The Berkeley Carroll Blotter is proud to present its 11th weekly newsletter of the 2025-2026 school year! This edition features the standard “5 in News” by Rory O’Connor (‘26) and an opinion piece about Thanksgiving food by Genevieve Eisner (‘26). Later, James Kirven presents a piece on NIL and college sports, and Zofie Mclune (‘26) writes a spotlight on Tell Blackstock. Photos from Sadie Bell Moorcroft (‘26) and other BC photographers are throughout. And make sure to check out our newest print edition, which will be released later this week!
Happy reading!
Genevieve Eisner and Cleo Logan, co-editors
5 in News
Rory O’Connor (‘26)
On November 28th, President Donald Trump pardoned Juan Hernandez, saying that Hernandez was “a victim of political persecution.” Former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernández had been given a 45-year prison sentence for the widespread distribution of 400 tons of cocaine in both Central and North America, according to the Justice Department.
On Friday, December 5th, Netflix announced their plan to buy Warner Bros. Warner Bros, the major American media and entertainment company, is valued at $82.7 billion. This will affect smaller theaters and companies as they will have to merge and struggle to compete.
As Americans’ faith in immunization effectiveness has drastically decreased, the Trump Administration’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced potential changes in child vaccine schedules, one of which to delay Hepatitis B shots for infants. This is in response to Health Secretary RFK Jr.’s claim that vaccines, especially in children, cause autism. However, this argument has been disproven by health experts, with the New York Times claiming that the vaccine committee is “dysfunction[al]”.
The Trump Administration announced they are beginning an operation to deploy ICE officials in Minnesota and terminate protections and rights for Somali immigrants residing there (many of whom fled Somali because of their country’s civil war). Trump announced this decision on Truth Social, where he said that Minnesota is “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.” On Tuesday, December 2nd, Trump also attacked Somalis, calling them “garbage” that he doesn’t want in the United States.
On November 26th, the day before Thanksgiving, the first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5 were released. The series, created by the Duffer Brothers and culminating in this final season, is incredibly popular. According to Samba TV, “39% of U.S. households that had watched at least one episode of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5, had binged all four available episodes within the first 48 hours”. The season’s long-awaited finale will be available in over 500 theaters across the country on New Year’s Eve.
The Great Thanksgiving Food Discovery
Genevieve Eisner (‘26)
November 27th, 2025 is the day I made an amazing discovery: Thanksgiving food is actually really good.
I’ve always held the strong belief that Thanksgiving food is overrated, and I’ve never let anyone tell me otherwise. Stuffing looks like chewed up bits of food, turkey is always dry, and mac and cheese is great, but I can have that whenever I want. And don’t even get me started on cranberry sauce. Ew.
In other words, I wasn’t the problem, it was everyone else.
Thanksgiving has never been about the food for me. I always go into Thanksgiving expecting to be unsatisfied at the end of the night. I’m not a big pie person either, so it’s not like I have something to look forward to that caps off the meal.
That’s why, for seventeen years of my life, I have always been confused, and even a bit jealous, of the people who tell me about the food comas they experienced after stuffing their face with delicious food. Sure, I experience food comas on a regular basis, but that’s really just because I don’t know how to control my food portions.
I’ve talked to my friends about this dilemma I’ve been facing. One of my friends passionately agrees with the fact that Thanksgiving food is overrated. Another one passionately disagrees. After realizing that the most popular belief among my peers was that Thanksgiving food is good, I began to doubt myself. Was I the problem? No, I wasn’t: I was the solution.
This Thanksgiving, my family did things a little differently. I normally go to my aunt’s house on my dad’s side, but since my dad was away on a trip, my mom and I hosted Thanksgiving with her side of the family. I took it upon myself to cook, with the help of my cousin and the extremely efficient cleaning skills of my mother. I’ll save you some research for your next Thanksgiving meal: Martha Stewart’s Mac and Cheese recipe and Lidey Heuck of NYT Cooking’s “Easy Herb Stuffing” recipe.
Needless to say, I now have a whole new outlook on Thanksgiving food. Stuffing is extremely delicious, and only mildly looks like chewed up food. Mac and cheese, although I knew it was delicious, has amazing potential (especially with a creamy bechamel and big shells that hold the cheese). Just make sure to prepare your stomach, if you know what I mean. Much to my disbelief, turkey can actually be delicious, and not dry–you just have to make it right.
Lastly, I baked a chocolate cream pie with an Oreo crust, and fresh chocolate chip cookies. This is a crucial step, because let’s face it, not everyone (meaning me) has developed enough of a palate to enjoy the contrasting textures of apple and pumpkin pie.
So yes, I’ve been converted. Thanksgiving is actually really good. Well, except for cranberry sauce. Ew.
NIL and the Controversy of College Sports
James Kirven (‘26)
NIL has quickly become one of the biggest topics in college sports: it stands for name, image, and likeness, and allows for college athletes to be paid through endorsements, social media, and business deals. It feels like every day there is a new rule regarding NIL.
