The blood drive on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
EMMANOUEL SOFILLAS / THE QUADRANGLE
Emmanouel Sofillas, Asst. Sports Editor
Students, faculty and staff gathered in Smith Auditorium on Wednesday, Sept. 16, for Manhattan University’s (MU) annual fall blood drive, giving members of the campus community an opportunity to donate blood throughout the afternoon.
The drive, held from noon to 6 p.m., welcomed donors between classes and other activities. Particpating students went through registration and health screenings before donating, while others stopped by to learn more about the process.
For some students, having the drive on campus made the decision to participate even easier. Sofia Martinez, a junior psychology major, spoke to how accessibility to the event is no problem.
“I kept seeing information about it around campus, and I figured I had enough time between my classes to come by,” Martinez said. “It’s convenient when something like this is happening somewhere you already are every day.”
Martinez also explained she was unsure what to expect from the donation process before arriving at Smith Auditorium.
“I thought the whole thing would take a lot longer,” Martinez said. “Once I got there, everything was pretty straightforward, and there were other students going through the same process.”
Students from different majors and class years took part in the drive, including several who were donating blood for the first time.
Daniel Kim, a sophomore civil engineering major, explained he had considered donating before but had never gone through with it until the campus drive.
“I was definitely nervous about the needle because I had never done it before,” Kim said. “But once you actually sit down and get started, it’s not nearly as bad as you build it up to be in your head.”
Kim added that seeing other students participate helped make the experience more comfortable.
“There were people coming in before class, after class or whenever they had some free time,” Kim said. “It felt like everyone was there for the same reason, even though we didn’t necessarily know each other.”
The six-hour window allowed students to fit donations around their academic schedules, with donors entering Smith Auditorium at different points throughout the afternoon.
Alyssa Patel, a freshman communication major, said she stopped by after finishing her afternoon classes.
“I think having it from noon until 6 p.m. gives people a lot of flexibility,” Patel said. “Not everyone is going to be available at the same time, so having that larger window makes it easier for more students to participate.”
Patel additionally commented that she also appreciated seeing an event that brought together students from different parts of the university.
“You’re normally around people in your classes or people in your major,” Patel said. “Here, there were people I probably would never have interacted with otherwise, and everyone was participating in the same event.”
For students who had never donated before, the event also provided an opportunity to become more familiar with how blood donation works.
Marcus Thompson, a freshman business analytics major, said he decided to participate after hearing other students discussing the drive.
“I didn’t really know what the process was going to be like,” Thompson said. “I knew what donating blood was, obviously, but I had never actually seen how everything worked from beginning to end.”
Thompson also noted that the experience was more relaxed than he expected.
“I think the biggest thing was just getting myself to walk in,” Thompson said. “After that, you have people explaining what to do and where to go, so it becomes pretty simple.”
The annual drive also served as a visible reminder of blood donations on campus. With Smith Auditorium serving as a central location for the event, students passing through the area throughout the day could see the drive taking place and learn more about participating.
Martinez explained campus events can make students more likely to take part in activities they might otherwise overlook.
“There are so many things happening during the semester that you might hear about and forget,” Martinez said. “When something is right here and you can actually see other students participating, I think you’re more likely to stop and consider doing it yourself.”
As the drive continued into the evening, Thompson commented he hoped students who participated for the first time would consider donating again.
“Before today, it was one of those things I knew existed but never really thought much about,” Thompson said. “Now that I’ve actually done it, I’d definitely be more open to doing it again when there’s another drive.”