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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1989)
The Battalion LIFESTYLES 6 Monday, October 16,1989 Students make fast money by donating plasma Cash provides incentive to give blood at Bryan plasma center By James A. Johnson of plasma is separated from the red Us ii Of The Battalion Staff A blood bank may not strike you as a place where you would find doz ens of smiling college students wait ing eagerly in a crowded lobby. But if that wait means more spending money, many students are likely to find it worthwhile. Westgate Plasma Center, located at Westgate Plaza on Wellborn Road, has been in business for less than seven months and already is a popu lar pit stop for students seeking a fi nancial uplift. CPM Industries of New York gives the Center half a million dol lars each year, which is dispensed to donors and the Center’s 21 employ ees. The Center draws an average of 550 donors every week. For college students, the most al luring aspect of the Plasma Center is the opportunity to make fast money. A person can donate plasma up to eight times each month and can do nate twice weekly if visits are sched uled at least 48 hours apart. Donors earn $5 for their first, third, fifth and seventh visits, and $12 for the second, fourth, sixth and eighth visits. Bonuses of $5 are given for first, fourth and sixth visits while an eighth visit earns the donor a $10 bonus. Jorge Trevino, manager of the Plasma Center, said that even though people rarely are denied the chance to donate plasma, there are several requirements the donor must meet. The amount of plasma which can be donated is based on the do nor’s height, weight, sex and hema- tocrite (ratio between plasma and red cells in a person’s blood). The potential donor must also pass a thorough physical examina tion. Donors must be at least 18 years old, weigh more than 110 pounds, have a pulse of between 50 to 100 beats per minute and must never have had hepatitis. The Center also requires donors to present two forms of identifica tion. All testing and requirements are standards set by the Food and Drug Administration, Trevino said. “They (FDA) could turn the Cen ter down if we didn’t abide by their laws,” Trevino added. “We can never sacrifice the quality of a prod uct made from a donor’s plasma. People’s lives depend on this safety.” The most common reasons people are not allowed to donate concern high or low blood pressure and va rious infections brought on by such popular practices as ear piercing and tatooing using contaminated instru ments. The method of taking someone’s plasma is known as plasmapheresis. In this method, the plasma is sepa rated from red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. About 600 milliliters (a little more than a pint) cells in a refrigerated centrifuge. Then, only the donor’s red cells are returned to him. Trevino said there is never more than the equivalent of two pints of blood drawn from a donor during each visit. Trevino said it takes 30 to 40 min utes to give plasma. Fie added that it is a profitable, virtually painless way for donors to help people with defi ciencies in their blood. Trevino said a donor’s healthy plasma is useful as a treatment for victims of hemophilia (free-bleed- ers). “Healthy people make the best donors,” Trevino explained. Desperate situations sometimes have lured students to the Center. Trevino recalled one new donor feeling light-headed after giving plasma. Because she had only a small amount of plasma taken, the staff suspected there was more to the situ ation. “She admitted she hadn’t eaten since 3 o’clock the day before,” Tre vino said. “She may not have had enough money to buy food.” One girl wanted to donate but couldn’t because she had an en larged spleen. Although she seemed to be in desperate financial need, the Center had no alternative to turn her away because of FDA health re quirements. Another person became dizzy af ter donating. Because he was a regu lar donor, the staff didn’t under stand why his reaction suddenly changed. Eventually he admitted that he had not eaten in 24 hours and that he had stayed up all night studying for an exam. Trevino said the only possible harm in the process could come if a Trent Havard, a junior business major from Houston, reacts as phlebotomist Terri Surber adjusts a needle to draw blood. Havard, Photo by Jay a regular customer to the Plasma Center, uses the money to help pay bills. If they want to stick me and give me money, that’s fine. It’s my ninth time to donate in six weeks and it’s great for spending money.” Missy Hickman, Plasma donor donor is accidentally injected in a place other than a vein, but even then, only a minor bruise could re sult. However, Trevino added that if a staff member gets a donor’s blood type confused with another donor’s and replaces red cells of the wrong blood type, the