The Berkeley Carroll Blotter is proud to present its 7th weekly newsletter of the 2025-2026 school year! This edition features the standard “5 in News” by Rory O’Connor (‘26) and a piece about caffeine dependence at Berkeley Carroll by Mikaela Gerstenhaber (‘26). Then, Zofie Mclune (‘27) writes a spotlight on Stage Manager and Technical Director Carlos Aguilar. Photos from Sadie Bell Moorcroft are throughout. As always, we thank you for interacting with The Blotter.
Happy reading!
Genevieve Eisner and Cleo Logan, co-editors
Rory O’Connor (‘26)
D’Angelo, a 51 year-old Grammy award-winning R&B singer, died on October 14th. He was most well-known for his album “Voodoo,” which established his reputation as a leading figure in soul music. According to the New York Times, the album mixes “seductive melodies of classic singers like Al Green and Marvin Gaye with the beats and urgency of hip-hop”. After the release of his song “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” originally intended as a tribute to Prince, he became viewed as a sex symbol, which “pushed him out of the public eye for years”.
Smuckers, a company that has been selling Uncrustables since the mid-1990s, sued Trader Joes just last week. They argued that Trader Joe’s new Crustless Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwiches are nearly identical in their shape, taste, and packaging style to the Uncrustables.
On June 2nd, a human skull was found by the Whitewater River in Indiana. Officials, using radiocarbon dating, recently determined that the skull was 4,270 years old. Coroner Eddie Richardson, an official in the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, stated that “this discovery underscores the importance of our community’s vigilance and the necessity of professional collaboration. I want to commend the landowner for their responsible action in immediately reporting the finding.”
Israel launched air strikes in the Rafah area of southern Gaza in response to Hamas recently killing two Israeli Soldiers. Israel officials argued that Hamas’ violence was a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement, to which Hamas maintained that “it was Israel that first breached the ceasefire”. Furthermore, Hamas requested a time extension for the return of the deceased hostages, which further increased tensions.
On October 11th, a Gorilla named Denny in captivity at the San Diego Zoo broke through its glass panel barrier. The zoo announced that neither people nor Denny was injured and that both Denny and the other gorilla that lives in that area will be cared for until the glass is repaired.
Mikaela Gerstenhaber (‘26)
By 8:30 AM, caffeine has entered the bloodstream of Berkeley Carroll. Half the student body is holding a large iced coffee with condensation dripping down the side. Between 8:15 and 8:30, students arrive at one of the four places: Cousin Johns, Bagel Pub, Nerd Be Cool or Blank Street. As the clock reads 8:25, it is decided that the $7 iced coffee is so good that it’s worth being marked late. Last year, I fell victim to this dependence– the Cousin John’s barista even knew my name, as well as my order. I’ve only seen this in movies before, so it was pretty cool to hear the words, “the usual?” whenever I walked into the cafe.
You can tell a lot about a person from their order: cold brew drinkers make me feel more juvenile than ever before, as my thoughts upon seeing them only result in, what a mature choice, that’s what my mom drinks. My take is biased, seeing as I tend to place two to three packets of sweetener into my latte.
Caffeine at BC has surpassed the level of a desire in the community, but has become as much of a necessity as air to breathe. I have walked past students during the first period exclaiming “Oh… that’s how you know it’s going to be a good day,” or “You are unstoppable with your venti blonde iced vanilla latte.”
Fair point. I can attest that coffee does make you feel unstoppable for a period of time, with a fast influx of caffeine entering your system at once. But it fades abruptly as well, leading to the ultimate crash. As the National Institute of Health says, “Caffeine is rapidly and completely absorbed within an hour following ingestion…With repeated caffeine dosing, paraxanthine may contribute to development of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.” Since drinking matcha, I have stopped believing I am allergic to caffeine due to the uncontrollable jitters coffee would bring me during class. Matcha disperses smaller amounts of caffeine over a longer interval of time, ending in little to no crash.
But then, when coffee drinkers have crashed at 1 p.m. how will they survive their last three classes? There’s more than just coffee, though, that our students turn to in the crux of the school hours. Celsius, Yerbamate, Redbull and even caffeinated sodas like Coke linger on desks during the afternoon. The morning crash is immediately picked up and a new sense of flavor is added to the mix. Caffeine dependence goes far past coffee, with two elements contributing to people’s inability to quit. In energy drinks or caffeinated sodas, many believe they continuously allow themselves to indulge in these chemically infused drinks, thinking it is because of the taste, the obsession with sugar, or how it’s just part of their routine. Many neglect the real truth that, without even realising, these drinks continuously grow your dependence on caffeine. The caffeine as the main perpetrator is often masked by the sugar in these drinks, even if it reads “zero grams of sugar.” Maybe zero grams of real sugar, but I can assure you– there’s plenty of artificial sweetener in that drink to go around.
