St. Vincent’s third album delves into new lyrical territory and takes her usual psychedelic sound one step further. The music coupled with her beautiful, soft voice creates a comfortable atmosphere that contrasts the rather serious and confusing nature of the words she sings.

9. Rolling Blackouts – The Go! Team

The Go! Team consistently puts out records that are equally jaunty as they are awe-inspiring, and Rolling Blackouts is no exception. Through a combination of original in-studio composition and pre-recorded pep rally cheers and television theme songs, they create perfectly danceable tunes with a nostalgic vintage sound.

8. Thursday – The Weeknd

            It’s been a very ambitious year for The Weeknd, a Canadian artist who released his first three mixtapes within the span of nine months. Blazing his way into the music scene with his critically acclaimed debut House of Balloons, I personally believe The Weeknd outdid himself with his middle album, Thursday. His distinct style combines elements of R&B, house music, and progressive rock, resulting in a truly surreal listening experience. The trippy sound sets the mood for the album’s “story,” which tells of a girl who becomes addicted to drugs and partying past the point of no return.

7. The Year of Hibernation – Youth Lagoon

The one-man band of Youth Lagoon crafts incredibly soothing melodies over calming accompaniment as the singer bares his soul through the lyrics. Each song is utterly heartfelt and honest that it’s hard not to be saddened by the otherwise beautiful music.

6. 21 – ADELE

Adele examines the phenomenon of love from every perspective in her sophomore album, 21. Her strong, husky voice carries the listener through tales of newfound love and heartbreak in a contemporary jazz and blues style.

5. Wounded Rhymes – Lykke Li

            Swedish artist Lykke Li branches out from her traditional style with her second album, but still clings to those important, distinguishing elements. Her almost tribal beats are still ever present in the backbones of several songs, and her echoey voice continues to permeate each track. However, the general mood of the album is less somber and saddening compared to her debut. The songs are more upbeat and have a happier tone, even though the subject matter is sometimes equally bleak.

4. Angles – The Strokes

Angles is the fourth album from The Strokes and ushers in a new but welcome change in their musical style. Shifting from lo-fi, guitar-heavy punk trends, cleaner and more produced tracks allow their usual upbeat and lively songs to be perceived in a different light. There is evidence of maturation in the composition as they push their own limits and produce more intricate songs.

3. Camp – Childish Gambino

His first studio album to date, Camp is Childish Gambino’s honest account of his troubled past and present. His lyrics are still as clever and piercing as they were on his mixtapes; however, indie rock song samples make way for original backing tracks and choral arrangements. Gambino has a clear message for his listeners: obstacles in his past do not affect his performance and will not hold him back from his ambition.

2. w h o k i l l – tUnE-yArDs

A great transformation from her home-recorded debut album, Merrill Garbus’s follow-up, under the moniker tUnE-yArDs, is entirely studio-produced and exposes a different side of her personality. Garbus combines elements of different genres she has encountered in her life experiences, most notably her rhythms from her time spent in Africa. Her fearless experimentation with music creates a fully unique record, which she uses as a medium to express her strong social commentary. But at the same time, you can tell she’s just having fun with it.

1. El Camino – The Black Keys

            The Black Keys have kept a distinct and consistent sound throughout all seven of their albums, and El Camino does not disappoint. Rather than getting stale, their blues-rock sound is revamped in their latest album with new and creative rhythms and arrangements. Time and time again, The Black Keys have proven themselves to be an incredibly adaptable duo while still managing to stay true to themselves and create completely original music.

Some that didn’t quite make the cut:

The Rip Tide – Beirut

Showroom of Compassion – CAKE

Cults – Cults

The King Is Dead – The Decemberists

Audio, Video, Disco. – Justice

Blood Pressures – The Kills

Middle Brother – Middle Brother

The King of Limbs – Radiohead

12 Desperate Straight Lines – Telekinesis

Goblin – Tyler, the Creator

Over a relatively short amount of time, computers have gone from not existing to taking over our daily lives. Innovations in computer science have been pioneered by the minds of many engineers, mathematicians, and programmers, who made the information age possible.
Brooklyn Tech’s new Software Engineering major aims to introduce and immerge interested students in the world of programming and software.

