December 2nd, 2011Volume 11, Issue 1

In the Lanes Amanda Liu Bam. � e sound of a win-ning throw shatters the audi-ence’s suspense. All the pins have fallen, and only the proud bowler is le� standing, sur-rounded by celebratory cheers. � e winner smiles, knowing

that practice has indeed paid o� .

� e Brooklyn Tech bowling team features about twenty girls and twenty boys, many of whom are new additions to the bowl-ing family. Since mid-September, they have been practicing daily at Brooklyn’s own Maple Lanes. � e bowling season spans only two short, autumn months – but

during this brief period of time, the Tech team has made stun-ning victories against schools such as Midwood, Fort Ham-ilton, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Telecommunications. � e girls competed in twelve matches, reigning unde-feated division champs with a score of 12-0, for the � rst time since 2008. � is “A” team endedthe season with an average of 508, though the “B” team came

in only thirty pins behind with an average of 480. Emily Yeung, ‘13 holds the team high score of 182, while Cora Man, ‘12 secures the spot of best player with her overall average of 143. Cora rep-resented Tech in the Borough Individual Championships on Monday, November 14, along with her teammates Sharon Cai and Lily Huang, each hold-ing an overall average over 120.

� e boys concluded their season with a score of 9-4, plac-ing third in their division. � eir “A” team averaged a 671 this year, while the “B” team averaged a to-tal of 447. Team captain Hermes Ko ranked 32nd place in the city with an overall average of 190, and currently holds the � � h highest pinfall of 4180. Along with Derek Chan, 13 and Brandon Leung, ’13, Hermes participated in the Bor-ough Individual Championships.

Both teams proceeded onto the � rst round of playo� s on � ursday, No-vember 10. Let’s go Tech bowling!

The BenchmarkBTHS National Honor Society

In the Lanes - 1Amanda LiuFort Greene - 2Lucy SnyderStudy Jams - 2,3Sharon MizrahiWilliams College - 4Calvin ChuNYU - 4,5Li ChenHow To Deal With Stress - 6Xinjie QiuVolunteer Events -6,7Maggie TangStaying on Top - 7,8Anthony Yan

Insidre � is Issue

Fort Greene Lucy Snyder

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Study JamsSharon MizrahiStudy Jams

Textbook pages rustle and crackle. A pencil hastily scratch-es across the page. Nervous tap-tapping echoes throughout the room. When the clock strikes homework time, the ensuing � dg-ety soundtrack is less than motivating. But a catchy song can turn a night of intense homework into an inspiring study session. Be-fore hitting the books, check out some of these tunes and albums to stimulate the mind and get some adrenaline pumping. (cont. page 3)

Any Tech student knows that Dekalb Ave-nue, Fulton Street, and Fort Greene Place are always swamped with students a� er school. While Fort Greene

isn’t the saf-est neigh-b o r h o o d , Te c h n i t e s love to hang out in the incredibly s t u d e n t -f r i e n d l y area. Many food stores accommo-date us with student dis-counts, and some fran-chises even donate a portion of their earn-

ings towards funding for our school. We asked around and tried to determine the best hang-outs in Fort Greene. � e most popular an-swer we received was Atlan-tic Center Mall. “� ey have Bu� alo Wild Wings, Subway, and McDonalds,” says Joseph Alim, ‘12, who gets hun-gry a� er a full day of school without a lunch period. Julia Shetyngardt, ‘12 also loves the Atlantic Center Mall, but less for the food and more for the co� ee. “Several mornings a week and even some a� er-noons. I stop in Starbucks for a Mocha Frappuccino to get me through the long school day,” she says. Carly Gerson, ‘13, likes to hang out with her friends at Con-necticut Mu� n a� er school because “it’s a relaxing atmo-sphere and we can feel calm.”

