Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2010)
2010 News 3 Fall blood drive exceeds donation expectations :X £V Imagine hundreds of students, teachers and community members lined up, bleeding into bags. What is this, some kind of crazy science experiment? The victims of a vampire students, teachers and parents donated 118 units of blood. On the day of the blood drive about 20 Red Cross nurses were present to draw the blood. "I'm donating because it saves up to three lives every time and my said. Since the 1980's WLHS has been saving lives through blood drives. Last March, the school broke the record of students donating blood with 142 units. That amounted to save 246 lives. One donation helps to save Students must be at least 16-years-old with parent permission to donate blood in Oregon. After registration comes the actual donation. This part t ^ is positive, the donor is notified and the blood is destroyed. The viable blood is then stored, labeled and sorted by type. The blood can then shipped to hospitals across the country to help save lives. "Try everything once in life to get the experience. You don't have to do it again if you don't like it, but units of blood collected are there Photo by Rachel Woolley Tamara Peck, senior, has her blood drawn during the Red Cross Blood Drive held on Oct. 27. Over 150 people donated 118 units of blood, which could save up to 354 lives. Students like Peck were offered blankets to ease their nerves or keep them warm while donating the blood. cult? No, it's the West Linn High 2010 Blood Drive. Held on Oct. hand was writing my name to register before up to three lives. Before donating, each individual must go takes about eight to ten minutes. The donation is then immediately given a number and scanned into the computer so that it can be tracked. "Knowing that a pint of blood saves up to three lives made me want to donate," Kaitlin Andrus, junior, said. Next is the separation process. The blood is processed into red blood cells, platelets and plasma. The blood components are separated because a ■ . person might not always need every part of the blood. For instance, cancer patients may just need through platelets and plasma. This 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. in the main re g istra tio n , by spinning th em through a centrifuge. Then the blood is tested and the blood type is determined. Finally, there is a quality assurance test where the blood is tested for disease. If the disease test students, teachers and parents donated gym / 150 people including I even thought about it," Savannah Ellingson, senior, and a brief physical including an iron test is completed. 354 ives saved 2.7 fro m where a health other things you can do help your community and the local Red Cross," Nate Warren, Red Cross spokesperson, said. The next blood drive will be on March 30. Some of the students who donated on Oct. 27 plan to donate at the next blood drive done as well. Students who didn't donate in the fall blood drive can donate in th e sp rin g as lo n g as th e y m e e t the d o n atio n requirements. "We are really looking to exceed last spring's donation of 142 units," Weaver said. "Sign up today in preparation for the March 30 blood drive!" West Linn graduate, 20, runs creative campaign for city council The voting age in the United States is 18 years, an age which allows for a broadened sense of opportunity and growth, but for one West Linn High School alum, now a student at Clackamas Community College, voting isn't enough. Kamon Bryck, 20, is looking beyond supporting others for office and ran a campaign of his own for West Linn City Council. Bryck ran against his father, Kevin Bryck, among other competitors Jody Carson, Gail Holmes and Mike Jones. "We are not working with each other, but at the same time we are not working against each other; hopefully at least one of us wins," Bryck said. Bryck and his father, Kevin, ran as competitors, and while he acknowledged his father's willingness to help, his drive towards the council remained an independent effort to connect with his fellow citizens. "I thought about how the city had been very dishonest with the people, and I decided to run," Bryck said. Bryck drew his inspiration from a conversation at a family reunion in South Dakota. He realized that he hadn't extended his community involvement. At that moment, he knew that he wanted to make a difference, whether that was running for city council or serving his community through volunteer work. "I don't plan any of my volunteer work, but when something comes up I will consider it as an option," Bryck said. Bryck has adopted his own beliefs which he believes stem from his desire to represent youth, his work alongside SOLV (Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism) a group working towards environmental protection, and his involvement with the Robinwood Neighborhood Association. "My knowledge can be applied to issues with failing water lines and reservoirs in West Linn," Bryck said. Bryck's strong connection to the environment is something he focused on in his campaign. He plans to major in water and environmental technology, which directed his attention toward issues including the water bill on the ballot, which he advocated for through his campaign. "I liked what he had to say about preserving natural areas of West Linn,' Lynn Pass, art teacher, said Pass, in addition to supporting Bryck's representation of youth, values Kamon's attention to environmental concerns. "I decided not to make any yard signs because they are made of plastic and are horrible for the environment. I also have done almost no driving for my campaign, making most trips by walking," Bryck said. He centered his campaign attention on the environment through his % ' • j campaigning, and more importantly, he hoped to close the rift between the councilors and the citizens. "We need to examine what the people want and put that on our agenda instead of assuming what the people want. Council members change our lives more than any other office holders," Bryck said. With unconventional tactics, his campaign was behind the others in terms of finance, but he believed he held essential skills with the potential to revitalize the council. The recent election results placed competitors Mike Jones and Jody Carson on the council. Although Bryck did not end up with a seat on the council, his campaign demonstrated how the young desire to have a voice in the community. "I am running today so that people will still love West Linn in the future," Bryck said.
