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| Instructors and students in SCC’s respiratory therapy program who placed fourth at a national quiz bowl contest last month in Tampa, Fla., are, from left: clinical coordinator Brent Holland; students Jay Cleary of Waynesville, Kasey Wilson of Cullowhee, Matt Hixon of Candler and Chase Souza of Waynesville; and program coordinator Samantha Campbell (right front). |
For months, members of Southwestern Community College’s respiratory therapy quiz team spent countless hours preparing for the state and national “Sputum Bowl” contests.
The second-year students studied late at night. They woke up early for several group study sessions. They practiced against classmates. They soaked up every tidbit of advice offered by second-year SCC instructors Samantha Campbell and Brent Holland.
When the hard questions were asked under the high pressure and bright lights of the national competition last month in Tampa, Fla., all that hard work and preparation paid off.
SCC’s team, which won the North Carolina title in October, overcame a first-round defeat to win six consecutive matches in the double-elimination event and ultimately placed fourth in the 25-team field from Nov. 7-9.
It was the second straight year Southwestern finished fourth at the American Association for Respiratory Care’s Sputum Bowl. Some of the teams they competed against included graduates who are in their first year as practicioners in the field.”
“Every game was so intense – it was crazy,” said SCC team member Matt Hixon of Candler. “I’m really proud of our team; we hung in there and kept winning.”
Hixon’s teammates were Jay Cleary of Waynesvile, Chase Souza of Asheville and Kasey Wilson of Cullowhee.
After dropping the opening-round contest to a team from Texas, SCC beat squads from Colorado, Illinois and Wisconsin. In the semifinals, SCC lost to eventual-champ PIMA Las Vegas (Nevada) by a single question.
Mitch Fischer, dean of SCC’s health sciences division, previously served as the college’s respiratory therapy program coordinator and has been particularly impressed by the impact of Campbell and Holland on current students.
"Both Samantha Campbell and Brent Holland are products of the SCC respiratory therapy program,” said Dr. Mitch Fischer, dean of health sciences at SCC. “Having two faculty who went through the program and realize how difficult this course of study can be is a major advantage to our students. Samantha and Brent have spent many hours of their own time getting students ready to win the state Sputum Bowl and to place fourth in the International Sputum Bowl. Now that these events are over they will be spending time getting students ready for the Gladiator Competition in February.”
Part of the SCC squad’s strategy was to split up areas of expertise among them so they’d have a “go-to” individual for every question.
“We had a great time,” Souza said. “It was very educational; we learned a lot. I can’t wait for next year when we can compete as practicioners.”
After winning the state contest, team members started a fund drive throughgofundme.com to cover travel expenses to the national competition. That effort alone raised $1,000 and left SCC’s students feeling humbled – especially when they looked through the list of donors.
In addition to SCC’s faculty and staff and representatives from the programs’ various clinical sites, members of the PIMA Medical Institute of Colorado team that won the 2014 National Sputum Bowl pitched in to help SCC’s squad made this year’s trip.
“Not only did we believe in ourselves, others did and wanted us to go,” Kasey Wilson said. “That meant a lot to us.”
Holland, who competed for SCC’s 2011 Sputum Bowl squad, said the fact people from other schools supported Southwestern’s students wasn’t surprising.
“We see the same group of people every year at these conferences, and we develop lifelong relationships,” Holland said. “It’s a close-knit profession.”
For more information about respiratory therapy or any of SCC’s programs, call 828.339.4000 or visit www.southwesterncc.edu.