For football a� cionado Katie Blitz, ‘12, Tech’s foot-ball � eld on Clermont Av-enue and Fulton Street is a favorite spot to mingle. She likes the � eld “because it is a place where [she] can see current teachers, sta� , and students come together and support something. Also, members of the community and media come out and it’s a really great opportunity to connect with everyone.”

While Vicky Liu, ‘12 says that she doesn’t usu-ally hang out in Fort Greene, she found herself admit-ting that she spends quite a bit of time socializing with her friends in front of Ap-plebee’s or Atlantic Mall.

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(from page 2) Gabriel Kahane (Gabriel Kahane): Kahane’s self-titled al-bum features an eclectic mix of instrumental and vocal pieces, all laced with his signature folky, quirky � air. His lyrics are o� en bizarre but always intrigu-ing – to poignant e� ect in “North Adams” – making this album an intuitive soundtrack for cra� ing an English essay or tackling a few chapters of � e Illiad.

� e Harmony of the Anomaly (Exegesis): � is electronic jazz band’s name literally means “the expression of math-ematical symbols as sound.” Delve into a geometry proof or tough calculus problem to the eccentric beat of bouncing electric guitar and rumbling drum rhythms, from the fu-turistic tune “Aion” to “Maze of Death”, a darkly methodi-cal piece. � e e� ervescent but musically complex “Chroma” is a natural pairing for chemistry, physics, or biology work.

Sound of a Dream (Adam Rudolph’s Go Organic Orches-tra): Adam Rudolph’s forty-eight member band impro-

vises striking aural landscapes that echo the ethnic styles of music around the world. Bring your world history textbook to life with the tribal-inspired “Dance Drama Part 3 (Blue)”. Ponder di� erent cultures to the evolving sound of “Ambrosia O� ering”.

Can’t We Be Friends? (Jerry Costanzo): Costanzo tactfully modernizes the Great American Songbook, evok-ing the smooth crooning of Sinatra with an edgy, raspy bite. Costanzo brings the Roaring Twenties into the present age, notably in “East of the Sun (West of the Moon)”. Ameri-can classics like “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” and “You’re

Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do?)” will infuse U.S. History and Government assignments with an authentic touch.

Turbina Anthem (Sei Miguel, Pedro Gomes): At � rst listen, this caus-tic trumpet-guitar duo album can shock the senses with its pungent styl-ing. But paired with a media or DDP project, Miguel and Gomes’ pieces get the creative juices � owing. Sketch out a dra� for an intricate painting against the metallic, slightly rusty ambience of “� e Pale Star IV”. Blast a bit of the astringent tune “Jura” while developing a 3D Inventor model.

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When it comes to lib-eral arts, nothing comes close to a Williams educa-tion. Williams College, lo-cated in Williamstown, Mas-sachusetts, is a small and selective school, ranked #1

in U.S. News’ Top 100 Liber-al Arts colleges in the nation.

About 2,100 students sprawl across Williams’ 450 acre campus; only about 525 freshmen are admitted to at-

tend this prestigious college every year. Tuition, room and board, books, and other ex-penses total around $55,000, but every student who ap-plied for � nancial aid re-ceived assistance in the Class

of 2015. On aver-age, each eligible student received a � nancial pack-age of $44,000. From an aca-demic perspec-tive, the choices appear endless. A variety of majors such as anthro-pology, compara-

tive literature, Jewish studies, and philosophy ensures that students can � nd their per-fect � eld of study. About 78% of all classes have twenty stu-dents or less, meaning profes-sors spend less time preach-

ing and more time teaching. It’s not just the edu-cation that gives Williams College a 96% freshman re-tention rate. � e extensive dormitory options ensure that students live comfort-ably for their four years in college. Approximately 90% of all freshmen live in single dorms, and housing only gets better as the year pro-gresses – upperclassmen get � rst pick at dorm rooms. Dorm and campus parties are common despite the frig-id weather, which can reach a low of 12oF in winter. Make sure to pack a few sweat-ers and coats if you visit!

