charli states, “Why I partnered with Dunkin' is because I can think back and remember the times that I would go with my dad and my sister to Dunkin' to get donuts when we were little and stopping to get coffee on our way to school,” (Jess Cohen). The story behind her love for Dunkin is a vivid childhood memory. It can’t get any sweeter than that!

“America Runs on Dunkin” is the well-known motto created by Dunkin industries, but lately it seems like “Dunkin Runs on Charli.” Dunkin has used Charli in their advertisement to draw people in and get them to pay attention to their new drink on the menu. Dunkin has become more popular because of Charli’s drink. When I asked Rivers Jenkins what she thought about it, she stated, “I think Dunkin has become more successful, especially amongst young consumers. Young kids and teens just want whatever their influencers have. For them, they see that their influencers have ‘The Charli’, so they want that.”

Charli D’Amelio isn’t the only thing that has people wanting to try her drink. Social media has made a major impact on viewers all around the world. On Tik Tok, people can be seen at Dunkin purchasing ‘The Charli.’ On Instagram, celebrities can be seen pictured with the signature drink. On Snapchat, kids and teens can be viewed holding ‘The Charli.’ Even on Twitter people comment and post about it. Rivers thinks, “I think social media has a lot to do with people wanting to try the drink, especially on Tik Tok. It’s like when you see something that gets a lot of hype and you want to try it for yourself.” Everywhere you look on social media, ‘The Charli’ is all that is talked about. No wonder people want to try the drink so bad! Rivers says, “I tried it because the ingredients are all things I like, but on top of that I wanted to see if it was really as good as everyone said it was.” ‘The Charli’ is mostly a fan favorite and Dunkin's business has never been better."

By Jason Bednarski

Kevin Hart is hosting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Telethon this year on October 24. The MDA Telethon has been going on since 1966 and came to a halt in 2014 but now it is back in 2020. This is the first telethon since it ended 6 years ago in 2014. Every year it has been hosted by a famous comedian to educate, inform, and raise money to support families and people affected by neuromuscular diseases, specifically Muscular Dystrophy. “The MDA Telethon was a vital element of bringing the mission of the organization to the public at large to fundraise research, care, and advocacy,” said Marry Fiance, Director of Public Relations for MDA.

MDA started planning a new Telethon because “We are always thinking of the telethon as part of our history, and relaunching for the digital age became more critical than ever when Covid-19 shut down hundreds of in-person fundraising nationwide” said Mary Fiance. “When Jerry Lewis launched the telethon in 1966, he was the biggest comedic acting star in the world. He was inspired by MDA families living with neuromuscular diseases and wanted to help. He knew the power of his celebrity, along with the celebrity of his friends that would join him on the telethons, could raise awareness and funds that were not available to help the families.” Fiance says. Today, Kevin Hart is one of the biggest comedic actors of our time with a mission for his own organization, Help from the Hart, which seeks to remove barriers for people to reach their full ability and thrive in life. He, like Jerry Lewis, wants to use his celebrity to raise awareness and money for these worthy causes.

This year, Kevin Hart joined as Telethon host, and the funds raised will focus on continuing MDA’s efforts to advocate for policies and programs that can help improve the lives of children and adults living with neuromuscular disease. “Kevin Hart’s organization focuses on supporting youth and aligns with MDA’s mission,” says Fiance. During the telethon Kevin will be joined by celebrity guests including Jack Black, Usain Bolt, Josh Gad, Michael B. Jordan, Eva Longoria, Jillian Mercado, and more. When Kevin Hart was asked how he felt about being chosen to host this year’s MDA Telethon, he said “This is an incredible opportunity to bring the work of Jerry Lewis and the Muscular Dystrophy Association forward. I’m honored to collaborate with MDA and my organization, to educate and entertain the public about the need to support people, because we are all in this together.

When I asked MDA if the Telethon would continue after this year, Fiance replied "We hope to continue the Telethon as one of the many methods MDA utilizes to raise funds for our mission.” I asked how much MDA is hoping to raise during the telethon. “We hope to raise as much as possible for the mission.” Fiance stated. Along with the telethon this year, MDA is also spreading awareness by partnering with Twitch in an event called “MDA Let’s Play”, which will host gaming events starting on September 12th to stream games and allow people to play with top gaming influencers on every Saturday until the streaming marathon on October 24th. These events, along with the energy, passion and comedic genius of Kevin Hart should return the MDA Telethon to the popular fundraising and awareness event it has always been.

By Amira Gladwell

Within the last month, two different hurricanes hit the coast of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and Florida. On Thursday August 20, 2020, Hurricane Marco struck the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, and Georgia. Marco was predicted to be a category 2 hurricane, but by the time it reached land, it was no longer considered big enough to be a tropical storm. Winds slowed from 40 m.p.h. to 35 m.p.h. Heavy rain and flooding was to be expected for the Gulf Coast states. The biggest threat from the storm was the rainfall, little did they know was that Hurricane Laura was a bigger threat.