Classes for this major have changed beginning with the Class of 2013.
Junior Year Classes:
Intro to Programming / Web Development
Oracle Academy Database Development
Senior Year Classes:
AP Computer Science / Java
Android OS Programming
Oracle Academy Database Development with Procedural Language / SQL

Junior Year

The introduction to programming class introduces students to programming using web development languages such as HTML and JavaScript.
Students will learn language syntax, usage, and convention to ultimately create dynamic websites while learning programming techniques.
Projects include dynamic website design.

Oracle Academy Database Development teaches students about databases “from the ground up”. This class focuses on database
building and manipulation, as well as the SQL query language.

Senior Year

AP Computer Science features the Java programming language. Students will recieve college-level instruction on basic Java syntax and
usage, as well as discussion and application of more advanced case studies that show a fuller extent of Java programming.
Periodic projects are given, usually to create a program that takes an input and produces a proper output or
to build methods or classes in order to accomplish a task.

The Android OS programming class is taken side-by-side with AP Computer Science, and focuses on using Java skills to create
applications for Google’s Android OS.

Oracle Academy’s 2nd year database classes includes study of Procedural Language, which is an extension to SQL. This shines a spotlight
on advanced manipulation of databases.

Who is this major for?
The Computer Science major was redesigned from the ground up to focus on programming and software engineering. As the A+ course is no
longer in the curriculum, those interested in hardware as opposed to software should not pick this major. On the other side, if you are
interested in programming or web development, this major is for you.

What will I learn?
With the skills acquired over the programming courses, you will be able to create dynamic websites with complex databases (such as Facebook)
and useful cross-platform applications in Java. You will also learn how to create and manipulate databases and other data structures.
Additionally, you’ll be able to craft Android apps that you can sell on the increasingly popular Android market.

How will I benefit from this major?
The biggest addition to the major is the Android programming course. Mobile developers are in increasingly high demand as mobile platforms
such as Android increase in popularity. Imagine creating a game as popular as Angry Birds and selling it. Now imagine how much you will make!
If you have the skills, all you need is an idea.

Companies such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft hire people with software engineering prowess in order to face challeneges and develop
new technologies. If you are experienced in this field, the career possibilities are great.

Choose this major if you are
1. Are passionate about computers
2. Not hardware-oriented
3. Good at systematically solving problems
4. Looking for a field with good career opportunities

Law and Society is one of the two largest majors in Brooklyn Tech. Any student interested in become a lawyer post graduation would benefit greatly from this major. That doesn’t mean that if you don’t want to become a lawyer then Law and Society isn’t for you, however. I am a student in the Law and Society major who is interested in journalism, and a strong background of American history and government along with governments of foreign nations helps a lot.

Junior Year Classes:
AP American History (Double Period)
AP United States Government (1st term)
Constitutional Law (2nd term)
Senior Year Classes:
Criminal Procedure or Civil Law (interchangeable terms)
Forensic Criminology
Criminal Law or Ethics (interchangeable terms)



Two years ago when I picked the Law and Society major, I picked Law and Society for two reasons: I hated math and science and I was scared of a certain teacher teaching AP US History. As a student who was never proficient in sciences or enjoyed math, I was left with two out of fifteen majors to choose from. That certainly narrowed down my choices. It became choosing between Law and Society and Social Science Research. In the end I chose the major with the most ideal classes for someone who wanted to be in Journalism, and I’ve been happy with Law and Society since.



It’s almost unanimously agreed with all Law and Society students: Junior year is the bulk of the work load and Senior year is smooth sailings. With two AP exams to prepare for in Junior year, the task can be difficult. I recommend you get an AP book early on. As a student who got away with never studying for tests, junior year whipped me into shape. The classes are nearly impossible to pass without studying, and difficult even with studying. The amount of homework you will get varies with each teacher, but one thing the classes all have in common is that the tests are always difficult. But they prepared me well for college, and they’ll prepare you well too.



The majority of the projects are reports and abstracts on current events and court cases. It’s a lot of reading, but you learn a lot, like why you can’t scream “fire” in an airport or why it’s perfectly legal to burn an American flag in the United States.



Forensics Science is an extremely interesting class. This class is a combination of biology, chemistry and physics, and I thought from the beginning that I would hate it. We’ve learned about how evidence should be collected, how to identify finger prints, difference in bone structures between men and women, and blood spatter. By the end of the first semester, you’ll have learned so much about forensic science that you could probably cover up a murder.



