OneBlood hosted their annual blood drive in the Blue Dungeon on November 27. New portable apheresis machines allowed this year’s students to donate platelets and plasma in addition to the traditional whole blood donation.

“We have two different procedures going on: whole blood as well as the platelet procedure. The whole blood procedure helps out anyone going through surgeries, any type of blood loss situation, [and] things of that nature. And then we have the apheresis measures that help out people going through radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and leukemia patients all alike,” said the blood drive coordinator for OneBlood, David Delasanti.  

Unlike patients who undergo blood collection procedures for hospital testing, OneBlood recommends that donors eat a meal before and after they give their blood.  

“All of people get confused whether they’re supposed to fast or not. Fasting is more for blood tests with doctors. For us, we always recommend you eat something beforehand,” Delasanti said.

Students underwent various tests before participating in either procedure to determine their eligibility. They completed a questionnaire, blood iron level test, and blood pressure exam.

“I had to do a physical. They would take my pulse and my iron levels, and then I would take the quiz.,” said junior Martina Lasen.