Donate blood for college assignment

[Becky2005]

HUH....they would not let my dd give blood and she was over 100lbs. She has had open heart surgery as a baby.

Could that be the reason?

OK, I had to look it up. It is 110. Here is the Red Cross.

Blood Donors Must:
Be healthy*
Be at least 17 years old in most states, or 16 years old with parental consent if allowed by state law – see more information for 16-year old donors »
Weigh at least 110 lbs.
Additional weight requirements apply for donors 18 years old and younger and all high school donors

http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements

They must have raised the weight requirement. I know as of March 2009 it was 100 pounds. However, I think the heart surgery as a baby might have been the disqualifier.

I looked up Heartland Blood Centers since that is the popular place here and one of the disqualifiers is:

"Heart Disease
History of heart attack, severe coronary artery disease or heart surgery disqualifies a donor."

http://www.heartlandbc.org/donating_qual.html

I'm reading it as if you have ever had heart surgery you are disqualified.

 

[Imzadi]

What if she is denied from donating blood for some reason - doesn't weigh enough, not enough iron, anything else they pre-screen for? Does she get the points for showing up and attempting but being turned down?

People who are anemic, and gay males are not allowed to donate blood. This is a highly innapropriate way to get points. I think anything involving using the human body like that is. Heck, will she receive 100 points for prostituting her body? It's only a body part, right?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

They must have raised the weight requirement. I know as of March 2009 it was 100 pounds. However, I think the heart surgery as a baby might have been the disqualifier.

I looked up Heartland Blood Centers since that is the popular place here and one of the disqualifiers is:

"Heart Disease
History of heart attack, severe coronary artery disease or heart surgery disqualifies a donor."

http://www.heartlandbc.org/donating_qual.html

I'm reading it as if you have ever had heart surgery you are disqualified.

That is what I thought. You would think the people would have said something to her. I think her weight was a factor as well and her pulse.

Then again if they listened to her heart they would have freaked out.

 

[okeydokey]

OP Here!

I'm sorry that I didn't have time to come back and clarify sooner.

My DD attends a community college (not sure if that makes a difference or not). The class that she's taking is taught by several different professors. Her teacher is the only one that has this assignment. This was not listed in the description of the course catalog either in print or online.

This is assignment is not for extra credit but is a regular assignment. As many suspected, there are alternate choices beside donating blood. The other two choices are to work the desk for the Red Cross for 2 hours or to volunteer in another capacity within the Environmental Science Dept for 2 hours. (I'm really not sure what that would be). Because of DD's work schedule, giving blood is the best option for her. I'm not sure what will happen if she is turned away for some reason.

Some have suggested that I think that giving blood in general is dangerous and that is not the case. As a matter of fact, I've given blood myself several times. However, I am concerned for DD since she did pass out when she gave. I completely agree that it is her decision but as her mom, I will be concerned until she come home safely. Unfortunately, it's not possible for her to ride with a friend or for me to take off work for the day.

I just don't think that a regular assignment should be tied to donating blood or volunteering your time.

Well that's much different. Giving blood is a choice and it's the choice she made. She's an adult now, so I say let her take care of it.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I am just going to delete what I typed because I'll probably get myself banned.


What a horrific assignment. It should NOT be an option at all.

 

[Pigeon]

Please forgive me, I have been watching different areas of this board for ideas on an upcoming Disney trip, but this post has caused me to stop lurking and post.

As a Professor at a well known college, I can say that I think people are only hearing ONE side of this story. There is NO WAY that a syllabus would be approved that would require that type of assignment as you would have to get it approved through an ethics board. Any required assignments would be posted on the syllabus; which the child would read through at the beginning of the semester.

I am assuming (after many years dealing with students) that the child in question had the opportunity to donate blood or do an alternative assignment (perhaps writing a paper) for extra credit. The child most likely did not do the alternative and is now crying wolf to "mommy" and is saying it's "required".

I suggest getting a copy of the syllabus for the class in question and if it states that it is required to donate blood (with no other alternatives; which I do not believe is the case), the take it up with the Dean of the department.

Thank you

I'm faculty at a state university. Our syllabi aren't reviewed on any regular basis by an ethics board. They are usually reviewed by a committee when a new class is offered, but not by the IRB, and faculty can and do add or drop assignments all the time which are reviewed by no one.

I have occasion to see syllabi from just about all of our academic departments. Some of the assignments are not anything a rational person would assign. We recently had one from a communications class that essentially required students to stalk a local public figure. We were getting calls from some very outraged folks. So in no way would I assume the student isn't telling the truth about the assignment because genuinely insane ones do creep in.

I do agree that if the student were to bring this up with the department chair and/or dean it would be deemed inappropriate.

