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

The Gator
David Cutler in his classroom, awaiting students.
School Hosts Proctored Lunch Discussion on Presidential Election
November 13, 2024
Breiman plays in 2016 Homecoming.
Humans of Brimmer: Shani Breiman ’18 Returns to Coach
October 31, 2024
College Counselor Julia Esquivel helps student Lincoln Jiang with his Common Application.
Countdown to College: Seniors in the Final Stretch!
October 29, 2024
A fireman looks for hot-zones using drone technology. Photo courtesy of Weston Fire Department.
BREAKING: Local Brush Fires Cause Poor Air Quality
October 28, 2024
Created using Canva.
Quick Facts About the 2024 Election
October 22, 2024
Mary Wang '26, as narrator, points to the audience.
‘Puffs’ Packs the House
November 19, 2024
Students Named Pacemaker Finalists
Students Named Pacemaker Finalists
October 8, 2024
Traffic Caution: Stay Alert
Traffic Caution: Stay Alert
October 7, 2024
The Gator Wins National Honors for Best Editorial, Sports Story
The Gator Wins National Honors for Best Editorial, Sports Story
September 4, 2024
Join The Gator and Shine
Join The Gator and Shine
September 3, 2024
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Trump Sweeps Election in Landslide Victory
November 20, 2024
Editorial: Prioritizing Respectful Political Discourse On Campus
Editorial: Prioritizing Respectful Political Discourse On Campus
November 7, 2024
Clive Sutton's predication of how the electoral map will play out.
Presidential Election Forecasts Show Mixed Signals
November 1, 2024
Florida Recovers Amid Political Tensions
Florida Recovers Amid Political Tensions
October 22, 2024
Hurricane Milton off the coast of Mexico on 6 October 2024
Hurricanes Devastate Southern United States
October 9, 2024
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
Joe Iuliano helps out Cristoph Kasper '25 in AP Human Geo.
Inside the Classroom: AP Human Geography
October 31, 2024
Breiman plays in 2016 Homecoming.
Humans of Brimmer: Shani Breiman ’18 Returns to Coach
October 31, 2024
Karen Bernake teaches a section of CORE, which meets inside the Pappas Lab.
Inside the Classroom: CORE
October 15, 2024
Supreme Court Teacher Ken Levine
Supreme Court Teacher Ken Levine
October 9, 2024
Charlotte Woolley '30 leads a pack of runners at last year's Middle School Cross Country Championship.
Humans of Brimmer: Charlotte Woolley ’29
October 2, 2024
Breiman plays in 2016 Homecoming.
Humans of Brimmer: Shani Breiman ’18 Returns to Coach
October 31, 2024
Charlotte Woolley '30 leads a pack of runners at last year's Middle School Cross Country Championship.
Humans of Brimmer: Charlotte Woolley ’29
October 2, 2024
Humans of Brimmer: Caleb Meranus '26
Humans of Brimmer: Caleb Meranus ’26
May 17, 2024
Human of Brimmer: Cecelia Pan
Human of Brimmer: Cecelia Pan
May 2, 2024
Humans of Brimmer: Stephanie Altschul '25
Humans of Brimmer: Stephanie Altschul ’25
April 26, 2024
Souper Delicious: Cuban Black Bean
Souper Delicious: Cuban Black Bean
November 20, 2024
GNN: Students React to Trump's Win
GNN: Students React to Trump’s Win
November 13, 2024
Designed in Canva.
Ryan Hurst Casts Ballot for the First Time
November 6, 2024
Series: 14 Questions
Series: 14 Questions
October 23, 2024
Series: 2025 Senior Spotlight
Series: 2025 Senior Spotlight
October 23, 2024
Souper Delicious: Cuban Black Bean
Souper Delicious: Cuban Black Bean
November 20, 2024
GNN: Students React to Trump's Win
GNN: Students React to Trump’s Win
November 13, 2024
GNN: Required Summer Community Reading
