Student Council works to support the Red Cross

Micheal Simmons, Staff Writer

Gratification is just a few of the many words that can be used to describe how volunteers, nurses and donors felt after participating in the Manhattan High blood drive on Tuesday.

“The event has been really strong the last few years in terms of volunteers and donors,” student body president and senior Nate Clark said. “The usual turnout for donors is around 60 to 70 people and the volunteers are usually just StuCo people so like five to 10 people and it really hasn’t changed in the past few years, it’s been pretty steady.”

Seniors Adelaide Bliss and Megan Mankin along with juniors Joy Gruenbacher and Neely Joyce played a big role in making this event happen. They signed up volunteers and registered donors for the event as well as helped the Red Cross nurses during the blood drive.

“Last semester blood drive had a really good turn out and it was really full, this time it wasn’t as busy or full, but it has definitely been good so far,” senior Grace Gallagher said. “I think the biggest thing that stops the blood drive from being even more successful than it already is, are the age and medical requirements.”

The blood drive has been very successful in recent years. One of the few challenges they face are the Red Cross requirements. The age requirements are 17 or older and if the donor is 16 then they must have a parental consent form signed and turned in before donor are allowed to donate. There are also medical requirements such as a weight requirement and an iron requirement.

“I’m not a chair or anything so i just kind of float around the tables and help out wherever they may need it,” senior chair Grace Gallagher said. “The Stuco chairs set up a sign up sheet where stuco members can sign up for different hours,  i’m  a student body officer so i’m just here all day. All students are allowed to come and help out as long as they talk to someone in the senior staff and get their name on the sign up sheet.”

StuCo is in charge of setting up and planning a great deal of school events. Such as Club dodgeball, Club feast and the freshman party. Their next big event that they are in the process of setting up, is  Prom on April 22nd and student elections which are currently being held.
“Me and the other two senior chairs [Adelaide Bliss, Megan Mankin] and Joy [Gruenbacher] the other junior chair, just signed up volunteers and registered donors, and then we set up for the day of the drive and helped the Red Cross nurses,” junior chair Neely Joyce said. “We just  had to set up chairs, the Red Cross actually does most of it, we just have to sign people up at lunch and we help escort them back to their class or wherever they’re going after they are done giving blood.”
The blood drive has been very successful in recent years. One of the few challenges they face are the Red Cross requirements. The age requirements are 17 or older and if the donor is 16 then they must have a parental consent form signed and turned in before donor are allowed to donate. There are also medical requirements such as a weight requirement and an iron requirement.