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| SCC respiratory therapy program coordinator Samantha Campbell (second from left) and instructor Brent Holland (right) stand beside this year’s Sputum Bowl champions from Southwestern Community College. Team members are, from left: Matt Hixon of Candler, Jay Cleary of Waynesville, Kasey Wilson of Cullowhee and Chase Souza of Asheville. |
Even if Southwestern Community College’s second-year respiratory therapy students wanted to forget what their predecessors accomplished in quiz bowl competitions, their efforts would have been futile.
Reminders were everywhere - in their classrooms and even at the statewide “Sputum Bowl” last week in Wilmington.
“We went into it feeling quite a bit of pressure just because last year’s team did so well,” said Matt Hixon of Candler, referring to the SCC squad that won the state contest and placed fourth at the national event in Las Vegas.
“Even teams from the other schools were coming over and grilling us on how we prepared,” said SCC student Chase Souza, who’s from Asheville. “They all had us like we were on Mount Olympus or something.”
With good reason, it turns out.
This year’s team carried on what is becoming a tradition by defending Southwestern’s state title and advancing to the national competition, which is scheduled for next month in Tampa, Fla. Other team members include Jay Cleary of Waynesville and Kasey Wilson of Cullowhee.
Their instructors are program coordinator Samantha Campbell and Brent Holland.
“Our students did an excellent job, and we are extremely proud of them,” Holland said. “This team is motivated to prove it’s as good or better than last year’s team. Last year’s team won in spite of not having as much study time. I have to give this team so much credit for their commitment. There have been so many mornings they’ve met me here at6:30 to study and prepare.”
Cleary said he and his teammates weren’t just inspired by last year’s winners; they also got some tips from their former classmates.
“We felt like we needed to live up to the standard they set,” Cleary said. “They gave us a heads-up on studying as much as you can. They also emphasized buzzer speed. You’ve got to hit that buzzer fast because it gives you time to formulate your answer.”
The team had its own cheering section as all first- and second-year students in the respiratory therapy program made the trip.
Another group of second-year students (Natalie Kerr of Leicester, Brooke Fountain of Sylva, Morgan Henry of Franklin and Josh Wilson of Waynesville) from SCC also competed and drew high praise from the eventual champions.
“Our other SCC team was our toughest competition,” Kasey Wilson said as her teammates nodded.
As this year’s squad prepares for the national quiz bowl, the achievements of last year’s team won’t stray far from their minds.
“Last year’s team brought a lot of prestige to our program,” Hixon said. “We want to try and live up to what they’ve done and one-up them if possible.
“Most important thing, though, is we want to thank our instructors,” Hixon added. “All praise for this should go to them.”
The team is accepting donations at https://www.gofundme.com/2e6e8jy8 to assist with travel expenses for the trip to the national competition.
Southwestern, which WalletHub ranks among the Top 10 community colleges in the nation, serves Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary. For more information about SCC and the programs it offers, visit www.southwesterncc.edu or call 828.339.4000.
