OUR OPINION: While the increasing numbers are a good sign, more could be done to inform students about upcoming blood drive locations and eligibility.Blood drives are a regular site on campus, with at least 22 such events on campus each of the past two years.However, collections averaged around 47.9 pints per drive for the period from June 2008 to January 2009 over 24 drives, meaning about 48 people gave blood at each event. At best, 1,152 different people gave blood, accounting for a small fraction of the 32,872 students on campus — this number needs to increase.Students have the opportunity to save someone’s life and get free blood tests for HIV, hepatitis and several other infectious diseases — there is little downside to giving up an hour of your time and a pint of your blood.But there is also room for improvement regarding information about who can give blood and when students can give blood.Students are always online, and if participation in blood drives is to increase the way it should, organizers should utilize the Internet to maximize attendence.E-mail listservs and Facebook events provide effective ways of informing students when and where blood drives will be held on campus, and students need to be made aware of other features like the online appointment program for American Red Cross blood drives.Further, the existing University Web site for blood drives is not up to date and does not connect students to the online appointment system. This needs to change for the numbers to keep climbingKirsten Kruhm, coordinator of ARC blood drives on campus, said students have given about 170 more pints of blood compared to the period from June 2007 to January 2008 over 24 blood drives.Kruhm said one of the big reasons why most people do not give blood is that they are not asked to give blood or lack information about blood donation.Professors and administrators are already using online tools to keep students informed about events on campus, ranging from updates regarding the University’s recent closure due to inclement weather on the Web site to e-mails from instructors, club organizers and Campus Police containing information about classes, on-campus events and crime alerts.Yet the first item one finds for a Google search of the University Web site for “blood drive” brings up a page containing information regarding blood drives from 2007. The University needs to update this information and link students to the online appointment Web site.Blood drive organizers should also look to establish e-mail listservs and Facebook groups regarding locations and times of the events in conjunction with the existing system of signs and tables on campus.Giving blood is easy and can save a life. With the inclusion of online tools, there are few excuses for students not to give blood.