The Orange and Black Record

The 2024 Martinsburg High football season comes to a close after a win at the 2024 AAAA WV State Championship. The team had the goal of making it to the final round since the beginning of the season, but had that dream flash before their eyes when the semi-finals game against Huntington came down to a two-point conversion.

Senior Quarterback Koi Fagan says the team had more than just the goal of making it to states, they wanted to be undefeated. This goal was short-lived after an ineligible player was discovered just after the Martinsburg vs. Hurricane game. This took the Bulldogs perfect 9-0 record to 8-1. Even with this minor setback, the team kept pushing forward, ending their regular season with a record of 9-1.

The Bulldogs won their first playoff game against Parkersburg with a 77-7 win, advancing them to the second round of playoffs. Martinsburg then won their second playoff game against Washington with a score of 56-15. The back-to-back playoff games took Martinsburg to the semi-finals against Huntington, which ended in a 35-34 win. These three wins allowed the Bulldogs to advance to face Spring Mills at the State Championship in Charleston, WV.

The Martinsburg vs. Spring Mills came down to one touchdown and an interception. The game was tied 17-17 with less than 2:00 left on the clock. The final 80-yard touchdown, gaining the win for Martinsburg, was made by Koi Fagan. This win was the Bulldog’s 11th State Championship win. Martinsburg 7-0 at halftime and 10-7 in the third quarter before Spring Mills tied the game up in the fourth quarter. Following the win-sealing interception by Sophomore Ty Ricketts, Fagan says “It was a euphoric feeling and I felt a great sense of accomplishment.” When asked about his reaction to the outcome of states, Senior Offensive Lineman Brady Breeden says “there were a lot of emotions that were going on, some tears and laughs.” Breeden also expressed how proud he was of the team, “I was mainly proud of how far the team and I have come in the season.” Fagan expressed a similar feeling, saying “Our team worked so hard all season and offseason for that moment…seeing all the players and coaches smiling and happy is my favorite part about winning the State Championship.”

Even with a couple tough and close scoring games this season, Breeden is hopeful that the team will continue to be successful next year. Breeden says “next year, Martinsburg is going to be a much younger team” and mentions that the team will have to put in a lot of work in the offseason to maintain the level of play they had this year. Fagan also believes the team will continue to be successful and hopes “the team stays close together, has great energy and competes with each other.”

Bulldog Boutique

Bulldog Boutique has started a coat and glove drive recently, and plan to continue with more. It was an idea from MHS English and AP teacher, Mrs. Foreman, to bring clothes up from the boutique so it’s easier to see what we have and to pick something out. MHS English teacher Mrs. M. Elliott and others apart of the club have brought up 30+ coats, sweaters, and sweatshirts, as well as gloves, which are being rapidly taken. They’re planning on what to bring up next, and are thinking about bringing clothes up for mock interviews probably in January or February. If you’re interested in checking out the boutique, you can book an appointment during 8th period.

Youth Leadership Association

The MHS Youth Leadership Association, which has recently returned, had their first annual fall fest. It was held at the school, which they plan to continue with future events, and had a great turn out with great reviews. They hope to grow their numbers since the club is new, and also hope to plan another event like fall fest before the school year is over. They currently are planning community service projects for the future, and the one this month is decorating a tree for a senior home. YLA is run by MHS Science teacher Mrs. Roach and YLA President Vaylee Olack. Vaylee had largely contributed to bringing YLA back to Martinsburg.

Jazz Band

Jazz Band had a recent performance in Martinsburg for a community event, and have more concerts very soon. They were asked to preform by Main Street Martinsburg’s Executive Director, Robby Blair. Usually the Jazz Ensemble can’t attend due to the WVSSAC State Football Championship, but due to the delay this year they were able to attend. MHS Jazz Band teacher, Mrs. Adam’s, stated, “The performance was outstanding,” and, “the performance was put out there and our hard work showed.” She included, "The 2nd Period Jazz Ensemble is an outstanding group of hard working musicians that are extremely talented!” Their last performance for the 2025-2026 school year was on the December 13th, due to the renovations that started December 14th. Much more is to come for the Jazz band as the year progresses, including many regional and national events!

Student Council

Student Council has recently held meal drives for families and are planning other events soon. In November they provided 8 Thanksgiving Boxes to MHS families in need and had decorated the cafeteria for the Thanksgiving meal. For December they plan to provide 12 Christmas Boxes, which are believed to be handed out right before Christmas break. They also participated in the Tree Decorating contest, which was held around the 12th, along with several other clubs, and donated their decorated tree to a local nursing home. MHS Student Council Body Secretary, Taylor Strack, stated “We hope to win the contest!” In January, they plan to host a Winter Pep Rally to honor our Winters Sports teams, and will then host a Winterfest for the children/grandchildren of MHS faculty in the MHS library.