 

[bananda]

People who are anemic, and gay males are not allowed to donate blood. This is a highly innapropriate way to get points. I think anything involving using the human body like that is. Heck, will she receive 100 points for prostituting her body? It's only a body part, right?

why? that sounds a bit discriminatory.

i think thats a ridiculous assignment. you shouldn't bribe someone to give blood. it should be a free choice. i'm appalled.

 

[Costumesaremylife]

why? that sounds a bit discriminatory.

i think thats a ridiculous assignment. you shouldn't bribe someone to give blood. it should be a free choice. i'm appalled.

It is discriminatory, and it's true.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I too feel this assignment completely inappropriate.

I am phobic of needles. I have a history of passing out and I have to follow a special procedure when I do anything with a needle so as to avoid it--this includes what the nurse/doc must do and what I must do by way of distraction b/c simply looking away from the needle is not enough to prevent me from passing out. I'm a pretty pathetic sad soul.

Now--I have donated blood about 2-3 times in my life. All voluntarily and all b/c something moved me to go through the insufferable mind games I must play to keep me conscious.

The air of having to be required to do this psychological torture to myself--would just send me over the edge.

I know to most people, donating blood is easy peezy and not a big deal. But for someone like me--a 5 second shot is a big deal let alone the several minutes to have blood removed from my body.

I always hated the guilt trips in college when a club or group was trying to get all their members to donate. I felt like hiding under a rock. I just cannot handle that type of pressure.

Yes, the way I am is highly irrational--and it is nothing I have desired to have treated. So I cope.

But as someone said, having to give up part of your body for a grade--is just plain wrong. Offer it up as an option maybe with EQUIVILANT (versus punitive) alternatives. I shouldn't have to spend hours writing an essay for example to get the same amount of points. I shouldn't have to do anything more timewise than what is required of a blood donor. But I should be given a choice other than accept a zero on an assignment.

And this assignment better be reasonably applicable to the course of study. Having this assignment for math class--highly irrelevant.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm faculty at a state university. Our syllabi aren't reviewed on any regular basis by an ethics board. They are usually reviewed by a committee when a new class is offered, but not by the IRB, and faculty can and do add or drop assignments all the time which are reviewed by no one.

I have occasion to see syllabi from just about all of our academic departments. Some of the assignments are not anything a rational person would assign. We recently had one from a communications class that essentially required students to stalk a local public figure. We were getting calls from some very outraged folks. So in no way would I assume the student isn't telling the truth about the assignment because genuinely insane ones do creep in.

I do agree that if the student were to bring this up with the department chair and/or dean it would be deemed inappropriate.

I had an ethics class (in media) where the entire semester was spent with anectdotes from our African American professor on the mistreatment of blacks in the media as though that were the only ethics concern. However, he covered his bases--to teach us the rest of the ethics course, we literally had to summarize/rewrite the entire contents of our ethics textbook chapter by chapter. I tell you, it was the size of a dissertation when it was handed in.

Senior Project year, our dean was in charge of our class and at the end, we all went out for drinks and appetizers to celebrate the conclusion of class. In passive discussion, all of us who took the ethics class at varying times in our college career shared the same story of what the class was like. The dean was mortified as that is not what the course was intended to be. In fact--had it been reported by teh students much sooner, the professor would not have made tenure. Since he made tenure, he was pretty much untouchable. I have no idea what happened after that. But I would not be surprised if he was requested to teach a different course and they had someone else teach a reasonable ethics class to cover the wide range of ethics issues in media.

While now, I am surprised to here that colleges do not review syllabi and course content--it makes sense given my experience and the shock of our dean when he was informed of the content of one of my classes.

 

[krcit]

People who are anemic, and gay males are not allowed to donate blood. This is a highly innapropriate way to get points. I think anything involving using the human body like that is. Heck, will she receive 100 points for prostituting her body? It's only a body part, right?

Yea, giving blood and prostitution are pretty much the same thing. A bit dramatic maybe?

 

[imabrat]

People who are anemic, and gay males are not allowed to donate blood. This is a highly innapropriate way to get points. I think anything involving using the human body like that is. Heck, will she receive 100 points for prostituting her body? It's only a body part, right?

Because donating blood to save a life and prostituting one's body to get someone's jollies are the same thing....

 

[Imzadi]

why? that sounds a bit discriminatory.

It's the fear of AIDS. Although, in recent years, certain groups of females are the fastest growing population to get AIDS.

Yea, giving blood and prostitution are pretty much the same thing. A bit dramatic maybe?

Yes, I was being dramatic. My point was about reducing a body part to a thing and someone else telling a person to give/sell it.

A person's body is their own. Whether it is a single cell, a pint, or an organ.

 

[Imzadi]

Because donating blood to save a life and prostituting one's body to get someone's jollies are the same thing....

