Besides the day-to-day bustle on Commonwealth Avenue, several things can hinder a BU student’s walk to class. The main one wears a red vest and carries a clipboard. Yes–it’s the Red Cross. Typically stationed in front of hotspots like Warren Towers and Marsh Plaza, the Red Cross representatives wait like predators for the unwary student to stray too close, caught off guard by their witty banter. Many students just keep walking and ignore them; some put in their headphones and pretend not to hear. Others are not so lucky.
Despite being inconvenient, they do work for a good cause. In fact, this past Tuesday the Red Cross held a blood drive open to all students in the GSU Alley. When I went to check it out and also donate, they had transformed part of the GSU basement into their very own blood drive center. They set up different stations, while passersby and those waiting to donate got to watch the donating process.
The atmosphere at the blood drive differed greatly from the unwanted pestering found on Comm. Ave. All of the Red Cross staff were extremely friendly and were there to make the process as quick and painless as possible. Instead of wanting to run away, everyone there seemed to feel comforted and at ease.
Prospective donors must meet several requirements in order to give blood. A person must weigh at least 110 pounds, be of 18 years of age, and most of all, be healthy. Upon meeting these qualifications, the potential donator is allowed to give blood.
However, there is one last step before actually being able to donate. There were smaller stations set up where they tested the level of hemoglobin, or iron, in potential donors’ blood. Hemoglobin is the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. After a prick of the finger, most people are allowed to give blood. This time around, I was one of the sad few who went through the entire starting process, only for it to turn out I was just short of having enough iron in my blood to donate. Two finger pricks, and all for nothing.
As I typed this with both of my index fingers throbbing, I reflected on my somewhat anticlimactic attempt to donate to a good cause. College students live fast-paced lives, and while most of us will still react to the red vests with a fight-or-flight response, we should consider their mission in relation to the 30 seconds for which they would interrupt our lives. Donating is important, whether it’s blood to the Red Cross or something to another organization. Even if they only end up pricking your fingers.
Find out how to donate blood near you at redcrossblood.org.
