Cerritos College
Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

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Blood drive keeps moving despite renovation inconveniences

Education+major+Chantel+Samuels+and+biology+major+Kirelos+Habib+wait+to+give+their+blood+donations.+According+to+Red+Cross+Senior+Field+Manager+Rob+Torrez%2C+the+limited+amount+of+resources+available+led+to+students+leaving+the+blood+drive+due+to+not+having+enough+time.
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Education major Chantel Samuels and biology major Kirelos Habib wait to give their blood donations. According to Red Cross Senior Field Manager Rob Torrez, the limited amount of resources available led to students leaving the blood drive due to not having enough time.

Cerritos College held its annual “Back-to-school” blood drive for students to donate blood to the American Red Cross.

The blood drive, which took place September 7-9 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. was hosted inside two buses that were provided by the American Red Cross for students interested in giving donations throughout those days.

According to Red Cross Senior Field Coordinator Rob Torrez, the renovations that are taking place on campus have limited the number and types of donations that the Red Cross has been able to receive as opposed to previous years.

“Due to the circumstances of the remodeling and renovation of the gym, we have been bumped out of the student center and we are able to do blood donations only,” Torrez said.

Torrez also mentioned that although the donations have been limited to whole blood, they are in “small doses, but effective and needed in a hospital.”

According to Torrez, the relocation of the bloodmobiles has also led to a lower turnout, even causing students to leave due to long waiting times.

“Because of the buses being smaller and in the sense that we can’t expand beds or health stations, it has affected us where students have come and they just could not wait,” he said.

Music major Jonathan Bellairs believes that donating blood is an effective way to help those in need.

“I think it’s an important thing for people to do, It’s a way to help other people; You may not have time or money to give, but you can always give blood,” Bellairs said.

Torrez mentioned that Cerritos is very effective in gaining blood donations, trailing only behind Cal Poly Pomona as the college leader in donations throughout the state of California.

He credits the reason behind his 18 years of working with the Red Cross is due to the experiences he has had with his family, citing the need for blood for his mother and father’s heart and cancer treatments, respectively.

“I see blood being used as a benefit for my family and for them to live a little bit longer.

“I think it is very important seeing it firsthand.”

Student Veterans Club President Chris Markowski is an active donor in the blood drives and enjoys knowing that he is contributing to a good cause.

“I like to donate blood just because I like to know that if any emergency happens, they [Red Cross] at least have my blood on standby,” he said.

“If they use someone else’s blood, so be it.”

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Blood drive keeps moving despite renovation inconveniences