On April 4, the Student Council held its annual blood drive. During the drive students who volunteer give blood to Red Cross representatives that set up shop in the small gym, but giving blood can have extreme affects on certain individuals during and afterwards.

“When some people give blood, they can have adverse reactions. We had about four or five students faint throughout the day,” said senior Shawn Moore, StuCo President.

Both StuCo and the Red Cross take precautionary measures to prevent these things from happening.

“If the student gets food and sits down, they are usually good. If they are already lightheaded and beginning to faint, we have them lay down and place a cool wet washcloth on their foreheads,” said Moore.

In order to try to prevent such incidents, the Red Cross does preliminary health checks and also has weight requirements.

“You must be in good health, be at least 17 years old (or 16 with a parent’s consent) and weigh at least 110 pounds. Conditions that require a temporary deferral are pregnancy, travel to certain parts of the world, inoculations, some health conditions and certain medications. Call 1-800 GIVE LIFE or check the eligibility requirements to get answers to specific eligibility questions you may have. Eligibility requirements may also vary for some states and blood centers. Final eligibility is determined by medical professionals at the time of donation,” the Red Cross’ site, givelife2.org.