The students in Law and Society have made the experience much better. They are all driven and motivated, and what separates us from other majors is the great sense of community and pride we have in our major. The Facebook group “Compare” has supported our students in times of tests and projects, and our students are always willing to help each other out.



One thing that’s almost as good as the students in Law and Society are the teachers. All the teachers are well qualified for their positions, and always willing to help with your class work. Class discussion of current events are always interesting and engaging, you learn something new every day.

In a nutshell, the Law and Society major is a lot of work, even if you are willing to work hard, but in the end you get a lot more than you give. Not to mention Senior Year is pretty easy. Most importantly, Have fun with your last two years in Tech, no matter what major you picked!

This year, the Chemistry Major photo in the yearbook consists of every student in the major participating in a group shot as the color spectrum. The idea was proposed by several students, organized by Mandy Wong, and every student in the major participated. Say what you will about the major but in the last couple years we have become a close-knit family.

Junior Year Classes:

AP Chemistry

Students in the chemistry major begin by taking a double-period Advanced Placement Chemistry course. AP Chemistry is just as difficult as it is different from Regents Chemistry. The course was different because it required more memorizing than it does with understanding the material. It also went more in-depth, which increased the difficulty of the course.

Senior Year Classes:

Forensic Quantatative Analysis

Forensic Quantatative Analysis, or “Quant”, sounds intimidating but in actuality is a relatively simple course. One of the most difficult parts of the course is the laboratory notebook which must be updated regularly and efficiently. The other difficult part of the class is the experiments because the percentage of error must be below a certain percent in order to be considered successful. “Quant” is hands-on and allows for the opportunity to use apparatuses that you would not normally be able to use in a Regents Chemistry or AP Chemistry lab class.

Modern Instrumental Chemical Analysis

In Modern Instrumental Chemical Analysis, or “MICA”, you will learn how to identify substances based on a set of spectra given to you (think of how the people on C.S.I. determine what a particular substance found at a crime scene is).

Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry is an unconventional course in that you will not be learning directly but instead through group presentations that are formatted as lessons. Each group must be adept in their assigned topics and must lead a lesson on it. In Organic Chemistry, you will learn the fundamentals, ranging from naming compounds to understanding how they apply to real life.

Writer’s Perspective:
I am well aware that the chemistry major has the stereotype of being the “slacker” major. This may be because all the seniors are seen hanging around outside the laboratory rooms on senior pride days. It may be due to the reputations (which are generally untrue) of the students in the major. I can assure you, however, that the majority are the most hard-working students (teachers make sure we finish our work before we can go into the hallway).
As Ms. Schiff says, “Every year I see that, due to their experiences in ‘chem major’, ‘chem’ seniors have the most spirit and love for their major.”
“The ‘chem’ major breeds the kind of spirit that you can hold onto for 13 years and counting!”

Brooklyn Tech’s Bio-Medical program consists of two majors: Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering. Biological Sciences is ideal for students who aspire to obtain a career in healthcare such as becoming a doctor, pharmacist, nurse, etc. Biomedical Engineering exposes students to biology based engineering while also maintaining the essential courses needed to excel in a path toward a healthcare career. Sophomores who have excelled and developed an interest in science courses (biology, chemistry, and physics) during their first two years of high school will find the Bio-Med program to be a very suitable and rewarding experience.

Junior Year Classes:

AP Biology
AP Biology is a rigorous course that ends with the AP Biology exam in May. Because it is a college level course and because it is a double period class, a student’s AP Bio grade will be inflated by 10% and counted twice in the report card/transcript. Most of the work that is done in class will consist of note-taking based on lectures from the teacher and tests that are reflective of what is learned in class. Topics in lectures range from biochemistry to molecular genetics and even human anatomy. However, projects may also be given in order to bring biology to life and to show that it is not just words in a textbook. Projects include the creation of posters, newspapers, comics, and websites that all relate to biology lessons learned in class. AP Bio also has a lab component in which students are required to perform hands on experiments that deal with biology material learned in class. Some examples of labs performed include plant pigment chromatography, pea respiration, and population equilibrium tests. Students can expect to have two to three exams every marking period that are based on lectures classroom lectures and notes as well as readings at home. While there is not a large amount of written homework given, it is necessary for students to read the textbook daily in order to succeed on exams.

