News 

May Student of the Month
Posted on 5/16/13

Bluefield High School would like to announce our May Student of the Month as Chelsea Lester. Chelsea is a very dependable and trustworthy student. She is well-like and respected by students and staff members.
Chelsea participated on the 2012 BHS Soccer Team and Cross Country Team. She participated in 2011 on the BHS Basketball team. She has been a member of the Green Corps Club 2010 – 2013. She is a member of the 2011 SADD Club through 2013.
She has been on the A/B Honor Roll throughout high school. She also won a Laurel Leaves writing completion winning 1st and 3rd places in 2011 and 2012.
Chelsea has volunteered as the Youth Basketball Coach fall of 2010 – 2012. She served as Youth Soccer Coach 2009 – 2012. She rode along with the Princeton Rescue Squad 2011 – 2012. She helped prepare Thanksgiving dinner for the Princeton Rescue Squad 2011 and 2012. Chelsea is a Leader at Church Vacation Bible School 2009 – 2012. She has also lead worship at the Brushfork Baptist Church 2009 – 2013.
Chelsea plans to attend Bluefield College in the fall of 2013. She is majoring in Education and wants to pursue a minor in Christian Studies. Chelsea is the daughter of Mark and Nichole Lester from Princeton, WV.

April Student of the Month
Posted on 5/16/13

Bluefield High School would like to announce Austin Fife as the April Student of the Month. Austin is a friendly and conscientious individual who strives to learn new things in school and in life. He has taken all of the honors and AP courses that are offered at BHS.
Austin participated in the Bluefield Leadership Program during his junior year. He has been very active in the theatre program while in school. He participated in 2 musical productions. He plans to attend Concord University studying Theatre Arts and graduate school studying theatrical productions possibly in New York City.
Austin has a passion for cars and has built two while attending high school. He also painted both cars.
Austin has reached the rank and honor of Eagle Scout in his Boy Scout Troop 1, in Princeton. He won a Laurel Leaves Poetry award his sophomore year. He is a member of the BHS National Honor Society.
Austin has completed various forms of community service. He has been involved with the Bluefield Union Mission, the Boys Scouts of America, the Cub Scout program as well as assisting elderly individuals in situations where they needed help. He has a total of over 800 community service hours from his freshmen year until his senior year.
Austin will be attending Concord University in the fall of 2013 studying Theatre Arts. He is the son of Randell and Yvonne Fife of Bluefield, WV.

March Student of the Month
Posted on 5/16/13

Bluefield High School would like to announce our March Student of the Month, Douglas Aaron Miller. Aaron is an honorable young man who strives to be helpful to anyone who needs assistance. He is a quiet and thoughtful student who cares deeply for others.
Aaron has participated in many extra-curricular activities. He is a member of the BHS Golf Team which won the 2010 Coalfield Conference Championship. He was a member of the 2013 BHS State Championship AA Boys Basketball team. He participated in 2009 – 2013 All County Chorus. He also participated in the 2012 – 2013 All State Chorus.
Aaron served as Junior Ambassador for Justice at an Anti-Bullying Summit which was held by the US Attorney, R. Booth Goodwin. He also served as Junior Ambassador for Safety at a Safe Schools Initiative following the Newtown shootings also held by the US Attorney. Aaron is a business completer at BHS. He will receive the HSTA (Health Sciences Technology Academy) scholarship for his participation in the program. He also has received a golf scholarship at Bluefield State for the fall of 2013.
Aaron has volunteered for the Red Cross Blood Drive at BHS 2008 – 2013. He helped with the 2009 Food Pantry at the Bluefield Union Mission. He volunteered to assist with the Holiday of Lights in 2009 and 2010. He volunteered for the 2010 – 2013 WV State Police Golf Tournament and the 2012 Greenbrier Classic Golf Tournament.
Aaron plans to attend Bluefield State College majoring in Criminal Justice in the fall of 2013. He is the son of Sgt. Doug Miller and Kim Miller of Rock, WV.

Biggest Loser Winner Visits BRMC
Article by Carlie Sizemore
Posted 5/2/13

There is a lot of support for the new program at Bluefield Regional Medical Center. The program is called “Healthy Woman”. There was an event held Tuesday night at the Brushfork Armory. Ali Vincent, the winner of Biggest Loser was one of the speakers at the event. Ali is known nationally as a motivational speaker. She encourages women to take care of themselves and be in shape. To join the Healthy Woman program visit the hospital's website at bluefieldregional.net.