Hurricane Laura, the second hurricane to arrive, was one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Louisiana. Before making landfall in the U.S., the hurricane killed 9 people in the Caribbean. Laura hit August 29, 2020. The storm hit and damaged many coastal cities and once it was done it moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where it did the most damage. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) representatives were sent out days after the storm hit.

Timothy Cobb, a damage assessor for FEMA, gave insight on what exactly it was like in Lake Charles.“There was no electricity, no running water, lots of roads closed due to debris and fallen power lines, and cell towers were down as well. All stores were closed, so people couldn’t buy anything. There were trees and bits of homes everywhere. Anywhere and everywhere you looked there was a destroyed home and a devastated family.”Mr. Cobb was sent to Lake Charles for three weeks before returning home just to turn around and leave again for another week.“The best part of the job is getting to be there for people. You meet people who have lost everything and, essentially, you’re the person there to advocate for them. Many people I’ve come in contact with have been so grateful because they have nothing left.”

By Colin O'Kelley

Covid has changed the way most of us think and go about our days in good and in bad ways. There are ways to help yourself and to help others.

Things have changed since the day COVID hit our area and we left school. Students and their families have been dealing with the stress of having to worry about how to protect themselves from getting the virus. However, some of these people have used their time in a useful way like Laya Chennuru, a junior, who stated, ” I have continued to spend more time on my favorite hobbies including painting and playing guitar in order to make sure I was staying busy. I have also spent more time with my family or FaceTimed a few friends.” Lots of students used that time to find a way to cope with the stress that the situation placed on them. Some students feel that not being able to go out as much has caused them more mental stress. “I’m a little upset about not being able to do much this summer,” said Eli Thompkins.

On the other hand, some students and families needed a little more help to get through the time they had off. Ms. Martin, one of our counselors at Martinsburg High School, helped students and their families with the necessities they needed to get them through the hard time. Ms. Martin said, “We helped connect students and families from inside and outside the school and “We helped with basic needs for students and families.” The counselors want you to come and get help if you need it, so please reach out if you need to.

COVID has really impacted the way people feel, according to the CDC, “Fear and anxiety about a new disease and what could happen could be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.” It is normal to feel this way because we really don’t know what could happen to ourselves but if we follow the school’s guidelines and do the right thing, we will all be okay. Some ways you can cope with your anxiety, if you have any, is to get some sleep. Getting sleep can help a lot, it lets your body recharge. Another way is to eat healthy; eating healthy can give you the right energy you need to get through your day. Getting outside and soaking up that sun is just relaxing. There are lots of ways you can cope with your anxiety during this time, but once you find that thing you will be okay.

COVID really had a big impact on every community and person everywhere. If you are feeling down or anyway at all that doesn’t feel normal to you it’s okay to get help and open up to other people. Remember as well that there are ways you can help yourself but, in the end, everything will end up okay.

Through the process of returning to school, sports, and activities there have been obvious restrictions placed on art performances that are not enforced in sports. Band, theatre, cheer, and choir are all examples of activities that have strict COVID guidelines that limit their ability to perform.

Our sports have restrictions such as limited fan base and no out-of-state opponents. However, while playing a highly active contact sport social distancing and mask wearing are nearly impossible, therefore they are not enforced. Should this be considered as unfair to other activities within our school that are limited and nearly unable to perform because of mask wearing and social distancing? In order to gain a better perspective on the restrictions placed on art performances and their thoughts of the sports bias, I asked a few of our peers some questions.

I spoke with Jeremiah Appiah who is a member of the marching band and asked him to explain the different restrictions placed on band. I also asked him how he felt about the restrictions and if he felt that they were unreasonable or make performing more difficult. Jeremy responded with, “The restrictions on band are that we can’t actually play to our full ability due to social distancing. We can’t purely reach the highest point as a group as we want to be. The restrictions are not unreasonable because it is providing safety but makes performing not what it used to be.”

I also spoke with Xavier Jenkins, a member of Good Times and asked if they were able to perform and sing under COVID guidelines. I also asked if they should be able to perform such as sports can play. He replied with, “The restrictions are pretty tight. We must wear masks at all times, which is especially difficult when trying to sing. The other issue is social distancing. We must be six feet apart at all times, which is difficult to do with our undersized stage. Even with these restrictions, we're rolling with the punches in hope they can be revised soon. Students are just a little confused about why sports can continue but music has strict restrictions even if it is outdoors.”

I spoke with Laryssa Price who is part of the cheer team about if she felt that it is unfair that cheer is not able to perform stunts while contact sports are allowed to play. She stated, “Yes, I do feel that it is unfair because we are in our own group of people within one team, where as other sports go head to head and come into contact with multiple other teams. However, the WVSSAC put these rules out as a precaution to keep us safe, so I guess it’s alright.”

Maybe if the performances chose to perform outside rather than in an auditorium or gym, the guide lines would become more reasonable. The state should be more active in trying to create alternatives in order to allow not only sports, but also art performances to continue.