The Orange and Black

By: Ruby Amores

After a three year hiatus, the annual Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival has returned to Martinsburg! This year marks 250 years of Apple Harvest celebration here in the wild and wonderful Mountain State West Virginia. The festivities began on October 13th with the Royal Gala at the Charles Town Races and concluded with the Quilt Raffle announced by the Queen Pomona. The main event of the Apple Harvest Festival is the Grand Feature Parade, with this year marking 43 years of celebration. Long before the harvest begins the Apple Harvest court beings preparations in early April. After selection members must raise money over the summer for the Apple Harvest Festival via obtaining sponsors from the community. “It’s been really great getting out in the community and making connections with sponsors and being able to thank them,” said Olivia Travis.

This year MHS is home to seven members of the court, with this we had the opportunity to interview several members of the court including Queen Pomona XLII. Olivia is a senior here at MHS and she has a history with the Apple Harvest court, in 2015 she was the crown bearer for Queen Keara Heck, and Olivia's mother (Michelle Bragg Travis) was queen Pomona XII. This year Olivia is excited to represent the Apple Harvest community and to bring back old traditions and welcome some new traditions. One princess we had the opportunity to interview was Sydnie Tetrick another senior student at MHS who is very happy to be a part of the court this year. “I am very happy because our court gets along so well… it feels like we’ve already been friends for so long,”said Sydnie. Another princess we also had the chance to interview was Trinity Jenkins, MHS Senior. Her favorite part of being on the court “is just being able to do all the fun events… and supporting the apple harvest community.”

From Saturday October 15th to Sunday October 16th , the Berkeley County Youth Fairgrounds (BCYF) hosts a number of pop up shops; including local artisans, businesses, and vendors. Each day begins with a pancake breakfast, open to all to enjoy for the price of $8.00, presented by the Martinsburg Rotary. Saturday’s main event is the Arts and Crafts fair, showcasing local artists and craftsmen and all of their diverse products. This year Apple Harvest is welcoming a new event, a Rodeo presented by Bullride Mania! Beginning at 4pm this event will feature bull riding and barrel racing located at the BCYF arena. Sunday’s festivities begin with another pancake breakfast for $8.00, Church with Central Chapel, and the new event the MSAHF car show. There are several apple themed contests such as apple peeling and eating, this year a MHS Sophomore, Elijah Blocker, placed first in the apple eating contest. The event included live performances by MHS’s very own Good Times and Glitz show choirs, as well as the Apollo Youth Theatre program, Tari Jo’s Dance Studio, and Mussleman High School’s 7th period jazz class and show choir. If they were not at the fairgrounds enjoying free pancakes Saturday morning, maybe they were participating in the Bob Baronner Apple Trample 5K named in honor of Bob Barnonner, a leader, race supporter, and WVU medicine board director, who in 2017 passed due to cancer. The Apple Trample raises funds for the WVU Hospital East Foundation Cancer Comfort organization. The race begins at the WVU Dorothy A. McCormack Center and the finish line is at David M. Walker stadium right on Bulldog Boulevard.

The MSAHF’s most iconic and well known event, the Grand Feature Parade promoted MHS show choirs, cheer, and marching band. The MHS athletics were invited by TV10 to sit on a float to support youth sports programs. As you might already know Vicky Bullet is a highly decorated and well known athlete, that went all the way to the Olympics to become a gold medalist, and will be the Grand Marshal of the 43rd MSAHF. Not only Martinsburg, but all of West Virginia has been deprived of the Apple Harvest Festival for two years. Visitors and locals alike are happy to welcome the festival back to Martinsburg, for all to enjoy. We hope you enjoyed this year’s festival and some fresh apple dumplings as well!

2022-2023 Group Picture of Good Times!

By: Savannah Malatt

The city of Martinsburg is home to many scary attractions for this October. These spooky events consist of The Haunted Trails, Paranormal Investigations, a shadow cast of “Rocky Horror Picture Show”, and Martinsburg High School’s Trunk or Treat. These attractions will be held all throughout the month of October and are run by MHS students. These frightening events are a great way to connect with the community and have a spooktacular Halloween!

