On February 12th, 2025, from 11am to 5pm in the Bishop’s Lounge, Southwestern hosted their most recent blood drive. At the blood drive, students, staff, and faculty were able to make appointments in advance or simply walk in to give blood with a small wait. Southwestern hosted We Are Blood, a Central Texas blood bank that services Austin and 13 surrounding counties. A supervisor on site, Andre, provided some more context for The Megaphone on how blood drives work and why they’re important. 

Southwestern hosts blood drives twice an academic year, or once a semester. For the event, We Are Blood projected around 40 people would arrive to donate blood, and past semesters have resulted in turnout numbers of 38, 39, 42, and 37 people. 

There are a few things one should know before donating blood. First, you have to be 17 years or older, and at least 115 pounds, so some freshmen on campus may not be able to donate blood in their first year at Southwestern. After donating blood, low blood pressure can make you feel dizzy or nauseous, so eating both before and after donating blood will reduce your chances of feeling ill or dizzy. Salt and sugar in particular may help increase your blood pressure after donating. 

There are also some personal health benefits when one chooses to donate blood. If you have high blood pressure, lowering your blood pressure through donating blood can be beneficial, and you’ll also be 1000 calories down after the donation. In addition, when you donate, it thins your blood of red and white blood cells that may not be functioning optimally, so after a reduction of your own blood supply, your body reproduces healthier versions of those cells after donation. 

Blood drives are incredibly important for acquiring a rare resource that can help other people. The people who need donated blood are typically extremely sick, and have more severe illnesses such as cancer or a bleeding condition, or they have experienced intense trauma that has resulted in dramatic blood loss, such as a car accident. While you’ll never know exactly where your donated blood really goes, it’s important to remember that on the receiving end of your donation, there is someone who urgently needs it. Donating blood is ultimately supporting your community, and your blood donation will help someone who may live closer to you than you think.