Design and construction students competed in a weekend long competition where the students were asked to produce innovative ideas for a home in Brockville, On.

BY ELLEN O’CONNOR

Students from various design and construction programs at Algonquin College put their skills and knowledge to the test during the intensive, weekend-long CMHC sustainable housing student design charette from March 23 to March 25.

The competition challenged the students to produce an innovative design concept for the renovation of a post-war, one-and-a-half storey home located in Brockville, Ont.

The 19 participants were strategically split into four teams with students from different programs in each, including electrical engineering technician, architectural technology, green architecture, interior design and advanced housing.

“They work in these multi-disciplinary teams so that they get used to working like that in the real world,” said Rick Briginshaw, co-ordinator of the green architecture program and co-organizer of the event. “When they are working on a design building project they have to [collaborate] with people with different design expertise.”

In less than 48 hours, the teams had to brainstorm, produce and effectively display a design that incorporated the concepts of affordability, accessibility, adaptability, curb appeal and energy-efficiency.

The model house is located within the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville in a neighbourhood with low to moderate income family housing. The United Counties, which partnered with Algonquin and the CMHC national housing agency on the charette with the support of the Ottawa Region Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council, identified the area as a possible regeneration project under their revitalization initiative.

With this in mind, the students were encouraged to aim for solutions that were affordable, easily implemented and demonstrated an effective use of materials.

“It could be very easy to take very exotic building techniques and technologies and implement them into a new renovation but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be affordable or an efficient use of our money,” said Ben Tolton, second-year advanced housing construction carpentry student from Perth campus.

Jesse Graham, third-year architectural technician student said that he believed the best route to go with was a design that emphasized durability.

“It’s been a little battle with the interior designers on that one because they want to build a very aesthetically pleasing building. I agree with that, but I also feel that we need to keep it very durable because it is rental, people are going to be going in and out,” said Graham.

On Saturday each team had a chance to discuss their plans with industry professionals to receive advice and constructive feedback. Alex Jennings, third-year architectural technician student said his team’s meeting with the advisors raised the issue of their plan to incorporate a garage into their design.

In the end, the team kept it simple and added a carport in the backyard instead and were awarded first place in the competition during the ceremony on Sunday.  The winning team included members Alex Jennings, Michelle Bondarchuk, Erin Boa-Brown and Thomas Gill.

In attendance for the presentations and ceremony to represent the United Counties were Warden Mel Campbell, Mayor Ron Holman, Mayor Doug Struthers and Mayor Bill Thake, together with Mayor Dave Henderson of the City of Brockville as well as a panel of judges, each an industry professional with a background in the students’ programs.

“The winning team in this particular case stood out probably because they addressed each of the specific design criteria just a fraction tighter than the others and the one factor that really swung us was the affordability of that particular design,” said Mark Tritton, one of the judges and owner of The Lan-Arc Design/Build Group.

All participants said the benefit of the charette was working with students from other programs to collaborate on ideas in a positive learning environment and networking with the professionals.

“I would definitely recommend it. I have learned a lot through this in addition to school and I would rather do this than homework because it’s more hands-on and practical,” said Erin Boa-Brown, third-year interior design student.

For the first-time in Algonquin College history, students were pitched in a fierce paintball skirmish against each other at Hopperz Paintball for an event held by the Algonquin College Student Association last Friday. Students paid $20 each to take a bus out to the paintball field in Almonte.

According to head referee, Zvonmir Bracika, this was the first time the field had been host to a student association from a post-secondary institution. “It was an epic success,” said Bracika. He explained that more often they host groups relative to birthdays and other such events.

The game was subsidized by the Students’ Association when a proposal was made by Algonquin student Brannan Hargrave. Hargrave, a robotics level two student made the proposal to the SA about a month and a half ago that was originally meant for students living in residence but then was decided by the association to include the entirety of the student body.

Hargrave said, “ I had to do a lot of pricing, like I had to call the owners and just get some information and I had to relay that to res life and the Students’ Association through my RA and then I had to write up and submit a one-page proposal.”

Prior to this event only Algonquin College staff have gone out paintballing.

Students were also treated to free pizza and drinks along with 250 paintballs. $20 is great value for renting a marker along with pizza, drinks, and ammunition. Normally the going rate for a day out paintballing would be around $60.