National Art Honor Society

National Art Honor Society is currently planning several events including stairwell murals, a spirit week, school contests, and more. The two main events NAHS has planned are stairwell murals and the second MHS Art show. MHS NAHS President Taylor Wise stated, "The stairwells will all be painted, hopefully, within a few years,” while the art show is expected to be held around February or March. Taylor hopes to expand the club and gain recognition within the community, since the club is “notoriously small.” She exclaimed, "Young artists are so underrated and we hope to shine some light on the future artists of MHS!” Taylor concluded with, "Keep an eye out for posters and more info will be put out on our social medias! (@mhs.nahs_ on Instagram)”

Baking and Pastry

Baking and Pastry has provided refreshments for many recent events and will continue in the future. They had provided refreshments for Homecoming, Buddies Club Halloween, and the first BARK Awards ceremony; Furthermore, they plan to provide staff lunches, which will be order-ahead, beginning in January, and will provide refreshments for BARK Awards, Mock Interviews, and Prom. MHS Baking and Pastry Introductions teacher, Mrs. Reid, will have her level one students preparing and providing snack boxes for the Equity and Inclusion committee at the Board Office in April. Nearly everything takes place here at MHS unless the event is held off-site, such as Homecoming, Prom, and the Equity and Inclusion event. MHS Baking and Pastry teacher, Mrs. Appel, hopes to give her students real-life training in an industry “that many of them may find themselves in as adults.”

Social Studies National Honor Society

Social Studies National Honors Society has recently started Traveling History Shows, fundraisers, and other community events. On November 1st, they had hosted a mock election within the school in order to inform students of the voting processes. On December 10th, they visited Berkeley Heights Elementary to teach the 2nd grade classes an introduction to democracy, and plan to teach in other elementary schools such as Orchard View Intermediate and Rosemont throughout the year. They also have 3 other lessons available to teach to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. Currently, they have a fundraiser being organized that’s focused around a History Trivia Night, although the location and date are still being decided. MHS SSNHS President, Claudia Elad, hopes to contact the For the Kids program by George Museum to introduce their Traveling Shows to homeschooled kids in this program. They also hope to organize relations with the Berkeley County Historical Society so they can encourage the learning of history on the local level. Their goal is to encourage and increase historical literacy within high school students and the community so people can be more informed on our actions and what’s happening around us.

Leadership

Leadership has recently hosted events at the Boys and Girls club and are planning other community events. Every month, Leadership, lead by MHS Social Studies teacher, Mr. Gallagher, hosts events at the Boys and Girls club. He wishes to bring students opportunities of giving back to the community by volunteering at the Boys and Girls club. They are also going to collaborate with Mr. McCook’s digital marketing class to work on a “Martinsburg vs. Everybody” campaign, which is an effort to drum up school spirit and pride of place. The campaign should be up and running by January or February and he hopes it will “bring pride and spirit back to MHS.” On top of that, they plan to liven up classroom environments with house plants they are propagating. These plants are expected to be ready in January, and he hopes to “make MHS a greener place to be.”

The beginning of Winter Sports is nigh! Wrestling, Girl's Basketball, Boy's Basketball, Swimming, and Cheer are ramping for the 2024-2025 seasons to start, but only Wrestling and Girl's Basketball have officially started their season. Martinsburg’s wrestling team started off with a 10-0 win at the Hedgesville Duals. Martinsburg’s girl's basketball team began their season with a fantastic 48-8 win against GVCS Broadfording Christian Academy. In a recent wrestling match, Captain Drew Earehart achieved his 100th win in his high school wrestling career. When asked how he felt about achieving this and what advice he would give to others who shared the goal of hitting 100 career wins, he said, “I’d say after getting my 100th win, to keep working hard when no one is watching, and to keep looking forward and to never look back. Personally, one hundred wins wasn’t a huge goal for me. I’m looking to keep getting more wins and hit another goal. To those who haven’t been on varsity their whole high school career they should look to get as many wins as possible and hope to achieve one hundred wins.”

We decided to further investigate how the athletes are feeling about their up and coming seasons. Senior Wrestling Captain, Kaleb Deeds, was asked what the team's goals were for the season and he said, “Our main goal is to place first in regionals.” Senior Basketball Captain, Addy Strovel, said, “We are looking to improve and get lots of reps to build our team. We also want to win sectionals and Regionals and advance to the state tournament.” Although cheer hasn’t been as vocal about their competition season starting, they had a few things to say about their first competition. Senior Captain, Serenity Hendrick, said, “Our first competition was EPAC, we had a couple set backs and a girl quit the day before but we made it work. We hit and got second place. It was a major accomplishment for us this year because we didn’t get to go last year.” When asked about her personal goal Hendrick said, “My personal goal is to make it a year the team can look back on and truly say they loved our year. I believe I’ve done everything I can this year to make it just that and I hope they continue this through their years left.” Martinsburg High School will be cheering on these teams in the following months as they continue on with their seasons!

