The student news site of Brimmer and May School | Chestnut Hill, MA

The Gator
School Nurse Beth Escobar takes care of students and adults alike here. She hands a COVID-19 test to second grade teacher Angela Park.
School Sees Uptick in COVID-19 Cases
May 2, 2022
Zak Adler 23 and Alison Rimas 23 walk down a one-way hallway last year, one of many health restrictions we have moved past since the start of the pandemic.
March 12: A Day to Define Our Generation
March 12, 2022
Photo illustration purchased at BigStock.com
Op-Ed: COVID-19’s Impact on Teenagers is Deeper Than You Think
March 12, 2022
In March 2020, customers cleared grocery store shelves as the pandemics supply chain crisis escalated.
Op-Ed: An End to COVID-19’s Consumer Supply Shortages?
March 3, 2022
Photo illustration courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
School to Begin Mask-Optional Policy Monday
February 25, 2022
The team huddles before the game.
Varsity Baseball Falls to CSW in Championship Playoffs
May 23, 2022
Kumar 22 hits the studio for recording. Photo courtesy of Kumars Instagram
Spotlight: Neel Kumar ’22 is ‘MasalaKing’
May 19, 2022
Zoe Hicks-Dutt 24 and Lei Hicks-Dutt 23 study outside.
What’s New in the Course Catalog for 2022-2023?
May 3, 2022
School Nurse Beth Escobar takes care of students and adults alike here. She hands a COVID-19 test to second grade teacher Angela Park.
School Sees Uptick in COVID-19 Cases
May 2, 2022
Sexual assault awareness month image purchased at BigStock.com
Statistics: April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April 26, 2022
Gator Wins NESPA Awards
Gator Wins NESPA Awards
May 12, 2022
Ugo Adiele 23, Enyi Adiele 24, Dieter Gartner 22, and Ray Park 22 play a song.
Band, Choirs Perform Spring Concert
May 2, 2022
Upper School Head Joshua Neudel and Class of 2022 homeroom teachers decided to shutdown the senior lounge Thursday, after students routinely leave behind a mess.
With Mess, Senior Lounge Loses Furniture
April 22, 2022
Adiele 23 Wins Limbo at Carnival
Adiele ’23 Wins Limbo at Carnival
April 12, 2022
Gator Wins NSPA Accolades
Gator Wins NSPA Accolades
April 11, 2022
The climate crisis is a human crisis. Photo illustration purchased at BigStock.com.
Op-Ed: Environmental Actions Speak Louder Than Words
May 6, 2022
Leo Liu ’26, President of the Middle School Senate, speaks at Opening Convocation last September.
Guest Column: The Power of the Creative Youth
April 19, 2022
Photo illustration purchased at BigStock.com
Op-Ed: The Troubling Legacy of Anti-Vaxxer Andrew Wakefield
April 13, 2022
Photo purchased from BigStock
Op-Ed: Bracketology, My March Madness Obsession
April 7, 2022
Superstar Kyrie Irving elected not to get a COVID-19 vaccine, a decision which will not allow him to participate with the team.
Op-Ed: Athletes, Why Are You Still Unvaccinated?
April 5, 2022
Zak Adler 23 and Alison Rimas 23 walk down a one-way hallway last year, one of many health restrictions we have moved past since the start of the pandemic.
March 12: A Day to Define Our Generation
March 12, 2022
Editorial: School Deserves Praise for Community Uplift
Editorial: School Deserves Praise for Community Uplift
December 14, 2021
The Editorial Board strongly encourages all members of the School community who are eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they can.
Editorial: Students, Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine
April 20, 2021
Gator Announces Next Years Leadership
Gator Announces Next Year’s Leadership
March 31, 2021
The Editorial Board strongly encourages all members of the School community who are eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they can.
Editorial: COVID-19, One Year Later
March 12, 2021
Temperatures dipped below 10 °F on campus today. Faculty and staff are encouraged to keep windows open to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Comic: It’s Cold Inside
January 11, 2022
Comic: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas
Comic: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas
December 17, 2021
The U.S. Justice Department recently filed a lawsuit against Texas over curbing voting by mail.
Comic: Justice Dept. Sues Texas Over Voting Restrictions
November 5, 2021
Comic: Wanna Be My Friend?
Comic: Wanna Be My Friend?
November 3, 2021
Comic: Get Your Booster Shot
Comic: Get Your Booster Shot
October 26, 2021
The climate crisis is a human crisis. Photo illustration purchased at BigStock.com.
