Since 1978, the Sputum Bowl has been a key component in our annual Congress meetings. Teams from across the U.S. compete for the coveted prize, and, best of all, bragging rights. It’s fun to play, as well as watch and cheer on the teams—a highlight event for many attendees. In 2004, we made a change to our Bowl with the addition of the Student Division. While this division has exponentially grown in participation and excitement over the years, sadly, the Practitioner Division has seen a significant decline in participation. Therefore, in 2018, we are once again making a change to the Bowl: the discontinuation of the Practitioner Division.
In an effort to continue to enhance this growing category, the AARC Sputum Bowl Committee made a recommendation to the AARC Board to discontinue the Practitioner division. This decision comes after the Committee implemented a variety of creative efforts in attempt to increase Practitioner Division participation. As a result, the AARC Board voted to approve the Committee’s recommendation at their fall 2017 meeting, effective immediately. Beginning in 2018, the AARC Sputum Bowl will now consist of student teams only.
According to Renee Wunderley, BA, RRT, RRT-NPS , AARC Sputum Bowl committee chair, “This change, while disappointing, allows the committee to focus all of our efforts on building upon the competition which has widespread support from RT students around the country.”
Thomas Lamphere, BS, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RPFT, FAARC , 2018 AARC program committee chair, insists the Bowl isn’t going anywhere.
“We look forward to the future as our Sputum Bowl continues to remain a strong tradition and big part of the AARC Congress, and we are excited to see how the next round of students will perform,” Lamphere said.
The Sputum Bowl Committee is already working hard on preparations for the 2018 Sputum Bowl in Las Vegas, NV. More information and details will be posted on the Sputum Bowl information page, as they become available.
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
Heather Willden is the Director of Governance and Strategic Initiatives for the AARC where she works with state affiliates as the HOD liaison. She also manages DEI efforts and strategic initiatives. Connect with her about these topics by email, AARConnect or LinkedIn. When she's not working, you can find her podcasting with her husband, exploring new hiking trails, photographing, and spending time with her family.
