Students Give Back

On Nov. 10, the gym was filled with students either waiting to give or waiting to feel better in order to leave. Music and chatter filled the room, creating an exciting environment. StuCo volunteers were buzzing from person to person, checking on them or running various tables. Senior Kara Stahlschmidt was putting stickers from Missouri Valley onto students’ shirts with a bright smile. The event is sponsored by StuCo every year. They make sure to call representatives and set up times for students to leave class.

“I wish I could give blood, but I have a really big fear of needles,” senior Kara Stahlschmidt said. “If I can help others feel calm enough to give and smile, then I feel like I’ve done something to help.”

The experience of giving blood is different for many people. There are people with fears of needles and others that are afraid of the sight of their blood. The environment is very cheerful with the music and people chatting.

“It was cool,” senior Jacob Lund said. “I was just listening to the music.”

For others, the act as a whole is a crazy one. Some students felt sick and needed to relax for a while longer than most.

“I felt good at first because Kara was holding my hand and it wasn’t that bad,” senior Stephon Abron said. “But, I felt the pressure stop when it started to really fill up and I got light headed.”

“The last time I gave blood, I was fine. But, this time I was really tired and kinda sad. I felt awful,” senior Audrey Brauch said.

Despite feeling awful, the students were still very positive about the situation as a whole. A lot of students vowed to come back to give again next year or on their own.

“My favorite part is seeing people terrified, but realize it isn’t that bad and hearing them promise to keep giving because it saves lives,” Stahlschmidt said. “One of my friends found out her blood saved a little girl and was so excited. That made me feel so good.”

photos by: Sarah Hartley and Caitlin Phillips