For more information on Williams College, you can visit www.williams.edu.

Williams CollegeCalvin Chu

New York UniversityLi Chen

New York Univer-sity, commonly known as NYU, is one of the largest and most diverse univer-

sities in the United States. NYU is based in Manhattan but it also operates around the world in cities like Lon-

don, Paris, Florence, Madrid, Berlin, etc. NYU is known as being one of the most expensive (cont. page 5)

(from page 4) schools in the US. As taken from the school website, the aver-age cost ofattendance in fall 2011 is $59,365 as com-pared to a tuition fee of about $20,000 in a SUNY.Despite its high prices, it is one of the most popular and competitive private schools in the US even though it is not part of the Ivy Leagues.

� e popular under-graduate schools of NYU include College of Arts and Science, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Stein-hardt, and Tisch School of the Arts. � e College of Arts and Science is located at Washington Square in Man-hattan. It o� ers the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science undergraduate de-grees. NYU Stern is ranked top ten in business schools. It is located in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. Stern has study aboard programs in many countries in Eu-rope, Asia, and South Amer-ica. Steinhardt was the � rst professional school estab-lished for teacher education. It is one of the schools with the most diverse academic programs ranging from De-

partment of Administration Leadership and Technol-ogy to Department of Nu-trition, Food Studies and Public Health. Tisch School of Arts is best known for its acting program and � lm program. � e Undergradu-ate Department of Drama in Tisch is the world’s largest drama department with ap-proximately 1,400 students. Tisch also have large depart-ments in � lm and media. Be-sides the schools mentioned above, NYU also has many other schools and institutes devoted to other subjects of interest.

Student life in NYU is very social because the school is lo-cated at one of the world’s largest city. It has over 450 student clubs and organizations. In ad-dition to that, it has sports

teams, study clubs, sororities, and fraternities. � e world’s � rst fraternity was creat-ed in NYU. � e residence

halls of NYU are located all throughout Manhattan with buildings in Washington Square, Union Square, Chi-natown, and the Financial District. NYU’s residence halls are mostly converted from old hotels are apart-ment complexes, having one of the highest ratings for university dorms. A special transit system operates be-tween campuses and dorms.

NYU is a school for people that want diversity.

It has students from almost all countries around the world. Lo-cated in the middle of NYC, it is great for anyone who enjoys city life. For the peo-ple that enjoys par-ties and fun, NYU is de� nitely the place to be because there are parties almost all the time somewhere on the campus. � e only

downside, it does not o� er the best � nancial aid, so for those that are looking for schools with a good � nancial package, think againto see if NYU is the right school.

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How To Deal With StressXinjie Qiu

Has the new school year already stressed you out? Are you overwhelmed by the amount of homework assign-ments and projects? It may seem as if there is nothing you can do to conquer your stress, but think again. Man-aging pressure is all about taking charge of your life, and � nding a way to balance your schedule and emotions.

To know whether you feel stressed or not, iden-tify if the following symp-toms apply to you: exhaus-tion, changes in appetite, headaches, crying, sleep-lessness, and/or oversleep-ing. Frustration and anxi-ety may accompany stress. One way to deal with

stress is to set realistic goals and priorities. Do not set your standard to a point that you know cannot be reached. When you feel you have ex-cess activities, drop a few of the unessential ones, and fo-cus your time on the things that have to get done. It is unnecessary to fret about the unessential tasks of daily life, so decide what is important. Another way to decrease stress is modifying the way you perceive a situation; you may be locked into viewing a problem your own way, but a suggestion from a peer may provide new perspective.

Working out and ex-ercising can aid in releasing the tension in your body. Studies show that people who exercise on a regular ba-sis do not react as nervously under stress as those who do not work out. Execising does not only put you in tremen-dous physical shape, but also great mental shape. Aero-bic exercise is best relieving stress, although it is shown that strength training and weight li� ing are also help-

ful. Also, get enough sleep to provide enough energy to carry out the day’s workload, as a lack of sleep can trigger unwanted stress disorders.

