Several beds were lined up in the cafeteria prior to students and teachers arriving on Feb. 28 to donate one pint of their blood. In the back of the room, a table was piled up with sugary treats and drinks provided by the American Red Cross for the students to regain their energy.

Before the day of the donation, students signed up in the amphitheater. Students would ask each other if they could donate without a parent signature, due to many parents refusing to allow their seventeen-year-old child to go under the needle.

According to Red Cross’ FAQ, the blood donation usually takes around ten minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time the donor leaves, takes about one hour and 15 min. Some who had volunteered were disappointed that the could not donate. “The nurse informed me that apparently I had a poor iron diet,” said teacher Elaine Snodgress.

Senior Claudia Melkonian was one of the students who volunteered to donate. “Okay, well..I’m not squirmish of blood, but the smell of it always makes me faint,” Melkonian said. “I could really puke if I really wanted to, but I guess no matter how uncomfortable I was, I just tried to keep in mind that the person who needed my blood was probably in a worse situation than me.”

“Donating blood was a whole lot better than needing to receive it,” Melkonian said. According to the Red Cross, over 41,000 blood donations are needed every day in the United States.15.7 million people in the United States have donated blood each year, according to the Red Cross. Clark had 38 volunteers for this school year. This was a little less than last year, but each pint can help several patients in need of blood.

Responses from students post-donation were very positive. The good feeling of being a part of saving a victim from blood loss or other medical injuries is what motivates many to donate. “I felt very good about myself for donating a pint of my blood,” said junior Biura Markarian, “I would definitely do this again next year.”