February Student of the Month

Posted on 5/2/13

Bluefield High School would like to announce the February Student of the Month as Matthew Sabo. Matthew has been on the A Honor Roll throughout high school. He is very driven in his academic studies. He has taken every honors and AP classes that he could during his time at Bluefield High School.
In 2009, Matthew won the WV Golden Horseshoe while at Bluefield Middle School. He was a participant in the American Legion Boy’s State during his junior year.
Matthew has participated in the Bluefield High School soccer team since 2009. He played basketball his freshmen year for BHS. He is the Head Coach for the Mercer County Youth Soccer League. He has served as treasurer for the BHS SADD club since 2011. He is also a member of the BHS Radio Team.
Matthew has volunteered to help with the Open Heart Ministries Homeless Haven Project Fall of 2012. He volunteered at the Union Mission Food Drive in the fall of 2009. He volunteered at the Jonathan Powell Hope Foundation Soccer Tournament in the spring of 2011. He participated in the Craig Armbrister Walkathon in 2009. He is a member of the Project Graduation Committee. He is a member of the Deliverance Temple Church in Brushfork since 2001.
Matthew plans to study pre-law at Marshall University in the fall of 2013. He is the son of Jesse and Melissa Sabo of Bluefield, WV.

Bluefield State Acquires Two Bluefield High Athletes
Article by David Shrewsbury
Posted 4/30/13

On Monday, April 29th, Justin Mariotti and Aaron Miller made it official where they were going to attend college. Mariotti and Miller both signed their letter of intent with Bluefield State College to play golf during the school day on Monday. Mrs. Miller, the athletic director for Bluefield High School was very pleased to see two students she has been around for years excel at this level. Miller stated “It’s very satisfying and gratifying to know these students will be able to compete at the next level.” Aaron Miller, is also the son of Mrs. Miller, so from a motherly standpoint, she couldn’t be more pleased. Especially because his collegiate choice is so close to home. When asked about the feelings the two student athletes seize about this opportunity, both were very grateful. Mariotti said “It’s a blessing to be able to get your college education paid for while playing collegiate athletics.” Miller was also ecstatic, saying “It’s a dream come true to be able to play golf at the collegiate level. To go to college and play a sport I’ve been playing my whole life is just amazing.”

BMS
Article by Ashyln Parker
Posted 4/26/13

US Attorney Booth Goodwin, US Marshal John D Foster (both of Southern District of WV), and Major General James Hoyer made a surprising entrance at Bluefield Middle School in a Black Hawk helicopter. Each speaker spoke about the dangerous repercussions of bullying, drug abuse, and internet safety.
Goodwin told a story about a 13 year old girl from Pennsylvania who was communicating with, what she believed to be a boy her age. When the two met in person, the adult male she was really communicating with kidnapped her. Goodwin also asked the student body not to take inappropriate pictures of them and send them to anyone else. “Once that picture leaves your phone, you can’t get it back, “he added.
Fosters personal story he was exposed to as a child seemed to have caught the students’ attention. Foster was small when he was in first grade and other students often bullied him. He was called numerous names including stupid, ignorant, moron, and many more. After his 16 year old brother was killed in a fire (which destroyed their home), Foster went back to school and was bullied even worse. After going through a growth spurt his freshman year, the bullying stopped! Foster discovered he had dyslexia when trying to go to college to wrestle. He then developed a love for reading. He served twenty years in the West Virginia Air National Guard, six as a state trooper, and he joined the United States Marshal’s service. He has been married for thirty-one years. Fosters bullying has had a huge impact on his life to strive harder to achieve his goals to be successful.
General Hoyer narrated two video presentations that showed soldiers and airmen in non-traditional roles. Hoyer said the military personnel in the videos had some things in common, “They don’t do drugs, and they don’t abuse alcohol. They don’t have law enforcement violations. They stay physically fit and they love their families, their communities and their country so much that they do the things you saw them do in the video.” Hoyer’s message with these videos was about making good decisions and not using drugs. “If you want to get high, join the military and jump out of a plane 10,000 feet in the air,” he said.
“I have taught school for 42 years, and this is the best assembly I have ever attended,” David Thomas, a teacher at BMS said at the end of the assembly.