Rena Mullenax shows leadership, dedication, and great talent, making her an outstanding choice for Senior Student of the Month for Newspaper at Martinsburg High School . Her help and donations to the school and community highlight her commitment. Rena reflects on her past years at MHS, stating, “I fancy that I’ve impacted MHS a good deal throughout my time in attendance….” As Vice President of Thespian Troupe 502, she has been active in ensuring the success of the theater program by teaching, performing, and handling technical aspects. Her leadership helped the troupe earn nine awards in two years, and she participated in a production that reached the prestigious International Thespian Festival in 2023.

In addition, Rena preforms as a drum major for the Martinsburg Bulldog Band, co-leading and delivering amazing performances during Friday night games and competitions. Her involvement went beyond MHS as she marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, bringing pride to MHS.

Beyond her major leadership roles, Rena’s activities demonstrate an outstanding commitment to all of her activities, including: Thespian Troupe 502, Martinsburg Bulldog Band, National Honor Society, Arden UMC Youth Group, Private flute and voice lessons, Tap dance, Macy’s Great American Marching Band, General Adam Stephen’s Association, School Robotics Team Captain (Freshman and Sophomore years). Her interests reflect a passion for the arts, technology, and community service.

Rena’s plans are truly a reflection of her character. She intends to pursue Film, English, and Sociology in college, with dreams of becoming a comedy screenwriter and director. She expresses her desire to work for shows like Saturday Night Live and to write and direct adaptations of children’s books, emphasizing her dedication to entertaining and inspiring young audiences.

For Rena, senior year is a mix of “lasts” and “firsts,” offering bittersweet moments of reflection. She cherishes experiences like taking classes at Shepherd University, which have significantly improved her education, and leading the band during a special season dedicated to her class. She acknowledges the challenges of the college application process, but embraces it as a worthwhile step toward her future.

Rena’s passion, leadership, and commitment make her a standout student who not only excels academically and artistically, but also leaves a lasting impact on her school and peers.

When you hear the name “Santa Claus” what do you think? You think of a jolly old man in a red suit. A man that travels around the world in one night, delivering presents to all the good little kids who have stayed on his nice list. That’s the latest version of Mr. Claus, but he is a man of many names, as well as a long and interesting history. It all began in Europe. Santa is thought to have originated with St. Nicholas, a 4th century Greek saint. St. Nicholas gave all his wealth to help the sick and needy. He was also known as the protector of children and sailors. In his secret gift giving he would put coins in peoples’ shoes if they left them out for him. On December 6, it was popular throughout the Middle Ages to hold the feast of St. Nicholas. After the restoration and persecution of saints, the celebration died out in most European places, except in Holland, where they continued to celebrate Sinterklaas. This Dutch word that evolved into our “Santa. Claus.” In their celebration some businesses would sell toys and treats for the occasion.

When the Dutch immigrated to America in the 1800s, they brought over Sinterklaas with them. In 1822, Clement Clark Moore wrote a poem called “A Visit from St. Nicholas” that would later become most known as “The Night Before Christmas.” In the poem, he depicted Santa as having a white beard, flying around with magical reindeer, and being a jolly, old elf. As the years went on more writers and artists would add layers to the legend. A civil war cartoonist, Thomas Nast, was the one who reimagined Santa in his classic red suit, warm disposition, and rotund look. Before he came up with this version, he had put Santa in a star and stripe suit, speaking to American troops during the civil war. Nast also gave way to the idea Santa’s home base is in the North Pole along with his workshop. After Nast, in 1930 Coca Cola contracted a Michigan illustrator, Haddon Sundblom, to use Santa in their advertising. Coca Cola popularized Santa as our modern human, friendly and chubby nice guy.

I got to interview Mr. Burkhart and his daughter Viviana for this Santa special! Mr. Burkhart told me about how he would stay up to catch a glimpse of Santa when he was a kid but since “he’s a crafty fellow,” he never caught him. He also told me about their preparations for Santa. He said, “We do cookies and milk for Santa…” His daughter, Viviana, interjected here, “And mommy sometimes likes to mix it up, giving Santa soda.” Mr. Burkhart also said they have Santa cams in their Christmas tree as well as Viviana’s silly elf, Plucky! They also set up lights outside so Santa can’t miss their house. Viviana also told me about how they put up a Christmas tree in her bedroom to prepare for Santa! She also writes a letter for the jolly fellow and “we always give it to Plucky to give to Santa.”

