students seated behind tables draped with plastic tablecloths. One standing, hand on hip

Woman leaning over speaking with students, background of other students,tables,window, television,

On Thursday, Jan. 26, students in Mrs. Ruff's AP Global History class squared off in a good-natured, but spirited, three-way debate.

The debate was the culmination of their study of the world's three major socio-economic systems—capitalism, communism, and socialism. Using what they had learned exploring and writing research papers on the topic, students argued why one system would be the best choice in an imaginary situation.

The scenario

As the leader of a former European colony, newly elected Xanadu president Christine Ruff needs economic guidance. She faces huge challenges. Xanadu has no experience with democracy. The majority of citizens are illiterate with few technological skills. The company lacks physical and technical infrastructure. Xanadu is not without hope. Residents share a strong sense of national pride following their new independence. And the country is rich in national resources, especially oil.  Using oil as the foundation, she wants to build a strong economy to elevate Xanadu's standard of living and to ensure its long-term success.  Mrs. Ruff has gathered three teams of advisors and instructed each team to explore capitalism, communism, or socialism. They have gathered to present their findings and to argue the merits of their model and the shortcomings of the other two. The outcome will help mold Xanadu's future.

students clustered around laptop, student writing

The debate

 Each team of seven sophomores was determined to convince President Ruff to adopt their economic model to grow the Xanadu economy.

To insure her impartiality, Mrs. Ruff brought in members of Xanadu's executive cabinet—superintendent Jeremy Rich, assistant superintendent Alaine Canestrari, human resources director Sally Kramas, CVA principal Dick Keeler, CVA assistant principal Danielle Hess, teachers Tim Lawrence and Steve Inzer, and aide Pat Kelly. The cabinet judged each team in five areas

  • Opening statements,
  • Two questions asked of other teams, 
  • Answers given to questions,
  • Historical examples that support their presentation, and
  • Closing statement

The outcome

After all scores were tallied, the results were:

  • Capitalists = 213
  • Socialists = 185
  • Communists = 208

There were no losers. At the conclusion, debaters, judges, and guests enjoyed desserts from around the world such as Bavarian black forest torte, Italian cannoli, Alsace apple cake and New York cheesecake.

The class

The class title AP World History is somewhat misleading. The class offers more than a chance to sit for the Advanced Placement exam. This is a Regents class and offers the option of taking it as a College Now course.

Afterward, several students quietly noted that although the class required a great deal of work, they felt it was worth it.

seated students, two standing, talking, wall of windows in background