Competition spurs pursuit of the sciences

Students hypothesized, experimented, built, and tested designs at the 2014 Yeshiva Science Olympiad held at Touro College’s Lander College for Men (LCM) in Queens on March 23.

The event, sponsored by the Jewish Education Project (JEP), pitted 11 yeshivas from across New York and New Jersey against each other in a dozen events, from anatomy and physiology to technical problem solving to scrambler.

The competition tests students’ knowledge in an array of sciences, including biology, chemistry, environmental science, and physics, as well as various applications of engineering and technology.

“It was a really cool experience,” said Rachel Fried, a junior at Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Queens, who placed second in the chemistry lab event, which challenges students’ abilities to hypothesize, observe, experiment, and analyze data based on a chemistry experiment.

In another event, dubbed “Write It Do It,” one team member has 25 minutes to write a description of how to build an object, and another has 20 minutes to attempt to reconstruct the object based on the description provided by the other team member. “I really enjoyed ‘Write It Do It’ because it puts you in a real-life situation,” said Eytan Shamsian, a junior at the Livingston, N.J.-based Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School. “It improves your writing and communication skills.”

At the awards ceremony following the day’s competition , Dr. Ann Shinnar, the deputy chair of the chemistry department at LCM, thanked all of the participants, coaches, and judges. Dr. Irving Wiskowski, a professor emeritus of biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, spoke to the participants about pursuing a career in the sciences. “Jump in, enjoy it, and don’t be afraid,” he said. Riverdale-based Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy took first place overall in the competition. Teaneck, N.J.-based Torah Academy of Bergen County and Great Neck-based North Shore Hebrew Academy High School placed second and third, respectively.

Despite Davis Renov Stahler (DRS) Yeshiva High School sixth place finish, the team’s coach, Dr. Rosalie Peck, said the squad enjoyed the educational experience. “We had a great time,” she said.