Don't Drink PSA
Article by Ashyln Parker
Posted 4/23/13

WVVA’s “Don’t Drink” PSA contests are ready for entries from the 2013 graduating senior class. WVVA and the two Virginia’s CW need each of the schools in the area to produce a “Don’t Drink” public service announcement that will air on both television channels. Here is how this contest works. Every school sends in a 30 second PSA against drinking produced by the Class of 2013. WVVA and the CW air the PSA’s from the time they receive them until graduation. A page will also be present on www.WVVA.com dedication to the entries. Visitors of the site will view the entries and vote for their favorite. The winning PSA will be announced May 22 during the 6 PM newscast. The winning school will receive $100 from Community Connections/SADD and will also receive numerous prizes from their area advertisers to help with Project Graduation.
Deadline for entry is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15. Mail your entry to the address below and make sure the name of the school is marked on the label. They can accept DVD, VHS or Mini-DV formats.
"Don't Drink" PSA Contest
WVVA-TV
P.O. Box 1930
Bluefield, WV 24701

SOURCE: www.wvva.com

BSC Bridge Competition
Article by Chelsea Lester
Posted 4/15/13

This past weekend, April 5-7, Bluefield State College’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) took a trip to Washington DC to compete in a bridge competition. The students involved in this were Andrew Maynor, Logan Conpenhaver, Todd Atkins, Austin Harris, Adam Cline, Matt Hasley, Kyle Bowling TJ Knight, Alex Quesinberry, and Professor Kerry Stauffer. This organization represents members of the Civil Engineering profession worldwide, and each year hosts competitions for a variety of events. The main event Bluefield State’s club decided to do was the Steel Bridge competition. Each region sends the top bridges from their group to compete at the national level. These students have been working on the bridge since October. Their bridge is 17 feet long and is made of pure steel. For this competition, there are several different restrictions that the students have to abide by that determine how we were supposed to set up and build the bridge. The bridge is evaluated by aesthetics, the weight of the bridge, how fast the bridge team can construct the bridge, and if the bridge team can pass the load test. The bridge must be disassembled and put together piece by piece by the members of the six man bridge team in an allotted amount of time, and after assembling the bridge, it must pass a loading test of 2500 lbs. If the bridge cannot support the load or pass the time completion, it is automatically disqualified. Bluefield State’s bridge team had a very fast build time; the weight was efficient in comparison to the other teams, and it passed the load test with flying colors. Bluefield State placed first in the bridge competition against Marshall, George Mason, WVTech, VMI, UVA, VT, WVU, Catholic University, Howard University, Old Dominion University, and George Washington University. Because Bluefield State College won first place, they will be competing in Seattle for the National competition! “I was very pleased that my team won; we worked very hard and put a lot of time into making the bridge. Hopefully we will do just as well at the competition in Seattle. Either way, I will be proud to be a part of the Bluefield State College Bridge Team,” said Andrew Maynor.

Kevin Ware’s Scary Injury
Article by Matt Sabo
Posted 4/10/13

All seniors need to be thinking about graduation! This year we have the option of hosting graduation at either Mitchell Stadium or the Brushfork Armory. I know that everyone dreams of graduating on the field, but if it rains nobody wants to end up having it at the high school. I know that for me, I will be inviting a lot of my family and if we get rained out it will be very hard to pick and choose the few people that could come if we have to have it at the high school. IF I understand correctly, ticket limitations will not be as bad if we have graduation at the Armory rather than if we end up having it here. The senior class needs to have a decision by the beginning of next month so that we can let administration know. When you have made your decision please find me (Carlie Sizemore) and let me know. I will also be able to give you some more details when you find me! (: Thank you!
- Carlie!!

