Brandon Bartoszek's eyes grew and then relaxed Wednesday afternoon as the needle approached the underside of his forearm and pierced the skin.
It is the sixth time the urban and regional planning sophomore has donated blood since his start in high school. On this occasion, the pint of blood seeping into the pouch secured to the lounge chair will be added to the tally in this year's MSU-Penn State Blood Drive Challenge.
The challenge, now in its 10th year, is a competition between the two Big Ten universities to see which one can bring in the most blood before the two schools' football teams meet on Nov. 22.
"I have plenty of blood, and there are other people who need it," Bartoszek said.
This year's challenge comes at a crucial time for the American Red Cross, whose demand for blood products is increasing at a faster rate. Demand increased 9 percent last year while blood collections increased only 4 percent.
Bartoszek donated in the transformed Gilchrist Hall Pub, one of the first of 35 sites where drives will be held until Nov. 19. The American Red Cross' goal is to collect 1,990 pints, or units, of blood this year.
Red Cross team leader Willie Nelson said although the turnout was good Wednesday afternoon, the Gilchrist drive probably will not make its goal of 60 units.
"We get a lot of blood from colleges and high schools," said Nelson, who has worked at the drives for almost nine years.
In fact, about 20 percent of blood collected in the United States is donated by college and high school students, according to American Red Cross statistics.
Despite the need, some students are still a little squeamish about donating.
A variety of campus groups will donate their time to help out American Red Cross workers during this year's challenge, including the Evans Scholars, ROTC, Pi Kappa Gamma and the Yakeley-Gilchrist student government.
"It's important to do this for the blood supply, because volunteer blood donors are the only way that hospitals can get blood," said human resources junior Ann Aubry, the Yakeley-Gilchrist student government president.
Aubry said she will add her pint of blood to the challenge later in the competition.
Justin Looyenga, a donor recruitment representative for the American Red Cross and one of the coordinators for the challenge, said people should think of donating blood just like they should think of recycling - as a responsibility.
"Its something I feel every person in the community should get used to doing," said Looyenga, a 2003 MSU graduate.
After Bartoszek's pouch is filled, he's bandaged up and escorted to a buffet of cookies, pizza, water and juice.
"It was fast and painless," he said. "It makes you feel good."