No, no, no. I am all for voluntarily giving blood to save a life, if someone wants to, on their own. I was talking about offering points, money or whatever for a body part, isn't right. Was I that unclear?

 

[krcit]

It's the fear of AIDS. Although, in recent years, certain groups of females are the fastest growing population to get AIDS.




Yes, I was being dramatic. My point was about reducing a body part to a thing and someone else telling a person to give/sell it. Sorry you couldn't figure that out.

A person's body is their own. Whether it is a single cell, a pint, or an organ.

Don't worry..I got it. I was just pointing out how ridiculous a comparison is. Noone is forcing anyone to give blood. There were other options as OP pointed out.

 

[disfan07]

OP, donating might be the "best" option for her but I find it hard to believe that she doesnt have 2 hours durign the week where she can volunteer.

Last year I was taking 16 credits, working 25 hours and volunteering 4 hours every week both semesters.

She was given alternatives...she can make her choice of what to do. Nobody is forcing her to donate. She can volunteer instead.

I dont think its wrong to have volunteering as part of the grade. We were required to volunteer 10 hours in high school for our government class and noe one had a problem with that requirement.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

OP Here!

I'm sorry that I didn't have time to come back and clarify sooner.

My DD attends a community college (not sure if that makes a difference or not). The class that she's taking is taught by several different professors. Her teacher is the only one that has this assignment. This was not listed in the description of the course catalog either in print or online.

This is assignment is not for extra credit but is a regular assignment. As many suspected, there are alternate choices beside donating blood. The other two choices are to work the desk for the Red Cross for 2 hours or to volunteer in another capacity within the Environmental Science Dept for 2 hours. (I'm really not sure what that would be). Because of DD's work schedule, giving blood is the best option for her. I'm not sure what will happen if she is turned away for some reason.

Some have suggested that I think that giving blood in general is dangerous and that is not the case. As a matter of fact, I've given blood myself several times. However, I am concerned for DD since she did pass out when she gave. I completely agree that it is her decision but as her mom, I will be concerned until she come home safely. Unfortunately, it's not possible for her to ride with a friend or for me to take off work for the day.

I just don't think that a regular assignment should be tied to donating blood or volunteering your time.

I have had times where Ihave donated blood and it took almost the 2 hours between the wait time and my...ummm...recovery time.

I think the alternatives are reasonable.

But my mom knows I pass out from needles and she would never stop me if I chose to donate blood.

Your dd needs to really be informing anyone who will be needling her in anyway that she needs to be treated carefully due to her ability to pass out. It will happen again if she is not careful. But if she exercises caution and takes her time--she will improve her chances of staying upright.

I do not have an issue with "volunteering" as a class requirement.

I do have an issue with donating blood and unreasonable alternatives.

Her alternatives are pretty reasonable and she chooses to donate blood. Wish her well and let her know to make the nurses aware of her history. Fainting does not exclude you from donating blood. But it will help the nurses properly care for you and do what they can to prevent that outcome.

I hav esuccessfully driven after all of my blood donations.

 

[brittanyherndon]

And if you donate a KIDNEY you get 100 points!

What an inappropriate "assignment"

Are you KIDING OMG that is the most insain asament

 

[Sarah_Rose]

It's the fear of AIDS. Although, in recent years, certain groups of females are the fastest growing population to get AIDS.

If I am a male and have had sex with a male since 1977, I am no longer eligible to give blood. If I am a female who has sex with a male who has had sex with a male, I am only deferred for 12 months. Where is the reasoning behind that? Theoretically, shouldn't the risk be the same? Shouldn't the woman also be deferred for life? If they're saying that gay males are a risk, shouldn't a woman who had sex with a gay male have an equal chance of contracting HIV/AIDS? And if, within 12 months, they can definitively say that the woman is no longer considered a threat, then why can't they say the same about a gay male (or a man who experimented with another man in college in the 80's, for example)?

Sorry, I know this is way beyond the original bounds of the post, but the issue was brought up and it drives me nuts. The lifetime ban on men who have sex with men since 1977 just makes no sense in the realm of science. It's just a discriminatory and homophobic policy that is deeply hurtful to many gay/bi/queer men. Ok, rant over.

 

[PaulaSB12]

OP, donating might be the "best" option for her but I find it hard to believe that she doesnt have 2 hours durign the week where she can volunteer.

Last year I was taking 16 credits, working 25 hours and volunteering 4 hours every week both semesters.

She was given alternatives...she can make her choice of what to do. Nobody is forcing her to donate. She can volunteer instead.

I dont think its wrong to have volunteering as part of the grade. We were required to volunteer 10 hours in high school for our government class and noe one had a problem with that requirement.

If you have to do its not volunteering is it? What someone does with their own time should have nothing to do with her teachers. If someone told me I had to volunteer I wouldn't. Give blood or give your time not the college's choice.