There are so many holiday traditions regarding Santa Claus. Make sure you keep up your Christmas spirit and have fun this holiday season!

As the clock strikes midnight on December 31, millions worldwide embrace the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions, using the start of a new year as an opportunity for reflection and renewal. From personal growth to professional ambitions, these commitments provide a chance to reflect on the past year and step forward with fresh purpose.

The practice of making New Year’s resolutions dates back over 4,000 years to ancient Babylon, where people made promises to their gods to repay debts and return borrowed items in exchange for favor in the year ahead. Over time, this custom has evolved into a personal commitment to self-improvement, though achieving these goals remains a challenge for many. Studies reveal that only 9% of people feel they successfully achieve their resolutions. Common obstacles include setting unrealistic goals, failing to plan effectively, and losing motivation as the year progresses.

At Martinsburg High School, students recently shared their experiences with New Year’s resolutions, reflecting on their successes and challenges.

“My resolution for this past year was to stop worrying about how others see me and focus on myself,” said senior Sapphire Roberts. “I managed to stick with it for about a month.”

Fellow senior Cara Anderson set a fitness goal. “I wanted to go to the gym more often to get in shape for lacrosse. I went more than before, but not as much as I hoped,” she admitted.

For senior Jordynn Rascoe, 2024 brought meaningful personal growth. “My goal was to communicate better and take responsibility when I was wrong. I think I succeeded—I’ve grown into a better person,” she said.

With the new year fast approaching, MHS students are optimistic about their resolutions for 2025. Many are building on their past goals, while others are embracing entirely new challenges.

Sapphire Roberts also decided to keep her previous goal but added a new one for 2025. “I want to save up money for my future along with stop worrying about people who wish to see me fail,” she said confidently.

Cara Anderson, who will play lacrosse at Wesleyan next year, is determined to stick with her fitness resolution. “I will be playing lacrosse at Wesleyan, so I really want to get in shape. I hope to be more successful this year,” she shared.

Meanwhile, Jordynn Rascoe is taking a different approach to the new year. “I really want to stop being such a people pleaser and prioritize myself more often,” she explained.

As the world prepares to welcome 2025, the optimism surrounding New Year’s resolutions highlights the resilience and determination of the human spirit. Experts recommend focusing on progress rather than perfection when setting resolutions. Breaking larger goals into smaller, manageable steps and celebrating incremental successes can help sustain motivation throughout the year. For MHS students and others alike, the new year serves as a reminder that every day brings an opportunity for a fresh start.

Winter has just begun but spring sports are already preparing. Baseball, softball, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, tennis, and the track & field team are all anxiously awaiting the start of the spring sports season. Many of Martinsburg High School's spring sports begin official practices in late February but most have already started pre-season practices.

Women’s lacrosse began preseason first, with their practices being 3-4:30 on the field and 4:30-6:00 in the weight room on Mondays and Wednesdays. Track & Field started their season already as well, practicing Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00-4:30. Men’s lacrosse, baseball and softball will begin practicing in January after break. Men’s lacrosse will practice Tuesdays and Thursdays. Softball will begin practicing in January but hasn’t announced dates yet. Baseball also begins after break and hasn’t announced dates. Tennis won’t have official preseason practices but will have a few conditioning sessions.

All the spring sports coaches and players encourage you to come out during preseason if you're interested in playing. The women’s lacrosse team encourages you to join the team because they are a highly competitive team, being both 2023 State Champions and 2024 State Runner-ups. They also are a very welcoming and close team. Senior Eva Cragie encourages you to join track and field saying, “I’ve made many of my life-long friends through this sport.” Joining a new sport is a great way to make new connections. Men’s lacrosse goalie Chris Chin encourages you to try men’s lacrosse because they’re a close team and commonly make an appearance in the playoffs. They were also 2023 DII State Champions. Senior Daysha Cook says the softball team “always has fun practices and on bus rides” and encourages you to join, expressing that “it’s not just a sport, it’s a family.” Coach Beale encourages you to try tennis, saying “Tennis fosters a great sense of community, and we have a lot of fun during practices.”

If you’re looking to learn a new sport or just stay active, spring sports are a great option! All of Martinsburg’s spring sports put in a lot of work to prepare for their season. Be sure to support MHS’ spring athletes as they compete in their 2025 seasons, and be on the lookout for their future game schedules!

By Ella Murphy

Reporters: Taylor Strack, Riley Harper, Lizette Lopez, Ella Murphy

Co-Editors: Savannah Malatt and Kaylin Henry

Advisor: Rhonda Foreman