The Berkeley Carroll Blotter is proud to present its 14th weekly newsletter of the 2025-2026 school year! This edition features the standard “5 in News” by Cleo Logan (‘26) and a piece spotlighting BC’s two seniors heading to play baseball at the collegiate level by Dylan Angel (‘26). Later, Genevieve Eisner (‘26) writes about Senioritis here at BC, and Zofie Mclune (‘27) presents a spotlight on Ryan Henneberry. Finally, we have added an editor’s list of book recommendations! Photos by Spencer Gaddie (‘26) and other BC photographers are throughout. Last week, we reported that 100 civilians were killed during the U.S capture of Maduro. We should have noted that this number is actually disputed with the true number uncertain. As always, we thank you for interacting with The Blotter.
Happy reading!
Genevieve Eisner and Cleo Logan, co-editors
5 in News
Cleo Logan (‘26)
On January 14th, Senate Republicans blocked a resolution that would force President Trump to obtain congressional approval before any further military action in Venezuela. The resolution was brought to a 50-50 tie in the Senate, which meant that Vice President J.D. Vance had the authority to make the final vote.
In the past two weeks, the Iranian government has tried to suppress protests that began over economic struggles and have morphed into direct opposition of the Islamic Republic, the clerical establishment that has ruled the country since 1979. The government has issued an internet blackout and Iran’s supreme leader has publicly acknowledged, for the first time, that thousands of people were killed during recent protests.
On January 14th, the Trump administration announced that it would suspend the processing of immigration visas for citizens from 75 countries. This is part of Trump’s larger plan to curtail immigration—both legal and illegal—into the U.S.; the administration also said that it was aimed to “discourage immigration from countries ‘whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates’”.
In the past week, protests have erupted across the country in response to Renee Nicole Good’s death at the hands of ICE officials in Minneapolis, MN. In New York, thousands of protesters gathered near Central Park and marched along Fifth Avenue with the slogan “ICE out for Good” in order to draw attention to the abuse of power by ICE agents in major U.S. cities.
On January 12, nurses at the Mount Sinai hospital in New York City embarked on what is now the largest nursing strike the city has seen in decades. On January 14, Mount Sinai announced that three nurses had been fired after hiding nursing supplies so that their replacements wouldn’t be able to locate them. The nurses have dismissed these accusations as false.
Berkeley Carroll’s Baseball Collegiate Athletes: Toby Harris and Zach Powell
Dylan Angel (‘26)
Historically, Berkeley Carroll’s baseball team has been elite, with winning records (last year they were 8-1), championships several years in a row, and athletes going on to play at the collegiate level. The class of 2026 is no different. Most notably, Zach Powell and Toby Harris have dominated the diamond since their freshman year on Varsity. Zach is committed to play DIII baseball at Vassar College, and Toby is going to Lehigh University to play DI. Recently, I sat down with these two to see what makes BC’s program tick.
Toby opened by discussing the standard you’re held to while playing for a program such as Berkeley Carroll’s. He attributes this most to the way head coach Wayne Roberts demands excellence from all his players: “Coach Wayne set the tone from the jump. He knew he was coming here to build something.” It’s not just the hard-nosed coaching style that gives this team that edge, but that everyone is bought in. Zach told me, “We had morning practices this year. For the first time, at 6:30 am, we got 15 guys.” The two of them really emphasized the camaraderie that is built by showing up tired, when no one wants to, yet most importantly, ready to work.
It’s clear these two are motivated not only by personal success, or a 2026 championship, although both are a factor, but also by building something that will outlast them—a legacy, if you will. Both of them kept coming back to the idea of the “young guys” on the team. I think being part of this program from a young age allowed them to understand the importance of veteran leadership. On this, Toby said, “I believe, hopefully, it’s going to get better after we leave, with the young guys.” Zach spoke on this same subject, reflecting on his experience as a young member of the team and now being a captain of this squad, having had collegiate athletes as leaders and then being exactly that: “That’s the best thing for the younger guys, lots of college elders.” Zach and Toby are not pulling their leadership weight alone, though. Both of them went out of their way to shout out fellow teammate from the class of 2026, Theo Hirsch, for developing that chemistry with the younger members.