One of the most popular destinations in Martinsburg for Halloween attractions is the Apollo Civic Theater! The Apollo is located in downtown Martinsburg at 128 E Martin St, Martinsburg, WV 25401. This October they are hosting Apolloween, which is made up of different Halloween events. The first event is Paranormal Investigations. These investigations will be held on October 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st, and the 28th from 10pm to 3am! Tickets are 35 dollars per person and can be found on the Apollo website. The final attraction is a shadow cast of “Rocky Horror Picture Show”, where a cast member stands in front of the movie playing and silently acts it out. MHS Sophomore, Lily Ervin stated, “This show has a lot of audience participation and is really fun!” To enter this play, guests must be 17 years old and up. Guests under 17 must be accompanied by someone of entry age. This captivating shadow cast will be held on October 22nd and October 29th at 11pm; tickets will be on sale for 20 dollars. Apollo Civic Theater will also be accepting donations throughout October. “We are trying to get newer and better lights because our building is very old. These new lights would help our shows look fabulous! We also just redid our lobby so its new and improved,” said MHS Sophomore Lily Ervin.

Martinsburg is also home to the unforgettable Haunted Trails! The Haunted Trails are located at 284 Izaak Walton Rd. Martinsburg, WV 25403. You can attend the trails every Saturday in October from 7-11pm. The price for an adult is $20 and the price for children under 12 is $10. The trails consist of a walk through eerie woods, with many jump-scares and scary scenes. The spine-chilling walk through will last about 45 minutes. Guests will be put into groups of 10 to navigate the haunted trails; individuals without a personal group will be put into an already existing group. MHS Senior Madison Henry stated, “We expanded the trails to have 13 more scary areas along the maze. We are excited to bring more more frightening scares to our guests this year!” Some of the returning and new scenes are of clown scares, walk through buses, a nuclear waste area, Stranger things section, a car crash replica, and a horror movie section involving most Horror movie villains coming out of the woods. Concessions will be available to purchase during the trails as well.

MHS class of 2024 is also hosting a trunk or treat for the MHS community. The event will be held on Friday October 28th from 6-8pm. This fun and spooky trunk or treat has no cost and is located in the high school’s student parking lot. Sponsors will donate candy for participating trunks. There are many MHS clubs participating in this trunk or treat, MHS Women’s Lacrosse Coach Patrick Henry stated, “Martinsburg Women’s Lacrosse is excited to be joining other MHS sports and activities in the Trunk or Treat community event. We look forward to surprising everyone with our display and with tons of candy!”Come out and enjoy some bulldog treats, and maybe a few bulldog tricks! Disclaimer this FANGtastic event is not a fundraiser and is for entertainment purposes only. For any other information on the trunk or treat please contact Mrs. Foreman or Ruby Amores.

Martinsburg High School is excited to bring you all of these spooktacular events this October! Many MHS students hold crucial roles in bringing these Halloween events to life. These events are great ways to spend your Halloween with family and friends. All of these events will be held throughout the month of October for your entertainment. For any questions about these events please contact Lily Ervin, Madison Henry, and Ruby Amores.

By: Jason Bednarski

Many know Shepherdstown as the oldest town in West Virginia since it was founded in 1732, but it also has been given the title “The Most Haunted Town in America.” This title has been given to Shepherdstown because there have been a lot of documented cases of paranormal activity all over the town. Also, the 6 places with the most paranormal activity are the Entler Hotel, Entler House, McMurran Hall on the campus of Shepherd University, and the Shepherdstown Sweet Shop and Bakery.

The Entler Hotel is said to be haunted because it is where a wealthy businessman lost his money, and so he killed himself in the backyard of the hotel. Also, it is where Peyton Smith died after being shot, some say they still hear him screaming. The Entler House is said to be haunted because the owner was murdered. McMurran Hall and The Sweet Shop and Bakery are said to be haunted because both were hospitals during the battle of Antietam in McMurran Hall people have reported seeing ghostly figures in its clocktower, and in the Sweet Shop, it has been reported that you can feel a person brush by you. I think there are a lot of ghost stories about these places because they have been around for so long. According to Mr. Faircloth, a social studies teacher at Martinsburg high school, “Yes, I believe that and also because most of those places were used as hospitals during the Civil War.”

The town of Shepherdstown became more famous for paranormal activity when the television channel Destination America released a show called the “Ghosts of Shepherdstown.” This is a show where 3 paranormal experts Bill Hartley, Elizabeth Saint, and Nick Groff were brought to Shepherdstown to investigate a surge of paranormal activity. The six part series, where each episode is dealing with a different unexplainable activity. Some examples were the appearance of a body floating in the town run, a sighting of a headless woman, and a piano playing on its own.

Shepherdstown also has an attraction called the Mysteries Walk which is a 90 minute tour which is every Saturday night April-November and is 15 dollars a ticket. It is for anyone who wants to learn about the history of the town such as the tragedies of the Civil War like the battle of Antietam which was the bloodiest battle in the war, mysterious tales, and ghost legends. According to Dana Mitchell, the person who started the Shepherdstown Mysteries Walk “I think of it as forgotten history or even curious history. Yes, we certainly talk about ghosts, and we definitely visit graveyards, but I mostly talk about the interesting history and a lot of the stories and facts that most people are unfamiliar with about this wonderful town.”