NIL began in 2021 after the Supreme Court ruled that the NCAA could no longer prohibit athletes from profiting off of their own Name, Image, and Likeness. This meant athletes were finally able to be paid through things like endorsements, social media, or even business deals. However, this was completely dependent on the players themselves, and the schools could not pay athletes directly. This was the case until this past summer, when the House vs. NCAA settlement completely changed everything. Schools are now able to pay athletes directly from athletic department revenue, capped at $20.5 million per school, which is only expected to rise each year.
This has opened the door for plenty of concerns. Many argue that these changes threaten the core identity of college sports. If athletes are getting paid millions of dollars and transferring schools every year, is it really that different from a professional sports league? Further, it could erase the emotional connection that makes college sports special, and could create huge advantages for the wealthiest schools. Revenue sharing could also force funding away from smaller, less profitable sports. Football and basketball already dominate athletic budgets and media coverage, so schools may push to concentrate even more resources on the sports that generate the most revenue.
These concerns are valid, but do not outweigh the core issue. Universities, conferences, and media companies bring in millions, sometimes billions of dollars a year because of their athletics. Coaches sign contracts for millions of dollars, without a penny going to the athletes (off of whose labor the system profits most). NIL and revenue sharing finally pay the athletes the money they deserve.
This isn’t to say NIL is perfect, but it is a step in the right direction.
Meet Tell Blackstock, BC’s Academic Records Manager: The Heart of the Upper School Office
Zofie Mclune (‘27)
If you’ve ever picked up a report card, fixed your schedule, or sent in an attendance note, you’ve already crossed paths with one of the most essential people at Berkeley Carroll—Tell Blackstock. She is our Academic Records Manager for the Middle and Upper School, and also serves as the Upper School Office Manager. Her work touches nearly every student and teacher, though most of it happens behind the scenes.
Tell’s days at BC are anything but predictable. “Every day is different,” she said, laughing. The office handles everything from attendance and transcripts to building the entire course catalog and managing the complex scheduling process. She also helps organize major school events like picture day, parent-teacher conferences, and the Spring Intensive Program. “Anything the faculty needs,” she said, “we’re there.” This year marks her fourth at BC.
What brought her here was more than just a job—it was a match in values. As a mother of three, Tell wanted a workplace that aligned with her family life. “It allows me to be more present, both at work and at home,” she explained. “There’s great flexibility, and I learn so much.”
Her own roots stretch from Georgetown, Guyana, where her family is from. At home, she recently welcomed a new addition: Emory, a one-year-old French bulldog with a big personality.
Outside the office, she’s a classically trained chef who loves experimenting in the kitchen and passing that creativity on to her kids. She sketches, draws, devours books (“If I’m not reading, I’m not happy”), goes to the movies, and enjoys long walks and bike riding. And here’s a fun fact: she once modeled for Teen People as a teenager working in retail. “It was fun,” she said, “but I realized I didn’t want to do it anymore.”
If she could step into another world, she would choose The Hunger Games, the original trilogy only—“not the new stuff.”
Tell’s advice to students is simple but wise: “Take time to get to know who you are. Once you know, be yourself in all spaces. Unlearn what you’ve learned, and relearn who you want to be.”
Lions Den: Upcoming Games for the Week of 12/8 - 12/12
Monday:
Basketball Boys and NB (JV) vs. Staten Island Academy (Home)
4:00 PM, Athletic Center
Basketball Boys and NB (Varsity) vs. Staten Island Academy (Home)
5:30 PM, Athletic Center
Basketball Girls and NB (Varsity) vs. Staten Island Academy (Away)
4:00 PM, Staten Island Academy
Track (Varsity) vs. NYCAL (Away)
5:30 PM, Manhattan Armory (Invitational)
Tuesday:
Swim (Varsity) vs. ACIS (Away)
3:15 PM, LIU Brooklyn
Wednesday:
Basketball Boys and NB (JV) vs. Avenues (Home)
4:15 PM, Athletic Center
Basketball Boys and NB (Varsity) vs. Avenues (Home)
5:45 PM, Athletic Center
Basketball Girls and NB (JV) vs. Avenues (Away)
3:30 PM, Avenues
Basketball Girls and NB (Varsity) vs. Avenues (Away)
5:15 PM, Avenues
Friday:
Basketball Girls and NB (Varsity) vs. Saint Ann’s (Home)
4:00 PM, Athletic Center
Basketball Boys and NB (JV) vs. Saint Ann’s (Away)
4:15 PM, Saint Ann’s
Basketball Boys and NB (Varsity) vs. Saint Ann’s (Away)
5:30 PM, Saint Ann’s
Community Time 11/17 - 11/21
Monday: Co-Curriculars
Tuesday: Affinity Groups
Wednesday: G Block
Thursday: Grade Meetings
Friday: Senior Speakers
Senior Speakers 12/12
Jason Neil
Phoenix Brett
Lee Miller
Genevieve Eisner
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