GNN: Required Summer Community Reading
October 15, 2024
GNN: Fall Sports Preview
GNN: Fall Sports Preview
September 12, 2024
GNN Live: Opening Convocation
GNN Live: Opening Convocation
September 9, 2024
Photos: V. Cross Country Boys Win Third Consecutive Race
Photos: V. Cross Country Boys Win Third Consecutive Race
September 27, 2024
Team Captains Lucas Williams 25' and Christoph Kasper 25' congregate with BTA and refs before match.
Photos: V. Boys Soccer vs BTA
September 20, 2024
The Gators take the pitch.
Photos: V. Boys Soccer vs BUA
September 19, 2024
The harvest moon on the night of September 17. (McKinlee DePaola)
View the Moon for Mid-Autumn Festival
September 19, 2024
Coach Hardman encourages the team
Photos: V. Boys Soccer vs LCA
September 13, 2024
Designed in Canva.
Ryan Hurst Casts Ballot for the First Time
November 6, 2024
Series: 14 Questions
Series: 14 Questions
October 23, 2024
Series: 2025 Senior Spotlight
Series: 2025 Senior Spotlight
October 23, 2024
Podcast: Upper School Head Discusses Start of School
Podcast: Upper School Head Discusses Start of School
October 2, 2024
Podcast: Private School Enrollment Rises in Nearby Cities, Towns
Podcast: Private School Enrollment Rises in Nearby Cities, Towns
September 16, 2024
GNN: V.1 Boys' Basketball to Kick Off Season Saturday
GNN: V.1 Boys’ Basketball to Kick Off Season Saturday
November 14, 2024
From Underdogs to Champions
From Underdogs to Champions
November 8, 2024
Dodgers Defeat Yankees to Win World Series
Dodgers Defeat Yankees to Win World Series
November 4, 2024
The team gets hyped before a game.
BREAKING: Girls V. Soccer Wins in Penalty Kick Thriller
October 31, 2024
Rimon Zhao '27 Kicks Off a New Chapter
Rimon Zhao ’27 Kicks Off a New Chapter
October 25, 2024
Illustration designed with Canva. Movie poster courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
“Heretic:” A24 Strikes Again!
November 14, 2024
Nassim at the Huntington Calderwood Pavilion.
Nassim: A Universal Play
November 6, 2024
Double the Magic with Fall Plays
Double the Magic with Fall Plays
October 17, 2024
The stage of Romeo & Juliet.
Review: ART’s Romeo and Juliet
October 10, 2024
Designed in Canva. Photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
‘The Substance’: Pretty Girls Should Never Smile
October 8, 2024
Illustration designed with Canva. Movie poster courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
“Heretic:” A24 Strikes Again!
November 14, 2024
Op-Ed: Gatsby and The American Dream
Op-Ed: Gatsby and The American Dream
September 19, 2024
The harvest moon on the night of September 17. (McKinlee DePaola)
View the Moon for Mid-Autumn Festival
September 19, 2024
Lily pads in the solarium
Artists For Humanity Lights Up the Solarium
May 29, 2024
Isaac Morrison '27 studies in the library
Quiz: Where Do Students Hang Out at School?
May 22, 2024
The stage of Romeo & Juliet.
Review: ART’s Romeo and Juliet
October 10, 2024
Album cover courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Song Review: Chick Corea’s ‘Spain’
May 9, 2024
Billy Idol performs in 2021. Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Song Review: The History Behind Billy Idol’s ‘Eyes Without a Face’
January 30, 2024
Album Review: Mt. Joy's "Mt. Joy"
Album Review: Mt. Joy’s “Mt. Joy”
January 9, 2024
Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize-winning author.
Mercy in Adversity: Toni Morrison’s Timeless Message of Compassion
December 1, 2023
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
Zakkai Mares-Van-Praag '22 runs on dry seaweed.

