Voters proudly wore stickers on Nov. 4, indicating that they had gone to the polls. Want another sticker? Donate blood on Nov. 12 in the Grewcock Student Union, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Red Cross blood drive occurs every semester, filling the union with tables, Red Cross personnel, and long lines of students awaiting their turn to donate. Most years, the Red Cross has eight hours to accept appointments and donations. This year, students must donate blood within a five-hour time frame. Less time means fewer appointments — and less blood.
“Our [donations] goal for the drive is a little lower because we know we’ll have less people,” junior Eli West, coordinator of the upcoming blood drive, said. “But it’ll be hard to walk away without 80-100 pints of blood.”
West said that Associate Dean of Men Jeffery Rogers is leading the men’s dormitories in a collaborative effort to organize the event. Delta Sigma Phi has long been involved with campus Red Cross blood drives in the past, but this semester it hosted a haunted house instead and will present the funds raised directly to the Red Cross. According to junior Paul Wendt, DSP chapter president, it will resume its direct role in organization next semester.
Rogers mentioned that Hillsdale blood drives often have excellent turnout.
“The proportion of students who give here, in comparison to larger state schools, is impressive,” Rogers said. “There are typically over a hundred students, staff, faculty that donate.”
One unit of blood can save three lives, according to Rogers. And every three seconds, someone needs blood.
“If everyone procrastinated [about giving blood] like Hillsdale students do on their papers, we’d have a lot of dead people,” Rogers said, laughing. “Somebody has to give. Why not let it be you?”
“Don’t be afraid to make an appointment,” West said, adding that information is readily available on the Red Cross website. “You’re saving a lot of lives by doing a simple thing.”
