6
NEWS
October 27,1999 • the Seahawk -
“Gift from the Heart” blood drive addresses nationwide shortage
by ALLISON BIGGAR
Staff Writer
Last Tuesday, the Association of Campus
Entertainment (ACE) had a “Gift from the
Heart” blood drive in the University Cen
ter. The program was a part of Home
coming Week Festivities and served to ad
dress the needs of a countrywide blood
shortage. Around 100 people arrived be
tween 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to donate blood
to the American Red Cross.
“ACE was able to provide the Red Cross
with 76 pints of blood reaching the Red
Cross goal of 75 pints,” said Campus Ac
tivities Coordinator Ian Martin who is an
advisor for ACE.
Because of factors including the devas
tating effects of Hurricane Floyd, North
Carolina and other states along the East
Coast have experienced a blood shortage
in recent months.
“Anytime a natural disaster disrupts the
blood supply in one part of the country, it
has a ripple effect across the nation,” An
gela Buscemi, acting manager of The Na
tional Blood Exchange was quoted say
ing on the organization’s web site. “With
this in mind, Americans need to know that
donating blood locally not only helps their
local blood supply, but also can help
Americans across the nation in times of
need.”
While the “Gift from the Heart” blood
drive was not planned due to the shortage,
the event’s timing worked well.
“We wanted a little bit of altruism for our
events during homecoming week,” said
Martin. “It just happened that we could
help out in a time of need so it just worked
out in the best way.”
During the blood drive, members from the
Cape Fear Chapter of the American Red
Cross was on hand to screen students. The
Cape Fear Chapter provides blood to five
area hospitals.
Signs posted around the University Union
read, “Every year your heart pumps
2,625,000 pints of blood. Could you spare
just one?”
Volunteers emphasized that the process of
donating blood is quick and easy. The pro
cedure takes about an hour, and each time
one donates blood, he/she could be sav
ing up to three lives. All healthy Ameri
cans that are at least 17 years of age, and
weigh at least 110 pounds are eligible to
donate.
“The blood drive went really well. It is an
event they [ACE] look forward to doing
in the future,” said Martin.
UNCW Sophomore Jon
Ball, seated, prepares to
give blood at last
Tuesday’s “Gift From
The Heart” blood drive,
sponsored by the Asso
ciation for Campus Ac
tivities (ACE) and the
American Red Cross,
The blood drive was part
of UNCW’s Homecom
ing Week activities.
About 100 people helped
exceed the goal of 75
pints of blood donated.
Corey Accardo/The Seahawk
Study reveals need for child care
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by ANNA C. BROOME
Staff Writer
A survey conducted by a group of communi
cation students via e-mail last semester proved
there is a need for there to be childcare ser
vices available to students, faculty and staff
on campus.
Carin Faulkner, now a graduate of UNCW and
a mother, started the project in the fall of ‘99
for Dr. Louis Buttino’s Public Relations class.
“Our assignment was to provide a campus
service. We choose this particular issue be
cause everyone in the group was female. I
was pregnant and concerned about the avail
ability of adequate childcare once I gave birth.
After I researched my options, I realized they
were few and far between,” Faulkner said.
“Daycare providers either wanted to charge
me a flat weekly rate, when I only required
my child be in their care for 20 hours a week,
or they did not care for infants.”
The survey Faulkner and her classmates de
vised was sent to students, faculty and staff
via e-mail. It asked if they were interested in
having accessible childcare. Of the 1235 re
sponses, 384 said they needed the service. 817
replied that they did not have children, but
supported the idea, and 34 were not interested.
Other questions were included in the study
were: What kind of childcare would be good?
What kind do you currently use? How often?
How many children do you have? What are
their ages?
“It is evident from the survey results that
childcare is called for on campus, but there is
not the grass roots support that is necessary to
ensure the success of the program,” said Di
rector of Institutional Research Robert E. Fry.
“The proposal has no leadership. There needs
to be student participation.”
Other conflicts include the lack of available
space for a facility. The old ROTC building,
now the Academic Support Building, was ini
tially considered but it failed inspection due to
a lack of handicap ramps and sinks. The di
versity of needs related to childcare was also
cited as a problem.
“The needs of the parents on campus varied to
an extent that disallowed the formation of a
program that could serve everyone,” said Mark
W. Lanier, special assistant to the chancellor.
“Some needed only summer care when their
children were out of school, others specified
evenings and weekends or only when their
child was sick.”
Lanier supports the idea whole-heartily but he,
like Fry, said it needs to be a group effort.
“I wanted to establish the same system on this
campus that is found at NC State,” Lanier said.
“They have a non-profit-parent co-op. It is
off campus, but available full-time. The par
ents and the school fund the center. It works
very well. But I did not receive the support.”
Although there remains no childcare system
on campus, there are other alternatives. The
Childcare Resource and Referral Organization
is sponsored by the Child Advocacy Commis
sion of the Lower Cape Fear. Danielle Metty
is in charge of the department, and she refers
parents to centers that facihtate their needs.
“The Children’s Inn is a great center for stu
dents who are parents. It is located near cam
pus off Oleander and is open 7 days a week
from 2 p.m. to 10 a.m. The center takes chil
dren ages 2 to 14 years of age and accepts DSS
(Department of Social Services) assisted fund
ing,” Metty said.
If the child is an infant, there are home-care
programs. Students who do not have the fi
nances needed to receive this kind of service
can apply for financial aid.
“All they need to do is contact the Department
of Social Services (341-4700 extension 3304),
and they will be advised as how to take the
necessary steps,” Metty said.
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