This is a show titled Ghosts of Shepherdstown!

https://images.app.goo.gl/QUCfeG1PThuYYUYRA

This is a link to the mystery tour that is held in Shepherdstown!

By: Aden Reid

If you enjoy a good fright or maybe just the Halloween season you’ll want to know about these new and upcoming movies. With family friendly animations from classic Halloween storytellers to gory remakes and long awaited sequels, there’s something scary for everyone.

Starting with a sequel to a classic, comedy Hocus Pocus 2 is a continuation to the 1993 movie Hocus Pocus. Three young women accidentally bring back the 300 year old witches, the Sanderson Sisters, to modern day. Now they must stop them from taking over and becoming immortal, again. Rated PG it’s available on Disney+ after September 30th.

The Netflix original, stop motion, comedy, horror movie Wendell & Wild is about two demon brothers played by Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key who have to face their arch-enemy and her alter boys with the help of nun, Sister Helly. Rated PG-13 it’s available on Netflix after October 21st.

The newest Marvel installation Werewolf by Night, directed by Michael Giacchino will be an all black and white horror drama special presentation, a new series of short films about half as long as normal, where a group of monster hunters gather for a deadly competition for a powerful relic. Rated TV-14 it’s available on Disney+ after October 7th.

Another Netflix original movie, The Curse of Bridge Hollow is an adventure comedy about an ancient spirit that causes all the Halloween decorations to come to life so a father (Marlon Wayans) and daughter (Priah Ferguson) must stop them and save the town. Rated TV-14 it’s available on Netflix after October 14th.

The first R rated movie is the horror thriller Halloween Ends. The third and final installment of the “Halloween” series takes place 4 years after the previous movie as Laurie is living with her granddaughter and Michael Myers is nowhere to be seen. But when tragedy strikes it forces her to finally confront the evil. It’s available in theaters and Peacock after October 14th.

Next is another remake of a horror thriller Hellraiser, a take on the original story of a young woman finding an ancient puzzle box that connects to her brother's disappearance, unaware that it summons a group of sadistic beings from another dimension. Rated R it’s available on Hulu after October 7th.

Finally, Dangerous Game: The Legacy Murders a mystery film about a family reunion where the members are forced to play a deadly game that only one will survive. Rated R it’s available in theaters after October 21st.

One of our Martinsburg High School students agreed to voice his opinion on what makes these kinds of movies so important to him. I asked Sophomore Jacob Watson what he liked most about watching spooky movies and said “I like that around Halloween your friends and you can watch horror movies and experience all the scares and spooks with you. It also makes it better that everyone is in a spooky mood because it’s close to Halloween.” I then asked Watson what movie he recently watched that he liked, “I watched Smile recently. It had jump scares, spooky parts, and good special effects too. The ending was disappointing but other than that it was good.” Finally I asked why he likes watching scary movies, “I watch them because I like experiencing all the ways different directors and actors will find ways to scare you. They all have different takes on what’s scary, like Child's Play director Don Mancini manages to make a plastic toy scary and I think it’s just amazing what they can do.”

By: Mackenzie Carper

Dìa de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a time to honor and remember those who have passed, it takes place on November 1st and 2nd throughout Mexico and most of Latin America. As tradition, families will create ofrendas, which are altars with offerings to the spirits. These often consist of vibrant yellow marigold flowers, photos of the loved one, their favorite foods or drinks, and some of their belongings, such as jewelry or toys. Celebrating with songs, dancing, and live music with the beliefs that the spirits of the passed take this time to join us. This started in the one month Aztec festival where they showed respect to Mictlancìhuatl, the lady of death. She helped and protected those in the after life.

While Day of the Dead is a weekend of remembrance each day has a different event to honor. Dìa de los Angelitos (day of the little angels.) starts the weekend at midnight November 1st. The spirits of children are reunited with their families for 24 hours. The names of the children are often written on a sugar skull. The midnight following is Dìa de los Difuntos, which is the spirits of the adults. While the night is filled with laughter much like the previous night, the altar is a bit more mature, containing things like tequila, mezcal, and pan de muerto. Families spend this night dancing to the village band, playing games, and reminiscing about the loved ones. The final day is to remember the spirits of all the dead. Coming together dressed up and Calavera painted faces and the streets are filled with parades. Families often visit cemeteries where their loved ones are laid to rest to decorate the grave site with flowers, gifts, treats, and sugar skulls with the departed's name written on them. Along with the offerings it is also custom to clean the grave and restore the color out of respect.