Although students make up the majority of in-your face caffeine drinkers, teachers make up an overlooked population within the Upper School. Just a few weeks ago during morning meeting, an announcement was made re-stating that students are not allowed to drink the coffee provided in the cafeteria. The explained reason for this was that there is not enough coffee to go around, and although teachers cannot control whether you consume caffeine, they cannot supply it to you. Beyond that, they mentioned that the caffeine could not run out, because teachers need it to get through the day. According to Dr. Lafuse, an Upper School history teacher, “when I wake up, I make a pot of French Press coffee and I put it in my travel mug, and then on my hour and ten minute commute from the top of Manhattan I drink it all… I go get more when I arrive at school, like a half a cup, and then in the afternoon I have a latte. This is a normal amount of caffeine”.
If the Upper School were to conduct a poll on how many milligrams of caffeine were consumed in one day, I can assure you the results would be dangerously high. To say the least, caffeine is a daily necessity at Berkeley Carroll, and I am not one to criticize, considering I am part of the community. I can admit that I am not proud of my caffeine consumption, but sympathize with the group who can, but will not, change this pattern.
This week, I interviewed Berkeley Carroll’s new Upper and Middle School Technical Director and Theatre Tech Teacher. Mr. Aguilar has taken on a difficult, but rewarding role here at BC, as he builds sets, controls lighting, and teaches students.
Now in his second year at BC, Mr. Aguilar’s days are anything but ordinary. His mornings are spent preparing for classes, but by the afternoon, he’s busy bringing productions to life. “We start building sets as soon as the school year begins, and it doesn’t stop until the end,” he told me. “We have four shows a year — two musicals and two plays, one for Middle School and one for Upper School. I also help with the dance show, though that one doesn’t require building.” When he’s not teaching or designing sets, you’ll likely find him in the Sterling Performance Space, managing lights, sound, and props, or supporting school events like parent-teacher conferences.
“I absolutely love it here,” he told me.“This school is more than just education. It’s focused on community, and we really celebrate our differences and diversity.”
Currently, Mr. Aguilar is juggling two productions: Urinetown, the High School musical, and Once, Comma, Twice, the Middle School play. “It’s always a balance between building, teaching, and planning what’s next,” he said.
Before joining BC, Mr. Aguilar spent twenty five years working professionally in theater entertainment. “I took theater tech in high school, and I didn’t realize it could become a career until college,” he recalled. “Once I did, I knew I wanted to teach something I loved.” His journey began on stage as a performer, but he quickly discovered his passion lay behind the scenes. “I liked creating and watching ideas come to life,” he said. “That’s what drew me to theater tech.”
Originally from Los Angeles, Mr. Aguilar is a first-generation American — his parents immigrated from Mexico. Outside of school, he stays busy with his two dogs, Hazel the pug and Remi the Australian shepherd. He’s also a beekeeper, although he told me “it’s busiest in the Spring.” Along with these hobbies, Mr. Aguilar is a self-proclaimed “crafty person,” who enjoys crocheting, knitting, drawing, and sewing.
“If I could be any artistic tool, I’d be a sewing machine,” he laughed. “I love that I can constantly create something new and creative. In college, I even sewed pillows and chair covers, and knitted sweaters too.”
And for a fun fact? Mr. Aguilar used to design holiday display windows for Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue for almost ten years, before he started teaching at BC. “It’s been quite a journey — just like theater.”
Monday:
Soccer Girls and NB (Varsity) vs. Trinity (Away)
1:00 PM, Randall’s Island NYSAIS
Soccer Boys and NB (Varsity) vs. UNIS (Away)
7:00 PM, Randall’s Island NYSAIS
Wednesday:
Cross Country (Varsity) vs. ACIS (Away)
4:30 PM, Van Cortlandt Park CHAMPIONSHIP
*Look out for other NYSAIS games depending on the outcomes of this week’s matches*
Monday: Advising
Tuesday: Affinity Groups
Wednesday: G Block
Thursday: Morning Meeting
Friday: Halloween Costume Contest, Cafeteria or Roof
Monday: BC Pride and Pep Rally, 2:45 PM in the 181 Gym
Tuesday: Pajama Day
Wednesday: Crazy Hat/Hair Day
Thursday: Mismatch Day
Friday: Halloween
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