Blotter #9; Seniors Tell All and the Nets are a Lost Cause

The Berkeley Carroll Blotter is proud to present its 9th 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 openness versus privacy throughout the college process by Genevieve Eisner (‘26). Later, staff writer Stella Dolnick (‘29) presents an article about the difficulty of rooting for the Brooklyn Nets, and Zofie Mclune (‘27) writes a spotlight on Desran Kirby, one of BC’s beloved security guards. Lastly, James Kirven (‘26) presents a piece recapping the World Series and its lasting impacts. Photos from BC photographers are throughout. As always, we thank you for interacting with The Blotter.

Happy reading!

• Genevieve Eisner and Cleo Logan, co-editors

5 in News

Rory O’Connor (‘26)

1. The U.S. federal government shutdown threatened the stability of SNAP: Trump sought to “cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as part of a package of tax cuts adopted earlier this year.” This effected nearly 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps. However, on November 10th, eight Democratic senators backed the G.O.P. deal that brings the government closer to an end to the shutdown.

2. Hurricane Melissa, one of the most destructive Atlantic storms in history, recently hit Jamaica, with sustained winds of 185 m.p.h, rendering most of the island in rubble. Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness said that Hurricane Melissa “caused damage to homes and key infrastructure equivalent to roughly 28% to 32% of last year’s gross domestic product.” Though the damage done will not be irreversible, Holness also stated that he plans to rebuild infrastructure that will be able to withstand future storms and will fund the formation of solar panels, an underground electric grid, and more.

3. President Vladimir Putin of Russia recently announced the creation of a new nuclear-powered weapon called Poseidon. The device is an underwater drone that is predicted to be able to travel up to 115 miles per hour. When talking about Poseidon, Putin stated, “there is nothing like this” and it could “put entire states out of operation.”

4. Two weeks ago, Israeli forces attacked a community in southern Gaza, launching strikes that killed at least 104 people. The Israeli military contextualized this attack by stating that it was in response to Hamas’ preceding violation of the ceasefire agreement, when an Israeli soldier was killed and there was a delay in the return process of the deceased hostages. However, despite both sides breaching the agreement, Israel and Hamas say that the cease-fire is still in motion.

5. On November 4th, Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York City. The 34 year-old democratic socialist defeated legacy candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa with over one million votes. Mamdani’s focus on affordability and working-class families in NYC allowed him to capture “about 62% of the vote among New Yorkers under 30”.

Privacy within the College Process: Seniors Tell All

Genevieve Eisner (‘26)

College is a sensitive topic, at least for most high school students. When the College Counseling Office hosts a 12th grade seminar, they stress that college is a private matter and we, as seniors, shouldn’t feel the need to tell each other where we are applying ED, and we certainly shouldn’t pry and ask what others are thinking. There’s a few reasons for this. Carolyn Middleton, the Head of the College Office told me, “In an era where so much of our lives are public because of social media, I often will say keep your cards close because it’s your information. Your college list is your college list, and it’s not meant to be vetted by the whole class. It’s also difficult to think ahead to the results, and sometimes it’s easier to manage decisions that are surprising or not what you would have hoped for if everybody doesn’t know everything about your college list. Privacy protects you.”

While all of this is true, I’ve had a very different experience as a senior here at BC. In past years, older students had told me they didn’t want to share where they were applying to. This year, if you walk past the senior table, you will hear five different conversations between seniors, asking each other where they are applying, which supplements they have completed, and even comparing each other’s college lists. Linus R. ‘26 told me, “The college process is so normalized, so the expectation is that everyone shares everything with everyone because it’s such a common talking point.” I admit, even I have found myself filling silence during conversations with a question like, So where are you EDing?

This “normalization” of sharing about your college process has its pros and cons. On the one hand, the senior class itself is very open with one another. It shows that people not only don’t care if others know where they are applying, but many people want to share their process with their friends and classmates. Of course, this comes with its own cons, as peer input can cause confusion about where to apply, and increased involvement in classmates’ own personal process doesn’t make space for the students who want to keep their own process private. In other words, if the “norm” is to share where you’re applying early decision to, which schools are “reaches,” and whether or not you’re submitting test scores, then the students who don’t want to share those aspects become the odd ones out. This experience is rare, though. I think this openness is new, and definitely not the norm, although it may seem like it when you walk around the halls of the Upper School.