Weapons in School
Article by David Shrewsbury
Posted 2/26/13

“According to a 1997 study by the U.S. Department of Education and the Journal of the American Medical Association, 8.5% of the students responding said they had carried a weapon at school. Another 7.4% said they had been threatened or injured with a weapon at school,” says Ricco Siasoco, writer of the article “Columbine in Mind.” School shootings and violence in school are events that have escalated in occurrence through the years past. Virginia Tech lost thirty-two students to a single shooting. The violence displayed at Columbine High School killed thirteen students, and injured twenty-one more. The most recent shooting, The Sandy Hook tragedy, had twenty-six deaths, with twenty of those being children. Weapons in school have become a constant fear of some high school students. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, just in 2009, seventeen percent of students said that they had carried a weapon with them during school. School violence is a constant fear for students all around the country because of the past events like Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Virginia Tech. School shootings have become a tragic statistic for the U.S. recently, and hopefully, with the right kind of precautions, we can put a halt to this madness.

Justin Mason Scolarship Fund
Article by Carlie Sizemore
Posted 2/26/13

After Chelsea Lester’s brother passed away in May of 2011 her family started a scholarship fund in his memory. It helps young people or single parents go through paramedic or EMT classes. Chelsea and her family have done many fundraisers such as; Magnetic Ribbon Sales, Poker Runs, Sold Bracelets, and Sold Key chains. They have also received many donations. Over Christmas 2012 the fund gave away its first two scholarships at the Princeton Rescue Squad’s Christmas Dinner. The scholarships went to two young women who are trying to complete their paramedic classes.
“I appreciate all the donations made to the scholarship in my brother’s name. It’s a true blessing knowing that even though my brother is gone his name is still living and helping save lives every day.” – Chelsea Lester

BHS Radio
Article by David Shrewsbury
Posted 2/25/13

Bluefield High School radio is indeed, back, people! Justin Freund, Matthew Sabo, Brad Gibson, and David Shrewsbury do a radio show every Friday morning here at BHS. “Mike and Kyle,” the very popular radio show when these guys were freshmen, was discontinued due to the graduation of the hosts. Nobody stepped up to the plate in fulfilling this position, so the brother of a former host and a couple of his buddies jumped in and are trying to resurrect the program. They cover topics such as sports, school news, clubs, weather, and even the lunch menu. The guys are joined by Meagan Lambert and Maggie Lawless in a segment called M and M. The girls respond to audience’s questions, usually about relationships. The boys, when in attendance, live stream the Bluefield Basketball games. Their website, bhsradio.weebly.com, contains a link to hear the broadcast team live and also holds video of their weekly radio show. The website contains a weekly poll question about current events taking place. Do yourself a favor and check out this outstanding program!

Anthony Woart

Anthony Woart, class of 2010 Bluefield Highschool graduate has recently released a new single from Bentley Alvarado’s forthcoming album entitled, “Put Me On To Your Love” which is now featured on iTunes & Amazon! The song is entirely produced by Anthony, and also features Anthony!

Friends and supporters formerly know Anthony in Bluefield by his stage name “Dj Yerr!” He now goes by the name of Yerrbeats! Currently Anthony is studying Audio Production at Miami International University of Art & Design. Anthony is the CEO/Owner of his own entertainment/publishing company Hyde Yerr Dreams. He is also signed to SESAC as a songwriter and music publisher. SESAC is an exclusive performing rights organization that represents professional songwriters, producers, and music publishers. Notable songwriters that are also signed to SESAC are: Swizz Beatz, Bob Dylan & Rico Love. Swizz Beatz and Rico Love are successful songwriters that have produced and written songs for Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Beyonce, Usher, Romeo Santos, Trey Songz, and many more! Congratulations Anthony for your success! Be sure to purchase his new single on iTunes and Amazon entitled “Put Me On To Your Love”, search “Yerrbeats” or “Bentley Alvarado” in the iTunes store.

Checkout his website hydeyerrdreams.com 

O.J. Brignance
Article by Nikki Williams
Posted 2/8/13

O.J. Brignance, a former Baltimore linebacker, continues to inspire the Ravens with his toughness and leadership while battling Arnyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Brignance was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2007. He has been a source of motivation within the Ravens organization and a key figure in the quest to find a cure for devastating disease. The 12-year pro is confined to a wheelchair and forced to use a communication device that translates his thoughts. Birgnance’s job requires him to assist the athletes in all phases of their careers. His influence stretches beyond the limitations of the Raven’s training facility. He and his wife, Chanda, formed the Brignance Bridge Foundation. The foundation strives to improve the quality of life for those afflicted with ALS. The Brigade also funds research to find a cure for the disease. O.J. Brignance is the first player to win a Canadian Football League title and a Super Bowl Championship for a team in the same city, Baltimore. He loved being a football player, but knows what he’s doing now is far more significant.

