This year, Missouri Southern’s Respiratory Club has made nationals.

The team that made it to nationals consists of four respiratory therapy majors: juniors Devin Hurn, Cory Brewer, Kristi Howard and sophomore Leona Robinson.

The respiratory therapy program director, Glenda Pippin is also going along.

“Going to nationals is a great experience for the students,” Pippin said. “They get to meet other students and respiratory therapists around the country. This might be their only chance to go to nationals as students.”

Nationals will be held in San Antonio on Dec. 3-6.

This is the club’s eighth year to make it to nationals.

However, for the team members, it is their first time to go to nationals.

“I’m just glad we won at the state level,” Brewer said.

The tension was also on before the team won the state competition.

“Since this is the eighth year to make nationals, it feels like the teachers have put a lot of pressure on us to win at the state level,” Hurn said.

The team will begin the road toward winning nationals soon.

“We have not started preparing yet, but soon we will start studying and quizzing each other,” he said.

The teams at nationals are made up of students.

“We’re hoping that since the team is up against other students, that the team will do well at nationals this year,” Pippin said.

The Respiratory Club picks the teams to represent itself at competitions.

The club took two teams to the state conference at Tantara Resort in Osage Beach. Both teams made finals, but they played each other in the first round.

Overall, the Southern teams placed first and third. Cape Girardeau came in second place.

“We are all looking forward to attending nationals this year. There are a lot of teams there and it’s a big deal,” Brewer said.

There are around 40 students in the Respiratory Club. To be in the club, you must be a respiratory therapist major, minor or enthusiast.

So far this year, though, the club is made up of just the respiratory therapy class.

A few organizations are helping the team raise money in order to go to nationals.

The Missouri Society for Residential Care has provided some funding.

The clinical sites the class helps with have also donated money. Franklin Technology Center has also donated some money to help assist the club.

A respiratory therapist’s job is to help care for people with such things as asthma, bronchitis, obstructive sleep apnea, lung injuries and many other breathing-related disorders.

They are professionals working under a doctor’s direction in order to help care for and treat one’s lungs.