Another con to this newfound openness is how academically polarizing it can be. Specifically, it is often the students who have a high GPA and straight A’s on their report cards who are eager to share where they are applying. On the other hand, there’s no doubt that students who find themselves with lower GPAs and grades, or who are given college lists with less “prestigious schools,” aren’t always inclined to share information about their process. Leila S. ‘26, the first senior in the Class of 2026 to commit to a college, told me about her experience first receiving her college list during junior year: “When I first got my college list, everyone around me had much more prestigious schools on their lists. My reaches were other people’s middles, and my middles were other people’s foundations. I was honestly just embarrassed to share it with other people because I felt like I was a level behind. I found one person who had a similar list to me and I felt like that was the only person I could talk to.” Leila’s experience is undoubtedly a common one. For me, when I walked down the halls and heard people sharing their SAT and ACT scores with each other last year, it was frustrating because I wasn’t able to reach those scores myself.

As I have reflected on what this culture of openness and sharing means, and if it’s generally a good or bad thing, I’ve wondered if our openness as a class has anything to do with competition, or rather, a lack thereof. And going beyond that, does this possible lack of competition stem from a closeness that our grade has? When I asked these questions to Lucia R. ‘26, she told me, “I think that the level of competition in our grade isn’t very high because as a senior class we have become a lot closer. We’re all here for one another, supporting each other through the college process, and we don’t feel the need to be as secretive.” While it may seem cliche, I think this rings true. As a younger student, I was constantly told by my older friends, brother, and even my own cousins that when you get to senior year, your grade will be closer than ever. In our case, the Class of 2026 feels very tight-knit. I believe this contributes to the broader idea that instead of students seeing each other as the thing standing in the way of your dream school, we see each other as pillars of support, whom we lean on during this tough process. Of course, this isn’t always the case, especially when multiple people are EDing to a school with a low acceptance rate. However, it’s a more common attitude that I have observed throughout my grade.

In terms of comparing the current senior class to previous senior classes, it seems as if our grade is more open and has less competition than most. I talked to my brother, an alumnus of BC and class of 2023, who told me, “It was definitely a mix in my grade. There were some people who were especially secretive about their process, but then there were a lot of people, like me, who didn’t care about privacy.” This was really interesting to me, since everyone in my grade that I have asked has openly told me about where they are applying, with no hesitation.

I think another added layer to competition, or the lack thereof, comes from how many people are applying to your chosen school. For example, Isabelle C. ‘26 told me she feels very little competition within the grade because as far as she knows, no one else is applying early decision to the same school she is. However, the more students applying to the same school, the more competition those students will likely feel. An example of this in my brother’s grade was the University of Miami. “In my year, so many kids ED’d to UMiami, and they all opened it at the same time,” he told me. This, to me, seems like a recipe for disaster, and I am sure Ms. Middleton would agree.

This article isn’t to say that our grade’s newfound openness and lack of competition is the new norm, or that it’s better or worse than previous years. This also isn’t to say that there won’t be more competition and less open conversation once December comes along and we start finding out if we got accepted into college or not. However, I think for our grade, the openness and lack of competition has been a positive thing.

Everyone’s college process is their own, and I think it’s important to know that there’s no one right way to go about it. For some, they may want to share where they’re applying, and for others, they may want to, as Ms. Middleton says, “keep their cards close to their chest.” And if you find yourself feeling in competition with other people in your grade, that’s okay too. The most important part of the whole process is discovering what you want for yourself and how you want to go about it.

Nets vs. Knicks: A Loss of Faith and a Home Team

Stella Dolnick (‘29)

Everyone wants a home team to root for–it’s part of the fun of watching sports. You get a team you want to win, you have a game to look forward to nearly everyday, a built-in conversation topic with your friends, and a team you’re proud to share a city with.

For Brooklynites, though, this simply isn’t possible.

Since October 10th, the Brooklyn Nets have lost nine out of ten games they have played. Yesterday, it was 125-109 in a loss to the Timberwolves. Sunday, it was 125-109 to the 76ers. The Nets consistently fall short in games and consistently fail to bring home a win. I know that I personally would love to be considered a Nets fan, as a true Brooklynite: one who roots for the team, wears the numbers of their favorite players, and brags about how many wins we got in the past month. Sadly, I just can’t do that. I can’t bear to watch the team from the borough I live in lose yet another game, over and over again.

Sadly, not all of my friends have had the strength to accept this fate, as I have. They continue to preach a false idea that these are just “building years” for the Nets. And although that might have been true a few years ago, the narrative has not changed with time, and people have continued to make this weak excuse for a team that seems to have no future. For some reason, some people are unable to lose faith. And while I respect them for their commitment, I have to ask them how much more they can take.

While some of my friends have maintained belief, I have instead taken the only logical course of action: I have become a Knicks fan. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the Knicks–the colors, the iconic Madison Square Garden, the players, the dancers, but most importantly, I love rooting for a team that can actually win. The only downside is, I don’t live in Manhattan. The Knicks, while they are still based in New York, aren’t my actual home team. This means that rooting for them and claiming them as my own leaves something to be desired. That something is the feeling of getting a win for the home team. Instead, when the Knicks win, the celebration in my house doesn’t feel as if we just won a game for the home team.