Glenwood Dedicates Gym
Article by Chelsea Lester
Posted 2/6/13

On January 23, community and board members of Glenwood School honored Ms. Gallimore’s father, Bo Bowman, by naming Glenwood’s gym after him. Mr. Bowman was a coach for 36 years in Mercer County and also taught at Glenwood during those 36 years of coaching. Mr. Bowman was highly thought of by many, not only in the Glenwood area, but throughout Mercer County. Ms. Gallimore and her family were very appreciative of the honor.
“On behalf of my sisters, our children, our mother, his sisters and brother, and all of the players, managers, scorekeepers and cheerleaders who played for dad, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Wolfe and the members of the community that have worked to make this dedication to dad a reality. We appreciate the fact Glenwood school’s LSIC, Mr. Comer, Dr. Debra Akers and the Mercer County Board of education members are honoring dad in such a way that all those that walk in this gym will know how important he felt athletics was in the lives of our youth. He felt that if young people were involved in sports, they had little time to do things they shouldn’t be doing. He spent many, many hours in this gym, as well as the “coop” fostering strong work ethics, teamwork and the sense that you never give up. He instilled in his players that if there was a tick on the clock, there was always a chance to win. Dad was a man of few words, but if he were here today, I am sure from the bottom of his heart, he would simply say, “thank you,” said Ms. Gallimore.

Justin Freund and Brad Gibson's Opportunity
Article by Claire Arnold
Posted 1/24/13

Justin Freund and Brad Gibson are the hosts of the weekly online video broadcast at Bluefield High School. Their show is called “Justin and Freunds” airing weekly. This is the first year doing the show but they really like doing it. These two boys had a great chance! They were offered to be on the radio with “The Willie.” Brad and Justin help with the home Bluefield basketball games. They take care of the basketball half times and they do interviews with the players. They have already done one show which was the Princeton vs Bluefield game. I asked them how their first time doing the show went and Brad told me it went very well! They plan to keep working with “The Willie” and eventually learn how to do it all and broadcast it on their own show!

 
Sandy Hook Shooting
Article by Rachel Looney
Posted 12/14/12

On the 14th of December a tragedy took place somewhere nobody could have even imagined. In a small town called Newtown, CT 20 students and 6 adults were gunned down in Sandy Hook Elementary School. At about 9:30 gun shots rang through the halls and that’s when the teachers and students knew that something was wrong. They all started to hide as gun shots continued to ring throughout the school. The gunman banged on locked doors but couldn’t gain access to most of them. Dawn Hochsprung, 47, was the principal of Sandy Hook and she loved her job and her students. She was in a conference with a parent and other staff members along with 56 year old Mary Sherlach, the school psychologist, and when they heard the gunshots they ran out of the room and caught sight of the gunman. They lunged toward him trying to overpower him, but he shot and killed them. They were only trying to protect their students. Victoria Soto was a 27 year old first grade teacher who loved teaching and her students. She heard gun shots and had her children get to the wall farthest from the door. He broke through the door and opened fire on the classroom. Soto fell to the ground while her students ran out of the classroom crying and screaming. She died shielding her students and all her students lived. Anne Marie Murphy, 52, was the special education teacher at Sandy Hook and also shielded her students from the rain of bullets. Lauren Gabrielle Rousseau, 30, was a permanent substitute at Sandy Hook. She died after being shot multiple times. She had planned to go see ‘The Hobbit’ that night and even mad cupcakes with the pictures of characters on each one. Nancy Lanza, 52, was the mother of the gunman and also a teacher at Sandy Hook. He shot his mother at her home then made his way to the school where he killed 26 people. Rachel D’Avino, 29, was an intern at Sandy Hook for about a week when she was gunned down. Her boyfriend had asked her parents for her hand in marriage and planned to propose to her on Christmas Eve. There were 20 students the ages of 6 and 7 that were also killed; Charlotte Bacon, 6, Daniel Barden, 7, Olivia Engel, 6, Josephine Gay, 7, Ana Marquez Greene, 6, Dylan Hockley, 6, Madeleine F. Hsu, 6, Catherine V. Hubbard, 6, Chase Kowalski, 7, Jesse Lewis, 6, James Mattioli, 6, Grace McDonnell, 7, Emilie Parker,6, Jack Pinto, 6, Noah Ponzer, 6, Caroline Previdi, 6, Jessica Rekos, 6, Avielle Richman, 6, Benjamin Wheeler, 6, and Allison N. Wyatt, 6. This tragic event has gotten many people thinking about the safety of their children in schools. Schools are supposed to be a safe place for children. I saw a Facebook post this past weekend that said ‘Dear God, why weren’t you there? Signed a concerned student.” The reply back was ‘Dear concerned student, I’m not allowed in schools.’ Students should be able to go to school and feel safe and secure, not scared and frightened.

