By Lizmary Ortiz

On Wednesday, March 14th, 2018, The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush held its annual blood drive for the American Red Cross. The library was transformed into a mini hospital, complete with an updated donating area for the number of students who had signed up for the blood drive. Roughly 54 of them were able to donate throughout the day as they quickly moved from the waiting area to the donation section, and would then relax with their friends as they recovered from the donating procedure. Nurses from the Red Cross explained to prospective donors beforehand that they may experience dizziness, nausea, or blackouts after donating. In order to prevent any incidents from happening, the donors were told to rest on placemats, drink water, and eat some of the healthy snacks provided by the Red Cross. The experience was seamless and safe, and the necessary precautions were taken in order to ensure that those who donated were fully recuperated. The annual blood drive is a tradition at Rush, and one that is hoped to be maintained in the years to come. High schoolers are the future generation of blood donors, and the students at Rush become a part of the donating demographic as they continue their yearly tradition of participating in the Rush Arts Blood Drive for the American Red Cross.