The Communication Studies Club is hosting its yearly Red Cross blood drive Nov. 3 and 4, 2010. The event is open to Gustavus students, faculty, staff and the greater St. Peter community and will take place in Alumni Hall from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days.

The blood drive has been a biannual philanthropy of the communication studies department for several years and has received the Paul Magnuson Student Leadership and Service Award on multiple occasions.

“A lot of people don’t even realize how in-demand blood is,” Senior Communication Studies Major Michelle Tanner said. “It affects a lot of people. I’m sure you can think of someone in your family or a family friend who has needed blood at some point, so it’s a way for you to give back and become more important than you think you are,” Tanner said.

A blood transfusion is needed every two seconds in the U.S., and though about 38 percent of the nation is eligible to give blood, only about eight percent choose to do so. One pint of blood (a single donation) can save up to three lives.

Students can pre-register to donate blood with the club. The club, along with volunteers from the communications studies department, will be tabling outside the Marketplace Friday, Oct. 29 and Monday, Nov. 1, 2010 to set up appointments and give out information.

For their donations, participants are rewarded with a coupon from Domino’s for Cinnastix or Lava Cake and post-donation snacks.

“If that’s your motivation to donate, by all means, donate,” Tanner said. If you are concerned about your eligibility to give blood, visit www.redcrossblood.org, or call 1-800-733-3767.

Past blood drives at Gustavus have turned out over 180 donors, making the event one of the larger drives for the Red Cross in southern Minnesota.

“It’s been really successful the last few times we’ve done it, and it’s fun to be a part of such a successful event,” Senior Communication Studies and Political Science Major Jackie Schwerm said.

The Communication Studies Club expends a great deal of personal effort to bring the blood drive to Gustavus. The event is organized entirely by the club, which consists of about 10 members, and is run by volunteers from the Communication Studies Department.

“It has a lot to do with getting people from the school to sign up and participate,” Schwerm said. Planning for the event began in mid-September; the responsibilities include reserving Alumni Hall, contacting the Red Cross, and creating awareness through posters, tabling and Facebook groups all fall on the Communication Studies Club.

“The behind the scenes work is really this small group of 10 Communication Studies majors that make up this club working together and volunteering,” Tanner said. “I think it’s phenomenal that our department takes such pride in doing philanthropic work,” Tanner said.

Another challenge of the event is hosting the nurses that come with the Red Cross. The Communication Studies Club received support from Erbert’s and Gerbert’s, Subway, Domino’s and Godfather’s to provide food for nurses.

“We do supply them with lunch and dinner both days, so the St. Peter community has really helped out,” Tanner said.

To be part of this event, stop by the Communication Studies Club table outside the cafeteria Friday, Oct. 29 or Monday, Nov. 1 and sign up for a donation time, or stop by Alumni Hall Nov. 3 or 4, 2010.