Congratulations to Asher Finkelstein upon being named a National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist. About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, the PSAT's. There are only 16,000 semi-finalists and they now have the opportunity to continue in the Merit Scholarship competition in the hope of advancing to finalist standing. This places Asher among the top 2% of all of last years' PSAT test takers, and we are optimistic that he will advance to Finalist status in the Spring.

Congratulations are also due to the students pictured above, Yitzchak Fishbach, Yisrael Friedenberg, Zvi Goldstein, David Orlow and Yehuda Tager, upon being named Commended Students in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program.  About 34,000 Commended Students nationwide are being recognized for their academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2015 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2015 competition by taking the 2013 PSAT Qualifying Exam.

This past Monday, the YUHSB Debate Team was privileged to be visited by Mr. Michael Wildes, a world renowned immigration lawyer and professor. Mr. Wildes is a former policeman, mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, and employee of the United States Attorney's Office, who currently practices in an immigration law firm founded by his father in New York City. He is also an adjunct professor at Yeshiva University's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

 

Mr. Wildes honored Yeshiva University High School's Debate Team with a lecture regarding immigration reform and politics in light of this year's "Great Debate" topic: "The United States should create a path to citizenship for most undocumented aliens." Debate team members will argue the pros and cons of this statement in November.

 

Mr. Wildes expanded his lecture to include opinions and objections of the present students and to allow for diverse branches of discussion which he stimulated, supported, and sometimes refuted. Being an expert in the field, Mr. Wildes delivered a comprehensive message regarding immigration, encompassing immediate and future concerns, economic, social, and moral consequences, political vantage points, statistical analyses, and personal relationships. Furthermore, Mr. Wildes was effective in providing palpable material to students through tales of his own experiences in the field of immigration and related historical phenomena. In particular, Mr. Wildes provided the very interesting theme of juxtaposing modern immigration in America today with similar occurrences in Jewish history, such as in the formation of the Jewish State of Israel, along with personal insights. His valued input has helped enlighten the Debate Team with useful information, ideas, and aspects that will surely be taken advantage of in the Great Debate.

The YUHSB Debate Team would like to thank Mr. Wildes for his time, effort, and positive impact this Monday.