I asked Ms. Ashman, an art teacher at Martinsburg High School a few questions about Dìa de los Muertos. When asking Ms. Ashman if she has plans to incorporate Dìa de los Muertos in her art 1 class she said “Yes, Art 1 does do a project for Day of the Dead. We watch 2 videos discussing the history and meaning behind the celebration and we create Day of the Dead skull drawings with images and designs honoring someone who we would like to honor.” When asked if she wishes Martinsburg did more as a school to recognize the artistic side of this tradition Ms. Ashman's response was “I would love to see more recognition of the celebration throughout the school, I think it is a meaningful holiday to many students especially those of Mexican heritage.” Death is a somber event in many places but Day of the Dead welcomes it as a part of life. It’s important to remember that Dìa de los Muertos is not a “Mexican Halloween.” While they take place around the same time of the year and dressing as a Calavera is common, it is not a Halloween costume.

Mrs. Ashman's Dia De Los Muertos Art!

By: Phoebe Porter

The Science National Honors Society has officially begun meeting for the 2022-2023 school year. The Science National Honors Society is application-based and is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Applications were due in late September, and the MHS chapter is excited to welcome over 40 new members and over 30 returning members. Inductions will be held on October 18th in the auditorium to officially receive these students as members of Science National Honors Society. Elections were held last spring for officer positions. The results are as follows, Billy McCune, president; Lilly Reisenweber, vice president; Grace Gladwell, treasurer; Chloe Thomas, secretary; and James Estranas, historian.

Science National Honors Society meets immediately after school every Tuesday in Mr Arndt’s room. Each week, members of Science National Honors Society are exposed to some type of experiment. These are typically prepared and performed by members, however, club supervisor Mr. Arndt kicked off this school year with an elephant-toothpaste demonstration. Last year, Science National Honors Society was able to bring in several guest speakers, including Nobel Prize Winner Dr. William Phillips, to present to students and answer their questions. Club officers and supervisors have been diligently working and planning for this upcoming school year. SNHS has aspirations to paint a mural in the science hallway, expand their reach with the Traveling Science Show, and bring in more guest speakers.

In addition to SNHS, Martinsburg High School offers a multitude of other science-based clubs and opportunities available to any students interested. Every Tuesday, Ecology Club meets from 3:20 - 4:00 in Mrs. Haines room, room 2003. Ecology Club members collect recycling throughout the building and then reconvene to “tackle projects to make our Earth a better place,” says Mrs. Haines. Co-President, James Estranas, was able to fill us in on some of the projects Ecology Club is hoping to take on this school year. “In ecology, we want to expedite our recycling process while keeping in mind the needs of our participating staff. We want to also break ground on our nature trail and hopefully hold our grand opening before the school year ends.” For more information, contact Billy McCune, James Estranas, or Mrs. Haines.

Another opportunity available to students at MHS is the Traveling Science Show. Students prepare experiments and demonstrations and travel to elementary and intermediate schools to present to younger students. Science National Honors Society member, Emerson Stark, says that she loves the Traveling Science Show because “it gives me a chance to interact with an age group that I don’t normally interact with and get them interested in science”. The Traveling Science Show already has three shows lined up for the fall semester; they plan on traveling to Rosemont Elementary School on November 4th, to Orchard View Intermediate School on December 6th, and to Burke Street Elementary School on December 14th. If you would like to get involved, contact Mrs. Haines for more details.

Mr. Arndt runs the Robotics Club, and he is in charge of selecting members. He is looking for students with prior knowledge and experience from middle school. The Robotics Club has big ambitions for the upcoming year; when asked about goals and aspirations, Mr. Arndt gave a short statement, saying that the Robotics Club wants to win. “The coolest part is when the robot is finished and it works.”, says Mr. Arndt, “I enjoy watching the kids create.”

The Martinsburg Science Department offers a myriad of organizations and opportunities for students to get involved. “People should consider joining because they are a great way to be immersed in Martinsburg culture of academic excellence. In these clubs you will be surrounded by highly motivated and driven students who love to make an impact.”, says James Estranas. If you have any questions, or are looking for more details, contact Mrs. Haines or Mr. Arndt.