Op-Ed: Environmental Actions Speak Louder Than Words
May 6, 2022
Kass performs as Heche in Trap last fall. Photo by Oxygen Group Photography
Theatre Is My Sport
March 1, 2022
A residential building in Ukraines capital city, Kyiv, suffered a missile attack by Russian forces. Photo courtesy of BigStock.
As a Russian-American, I Stand With Ukraine
February 26, 2022
What makes a good climber isn’t the ability to be fearless or never make mistakes. It’s to keep climbing even when you’re scared and think you can’t continue.
My Rock Climbing Journey
February 17, 2022
Photo illustration of a student doodling during class, which some teachers allow but some ban.
Op-Ed: School Policies and Learning Differences
December 7, 2021
Spectators applaud the Bands performance.
Photos: Band Performs at The Street
May 6, 2022
Behare Goshime 22 jumps into double dutch.
Photos: Week of Apr 25
April 29, 2022
The cohort celebrates their years work in CAP.
Photos: CAParet 2022, ‘Serendipity’
April 28, 2022
Smith poses with the group at the finish line.
Photos: Midnight Marathon Bike Ride with Mr. Smith
April 19, 2022
“The middle school gardening club and these awesome radishes we grew.” — Jared Smith
Podcast: (Almost) Anything Goes with Jared Smith
April 11, 2022
GNN: From the Height of COVID-19 to Now
GNN: From the Height of COVID-19 to Now
April 7, 2022
Never Too Late to Learn: Mr. J Takes French
Never Too Late to Learn: Mr. J Takes French
March 8, 2022
GNN LIVE: Bissell Grogan Symposium
GNN LIVE: Bissell Grogan Symposium
March 2, 2022
GNN: Black History Month, Sports, Fundraisers
GNN: Black History Month, Sports, Fundraisers
February 23, 2022
GNN: Semi-Formal, Humanities Symposium
GNN: Semi-Formal, Humanities Symposium
February 1, 2022
Spectators applaud the Bands performance.
Photos: Band Performs at The Street
May 6, 2022
Behare Goshime 22 jumps into double dutch.
Photos: Week of Apr 25
April 29, 2022
The cohort celebrates their years work in CAP.
Photos: CAParet 2022, ‘Serendipity’
April 28, 2022
Smith poses with the group at the finish line.
Photos: Midnight Marathon Bike Ride with Mr. Smith
April 19, 2022
Michelle Mejia Levy 24 passes the ball.
Photos: Week of Apr. 4
April 7, 2022
“The middle school gardening club and these awesome radishes we grew.” — Jared Smith
Podcast: (Almost) Anything Goes with Jared Smith
April 11, 2022
Photo courtesy of Greg Lewis.
Podcast: Former NBC Olympic Broadcaster, Greg Lewis
February 16, 2022
Digital illustration by Edan Zinn 23.
Podcast: Mahlet Woldemariam ’95 on Vaccine Development
April 7, 2021
Digital illustration by Edan Zinn 23.
Podcast: Fighting the Pandemic with Dr. Kathy Taylor
March 31, 2021
Podcast: Gov. Baker Talks Fostering Civil Discourse
Podcast: Gov. Baker Talks Fostering Civil Discourse
December 13, 2020
The team huddles before the game.
Varsity Baseball Falls to CSW in Championship Playoffs
May 23, 2022
Collage by Martin Maynard 22.
Alumni Basketball Players Bring in the Heat
May 17, 2022
Logo courtesy of the NHL.
Predictions: Lead-Up to the Stanley Cup
May 14, 2022
Photo illustration purchased at BigStock.com
Predictions: Who Will Win the NBA Finals?
April 29, 2022
Lucie Shimomura 28, a 7th-grade athlete, plays a varsity lacrosse game against The Waring School.
Middle School Athletes Complete Varsity Rosters
April 26, 2022
Promotional photo courtesy of Marvel Studios.
TV Review: Is ‘Moon Knight’ Marvel-Appropriate?
May 23, 2022
Screenshot courtesy of Netflix.
Song Analysis: ‘That Funny Feeling’ by Bo Burnham
May 23, 2022
Kumar 22 hits the studio for recording. Photo courtesy of Kumars Instagram
Spotlight: Neel Kumar ’22 is ‘MasalaKing’
May 19, 2022
Photo courtesy of Netflix Studios.
Review: Two Perspectives on Netflix’s ‘Heartstopper’
May 9, 2022
Spectators applaud the Bands performance.
Photos: Band Performs at The Street
May 6, 2022
Promotional photo courtesy of Marvel Studios.
TV Review: Is ‘Moon Knight’ Marvel-Appropriate?
May 23, 2022
Screenshot courtesy of Netflix.
Song Analysis: ‘That Funny Feeling’ by Bo Burnham
May 23, 2022
Photo courtesy of Netflix Studios.
Review: Two Perspectives on Netflix’s ‘Heartstopper’
May 9, 2022
Poster courtesy of the CW.
Review: Is CW’s ‘The Flash’ Worth a Watch?
May 2, 2022
Al Hirschfeld Theater before a performance of Moulin Rouge! Photo by Evan Michaeli 24.
Review: ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Is a Spectacular Spectacle
April 29, 2022
The student news site of Brimmer and May School | Chestnut Hill, MA