If the camaraderie and discipline make this team elite, Zach and Toby’s friendship makes it special. Zach said, “Toby really does a great job at holding me accountable,” and before I could even inquire, Toby chimed in, “Everyday, when we’re lifting, we check in on each other. There’ve been times where I’ve been injured, and you know he’s working with me through that.” Having both joined the school in their freshman year of high school, I asked them what it’s like to look back at those times and see how far they’ve come. “We’ve always talked about it–the late nights,” Toby explained. This didn’t just happen; they both had a vision and executed.
Individually, neither of their careers have come without struggles. One of the biggest challenges Zach has faced is having to put baseball above all else: “You have to make sacrifices and commitments with relationships, with your parents.” Toby struggled with something that all athletes have at times—the mental side. “There’s a lot of failure in baseball,” he told me. “Sometimes I write down my feelings and remember it’s just a game that’s supposed to be fun, so you can kind of just play free.” And play free he does, hitting 1300 obs (how often he reaches the base when hitting).
These Lions are certainly the team to watch this spring. I can’t wait to see them take the diamond at their first game against Saint Ann’s on March 31st. As Toby said, “This is the year. This is definitely the year.”
Senioritis: A Problem or an Opportunity?
Genevieve Eisner (‘26)
As we begin the second semester, it’s clear that the class of 2026 is no different from every other senior class in the history of the world: we’re experiencing a major case of senioritis.
Senioritis is the feeling that most seniors get when they’re nearing the end of their high school career. It’s characterized by a collective lack of motivation and the urge to just graduate already. This usually means slacking on homework and studying, and not coming to school as prepared as others. Some of us have even taken the latter to the extreme by not bringing a backpack to school, and just a computer instead.
The general consensus across the grade, and one that I happen to agree with heavily, is the idea that us seniors deserve to slack off a little. After four long, demanding years of high school (academically and socially), and working the hardest we have ever worked this fall, we feel we have earned the privilege of some relaxation. What’s more, we also want to enjoy our last bit of high school, spending as much time as we can with our friends, and not focusing on homework every single night.
I spoke to two seniors to get their view on Senioritis and how it’s manifesting in their lives. Jack M. ‘26 told me, “Right after I got accepted into college, I was sort of keeping up with the work a few weeks after and thought the senioritis hadn’t hit me. Then right before Winter Break and after, I haven’t had any motivation to work.” But senioritis isn’t exclusive to students who know where they’re going to college. For example, Lucia R. ‘26, who doesn’t know where she’s going to college yet, told me, “The fact that there’s so much less pressure on academics and knowing that all of your college applications are already in, you can take your foot off the gas a bit. I’ve definitely started to feel the senioritis kick in.” No matter if you know your path next year or not, chances are you’ve felt the senioritis kick in.
Lucia is correct that there is much less pressure on receiving good grades, whether you’re in college or not. But is this the consensus among teachers? I talked to two of my teachers from this year, whom I believe have different views on senioritis as a second semester senior teacher.
Although he “completely understands senioritis” and thinks it’s “totally okay for seniors to relax in the second semester,” Mr. Rich, my Advanced Calculus teacher, said that he thinks seniors “need to understand how to work at a 50% level or a 75% level, rather than a 0% level.” I assume this is the consensus among most teachers.
Instead of seeing Senioritis as an issue and a sign of a lack of motivation, Mr. Herzman, the second semester senior history teacher for the course Carceral State, told me he sees it as an opportunity. “It’s an opportunity for students to not be oriented around grades, but to learn for learning’s sake,” he told me. “I also think students have more space in their lives to figure out what they are actually interested in and what they actually care about because there’s less pressure.” Mr. Herzman is completely right. Instead of constantly worrying about a grade or how often we participate, we can genuinely be engaged and curious in class discussions, without the threat of a bad grade looming. For example, in my all-senior current events history class this semester, we’ve already had some of the most productive conversations and discussions about recent news and the portrayal of current events in the media. I’m willing to bet that if I had taken this course in the first semester, we wouldn’t be having as many genuine conversations, solely due to the fact that everyone would be hyper-fixated on their grade.
