Blood drive promotes philanthropic motives
By Annie Guo, Reporter. Posted April 01, 2005.
Beginning Wednesday, members of Greek organizations will start competing in Greek Week which has been modified to encourage less focus on competition among houses and place a greater emphasis on service.
Events will be held to educate students about risks and safety precautions taken during the blood drive, one of the largest events during the span of April 16 to April 24. The blood drive will be held April 12-13, after an information session April 7 at the Hearnes Center.
The changes stem from an e-mail sent last year by Gamma Phi Beta sorority member Christie Key, who told her members to lie about getting tattoos and being sick when taking a health-related survey required of donors prior to giving blood.
One of the new criteria added to the point system is chapter education points, blood drive co-coordinator Justina Judy said.
“These points are earned by posting educational material we supply the different chapters for their members to see,” Judy stated in an e-mail. “The information includes iron-rich foods to eat, testimonials of blood beneficiaries, rules and guidelines for donating, etc.”
The information session also will review rules and explain some new Red Cross regulations. American Red Cross spokesman Jim Williams said donors don’t have to wait a year after getting a tattoo to give blood, and new travel rules also allow more people to donate.
“Most people deferred in the past can give again,” he said. “It was more difficult to give blood in the past, but now the rules are more flexible.”
Another Red Cross change this year is a mandatory questionnaire issued verbally, to prevent lying.
“This process is called Direct Oral Questioning,” Williams said. “Questions have been reorganized and similar questions grouped together to make it easier. It will be a longer process, but in the long run, it will be a better, more practical process.”
Houses participating in the drive receive points based on participation and the number of donors recruited. However, points will be determined based on how each house does individually and not in comparison to other houses.
To receive full points, an organization must have 80 percent of its membership attempt to give blood. The blood drive is worth 600 points of the total 3,000 possible points. The rules this year also require at least 40 percent of each triad to attend the informational meeting to receive full points.
“Yes, it’s a competition, but it’s a good thing,” Williams said. “Come in with the right motives.”
Blood drive co-coordinator Alisa Baker said the committee hopes to collect 4,000 units of blood, which would be an increase of 400 compared to last year’s collection.
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