The Gator
The student news site of Brimmer and May School | Chestnut Hill, MA

The Gator
Charles McLaughlin

Charles McLaughlin, Senior Journalist

CJ has been at Brimmer since his freshman year and has been a member of the newsroom since the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. Outside of writing for The Gator, he is a huge film buff and a member of the Robotics Team as a designer and builder.

All content by CJ McLaughlin
Promotional photo courtesy of Marvel Studios.

TV Review: Is ‘Moon Knight’ Marvel-Appropriate?

May 23, 2022
Marvel’s latest show has been unlike any series before. Compare two perspectives on 'Moon Knight."

‘Moon Knight’ Attempts at Marvel Subversion

May 23, 2022

It is extremely tired at this point to describe any new piece of superhero media as “great if you are sick of the genre,” and Moon Knight is certainly of a piece with that late genre attempts at subversion.  To...

Poster Credit: Warner Bros. Studios

Movie Review: ‘The Batman’

April 1, 2022
Earlier this month, DC Films put out the best Batman story to grace the big screen in recent memory.
Poster courtesy of Adult Swim.

TV Review: ‘Smiling Friends’ on Adult Swim

March 3, 2022
'Smiling Friends' is a much-needed return to form for a lost era of Adult Swim shows.
Promotional poster courtesy of Netflix Studios.

Movie Review: ‘Don’t Look Up’ Is Understandable but Unbearable

February 2, 2022
While I support the making of 'Don't Look Up,' the newest sci-fi movie out of Hollywood, I wholeheartedly dislike the final product.
Poster courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

January 18, 2022
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' has the most entertaining cast the series has seen in years.
Poster courtesy of Netflix Studios.

TV Review: ‘Cowboy Bebop (2021),’ All Jazz, No Soul

December 3, 2021
In trying so hard to imitate the original 'Cowboy Bebop,' the newest version ironically loses the relaxed soul of the series.
Poster courtesy of Netflix Animations

TV Review: ‘Inside Job,’ Netflix’s Latest Missed Opportunity

November 16, 2021
While this series feels like it's precision-engineered just for me, I'm disappointed by its shallowness.
Theatrical release poster courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

Movie Review: Venom, Let There Be Carnage

October 27, 2021
Unless you are curious to see how low Tom Hardy can go, give this one a pass.
For anyone born within the last 2 decades, we were not there for 9/11, and we do not share in that same national and personal trauma.

Op-Ed: Why Are Young People Desensitized to 9/11?

October 11, 2021
For anyone born within the last two decades, we were not there for 9/11, and we don't share in that same national and personal trauma.
One of the few promotional posters for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, courtesy of Marvel Studios.

Op-Ed: Why Didn’t Marvel Promote ‘Shang-Chi?’

September 24, 2021
The film is a big step for Asian representation at Disney. Is the company still refusing to promote POC characters, even in 2021? 
The group of eight students pose on the gator bench they constructed.