September Student of the Month, J.T. Roberts
Posted 12/6/12

Bluefield High School would like to congratulate the September Student of the Month, James Tilden Roberts. J.T., as he is known by faculty and friends is an exemplary student and is involved in many aspects of the high school.
James has been a member of the Student Council for four years. He is currently the Student Body President. He is a member of the National Honors Society, Pep Club, Key Club, and SADD Club. He has been in the Health Sciences and Technology Academy for four years. He has also participated in the Model UN for four years.
James has participated in the Bluefield High School baseball team one year, the BHS wrestling team for two years, and the BHS track team for one year serving as Captain. He also has participated in the BHS Quiz Bowl Team.
James has served as the Sophomore Class President, the Junior Class Vice President and now serving as the Student Body President as a senior. He participated in the Governors School for Math and Science in 2010. He was the representative for BHS in the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference in his sophomore year and has since been a volunteer for the program.
James has been very active in his community also. He has been a Montcalm Church of Christ Youth member for the past four years. He served as Recreation Leader and Worship Leader during summer camp in 2011 and 2012. He has helped with the Red Cross Blood Drives spending 48 hours of service over four years. He has spent more than 1085 hours volunteering at the Christian Acres Service Camp for the past four summers. And his volunteer service at the Hugh O/Brian Youth Leadership Conference he has spent 102 hours over two years.
James is a positive role model for others. He is a student who cares deeply about others in his community. He is always willing to help anyone in need. He is an excellent choice to represent Bluefield High School as the September Student of the Month.

Bluefield High School teacher, Mrs.Woart's brother just wrote a book. Read some student reviews below.

Mrs. Woart's brother, Roland Rodene, wrote a great Christian romance book named "Cynbel and Zothia." It's based on two young people growing up in Haiti. The culture of Haiti, and respect of the people is much different than the people in America. This book showed me that the people of Haiti, even through all of there issues, trials, and struggles of everyday life, try to make the best of things. He shows that with God, anything is possible. Everyone MUST read this book. I would rate it five stars! -Chenoa Harrison. Bluefield High School Student


"Cynbel and Zothia" was written by Mrs. Woarts brother Ronald Rodene, a very spiritual man! It's a really great book. It's the only Christian romance book I have read. So far, I think it's my favorite book, ever. It deserves a five star rating. I recommend you all to read it. It's a splendid book. The ways of American people are very different than Haitians, in many ways. I never knew how different Haiti is from America. The book gives a great in depth look to it. Many of us act the same way, but romance in Haiti, take on a whole new level! -Jocelyn Davis. Bluefield High School Student

"Cynbel and Zothia Homage to Haiti" is one of my favorite books to read. I have read it four times. I've learned so much about Haiti's culture and history. This is a great Christian love story. Our ways (in America) differ so much from Haiti. My favorite part of the book is when they share their first kiss. I think this story shows that if you can love God, you can love anybody! This book deserves ***** and everybody should read it. -Brittany Meadows. Bluefield High School Student

"Cynbel and Zothia" written by Roland Rodene is a great book and deserves five stars! I recommend everyone to read it. It's a beautiful story. The author is Mrs. Woart's brother. The story is an amazing love story. It will make you cry, laugh, and smile. This book has really touched me! Everyone should read it! -Abby Atwell. Bluefield High School Student