Senior Year Classes:

Genetics
Genetics class is mostly note-taking but also consists of many arts and crafts projects such as cutting, coloring and constructing a DNA molecule and using pipe cleaners to document each phase of cell division. While these projects may not seem like work that is suitable for high school seniors, they are actually very helpful in understanding how molecules look like and how biological processes function. Genetics does not have nearly as much note-taking as AP Bio, however it is still necessary to study classroom notes everyday in order to succeed as the exams are very tricky and test a student’s knowledge of genetics concepts in great detail. A research paper will be given during the first term in which students will have to read, annotate, and paraphrase three primary source articles and then write a report on a genetics concept.

Human Anatomy
Most work done in Anatomy will be projects that relate to a certain organ system of the human body. For example, a clay model of the skin was built in order to learn about structures of the integumentary system, and a life-size drawing of a classmate’s body with muscles labeled in the correct areas was done in order to learn muscle locations in the muscular system. At times, the teacher will give powerpoint lectures on the body system but note-taking in this class is far less than the previous two Bio-Med classes mentioned. Homework mainly consists of finishing up projects that you did not finish in class and answering a textbook questions.

PLTW Biotechnical Engineering (Bio Medical Engineering)
Biotech is a class that is very similar to Anatomy. In this class, many anatomy concepts will be applied such as knee, hip, and spine structures but there will also be an extended exploration of topics outside of anatomy such as the history of biotechnology, bioethics, biotechnology and finance, and biomedical engineering. This class is made up of individual and group projects. For example, a timeline of major events that occurred in biotechnology was created and placed around the entire classroom so students can reference when a specific event occurred. The investment of stocks of biotechnology companies via smartstocks.com allowed students to learn how current events can affect the performance of biotech companies in the stock market.

Organic Chemistry (Biological Sciences)
Organic Chemistry is a class where students will need to utilize their chemistry skills from sophomore year. It is a class that is heavily driven by lectures with several projects added in to bring life to organic chemistry. Memorization is a skill that is essential as the naming of many compounds through nomenclature will be on exams. Organic chemistry is well known to be a great obstacle for a college pre-med student in college. By taking organic chemistry in high school it will become significantly easier in college.

Writer’s Perspective:
I chose Bio-Med because when I completed my first three terms of high school because I was interest in biology and chemistry. Even at the start of junior year, I had no idea what career I wanted to pursue. After taking multiple Bio-Med courses, I knew that a career related to science and healthcare would be the right career for me. Bio-Med has given me many opportunities to study biology in great detail and I am sure that my participation in this program at Brooklyn Tech was the correct first step on my journey to becoming a doctor.

High school students may be glad that they are finally seniors but the title of seniority comes with a price, literally. Senior year is dominated by college applications, school trips, dances and spending time with your fellow classmates but all these activities go back to one thing – money.

Put the optional trips and dances on the side for now. Lets focus on the most popular senior payments: Senior Dues and College Applications.

If you want to go to graduation, you will have to pay senior dues. With two packages ranging from 110 dollars to 180 dollars, they hold the key to you walking across the stage on the 27th of June.

Much criticism arose after seniors received their Senior Information Night booklets back in October. While December seemed so far away, as the date neared for the first deadline of senior dues (without a late fee), many seniors noticed the lack of variety in packages. Looking between the 110 dollar and 180 dollar package, only a yearbook and senior DVD separated them.

Students pointed out the waste in packages with items that they classified as “optional memorabilia.”

With payments for senior events such as Masquerade Ball and the Senior Winter Trip occurring just a month earlier, students had to dig deep into their pockets (or their parents) or even delay payment till January with a 10 dollar late fee. The schedule of payments was only a few weeks before most college applications are due.

More than 90 percent of seniors look to go to college in 2011. College applications are 50 plus dollars a school with an average senior applying to seven to eight schools. Do the math yourself, it’s expensive.

Although Senior Student Government can argue that the payments will not be dragged onto second term, students only see the short term burden. With senior dues and college applications occurring during the festive month of December, how many families are able to afford these expenses?

Lets end on a positive note. The senior spring trip is to Disney World & Universal Studios in Florida and it will only cost 690 dollars!*

*Payments start in January!

