The Blotter; November Edition
Exploring Halloween at Berkeley Carroll, the rising Citi Bike phenomenon, and our championship sports teams!
The Berkeley Carroll Blotter is proud to present its 19th weekly Newsletter with the Upper School! In this week’s main item, Senior Student Life & Social Media Editor Genevieve E. ’ 26 covers Halloween traditions at BC. Additionally, Opinion and Humor Editor Dylan A.‘26 delves into the Citi Bike craze, and Sports Editor James K. ‘26 covers Berkeley Carroll's unprecedented fall season dominance. As always, scroll down for student life updates and game recaps/postings. We urge everyone to submit pieces at this link, and/or advertise interscholastic events here. Happy reading!
Editor in Chief, Kaya Costom
Main Item
Halloween at Berkeley Carroll
Genevieve Eisner
From the candy stash in the dean’s office to departmental costumes, Berkeley Carroll has cemented several Halloween traditions in recent years.
None loom quite as large as BC’s annual lower school Halloween festival. Ms. Drezner recalls her first party vividly; “It was roughly 2005, and Mr. Vitalo [the previous head of school] frightened the little kids so much in his Gorilla costume that several parents asked him to leave. He ended up just taking the gorilla mask off.” BC lifer Linus R. ‘26 recounts a particularly spooky festival, saying, “I was so scared of the haunted house that I made my dad carry me through and fend off the skeletons grabbing at my feet.”
This festival transitions to a Halloween costume contest in BC Middle School. Cleo L ‘26 explains the importance of this tradition for her younger brother in 7th grade, Nick Logan. She told me, “Nick looks forward to the costume contest every single year. Some of his most memorable costumes have been the charcuterie board, medieval zombie, and [spoiler alert] a very shiny refrigerator for this year’s contest.” And Nick is not alone; more and more middle schoolers dress up each year, traipsing proudly through the hallways.
The Berkeley Carroll Upper School carries on the spooky spirit with its Halloween parade, where tens of students and faculty march up to the gym podium and present their dazzling costumes to the broader community. A major highlight this year was the history department's ode to “reputable sources.”
Opinion/Humor
The Citi Bike Craze
Dylan Angel
Citi Bike, New York City's bike share system, has rapidly grown since its inception in 2013. The organization has transformed how New Yorkers move through the city, and for a high school student such as myself, they are more than just transportation—they are a culture. Citi Bikes allow me to travel the city with efficiency, exercise, and joy. I’m not alone in my love: according to monthly reports, an average of 130,000 New Yorkers ride Citi Bikes each day, whether the traditional acoustic bicycle or the swift gray electric bike. There are numerous reasons for this biking epidemic.
Citi Bikes offer incomparable convenience in our urban metropolis; they are available in docking stations every couple blocks, at all times of the day, and allow riders to skip the hassle of parking, gas, and maintenance. They appeal to commuters seeking scenic, but traffic-free routes.
The ecological impact of Citi Biking is another major motivator. Even on a short ride, members directly contribute to cleaner air and a healthier city environment. Bikes allow citizens to adopt green practices as part of their daily routine, helping New York City cut down on congestion and pollution.
Citi Bikes are also relatively cost-effective when purchasing a membership. Memberships include unlimited bike access with a monthly rate of $18.33.
As the Citi Bike fandom continues in New York City, we will look toward price changes in our transportation and more safety implementations on our streets.
5-Item News
Post-Election Q&A’s
Cleo Logan
What is the electoral college and how does it work?
The Electoral College system assigns each state a specific number of votes based on its population. There are a total of 538 electoral votes distributed across the 50 states. In order to elect a President, a candidate needs to get 270 electoral votes. The Electoral College follows a majority system in 48 states; for example, if either candidate gets a majority of the popular vote in New York, then that candidate will get all 28 Electoral College votes.
How do the Electoral College and popular vote differ?
The popular vote is the total number of votes a candidate gets across the country. In the US, the candidate who wins the popular vote nationwide does not always win the election because of the Electoral College; we saw this in the 2016 presidential election. The Electoral College disproportionately represents smaller states, meaning that a candidate could get the majority of the country’s votes but still not win the election because of the way electoral votes are divided among the states.
What is a swing state?
Swing states are “battleground” states that analysts believe could vote either “Red” or “Blue” in the US Presidential election. Because of the electoral college majority system described above, these states can be the deciding factor in close elections. The identified swing states for the upcoming presidential election are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
What is a safe state?
Safe states are the opposite of swing states, in that they are almost guaranteed to be won by a particular candidate. For example, New York is a Democratic safe state, meaning that Democratic candidates for President will almost certainly win its electoral votes, while Utah is a Republican safe state, meaning Republican candidates for President are almost guaranteed to win its electoral votes.
What is a third-party candidate?
A third-party candidate doesn’t represent either the Democratic or Republican parties. Although third-party candidates are not specific to presidential elections, that is where they are most commonly on the ballot. Jill Stein was a third-party candidate in the 2024 election, representing the environment-focused “Green Party”.
Student Life
Genevive Eisner
Community Time (11/11-11/15)
Monday: Advising
Tuesday: Affinity Group meeting
Wednesday: 3rd Period
Thursday: Morning Meeting
Friday: Senior Speech
Lion’s Den
Berkeley Carrolls Season of Victories
James Kirven
Berkeley Carroll’s championship streak began last Wednesday, October 23, with the JV Girls and Non-Binary Volleyball domination against Leman, with the game ending 2-0 for BC. Berkeley Carroll Volleyball continued to conquer as the Girls and Non-Binary Varsity Volleyball team secured their back-to-back title with a 3-1 win over Friends Seminary. The Athletic Center was electric, with loud chants from both teams' student sections fueling the intensity of every play. Despite the challenge of losing senior leader Arden to an early ankle injury, the team rallied with grit and teamwork.
Continuing the streak, the Berkeley Carroll Girls and Non-Binary Varsity Soccer team defeated Friends Seminary in a 4-1 victory, clinching another back-to-back championship title. Despite going into the game with an underdog mindset after a tightly contested match earlier in the season, the Berkeley Carroll team came out strong. Junior standout Rory O'Connor delivered an impressive performance, scoring a hat trick that propelled her team to victory. The win avenged their earlier doubts and solidified Berkeley Carroll's reputation as a dominant force with consecutive championships. The team's determination and O'Connor’s goal-scoring brilliance were key to sealing this well-earned triumph.
The Varsity Cross-Country team geared up for an exciting championship meet last Monday, November 4 at 4:30 in Van Cortlandt Park. These athletes gave it their all, and emerged the trails victorious; Clare Mahedy and Sam Farjami led the Girls Non Binary and Boys Non Binary teams to respective overall wins.
Procuring five ACIS championships is unprecedented, and Berkeley Carroll athletics show no sign of stopping heading into the winter season.
Game Results from the Week of 11/04 - 11/08:
Monday 11/4:
Girls and NB Varsity Cross Country first place in meet
Boys and NB Varsity Cross Country first place in meet