Whether you view senioritis as an issue or an opportunity, there’s no question it’s there. So seniors, don’t lose it just yet (we’re almost there)! And you never know, you may experience some of the most engaging conversations of your high school careers.
Who’s Who at BC: Mr. Henneberry
Zofie Mclune (‘27)
If you’ve ever walked through the Upper School and wondered who’s behind the scenes of student life, class programming, and media literacy discussions, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Mr. Ryan Henneberry. Wearing many hats at Berkeley Carroll, Mr. Henneberry is a familiar and important presence in our community.
Mr. Henneberry teaches in the English Department, and this semester, he’s teaching Media Literacy. In addition to his role in the classroom, he serves as the Dean of the Class of 2027, the Dean of Student Life, and the Co–Assistant Director of the Upper School. His work spans academics, student support, and school-wide programming, making his days anything but predictable.“There’s no such thing as a typical day,” he says. His schedule is filled with meetings with students, teachers, and administrators, whether focused on student initiatives, new programming, or opportunities for Upper School students. In between teaching and meetings, he enjoys stepping outside and grabbing a seltzer—small moments of calm in a busy day.
This is Mr. Henneberry’s 15th year at BC. He started in the fall of 2011, originally coming to the school to coach the speech team. He was excited by the opportunity to work with a smaller speech team and connect closely with students. What’s kept him here all these years is the community. He describes BC students as fun, interesting, and deeply engaged, and says he genuinely loves working with his colleagues, whom he finds funny, hardworking, and full of thoughtful passions.
Mr. Henneberry grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to New York City in 2009 to study creative writing. Today, he lives in NYC with his husband and their dog, Scooter. Outside of school, he enjoys watching The Real Housewives and Survivor, and loves to bake. A fun fact many may not know: he once appeared on TV with Ryan Seacrest during a New Year’s Eve broadcast. If he could be part of any TV show, he’d choose The Great British Bake Off—mostly because everyone is so kind.
Looking ahead, Mr. Henneberry is especially excited for the spring semester. He’s looking forward to celebrating seniors, JARVIS, and Spring Intensives, and continuing to help make the student experience at BC meaningful and memorable.
Editor’s Reading List:
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (Rory)
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (Mikaela)
Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik (Dylan)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey (Spencer)
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Russell)
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (Kieran)
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Cleo)
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (Genevieve)
Lions Den: Upcoming Games for the Week of 1/19 - 1/23
Tuesday:
Basketball Girls and NB (Varsity) vs. Friends Seminary (Home)
4:15 PM, Athletic Center
Basketball Girls and NB (JV) vs. Kew Forest (Away)
4:30 PM, Kew Forest School
Basketball Boys and NB (JV) vs. Friends Seminary (Away)
4:15 PM, Friends Seminary
Basketball Boys and NB (Varsity) vs. Friends Seminary (Away)
5:45 PM, Friends Seminary
Wednesday:
Basketball Boys and NB (JV) vs. Saint Ann’s (Home)
4:00 PM, Athletic Center
Basketball Boys and NB (Varsity) vs. Saint Ann’s (Home)
5:30 PM, Athletic Center
Thursday:
Swim (Varsity) vs. ACIS (Away)
3:15 PM, LIU Brooklyn
Friday:
Basketball Girls and NB (JV) vs. Rudolf Steiner School (Home)
4:00 PM, Athletic Center
Basketball Boys and NB (JV) vs. Riverdale (Away)
4:00 PM, Riverdale Tisch Training Gym
Basketball Boys and NB (Varsity) vs. Riverdale (Away)
4:00 PM, Riverdale Varsity Gym
Community Time 1/12 - 1/16
Monday: Off for MLK Day
Tuesday: Affinity Groups
Wednesday: G Block
Thursday: Grade Meeting
Friday: Senior Speakers
Senior Speakers 1/23
Peter Corwin
Jessamyn Maneri
Josh Schnurman
Maya Pinti
Thanks for reading The Blotter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support us!
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.