Students Donate Blood at Vitalant Drive

By Norma Fruzynski (Junior)

Obama Academy was lucky enough to host Vitalant for a blood drive last Thursday,  November 3rd in the space around the trophy cases. Students from both 11th and 12th grade, along with teachers, faculty, and other adults in the area volunteered to donate blood. In fact, there was a turnout of approximately 21 donors who came to help out. 

The blood-donation process is filled with many steps. It starts off with a question-and-answer portion with the nurses before taking an iron, blood pressure, and temperature test. Afterward, donors must fill out a questionnaire to determine their readiness for the procedure. Then the drawing process begins. After they finish taking blood you are advised to have a snack and sit down for about 10 to 15 minutes. 

After many people finished with their donations, The Eagle Times conducted an interview to get some personal opinions. Not everyone enjoyed the experience, saying that while it felt good to give back, it was rather uncomfortable and not immediately rewarding. When asked whether or not the donor experience was worth it, there was a mutual consensus that it was for the well-being of somebody struggling and that these 10 minutes taken from their days could impact the lives of many.