Amongst the 23 students who took part in the skirmish was Waddah Al-monaifi, a student representative candidate for the Board of Governors. For many of the student’ this was the first-time they had participated in paintball. The students found out about the opportunity to go paintballing from the sign that had been placed outside the SA office to advertise the event.

Considering the event was planned based upon a proposal by a student it will likely not take place next year unless there is explicit support from the students requesting another event like this according to Bill Kitchen, the SA event planner.

There were few like James Dormer, a first-year video broadcasting student, has played countless rounds of paintball in the past. Dormer said, “ There were a lot of low bunkers, I didn’t like it as much as other ones I’ve been on, I tend to stand up a lot, so I ended up having to play on my knees a lot and stay around something.” Dormer stands well over 6 feet tall.

Dormer was also surprised when he had been caught off guard and found himself being shot in the head by someone who had never held a gun in their life. For students Amanda Meekel, a third-year business administration student, ‘satisfaction in shooting someone,” is what they considered their favorite part of the event.

In one hour, you will touch your face an average of 16 times. Now that you’re thinking about it, you’ll probably touch your face even more. It is probably safe to assume that at this very moment, you’re resting your chin on your hand.

In between the times you touch your face, you will touch a door knob, your laptop, your cellphone, a pen and countless other objects. Other people have probably touched at least one of these and passed on a tiny, but potentially harmful organism that can easily be dealt with.

Personal hygiene means something different to everyone. Erika Dole, Health Promotions Educator at Algonquin College says that it’s not only about taking care of yourself but other people as well.

“Personal hygiene is the act of taking care of yourself and your own health and well-being,” Dole said. “It also means that your personal hygiene would impact others around you.”

There are many ways to make sure that you can stay healthy and clean without it being a hassle. For most people, personal hygiene is just second nature. It involves showering on a regular basis, brushing their teeth, combing their hair, putting on a good deodorant, washing their hands and getting check-ups annually with their doctor or dentist.

Unfortunately it is easy to skip one of the most important aspects of personal hygiene: hand washing.

“That’s one thing I think people definitely don’t do often enough, especially in a place where there are so many people,” said Dole. “Germs can spread really easily in a college setting which I’m sure people have noticed. When one person gets sick, it seems like the entire school is sick.

“All that happens because people don’t wash their hands then they touch a doorknob or they touch the drinking fountain. You end up touching that then you touch your face or you don’t wash your hands before you eat. You sneeze and you cover your mouth and you don’t think about washing your hands later.”

Dole suggests washing your hands after using the washroom or before eating food. The Public Health Agency of Canada also says you should wash your hands before and after preparing food; after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; after playing with shared toys; after feeding children, before and after visiting people who are sick; and after handling animals or their waste.

You should be washing your hands every waking minute but because the world is in a constant state of go-go-go, there is just no time after instances like playing with an animal or playing with toys and gadgets. But washing your hands is actually very crucial to keeping yourself healthy and germ-free. It’s not just about washing them, though. It’s about how you wash them.

“It’s the actual scrubbing of your hands that loosen up germs and dirt,” said Dole, mentioning that using hot water and soap is best. “It’s not just putting on soap and then rinsing it under the water. That won’t really do anything. It’s the actual friction.”

So while it may seem like there is no time for personal hygiene or washing your hands, it benefits everyone. This is one instance where sharing is not caring.

BY KANE VAN EE

Algonquin College will be holding two back-to-back information seminars regarding OSAP student loans, despite abysmal attendance in the past years. It will be held in room T102 on March 20 from 11 a.m. till 1 p.m.

The seminar takes place at Algonquin College every year. However, the amount of students who turn up peaked at 15 students five years ago.  Only five students attended last year, one being an Algonquin Times reporter.

The Financial Aid department stresses that students about to graduate should especially be in attendance to learn more about their student loans and how to pay them back without causing any trauma.

“It’s really a shame because students really need to know what their obligations are,” said Debra Leblanc, the Financial Aid Front Office Supervisor.

The presentation will cover full repayment of loans, when payments are due, interest, and repayment assistance plans. Marc Guindon, a representative of the National Student Loans Service Center (NSLSC), will be giving a 40-minute presentation of information related to OSAP loans, focusing on repayment for those who are about to graduate. The presentation will be followed by a Q & A session for students to ask their own personal questions.

