The annual NHS blood drive occurred on November 16th, right outside of the Haben Center. Memorial Blood Centers of Minnesota, which has partnered with BSM for nearly 25 years, along with Mr. Rob Epler, the NHS advisor, organized the blood drive.

Mr. Epler had help from NHS members Sarah Portz ’22, Lauren Alinder ‘22, Clare Meyer ‘22, Lilia Johnson ‘23, Avery Hawkinson ‘23, and Samantha Steinsland ‘23. These NHS members manned the sign in table which consisted of checking people in, and also watching people after they donated blood for ten minutes to make sure that they were feeling good enough to go back to class.

With a combination of faculty, staff, and students donating, the blood drive was a huge success. You must be 17 years old or older to donate blood, or 16 with parental authorization. There are also a number of stringent conditions that may prevent a potential donor from donating blood, such as the fact that the donor must not be taking antibiotics or other specified medications. Despite the fact that many BSM students are unable to donate, the turnout is consistently high each semester.

This year BSM collected 44 units of blood: 42 units of whole blood, plus two double-red donations. The double-red donations take twice as long, so not as many students typically choose to donate double-red blood.

The blood donated by BSM students will help save lives. In the medical world, there is always a need for donated blood, and the blood that BSM students donate could aid those with sickle-cell anemia or who are undergoing heart surgery. If you didn’t donate blood this year, think about donating blood next year or spreading the word to your friends.