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist

Zakkai has been at Brimmer since 2016 and is a senior this year. Last summer, he worked on housing assistance at Revere City Hall. He is currently a cross country captain and enjoys acting and singing.

All content by Zakkai Mares-Van Praag

Gator Jeopardy: Librarians and Academic Support

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
June 3, 2022
See who wins our third and final round.
The Freestyle Love Supreme group standing on stage during a curtain call on their Broadway 2021 run. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Review: ‘Freestyle Love Supreme’ Exhibits Improv Talent

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
April 26, 2022
'Freestyle Love Supreme' is a show like no other, featuring fast-thinking improv and hilarity.
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

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
April 22, 2022
After months of sustained uncleanliness, Upper School Head Joshua Neudel and homeroom teachers ordered the removal of the Senior Lounge's furniture.
Photo purchased from BigStock

Op-Ed: Bracketology, My March Madness Obsession

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
April 7, 2022
I love to expect the unexpected, and when something happens that even I didn’t expect, it excites me even more.
AJ Naddaff '15

Gator Founder Lauds 1,500 Posts

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
March 9, 2022
AJ Naddaff '15 addresses the newsroom's success since its 2014 launch.
Librarian Elyse Seltzer's Black History Month posters.

Photo | Students, Teachers Honor Black History Month

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
February 28, 2022

Librarian Elyse Seltzer's Black History Month posters.

Gator Jeopardy: Science and Math with Humanities Teachers

Gator Jeopardy: Science and Math with Humanities Teachers

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
February 24, 2022
Find out what humanities teacher knows the most about subjects outside of their expertise.
17th Annual Humanities Symposium Kicks Off

17th Annual Humanities Symposium Kicks Off

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
January 21, 2022
Carolyn Chou, the Executive Director of the Asian American Resource Workshop in Boston, tackled the "model minority" stereotype.
COVID-19 cases are surging in schools across Massachusetts, causing staffing issues and emptying classrooms.

Op-Ed: I’m Nervous About Being Back on Campus

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
January 11, 2022
With the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surging in Massachusetts, I can't help but wonder if in-person schooling is the right call.

Gator Jeopardy: History with Math and Science Teachers

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
December 15, 2021
How much history trivia do math and science teachers know? Take a break from studying and find out.
The stage is set before the 2019-2020 Ring Ceremony.

Ring Ceremony to Feature Major Changes

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
December 15, 2021
Past ceremony speeches were deemed hurtful and inappropriate, leading the event to change its format.
Ending Quarter One on a Positive Note

Ending Quarter One on a Positive Note

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
November 10, 2021
Students and faculty recall their proudest moments as the first quarter of the school year comes to an end.
Lil Nas X's 'MONTERO' Lives Up to the Hype

Lil Nas X’s ‘MONTERO’ Lives Up to the Hype

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
November 3, 2021
The long-awaited album dropped in September, featuring many hit titles.
Upper School tour guides pose at Open House. Photo courtesy of Brimmer and May School.

Open House Returns In Person

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
October 25, 2021
Tour Guides took many families through the campus in the first in-person Open House since the beginning of the pandemic.
CAP students at American Repertory Theater. Photo courtesy of Bill Jacob.

CAP Field Trips Return With ‘Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic’

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
October 8, 2021
The CAP program kicked off their first field trip since the start of the pandemic with tap dancing and music.
Head Librarian Elyse Seltzer. Photo courtesy of Brimmer and May School.

Faculty Profile: Librarian Elyse Seltzer

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
October 1, 2021
The librarian is passionate about singing and fantasy books.
The lynching memorial at the Civil Rights Memorial Park.

Op-Ed: Reflections on Learning About the Civil Rights Movement

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
June 4, 2020
My trip to Alabama taught me more about the history that has disappeared beneath the surface today.
Photo illustration purchased from BigStock.com.

Faculty, Staff Provide Health and Wellness Resources

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
May 6, 2020
Instructional yoga videos, meditation resources, and more can be found on students' Canvas pages.
Brimmer the Panda.

Photos: Brimmer the Panda

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
March 11, 2020
Catch new glimpses of the cute creature.
Kitchen Prioritizes Dietary Needs, Sustainability

Kitchen Prioritizes Dietary Needs, Sustainability

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag, Journalist
February 19, 2020
The kitchen's effort to make healthy food is often unacknowledged.
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The student news site of Brimmer and May School | Chestnut Hill, MA
Zakkai Mares-Van Praag