To donate blood is to give a pint of fluid you’ll never miss to someone who needs it to live. Everyone who is physically able should do his or her best to donate as often as they can. That said, there is one other thing that is invariably lost to me every time I donate blood on campus — two hours or more of my day. Whether or not I make an appointment, I always seem to spend at least an hour just sitting and waiting, in addition to the time spent registering and the time filling the bag. As with many students, time is very precious to me, and it’s rare that I have two consecutive hours during the day devoid of other obligations that I can spend donating blood. As a result, I suspect, many other students like me often forgo donating because we simply aren’t able to make the time commitment.

I recognize that the registration process is vital to ensuring the safety of both the donors and the eventual recipients of the blood — though the continued exclusion of homosexual men from donating is shameful. And I have nothing but praise for the courteous and professional volunteers and staff. However, I encourage the American Red Cross and the organizers of campus blood drives to look for ways to reduce the time commitment required of donors. Doing so would greatly improve the chances that busy students are able to take the time to donate.