Southwest Academic Conference
The Southwest Academic Conference (SWAC) is a quiz bowl conference in Southwest Virginia.
It began with meetings between the Superintendents of schools in Smyth County, Washington County, and Bristol in December 1986 to propose the formation of a league to allow students to participate in academic competitions. This idea was presented to the principals of the schools in the Spring of 1987 and the name Southwest Academic Conference (SWAC) was chosen.[1]
The schools involved are Abingdon High School, John S. Battle High School, Chilhowie High School, Holston High School, Marion Senior High School, Northwood High School, Patrick Henry High School, Virginia High School.
Competition
The schools have teams for the content areas of English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. The English team has an approved reading list each season focusing on selected plays, novels, short stories, nonfiction, and poetry as well as specific terminology. The Math team focuses on studies from Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Trigonometry. The science team focuses on the studies of physical science, earth science, biology, and chemistry. The social studies questions involve treaties, US Supreme Court cases, legislation, geography, and history. In addition to the content area specific teams, there is an All-Around team which focuses on information regarding art and architecture, performing arts (dance, theater, music), philosophy, religion, world literature (including mythology), math (including the history of math), science (physical science, earth science, biology, chemistry, psychology), and social studies (US history and world history, sociology, anthropology. Schools generally compete twice per week on Monday and Thursday with four schools hosting the competitions and four schools traveling to the school against which they are competing. For 2008, the order of competition is social studies, all around, English, math, science.
The teams compete with four players each. The first round in all areas but math has 10 directed questions for each team where the emcee asks each team a question and allows them to answer, however if the team misses the other team gets an opportunity to answer the question. The math team's directed round has 10 directed questions and both teams are allowed to answer by writing the answer on a piece of paper which the emcee collects at the end of the time allowed to answer. All categories have a second round made up of ten toss-up questions where players from either team may ring in to answer. If a player rings in before the emcee says "Begin" and answers incorrectly, there is a 2-point penalty and the question is read in its entirety for the other school. Each correct answer in both rounds is worth five points.
Championships
English:
- 2009: Chilhowie High
- 2008: Holston High
- 2007: Holston High
- 2006: Northwood High
- 2005: Patrick Henry High
- 2004: Northwood High
- 2003: Patrick Henry High
- 2002: Holston High
- 2001: John S. Battle High
Math:
- 2009: Abingdon High
- 2008: Abingdon High
- 2007: Virginia High
- 2006: Virginia High
- 2005: Virginia High
- 2004: Marion High
- 2003: Marion High
- 2002: Marion High
- 2001: Marion High
- 2000: Abingdon High
- 1999: Abingdon High
- 1998: Abingdon High
- 1997: Abingdon High
- 1996: Abingdon High
Science:
- 2009: Virginia High
- 2008: Marion High
- 2007: Abingdon High
- 2006: Virginia High
- 2005: Abingdon High
- 2004: Virginia High
- 2003: Virginia High
- 2002: Abingdon High
- 2001: Marion High
Social Studies:
- 2009: Abingdon High
- 2008: Patrick Henry High
- 2007: Patrick Henry High
- 2006: Northwood High
- 2005: Northwood High
- 2004: Northwood High
- 2003: Northwood High
- 2002: Abingdon High
- 2001: Virginia High
All Around:
- 2009: Marion High
- 2008: Holston High
- 2007: Holston High
- 2006: Northwood High
- 2005: Marion High
- 2004: Marion High
- 2003: Marion High
- 2002: Marion High
- 2001: Abingdon High