Her face crinkled. Her body cringed. She felt the pinch as the needle broke her skin, but Jade Veirs, biology freshman, said she knew it was a good thing. For years, Veirs has been donating at blood drives, such as the one held at IU Southeast by the Red Cross. “I usually have to psych myself out,” Veirs said. “I’ll start off the day feeling great, and, then, as I get closer and closer, I remember I don’t like needles.”

Alpha Phi partnered with the Red Cross to host a blood drive on Jan. 30 in the Hoosier Room. Alpha Phi has worked with the Red Cross for more than five years to bring blood drives to IU Southeast in order to get students involved with giving back to the community. Lauren Smith, marketing senior and Alpha Phi vice president, said the sorority decided to host blood drives as part of their cardiac care philanthropy.