About 18,000 students currently go to Algonquin and 50 per cent use loans to pay their way through post-secondary, which means roughly 9000 students can relate to the information presented at the seminar.

The seminar is held in March as part of Guindon’s cross Ontario college tour on behalf of the NSLSC educating students on how not to find themselves in a default situation. With students approaching the end of their studies the seminar provides information moderately fresh in the minds of those who are graduating. These students will have to begin repaying their loans in about six months.

The seminar also provides the chance to ask some of the questions related to your student loans during the Q & A portion. A few common questions asked in the past have been: What are my interest payments? What happens if I don’t have a job? When it’s time to repay? What happens if I don’t pay?

If you have trouble paying a student loan it can complicate your plans adversely, especially if you look forward to mortgaging a home or financing a vehicle. If your OSAP payments are not up-to-date your other loan requests can be rejected.

Colleges can also be negatively impacted by students defaulting on their loans because they are reviewed every year upon the rate in which students default. These reviews can negatively impact how much the college receives in subsidies if too many students are showing that they cannot repay loans after graduation.

For students who have received their loan from a private institution or bank, the seminar will not be relevant to you, as it only relates to OSAP. However, if you do have any questions regarding your private loans it is recommended you speak with your financial institution.

BY TARAS BLIZ

I have thought about this for many years and I have an answer to where I would go first if I had a time machine. Before visiting the construction of the Great Pyramids, before going back to see if dinosaurs tasted like chicken, before going to the first ever Led Zeppelin show, and even before stopping Francis Coppola from making The Godfather Part III, I would go back about 18 years to my old pre-school and tell a four-year-old self that scheduled naptime during school is one of the greatest times of his life and he should never take it for granted, and also to take the crayons out of his mouth.

Like many things in life the value of naptime was something we never appreciated until it was gone. It was a glorious half hour in the middle of the day where we all laid out on cots and blankets and recharged from playing freeze tag and gluing popsicle sticks onto construction paper.

A National Sleep Foundation survey found that college/university students get an average of 6.7 hours of sleep each night. For most of us that is not enough. Especially when you take into account that many of those hours are done after a long night at the bar. So students have had to take matters into their own hands, resorting to sleeping on buses, benches, study areas, the library, in cafeterias, in classrooms, in our cars, and any other place of refuge and repose we can find.

So what are the best places on campus to catch some shut-eye? As a journalist I felt it my responsibility to get out into the field and investigate. I established some ground rules to ensure an objective efficient analysis of each nap spot I found. I was not to wear headphones so I could assess the level of noise and my goal for each spot I tried was to get about 20-30 minutes of rest which studies have found to be the ideal length for an effective nap.

The first stop on my tour of dreams was the library, a napping staple. Libraries and quiet study areas are great because they are meant to be a quiet place. The problem is they are usually full of students. Still, if all else fails the library or a study room is always good for some rest.

My next stop was the ACCE building. On the first floor of Minto Hall there are several leather chairs pushed up against the window and also a long leather bench with no backrest. The bench is great because you can lie down on it. The chairs were comfortable as well, firm and supportive yet soft. The hall is fairly quiet considering the amount of foot traffic and I found the sound of water falling from the live wall to be very soothing.

“I nap infrequently,” said Denis Cusson, a crisis management and human psychology student who was catching up on his sleep and not very impressed that a certain journalist would disturb him to ask some dumb questions, “But this place is as good as any.”

My investigation next brought me to A-building. On the second floor, in the hallway that overlooks the gymnasium and receives minimal foot traffic you can find one of my favourite places to nap. There is a row of study cubicles up against the wall that has windows looking into the gym. The noise from the sports being played below is barely heard and if you want to do more than just put your head down at one of the cubicles, there a couple of nooks made by the bay window and the cubicle that you can crawl into and stretch out your legs.

Another notable spot that was discovered was on the third floor of B-building. In each corner there is another study cubicle but in one corner I also found two office chairs. I can tell you as a serious enthusiast of napping that a comfortable seat improves the quality of your nap exponentially. This spot also brought me to the conclusion that the higher you go anywhere on campus the quieter it gets and the more likely you are to find a tucked away corner.

One of the best places on campus overall where you are likely to find a great nap spot is J-building. There is an abundance of study areas and benches and it is the building you are most likely to find an empty, unlocked classroom. Although my favourite classroom to nap in was in ACCE building tucked away behind the live wall where I enjoyed a refreshing 30-minute rest in complete silence.

