What would you do if you could save someone’s life? And what if all that was required to do so was to simply sit back, relax, and enjoy some cookies? We have all been told how you can save a life by donating blood, and how noble it is. And yet only about 3 percent of those who can donate blood actually do.
First, let’s start with the obvious reason of why one should donate blood, just to get everyone on the same page: it saves lives, you’ll be someone’s hero, your blood is priceless, the national blood supply is commonly three days from running out, blood is something we all have enough to spare, it’s easy and convenient to do (especially at RPI), and finally—the most important reason—you get free juice and cookies when it’s all over.
But now on to the more specialized reasons, which is of course the point of this article. First of all, for those who are weight conscious out there, after donating blood, you will weigh a pint of blood less than what you weighed before. Also, for those of you who may not know your blood type, this is a perfect opportunity to find out, in case you happen to need blood yourself in the future. During the process of donation, you will be able to find out your blood pressure, temperature, and iron level. It’s like having a free mini physical to help you manage your own health while benefiting the lives of others.
At the risk of being labeled a pervert, I also have to mention the part during the donation process in which the concerned area of the skin is swabbed with an antibacterial solution. It just so happens that this area, (the inner elbow zone) is an erogenous zone. And the very kind nurse is required to swab this area for a full 30 seconds. When I made my first blood donation, my nurse accidently swabbed improperly and she was forced to do it over again for another full 30 seconds … how wonderfully unfortunate.
So if you have been motivated to donate blood, either because or in spite of my unorthodox reasons to do so, please stop by the RPI Mueller Center on Wednesday, October 24 between 11:30 am and 5:30 pm and give a little bit of yourself back to the community. You’ll get free cookies, free stickers, free health info, and free pride. If you have a tight schedule, call 1-800-Give-Life or visit http://www.donatebloodnow.org to create a special appointment on the October 24 date, or any other time.
And since this is officially the College Democrats article, I feel obliged to say something political. “No blood for oil” seems befitting to this occasion. But no one ever said anything about “No blood for cookies.”
Editor’s Note: “The Elephant’s Peanut Gallery” and “Liberal Bias” run biweekly and are opinion columns granted by the Editorial Board to the College Republicans and the College Democrats.
