By Julia Gardiner

Although the yearly goal of 1000 pints of blood was not met during the Oct. 31 blood drive, the University was pleased with the results, which nearly brought the year’s count up to the total for 2006.

“Everybody was very pleased,” Peter Libman, the dean of students, said. “The student support that we got was great. Last week we collected 255 pints of blood.” Added to the previous figure of 305 pints for 2007, the total collected at the University for the year is 565 pints. The total in 2006 was 609 pints; the numbers illustrate the persistent decline in donations from the University community over the past several years.

Although the donations almost matched those from last year, the University plans to pursue the goal of 1000 pints collected by the end of the academic year. “We didn’t surpass what we’ve done in the past,” Libman said, adding, “The biggest thing we’re going to be doing is having more drives on campus.”

The issue of blood donation seems to be one of rising importance on campus. In response to a reported blood shortage, a trend that has continued since at least 2004, the University plans to host more blood drives on campus in an effort to reach more of the population. “Not every drive is going to reach everybody,” Libman said. “Instead of having two blood drives and one in the summer, we’re going to have eight or nine during the course of the year.”

The University plans to host blood drives in other locations on campus than the Student Center in order to encourage, for example, commuters who do not visit the student center, to donate. “Basically, the goal is to cast as wide a net as possible,” Libman said.

In addition to a drive exclusively on the south campus, the University is looking into “mobile drives” held in portable trailers, a holiday drive to boost 2007 donations before the end of the year, as well as drives in residence halls in the evenings. “It’s a strategy that has been really successful at Stony Brook,” Libman said.

Student clubs and organizations with prominent leaders among the student body will also be asked to host a blood drives as club events in an effort to recruit donors who are eligible but decline to donate. To attract new donors, Libman plans to conduct a public service announcement campaign on campus as well. “We’re going to do more outreach and education.”

University students and employees participated in the blood drive on the same days, as opposed to separately as was the policy in the past. (Matt Bisanz)