For freshmen, sophomores and juniors, we have come to a point in the school year where we will have to select our classes for the following year. To aid us with our selection, Brooklyn Tech has created an online database system called Daedalus for students to use. Although not luxurious in design, Daedalus keep tracks of one’s transcript, one’s report card grades, one’s attendance and allows oneself to sign up for classes. However it is not important to know how you sign up for these classes, it is important to know what situation you are getting yourself into when you get into these classes. In an academically rigorous school like Brooklyn Tech, everyone wants to boast about what advanced classes they’re in, but how many of these people know what they are getting themselves into?

Advanced Placement classes are considered the most difficult courses offered in high school. These classes allow for high school students to experience what a college class is like before they take it in college. Aside from this what is another reason that so many students apply for such classes? Well colleges like to see it on one’s transcript- well at least that is what most students think! Students tend to think that taking a AP course will prepare them for a college course. No. In fact, it will make you look like you’re ready for a college course. When in reality the AP course is nothing like the college course. But don’t get me wrong, I believe AP courses are a good thing, but just keep in mind the situation you are getting yourself into when you apply and assess how many of these courses you can actually juggle. Hopefully this article will make you ask yourself “How many is too many?”

Taking a AP class will not be as simple as signing up for it. With a click of a mouse, you can sign up for an AP class but only with studying and hard work will one do well in such a class. These classes are designed for people who are ready and interested in the next level of education. Expect stacks of homework each night and constant quizzing and testing. So with this in mind, imagine a person who applies for 3 or even 4 of these Advanced Placement classes. Then top off those courses with possible extracurricular activities, social time with friends and SAT preparation- you will have a vision of a dreadful school year.

One mistake I see frequently among sophomores applying for junior year classes is that sophomores forget about other junior year responsibilities and overload themselves with classes. Junior year is the introductory year of your Brooklyn Tech major which may already offer Advanced Placement classes. In addition to these major classes, the AP English course is available as well, along with a AP Math class such as Calculus AB and AP American History. Some incoming juniors will apply for ALL of these classes on top of their major. BUT WAIT! Don’t must juniors also take the SATs? They do! So add the SATs to the mountain of work that one will receive from their AP courses.

I personally have friends that have 3 and even 4 AP class, and they are deprived of sleep. I either see them sleep in the late night or in the early mornings. They give up on extracurricular activities and as well as their social time. Now think, Is it really worth sacrificing your health for these colleges that don’t even know your name yet? No it is not. Personally I do not believe anything over 2 Advanced Placement classes a year is safe for any person’s health. Advanced Placement classes should be courses that interest you; not classes that you think will make colleges like you. In reality, if you are not interested in the course, you will burn out before the finish line. So think your decisions though. Do not be afraid to revise your Daedalus selections. My only hope is that I have made you more aware.

Now the organization is currently in Oklahoma city with hundreds of people in order to rally and hold out against the OK Senator Coburn. Senator Coburn is currently attempting to kill the bill. The organization attempts to sit out near Coburn’s office until Coburn says yes.

Petition link: http://www.coburnsayyes.com/
Information about the bill: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1067
Website: http://www.invisiblechildren.com

Jummah is an Arabic word which translates means gathering. “Jummah is a gathering where we renew and strengthen our faith, become better Muslims and connect with friends who we don’t see every day, It’s a spiritual event,” says Elsaid Salem ‘10, co president of MSA and Jummah.

What exactly is Jummah? Jummah in Islam is the Friday prayer which takes place in a congregation, similar to going to Church on Sundays. Muslims perform ablution, gather in rows of straight lines and wait patiently for the sermon.

After the call to prayer, one of the presidents, Sire Bah or Elsaid Salem delivers the khutbah, or sermon. The sermon is relevant to Muslim kids at Tech as it offers moral and religious motivation to be good people, to try and be the best you can be as well as teaching fundamentals of faith. After the sermon is done, the prayer commences.

Why does Tech need to have a Jummah? “We need Jummah because it is an obligation for Muslims to pray the Friday prayer. We need to build a connection with God and the Muslim community here at Tech. Meeting once a week to learn about our religion and to pray to our God is beneficial for us spiritually, mentally, and socially” says Sire Bah ‘10, the other co president of MSA and Jummah.

Jummah is a Friday prayer in which Muslim students at Tech gather to pray the weekly Friday prayer. In addition to meeting up with friends, Muslims find a time to fulfill religious obligations as well as learning to become better human beings. But the best part is that they get credits for it too. If you’re interested in joining Jummah, come to room 4N4 on Fridays after 9th period.