Saint Mary’s Hall Form 11 students set the stage for challenging and important conversations as students, faculty, and guest speakers gathered for our 33rd Annual Issues Day on Thursday, February 27, 2025. This annual tradition, hosted by our Form 11 Issues Day Committee, demonstrates our School’s commitment to fostering a dynamic learning community, openness to viewpoint diversity, and a desire to seek understanding about today’s most important issues.
This year’s Essential Question, “What are the most effective and humane strategies for managing immigration at the southern US border while ensuring national security and upholding human rights?” sparked meaningful discussions and thoughtful reflections.
The day began with a moderated panel discussion led by moderator Dr. K. Jill Fleuriet, Vice Provost for Honors Education and Professor of Anthropology at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Fleuriet emphasized the importance of civil discourse and understanding different perspectives, and presented our community guidelines for discussion:
Allow time for reflection on what previous speakers have said before responding.
Listen with an open mind for content in the statements of others, even if you disagree.
Ask clarifying questions to understand different perspectives.
Differentiate between facts and opinions. Both are valid when expressed appropriately.
Identify and call attention to areas of agreement and common ground.
After the panel discussion, students participated in breakout sessions focusing on different strands of inquiry: economics, security, legal/political, human rights, socio-cultural, and health. These sessions allowed for in-depth discussions and the opportunity to ask the delegates clarifying questions to understand different perspectives.
The day concluded with a plenary session where students were able to present their questions to the entire panel, leaving with new perspectives and a deeper appreciation for the complexities of this important issue.
We are grateful to the Issues Day student Committee (Myles Baumholtz ‘26, Sohan Bhakta ‘26, Luke Garcia ‘26, Jackson Hill ‘26, Jay Huang ‘26, and Harini Logan ’26), Middle and Upper School Librarian Gerri Walls, our distinguished moderator and speakers, and the other faculty and staff members who made this important day possible.
PANELISTS:
- Moderator Dr. K. Jill Fleuriet – Professor, Department of Anthropology; Vice Provost for Honors Education, the University of Texas at San Antonio
- Cynthia Maldonado, Attorney and Founder, Maldonado Legal
- Matthew Reichle – Retired, formerly U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Coast Guard
- Dr. Fernando Riosmena – Professor, Sociology & Demography; Director of the Institute on Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio
- John Phillip Santos – Professor of Borderlands Humanities & Creative Non-Fiction, The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Dr. Rene Zenteno – Professor, Sociology & Demography, The University of Texas at San Antonio