There were several stops on my tour I wanted to visit but was unable to. The forbidden fruit of a locked boardroom in ACCE building that seemed to be calling my name and a cozy third floor mailroom with nothing in it but an office chair and some boxes were both out of my grasp.

So what is the worst place on campus to take a nap? That would have to be the Algonquin Times office. Between story deadlines, photo deadlines, and assignment deadlines this one place that has absolutely no room for sleep.

Algonquin College wrapped up its mental health blitz this March throughout the school. While February’s booths focused heavily on exercise and healthy lifestyles, March’s focus was on mental health issues and directing students to relevant mental health services.

Erika Dole, health promotions educator, says that counseling services, in combination with student services are uniquely positioned to direct students to the proper resources.

“Between the two departments they can recommend that a student might go down to see a nurse or a doctor, or might go upstairs to see a counselor.”

Student issues can vary from person to person, program to program, as well as by age, income, and career goals. Algonquin’s health services in C-Building, room 141 provides counseling for many mental health issues.

Dole said that depression and stress are the most serious factors affecting student life here and across the country. She said that schoolwork, social and relationship pressure can be major factors in contributing to depression and stress on campus. Luckily there are a multitude of services available to help those struggling with depressive symptoms or other issues.

Algonquin will be adding a full time mental health nurse to their mental health staff come October, however, students already have access to a psychiatrist who comes into health services each week. Students only require a valid health card in order to make an appointment.

Dole said she believes not many students know about the services, “I’m sure if students knew that they could take advantage of that, for free, then they would make appointments much more often”

Seasonal affective disorder is a condition, which can range from mild to severe depressive symptoms. The aptly abbreviated S.A.D. is largely a result of improper nutrition, and lack of sunlight, which has serious potential to affect students in winter months. Student life is punctuated with poor diet, lack of sleep, part time or full time work, and occasionally drug or alcohol use and abuse. All of these factors combined with more cloud cover and shorter periods of exposure to the sun can lead to a general malaise, or worse, in the winter months.

Though symptoms can fade in the spring and summer months, student life is still fraught with typical stresses, problems and expectations. However people with mental health issues can often feel intimidated about getting help face to face.

“[The] crisis line is another great tool for people who maybe don’t want to go see someone, but need to talk to someone,” said Dole.

Dole said her role is a difficult one, however she does her best to emphasize the services that are available within the college while still calling attention to the issues that perennially affect students.

“The biggest message that we try and send people is where they can get help,” Dole said. “…I think a lot of people who are dealing with mental illness, they feel overwhelmed about who can I talk to?”

Documentary production grad students stand with program co-ordinator Peter Biesterfeld. This is the last class graduating from the program after it was suspended in a board of governors meeting April 9

BY NOURAN ABDELLATIF

Algonquin’s documentary production graduate certificate program was suspended in a board of governors meeting April 9 as it completes its fourth year.

Co-ordinator Peter Biesterfeld pitched the program to the college after reading a study from Culture Human Resources Council about training gaps. One of the main things the study identified was that students need a hands-on program which is the approach the program took for its program. Though the program was struggling, Biesterfeld said they were constantly tweaking and enhancing it as they went along.

“It was a surprise and a shock that these improvements weren’t being acknowledged,” said Biesterfeld. “To go straight to suspension that was a bit of a shock because you want to know whether these improvements are doing what they’re supposed to do in terms of retention and number of applications.”

The program has been unable to reach the college’s standards. Any Algonquin program is required to have a 70 per cent retention rate, fill most of, if not all, the seats provided, have good Key Performance Indicator (KPI) scores and make a financial contribution worth 25 per cent of its profits to bear its own share of operating the college.

“We thought it could survive as a niche program, one that would appeal to people with specific interests,” said Russell Mills, dean of the Faculty of Arts, Media and Design. “We would have needed to be able to find students every year who wanted  to learn about documentary production and once they got here they stayed here and thought well of the program.”

Students are unhappy about the suspension saying the program has been of benefit to them.

“I know I benefited greatly from taking this program and I think many others would have enjoyed taking this program because it’s not just documentary, there’s many other streams related,” said alumnus Garmamie Sideau. “But a lot of the skills are transferable to various other sectors. I’m a web consultant and of course online video is a mode of communication. I can provide this service because of the skills that I got from the college.”