By: Ruth Amoreno

Martinsburg High School commemorates the LGBTQ community by celebrating LGBTQ history month. “LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning”(What Does LGBTQ stand for, 2022). LGBTQ history month is a month where people celebrate the achievements of several LGTBQ icons(LGBTQ History Month Starts October 1, 2022). LGBTQ History Month takes place during the entirety of October from the 1st to the 31st (LGBTQ History Month Starts October 1, 2022). “The LGBTQ community selected October as their history month because public schools are in session and that is when existing traditions such as Coming Out Day(October 11) occur” ”( LGBTQ History Month Starts October 1, 2022). “LGBTQ History Month was started by Rodney Wilson, a Missouri high school teacher, who believed a month should be dedicated to LGBTQ people’s achievements”( LGBTQ History Month Starts October 1, 2022). “There are several ways to celebrate LGBTQ History Month. One way to celebrate is “a LGBTQ history month quiz” (LGBTQ history month, 2022).

Here at MHS we celebrated LGBTQ History month by talking to the people of the Gay Straight Alliance in order to found out what GSA is and what they do. Ms Kelly states that “ GSA is a group of students that strives to bring equality and kindness to MHS that anyone can join, they meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday’s of the month. To join just come to the meeting.” When asked why someone should join GSA Miss Kelly said “GSA gives students the opportunity to speak up and make a difference, it allows them to feel heard.”

Wendolin Rodriguez and James Estrana told us about their time in GSA. James Estrana, the president of GSA educated us on the purpose of GSA. Estrana said “the purpose of GSA was to provide Martinsburg LGBTQIA+ students with a support group that allows them to express themselves in a safe environment. “ Wendolin Rodriguez joined GSA last year. Rodriguez said that her favorite part about being part of GSA was “that it feels like an open forum for anything, there is no set structure so every meeting has a different feel to it. Sometimes we just hang out and other times we discuss pressing issues in our school or society. I love that it’s a support group and feels like a family.”

When the GSA group was asked how they felt about having a month dedicated to the history of LGBTQ people, several members of GSA responded. One member of GSA said “I feel happy, because it allows members of the communities and allies alike to learn about the community’s history and to also celebrate our recent and past successes and to just have to celebrate our identities when most of society doesn’t allow us to.” Another member of GSA said “ I think its really cool! It’s very helpful for those who aren’t too aware on LGBTQ stuff and want to educate themselves. I also just like there being a month where people can feel more comfortable in their identity.”

The members of GSA were also asked how they felt about being a part of the LGBTQ community, several members responded. One member of GSA said “ I feel glad to have a community filled with people who have similar experiences as me because it makes me feel less alone and community is important when it comes to being LGBTQ+ because it can get lonely if you have to deal with experience by yourself.” Another member of GSA said “I like having friends who are LGBTQ because I know they understand certain things better than those who aren’t. I appreciate all of the people who help and support the community and I am glad to have others I can feel comfortable around.” Thanks to the people of GSA for answering our questions. So let's educate ourselves about the LGBTQ community this month and give the LGBTQ community the recognition they deserve.

By: Bella Walsh

Martinsburg High School senior Olivia Travis, creator of The Prom Connection brought the tradition back for this homecoming season! Olivia set up her shop in the cafeteria of MHS and ran it every Saturday and Sunday in September. Olivia shared with us “Prom Connection is a pop-up shop that provides free formal wear to underprivileged kids in our area for Prom and Homecoming. I helped a total of 68 people with homecoming wear this season!” Olivia is planning to re-open her shop for prom this year, so make sure to be on the lookout!

Olivia is Martinsburg High School's National Honor Society President for the 2022-2023 school year. One of her goals this year is to revamp the MHS Bulldog Boutique to make it more welcoming and organized! Olivia told us “The Bulldog Boutique is an area in the basement of Martinsburg High School that is always open for students to go down and get clothes if they are in need. While visiting a school in West Virginia as Miss West Virginia’s Outstanding Teen, I noticed one that had an area in the office that had clothes, nonperishable foods, and hygiene items available to students. I loved this idea and knew I wanted to bring it to Martinsburg. I plan on involving National Honors Society to amplify Bulldog Boutique and it is similar to the set up I saw at the school I visited. We will utilize the new shelving to provide nonperishable food and hygiene items for kids who go down in search of it. We will also organize the clothes that are already down there. Then, hopefully promotion of the Bulldog Boutique will be widespread through the school, and more students will know about it and be able to use it!” National Honors Society plans to spend their October morning meetings working in the Bulldog Boutique and transitioning it to the way Olivia dreams it could be. The group should be finished with this at the beginning of November, so be sure to check it out!

Jason Bednarski, Aden Reid, Phoebe Porter, Advisor- Ms. Foreman, Editor- Valerie Clabaugh, Mackenzie Carper, Ruby Amores, Ruth Amoreno.

Not pictured are Isabella Walsh and Savannah Malatt.