海角视频

海角视频 hosted a blood drive February 14, encouraging the campus community to give the ultimate gift of love this Valentine鈥檚 Day. A steady stream of students, staff and faculty flowed through a mobile blood bank set up in a side room of the Dining Commons. PUC鈥檚 office of health services coordinates the quarterly event in conjunction with Blood Centres of the Pacific, a Bay Area blood bank.

According to Sandra Sargent, PUC鈥檚 health services director, the college has often been among the blood bank鈥檚 most productive collection sites. This quarter鈥檚 drive yielded 55 pints in one afternoon.

To help encourage blood donation, Blood Centres of the Pacific a offered donors a variety Valentine鈥檚 Day-themed prizes ranging from T-shirts emblazoned with hearts to discounts on dinner cruises on the San Francisco Bay. Furthermore, health and exercise science professor Elaine Neudeck offered extra credit points in her health class to students who donated blood.

But for many on campus, the extra incentives were not necessary. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice thing to do on Valentine鈥檚 Day,鈥� says senior Natalie Vigil, a veteran blood donor.

Senior Victor Henriquez, a nursing major, made his sixth donation, citing the influence of his mother, a frequent donor, and his father, who required a blood transfusion after a bicycle accident.

Of 81 people who volunteered to give blood, 26 were turned away, most because they did not meet height, weight or hemoglobin requirements. Freshman Ravee Reid, attempting to make her first donation, was disappointed to find her blood was just short of the required amount of iron. 鈥淕iving blood has been a goal of mine鈥攊t鈥檚 a good thing to do,鈥� she says. She hopes to try again with better results next time.

Sargent was pleased with the turnout at this quarter鈥檚 blood drive, and aims for an even higher goal next time鈥攔ecruiting 100 sign-ups. 鈥淭his saves lives,鈥� she says. 鈥淒oing the blood drive every quarter meets a very logical need, and puts a service opportunity in front of everyone on campus.鈥