While voters are voicing their choice for the 47th President of the United States, CSArts seniors stirred up drama and hilarity with their own presidential debaters. Seniors created their own political personalities and policies to duke it out for democracy in Mr. Skinner’s AP Government classes.
Students created their own politicians, including the candidates names, their assigned political parties, specific policies, and of course: personalities! Mr. Skinner’s classroom then turned into a debate stage with an energetic crowd eagerly awaiting punditry and passion. The candidates for block one were Hunter White, Larry Sanderson, Dakota Montgomery, and Ronnie Cash. A student said,
“It was really entertaining and nice to see everyone so engaged in the assignment,” one debate watcher said.
Instead of just reading about the political process, students participated in an activity focused on what it takes to win the White House. This year’s presidential race brought in some heavy endorsements from Taylor Swift to Beyonce. Students knew the importance of connecting with pop culture in order to win more votes, including which music to play at events.
“The crowds went wild for every person’s walk up songs. Each person’s song showed their personality and appealed to the audience differently and set the vibes before their speech,” a debate watcher said.
AP Government classes prepare students to be active citizens in The United States of America. Understanding the Constitution, the role and duty of the 3 branches of government, and the importance of a “Nation of Laws” is just part of the class. Pushing students to think deeply about policy and service through debate takes the students’ learning experience to a whole new level, not just preparing them on how to vote, but perhaps, how to serve as leaders in the future.
It was a memorable event for the seniors in AP Government. There are more debates and speeches to come!
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