In all honesty, when looking at the Nets score, I would describe the feeling I get as something close to embarrassment. I think of all the people laughing at Brooklyn right now, pointing fingers and saying, “they must hate having this team represent them.” I know a couple of Nets fans who consider them their ride or die team, and I respect that. I think that showing devotion, showing up to games, cheering players’ names, is always honorable. But if the team’s record so far is 1-9, and you’re still doing all that, that’s truly admirable.

I wish that I had the faith to be able to trust the Nets to turn things around, but unfortunately I don’t. So, if you try to go to Barclays Center to watch the games, if you consider yourself a Nets fan, despite all of their shortcomings, I applaud you. We need more people like you.

Meet Kirby: The Heart Behind BC’s Security Team

Zofie Mclune ‘27

If you’ve ever walked through Berkeley Carroll’s doors in the morning, you’ve probably been greeted with a smile from Desran Kirby, one of BC’s dedicated security guards. For nearly four years, Desran, who goes by Kirby, has helped keep the school safe and running smoothly — from managing deliveries and visitors to patrolling the campus.

“I basically control the traffic going in and out,” Kirby explained. “I make sure everything’s secure and that the school is functioning.”

Before joining the BC community, Kirby was looking for a new opportunity and a change in environment. “I’ve always loved being in a school setting — learning and growing,” he told me. “I’d never worked in a private school before, so I thought this could open a lot of doors. Over time, I’ve met so many great people and watched students achieve amazing things.”

When I asked Kirby about his favorite part of the job, he didn’t hesitate: it’s the students. “You guys motivate me in ways I didn’t know were possible,” he said with a smile. “Being around so many positive, energetic people brings out the best in me. Every day is something new, and that’s why I love working here so much.”

Outside of BC, Kirby has plenty of passions. He’s a self-proclaimed car fanatic who loves doing custom work and creating designs. He also enjoys playing basketball, pool, bike riding, and even cutting hair — a skill he started learning in high school. “I can create art with a blade,” he said proudly. He hopes to learn how to swim soon (despite a recent near-drowning experience) and dreams of going skydiving one day.

Kirby’s positive energy extends beyond his job. His message to the BC community is simple but powerful: “Enjoy life. The small things will always be small things. Don’t let them affect you today, because we have tomorrow to live for. Life is short, sometimes you just have to be free. Don’t live with regret.”

As Kirby would say, every day at BC is a new adventure. And thanks to him, it’s a safe and welcoming one too.

World Series Recap

James Kirven (‘26)

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2025 World Series, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in one of the most exhilarating seven-game series of all time. The Dodgers earned a 5-4 victory in eleven innings in the final game, making them the first team in twenty five years to win back-to-back championships. This title marks their third championship in six seasons.

Game 7 featured several key moments. Miguel Rojas tied the game with a home run in the ninth inning, and Will Smith hit a solo home run in the eleventh to give the Dodgers the lead. Toronto put the tying run on third base in the bottom of the inning, but the Dodgers held on.

Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was named the World Series Most Valuable Player. He appeared four times in the series, allowing only two earned runs in 17.2 innings with 15 strikeouts and a 1.09 ERA. Yamamoto became the first pitcher to win three road games in one World Series and the fourth to earn victories in both Game 6 and Game 7. He also pitched the day after a six-inning start, becoming the first pitcher to do so in a postseason game since 2001. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts referred to him as the “GOAT,” reflecting his impact during the postseason.

The Dodgers’ championship run has also raised questions about payroll differences in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers operate with the league’s highest budget and have paired major signings with strong player development. Many argue that this limits small-market teams from achieving the same success and restricts an even playing field.

The World Series was also vital for the MLB as a whole. Game 7 drew 51 million viewers worldwide, the highest total for a baseball game in more than thirty years. The full series saw strong viewership in the US, Canada, and Japan, with noticeable growth among younger fans.

Lions Den: Upcoming Games for the Week of 11/10 - 11/14

Thursday:

• Basketball Girls and NB (Varsity) vs. Bay Ridge Prep

  • 4:15 PM, Athletic Center (Scrimmage)

Friday:

• Basketball Boys and NB (JV) vs. Grace Church (Home)

  • 4:00 PM, Athletic Center (Scrimmage)

• Basketball Boys and NB (Varsity) vs. Grace Church (Home)

  • 5:30 PM, Athletic Center (Scrimmage)

Community Time 11/10 - 11/14

Monday: Advising

Tuesday: Affinity Groups

Wednesday: G Block

Thursday: Morning Meeting

Friday: Senior Speakers

Senior Speakers 11/14

Kieran Moorcroft

Theo Hirsch

Lucia Robbins

Scarlett Mavrides