Despite MSU's close loss to Penn State University in the ninth annual blood drive challenge, American Red Cross officials say people in need still benefited.

MSU students gave blood at 15 on-campus blood drives and more donations were taken at the Red Cross Donor Room, 1800 E. Grand River Ave. in Lansing, with a total of 1,820 pints of blood collected. Penn State collected 1,864 pints, winning by 44 pints of blood.

David Bosman, chairman of MSU's "Defend Our Title, Defend the Blood Supply," said the loss to Penn State was disappointing, but the support of students donating in record numbers made all the difference.

"It's so competitive; it comes down to those last drives," Bosman said. "Students have really shown they care for humanity."

Collectively the schools gathered 3,684 pints of blood, setting a record for the challenge.

Bosman said the amount of donations could save about 11,000 people who are in need of blood.

"Neither school loses when lives are at stake," he said.

For the 2003 MSU-PSU blood drive challenge, donors can expect to see an increase in on-campus donation spots.

The challenge also will start and end on Wednesday instead of Monday.

"We don't have to worry about people's tests and quizzes," Bosman said. "We won't have to compete with that."

Bosman also said plans for a blood drive challenge between the University of Michigan and MSU is in the works.

He said the plans include organizing the drive together with the hockey game, which is scheduled for Feb. 14-15.

Some students said they couldn't make it to the blood challenge because of scheduling conflicts or they hadn't heard about the event, but launching a new blood drive will provide an opportunity to plan ahead.

Interdisciplinary studies junior Greg Miller said having a blood drive second semester is a good idea.

"I've done it before. I just didn't do it this week because I was busy," he said.