During times of pres-sure, follow the above tips to avoid extreme stress. Remem-ber that health always comes as a priority to anything else.

Volunteer EventsMaggie Tang

National Society Honor is all about helping others, especially if it’s for a good cause. NHS members help out around Brooklyn Tech, promoting school spirit and bene� tting the school envi-ronment. But we should also extend past the boundaries of our school and onto the next stage: our community. Volunteering is a way of life; it shows that we care about the world around us. Luck-ily, there are dozens of vol-unteer events right in New York City. Here are a couple of events coming up soon: Teensgiving(cont. page 7)

Page 7 � e Benchmark Volume 11, Issue 1 (from page 4) is a great event coming up on No-vember 13, calling for over 600 teenage volunteers. Teensgiving gives young adults the opportunity to work with organizations like Partnership for Parks, the Children’s Aid Society, the Food Bank for New York City, and Project Sunshine, among dozens others. Teens help out the commu-nity by serving food, plant-ing trees, and much more. As the weather gets cold-er, more people need coats to be warm. � e New York Coat Drive generously do-nates coats and jackets to the 18.7 percent of New York families that live in poverty. From November 15th to December 31st, coats are being collected daily to su� ce the grow-ing demand for coats in the winter. Whether by donat-ing a jacket to the poor or even hosting a donation event, we can volunteer and help out those in need. To help the e� ort, you cre-ate a coat drive right in your neighborhood. Use available resources to host a promotion at a local church or at a local school.

Staying on TopAnthony Yan

Hopefully, none of us have pulled any all-nighters yet. For those of you who have, it’s still early in the year, and there’s plenty of time to get on top of your work!

Juniors! Many of you may be taking three or more AP courses, despite the many disclaimers from coun-selors (and fellow seniors). It will be a long year with many long nights. Learn to prioritize and balance your entire schedule – social life included.

Get review books now. � ey are very useful not only when you’re cramming for AP exams in April, but also to prepare for regular class exams and supplement your class notes, which you should keep organized for the AP exam.

For seniors, the college application process can get stress-ful. Farfetched as it may seem, many of us still haven’t even started � lling out our information on the Common Applica-tion. Get it done. � is is the most painless part of the pro-cess, but it’s also the longest. Pick a day each week to sit down and get one supplement down. One college a week is ideal.

� e regular decision deadline for most colleges (January 1st) seems pretty far down the road, but look how quick-ly our time at Tech � ew by. Two months isn’t much time. � e SAT will be another familiar topic of (cont. page 8)

(from page 4) topic of dis-cussion for many juniors, and perhaps even seniors.

For juniors, it is sug-gested that you take your � rst SAT exam in March. � is gives you time to as-sess your score and decide whether you should retake it in May, June, or the fall term of senior year. Many of you may also be taking SAT IIs; note that you cannot take the SAT and SAT IIs on the same day. Keep that in mind when you sign up for exams.

Seniors should already have all of their SATs and SAT IIs ready for submission to col-leges. It is $10.50 to send score reports to one school,

though the report covers all exams. � is sums up to a he� y amount a� er adding in application fees (ranging from $50 to $90 per school) and other payments. For many of us, fee waiv-ers will not be enough to cover the cost.

Also, keep in mind that even though you have the ability to pick which scores to send, some colleges re-

quire you to send in all scores.

Junior and senior year seem like a lot of work, but you can make it easier on yourself by prioritizing your work and

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President: Vivian HoangVice President of Committees: Jaime Lau

Vice President of Public Relations: Kelly IeongVice President of College Services: Evelyn Yeung

Secretary: Lucy HovanisyanTreasurer: Anxhelo DhimitriParliamentarian:

Neil AlachaHistorian: Sheryan Resutov

Communications Chair Person: Alexandru MalcociLayout Designer: Jonathan Cheng