Biesterfeld said there was a lack of interest on the college’s behalf in the program though Mills said the college had its eye on the program because of the numbers.

The college wasn’t the only party keeping a close watch on the program. The Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) sent a letter to the Media Chair, Robyn Heaton, expressing their concern for the program. Jacques Ménard, a filmmaker and a member of DOC’s Ottawa-Gatineau chapter who also signed the letter, said the organization simply advocates for anything documentary-related and since they had been involved with the program from the start they were naturally concerned. When DOC was presented with the numbers, it only increased their worries.

“In the letter we wrote, we congratulated Algonquin on having a documentary program they had some small changes to make things better and the initial response was for DOC to come in and sit on the advisory board,” said Ménard.

A member of the local DOC chapter and teacher in the program, Karl Nerenberg said it was unfortunate that DOC used the organization’s letterhead to express personal grievances with the program.

“I think it’s dangerous and somewhat ethically dubious to use the name of an organization of which you’re on the executive just because you have the legal right to do so,” said Nerenberg.

He also said the program had been doing well and the students were interested in their work.

“I found it always rewarding to go into the classroom and to deal with them and to see some of their work and they progress they made and the development in their understanding of how to do a documentary,” said Nerenberg.

Mills said the college is now working on a broader pitch for documentary production and is considering two different options: an optional third year for students in the television program which already includes some documentary instruction or as bridging courses for film graduates. Nothing has been confirmed yet but the college is consulting with an advisory board.

Yuriy Derkach, the new Chaplin for the Algonquin Campus Ministry

BY EMILY PLUNKETT

In an extended Sunday worship service held on March 4, the Algonquin College Campus Ministry officially welcomed new Chaplin, Yuriy Derkach to Algonquin’s Christian community.

Derkach, 31, comes to Algonquin from the Holy Spirit Seminary.   When asked about learning of his new position with Campus Ministry, he says “It was a surprise for me.”

“I was working at different places at the moment and wasn’t entirely looking to make a change, but then the opportunity presented itself and I went for it.  I had to give up other jobs to come here.”

Located in room B139A, Campus Ministry offers non-denominational spiritual counselling, weekly bible study, and Residence Worship Service; a Sunday service for students living in residence.

Choosing a Chaplin for Campus Ministry was a spiritual journey for all those involved.  Jack Wilson, Vice Chair of the Algonquin College Campus Ministry, says the decision to go with Derkach was very difficult, as they had many fine applicants representing every major denomination apply.

“I think what particularly impressed us about Yuriy was his enthusiasm, his sincerity, and there is an earnest quality about his beliefs that made me realise this is the person who not only believes what he believes but practices it,” says Wilson.

“We also had young people who helped with the interview process, and we wanted to see how he interacted with them, and that helped us with the decision making process.”

One student who assisted with the interview process was game development student Bryan Rayner, 20, who says “We asked God to bring the man that he wanted, we prayed about it; and we felt that God was giving us Yuriy.”

In attendance during the March 4 service was Father Michael Winn, who contributed a prayer for his colleague on behalf of the Holy Spirit Seminary.

“One of the qualities he has is he’s really earthen, he knows who he is.” says Rev. Winn of Derkach.  “A lot of times when students [are in their] late teens, early 20s, are spiritually minded for the first time.  They have a lot of questions, and a campus minister that can understand what breaking free from spiritual leaders is like, exploring yourself as you’re studying to make a life for yourself [is important].”

Also on their minds as they begin a new chapter with Derkach, Campus Ministry looks ahead to their future in the new Student Commons building.

“It is a multi-faith centre,” says Wilson.  “The Muslim community will have a prayer room and there is office space for each of the major faith groups.  There will also be a large common area that can be used for either worship or social gatherings or meetings, and that will be shared by any of the faith groups.  At this point, we certainly anticipate that the Christian community and the Muslim community will participate, and it’s anticipated that others may as well.”

Derkach is especially excited about the move to the Student Commons building.  He says one of his hopes is to have the opportunity connect with other religious communities before the move, and that the new space will allow the communities to come together.  “Not necessarily on specific topics of religion,” says Derkach, “but on topics that worry all of us as people, as students, as citizens of this country, and humans of this planet.”

