#MNPSVoices: Courtney Shultz And Damon Ray, Hume-Fogg Debate Coaches

From the Metro Nashville Public Schools:

October 28, 2020

#MNPSVoices: Courtney Shultz and Damon Ray, Hume-Fogg Debate Coaches

MNPS students could probably teach America’s leading politicians a thing or two about how to debate.

On October 22, millions of viewers tuned in to the final 2020 presidential debate held in Nashville at Belmont University, an institution that welcomes many MNPS graduates for their post-secondary careers. Hosting the debate in Nashville allowed our young residents to feel more involved, and a few students even had the opportunity to visit the debate site in person earlier in the week.

Two of those students were from Hume-Fogg Magnet High School, which has one of the district’s many award-winning debate teams. The students earned the once-in-a-lifetime experience by winning or placing in the presidential debate essay contest sponsored by MNPS and Belmont.

But, the debate team coaches say these students would be interested in the debates no matter where they were held.

“Many Hume-Fogg students are interested in the political process, and some even volunteer for local campaigns. I think they know that the presidential debates are somewhat of a spectacle, but they also are thinking critically about our country’s election process,” debate coach Courtney Shultz said. “Our students are aware and are invested in the results of the election regardless of where the last debate is held.”

Shultz and Damon Ray are English teachers at Hume-Fogg who also serve as the school’s debate team coaches. Ray’s debate career started when he was unknowingly volunteered by his former principal, but thanks to that push, he discovered his love for the club and the opportunity it gave him to learn. Ray thought his coworker would feel the same way, so he invited Shultz to help him coach — and she was equally fascinated with the ideas being explored through the art of debate.

“It is incredible to watch teenagers invest their time and effort delving into policy research and creating complex arguments that rely on logic, critical theory, and knowledge of current events,” Shultz said. “And, as a bonus, I can learn alongside our students and have become much more informed about these topics, too!”

“You watch them come around to it,” Ray said. “After every round, they learn a little more about the sport and themselves. It’s a genuine thrill to see who these young people become by their senior year. The confidence, the self-awareness, the knowledge. It’s amazing how far they come over throughout their high school debate careers.”

The Hume-Fogg debate team is taught to respect their opponents and to keep a cool head — sometimes the opposite of what is represented on the national debate stage. The boxing match style in televised debates, the lack of listening, constant interruptions, and opponents failing to cite sources are all shown to students as what not to do.

But even though many high-profile debates may not be good technical examples, both teachers know that being able to debate is a privilege.

“What’s far more important though is that debate, as an exercise, allows for an intellectual exchange of ideas that begs one to consider, or reconsider, the lens through which one sees the world. It’s the bedrock of democracy,” Ray said. “If we don’t allow debate, however farcical it looks on television, then we lose what makes America exist.”

Just as Ray and Shultz encourage their students to be understanding and respectful of their opponents’ preparation, during virtual learning the English teachers extend flexibility that demonstrates respect for their students’ new situations.

“I think students appreciate and respect teachers who are honest about their own learning process, and we’re all learning right now,” Shultz said.

Shultz has learned to step up her cooking game during quarantine, and Ray has taken time to connect with the green spaces of Nashville. While being more flexible with themselves and their students, the coaches still work to engage students in a new way.

But they look forward to when students can be a part of the debate team in person again – and enjoy the growth it encourages and inspires.

“I always tell debaters and their families that colleges love debaters because they know right off the bat that you can read critically, make connections, and communicate, and you can do all that quickly and efficiently,” Ray said. “Honestly, I can’t think of a better set of skills in the 21st century.”

This press release was produced by the Metro Nashville Public Schools. The views expressed are the author's own.