Q&A: Students Collaborate with Artists for Humanity

June 4, 2021
Throughout May, a group of 11th and 12th-grade students collaborated with the Boston-based nonprofit Artists for Humanity.
Photo illustration purchased from BigStock.com

‘Invincible’ Superhero Series Exceeds Expectations

May 19, 2021
I will admit that I was very hesitant to watch Invincible when it was first announced, yet its excellent production surprised me.
Photo illustration purchased from BigStock.com.

Movie Review: ‘Mortal Kombat’ Bores Audiences

May 6, 2021
Once again, another director steps up to the plate to make a video game-inspired movie that ends up being boring and bland.
Upper School Greenline Director Max Holman plays the piano during rehearsal.

Faculty Profile: Music Teacher Max Holman

April 23, 2021
Middle and Upper School Music Teacher Max Holman joins the School this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo illustration purchased from BigStock.com.

Movie Review: Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’

April 8, 2021
Despite all this criticism, there is something that still draws me in about this special cut, which fans made possible.
Tired female student at workplace in room taking nap on pile of textbooks. Sleepy brunette woman resting during education after sleepless night. Student in despair caused by exam deadline concept. Photo illustration purchased from BigStock.com.

COVID-19 Impacts Sleep Schedules

March 9, 2021
The pandemic has impacted many people's sleep schedules.
A GameStop Strip Mall Location.

Op-Ed: What Happened with GameStop?

February 18, 2021
The stock price has seen a meteoric rise and fall over the last few weeks.
Photo illustration purchased from BigStock.com.

TV Review: ‘WandaVision’ Offers Creepy, Delightful Vibe

February 8, 2021
Wandavision is a wonderful return to form for the superhero giant.
Photo illustration purchased from BigStock.com.

Movie Review: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’

January 14, 2021
Three years after the first Wonder Woman film, the sequel is a major letdown.
Gator file photo.

Art Classes Adapt to Hybrid Learning Model

December 14, 2020
Classes have faced many changes due to the new learning model.
Video Game Review: Among Us

Video Game Review: ‘Among Us’

November 9, 2020
The online game has become a hit.
Photo illustration by Edan Zinn 23.

Writer’s Picks: Halloween Movies

October 31, 2020
These three spooky movie picks are perfect for Halloween night.
Photo illustration purchased from BigStock.com.

Movie Review: ‘Enola Holmes’

October 16, 2020
The movie is well worth a watch.
Photo Illustration by Edan Zinn 23.

Zoom Raises Questions of Online Privacy, Security

May 8, 2020
The video conferencing service is under fire for their misleading Privacy Policy.
The team huddles during a timeout. Photo by David Barron.

V. Girls Defeats Rival Montrose

February 19, 2020
The Gators won 48-44 against the Montrose School, earning some revenge after losing to the team earlier in the season.
(L-R) Stephanie Cranmore 21, Sade Latinwo 20, Ella Meranus 20, Zachary Ginsberg 22, and Claire Masterson 20 enjoy the sights in Seattle after the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. Photo courtesy of Jessica Christian.

Students Attend National Diversity Conference

January 29, 2020
Students learned how to define and promote diversity.
Students pose for a photo after their workout at the JCC. Photo courtesy of Tom Nelson.

Spin Class Offered as New Activity

January 7, 2020
Classes are held at the nearby JCC.
For Make Me a Maker, students can now create their own leather wallets. Photo courtesy of Kathryn Lee.

Make Me a Maker: Create a Leather Wallet

November 20, 2019
Artists of all skill levels are encouraged to try.
Three Musketeers to Deliver Swashbuckling Fights

‘Three Musketeers’ to Deliver Swashbuckling Fights

November 6, 2019
The play promises to be the most action-packed in School history.
Over the summer, the School installed Bi-Directional Amplifiers, which extend two-way radio coverage into difficult-to-reach areas such as stairwells, underground hallways, and other challenging zones. Photo by David Cutler.

School Updates Fire Alarm System

September 26, 2019
At no point was the School in violation of any code or safety concern.
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The Gator

The student news site of Brimmer and May School | Chestnut Hill, MA
69 Middlesex Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
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Thursday | 9:10 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.
Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
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The student news site of Brimmer and May School | Chestnut Hill, MA
CJ McLaughlin