“What is important is one religion for all of us, and that’s the religion of love and there is one nationality which is humanity.  We are all here to learn from one another how we can be better people and how we can help one another.  I don’t separate anyone, nor I’m not looking for differences, but I’m always looking for what brings us together, what unites us.”

The Algonquin College Board of Governors will be holding elections for the student chair and the faculty chair this month.

The Board of Governors is a body within the school whose mandate is to oversee all of the operations and governance of the college. They are in charge of executive hiring and have recently begun the search for a new president for Algonquin.

The call for nominations went out on March 26 and the last day for nominees to campaign for a seat is April 18. The election will be held from 9 a.m. on April 17 until 12 p.m. on April 18. Algonquin students are eligible to vote for the candidate they feel will be able to represent them on the board, and faculty members can vote for faculty representation.

Duane McNair, vice president of administration, has been appointed by President Gillett to chair the BOG elections this year. He stressed the importance of the elections saying the board is responsible for all the major financial and property decisions for the college.

“There hasn’t been a high participation rate especially with the students,” said McNair. “We make sure we time it so it’s after the Students Association elections, so it’s been a struggle to get the word out.”

The BOG will have a tough year ahead of them as a couple of significant events will make their job all the more important to the management of the college.

This year the provincial budget is going to have a significant effect on the school’s budget and the board will be responsible to oversee how the college deals with those reductions as next year the impacts of the financial restrictions will start to be felt, said McNair.

There will also be a new president next year and the board will have to be there and closely engaged with the new president.

The student nominees this year are Kristin Clark, Kyrylo Kasyanenko and Wadhah Al-monaifi. Each will be allowed to campaign from April 5 to April 18, which is election day.

Kristin Clark is a pre-health sciences student who is actively involved in the school as a health promoter and a class representative.

“I love being involved in my schooling and think that this would be a wonderful opportunity,” said Clark.

Kyrylo Kasyanenko is a first-year student in the bachelor or applied business program. He is an active member of Toastmasters International, a public speaking organization and has represented the student body as a director for Algonquin’s Students Association.

Wadhah Al-monaifi is a third-year student in the business administration program. He is currently a student leader with the SAO and a resident advisor at the college’s residence. He has been actively involved in the college and said he will work hard towards making sure the students always come first.

At the same time, the nominees for the faculty position on the BOG are Pauline Edmonds and Shawn McBride.

Pauline Edmonds has been a full-time member of Algonquin’s faculty for over 25 years. She is currently serving as the coordinator of general education at ACOV and teaches the computer systems technician, office administration executive and GAS.

Shawn McBride joined Algonquin College in 1998 and is currently a professor in the information and communications department. If elected, McBride says he will make sure his constituents are well represented on the BOG.

For more information on how and when to vote and for more information on the candidates, please visit http://www.algonquincollege.com/bog_elections/

The Canadian Blood Services came to Algonquin College Tuesday, March 27 in hopes of enabling willing students to volunteer donating their blood to people in need of blood transfusions. Many students came out to Salon A market place food court wishing to donate their blood for the good cause.

Before students could donate their blood, they had to go through a multi-stepped process to confirm that they were safe to donate, meaning that their blood transfusion would not put the receiver at risk for an illness. Identification was to be approved at the doors before being able to book an appointment to make sure you were at least 17-years-old, in good general health as well as being at least 110 lbs. A red folder was then given to the donor that held your standing number and your I.D. along with a card informing you of the next safe date you can donate your blood.

A simple blood test is conducted to test that your iron level is high enough to safely donate blood. This is called a Hemoglobin test. If it is, the donor is given a questionnaire to complete asking about general health, travel history and participation in potential high risk activities. If you pass the questionnaire, your blood pressure and body temperature to determine you are in perfect health to donate blood for that day.

If the potential donor is determined clear of any illnesses and is deemed a safe candidate to donate, they spend the next 15 minutes having their blood connected through a tube in their forearm which is attached to a pump extracting the blood. The entire process for the donor takes roughly an hour to complete.

After the blood is collected, a small sample is tested for transmissible diseases. The blood which passes these tests is separated into various components and then transported to hospitals and other healthcare facilities as needed.

The 15 minutes that is spent extracting the donors blood is one unit or 450 ml of blood. Put into perspective, two units of blood can help save a life of someone undergoing a hip replacement surgery.Five units of blood that is donated could save the life of a patient going through cancer treatment, and donating eight units of blood a week could help a patient with leukemia treatment.