The UTD Mercury

Media Credit: Lee Brown Political science sophomore Parisa Korous donates Oct. 1 in the Carter Blood Care bus.

Kappa Sigma fraternity wants blood, and Carter Blood Care came to UTD Oct.1 to help them get it.

According to Kappa Sigma philanthropy chair and graduate student Devin Lewis, Kappa Sigma is a regular proponent of blood drives and schedules Carter busses to stop by on campus. For this trip, because of Hurricane Ike, the need was greater than normal.

Health education coordinator Amanda Smith said Hurricane Ike created greater need for blood donations in Texas. She said Carter has been a great partner with UTD in the past.

"Carter serves the community," Smith said. "The blood stays here. In light of recent hurricane disasters in Texas, we're in huge need of blood donations."

Smith said Kappa Sigma traditionally hosts blood drives on campus in October and February.

"We usually have the blood drive later in the month, around Halloween," Lewis said. "But the hurricanes figured into our reasoning for getting them out here earlier. All the blood donated is going to benefit victims of hurricane Ike."

Although there wasn't a long line to get on the blood bus, they were doing brisk business throughout the drive.

"Carter looks for around 30 donations a day, and that's usually what they get here," Lewis said.

Last year, Carter presented UTD with an award for being the university with the highest number of donors, Lewis said.

Many of the students giving blood were not first-time donors.

"I donate a lot and have ever since high school," said political science junior Parisa Korous. "I've done it enough that I don't remember how many times exactly I've done it."

Political science junior Sam Kruger was in the same boat.

"I've given blood seven or eight times," Kruger said. "I was studying in the conference center and a friend suggested we do it. I saw the line was short, so I figured I had time and came in."

Other students expressed similar

circumstances - not having planned to donate, but seeing that Carter was on campus and deciding on the spur of the moment to come.

"I've done this three times before," said public affairs junior Lissette Villarruel. "I found out through a text message from a friend that Carter was here so I came."

Lewis said he'd also donated, and does so at least once a semester.

Business administration freshman Nate Cowan, a Kappa Sigma member, was in the Comet Café soliciting donations for the blood drive. He said he hadn't donated yet but intended to.

"I just haven't eaten anything yet today," Cowan said.

Lewis said he didn't know how long Kappa Sigma had been organizing blood drives, but that it had been going on for a while.

"It definitely precedes me," said computer science senior Dane Acree, a Kappa Sigma member.

Acree said he would have liked to donate, but he was still in the 56-day waiting period between his last blood donation and the next.

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