result could be fatal. But Trevino said that has never oc curred at his facility. Chances of it happening are only one in 100,000, he estimated. If donors feel nauseated or faint, they are given orangejuice. But Tre vino said fainting isn’t common. After donors have given plasma, they are advised to drink plenty of water. “Don’t drink any caffeine drinks because you’ll use the restroom, and the idea is to retain fluids,” Trevino said. The waiting room of the Plasma Center is usually occupied by at least a dozen students, he said. Because the Center maintains such a relaxed setting, students of ten bring books to read before and during the donation. Although wor ried expressions usually are seen in a medical facility, they are not evident at the Center. Missy Hickman, a sophomore pre- med major from Tyler, views her donation as a prudent financial deci sion. “If they want to stick me and give me money, that’s fine,” Hickman said, laughing. “It’s my ninth time to donate in six weeks and it’s great for spending money.” Hickman has earned more than $100 and finds it rather surprising that she can do so while sitting pa tiently through the entire process. “It’s in a very laid back environ ment,” she said. Marcus Royalty, a junior engi neering technology major from Lake Jackson, echoed Hickman’s sentiments. “It’s good pay and it’s not inconve- Pete Mora, a freshman general from Corpus Christi, and Emilio Photo by JayJwt studies student more genetics major from Pharr, pass time wh? Lara, a sopho- giving plasma. The process takes about an hoyf nient,” Royalty said. Royalty has sufficient reason to feel the way he does. He has visited the Center 16 times over a two- month period and made more than $ 100 during the summer alone. “It helps me pay for gas and other little things like ice cream and shop ping,” he said. “It’s worth the few minutes it takes.” Royalty offers some advice iol ture donors: “It’s best to come in morning when it (the Center)! busy.” Smothers Brothers’ show sparks laughs By Todd Stone Of The Battalion Staff The Smothers Brothers created a unique and entertaining show Sun day afternoon in Rudder Audito rium with the help of the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra. The brothers opened with “Boil That Cabbage Down” with Tom Smothers on guitar and Dick Smoth ers on upright bass. Naturally, they didn’t finish the song because Tom didn’t respond when Dick said, “Take it,” during the duet. An argument followed, and the comedy flowed from the clever dia logue between the brothers: Dick: “Why didn’t you take it?” Tom: “That’s not what I heard Photo by Mike C. MuJvey Tom and Dick Smothers perform “The Impossible Dream” with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra in Rudder Auditorium. you say. Dick: “What did you think I said.” Tom: “Naked bacon.” Dick glared. Tom: “It didn’t make any sense to me either.” The same format continued. They would begin a song, Tom would do something weird and an argument would follow. After de stroying the ballad “Cuando Cali- ente El Sol," Tom spoke in Spanish to his silent brother: Tom: “iQue pasa? cEl gato dene el tonguo?” Dick: “You don’t understand what that means. It was written for you.” Tom: “El torro crapo.” When begining “The Impossible Dream,” Tom said, “We would like to dedicate this song to the Dallas Cowboys.” In the middle of the ballad “Poor Wandering One,” Tom performed a musical duel with the piano player and music director, Michael Freddy. Tom would play a guitar lick, and Freddy would repeat the notes on piano. However, Tom became juve nile, and the two ended up playing one note at a vigorous pace which became the theme to the “Batman” television series. During “Just Say Yo,” Tom per formed a variety of yo-yo tricks while Dick sang and joked with the audience. Tom later satirized TV evange lism: “Give me an amen! Give me a hallelujah! Now give me some mon ey.” The brothers were pros onstage, and their dialogue and music were well timed. Dick displayed excellent harmony and found humor in his role as “straight man,” and Tom was hilarious with his off-beat manne risms and explanations: Dick: “What would we be without that great (American) flag?” Tom: “Mexicans?” Dick: “That was a rhetorical ques tion.” Tom: “It was a hypothetical ans wer.” Besides accompaning the Smoth ers Brothers, the Brazos Valley Or chestra opened the program with a variety of well-known classics. The orchestra began with “The Star Spangled Banner” and played selec tions from “The Phantom of the Op era.” Conductor Franz Anton Krager must have wanted an emotional re sponse from the audience as “Olym pic Fanfare and Theme” and “The Raiders’ March” (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”) were included in the pro gram. The orchestra also performed pieces from “The Wizard of Oz” to celebrate its 50th anniversary. All the music was performed with flare. Overall, the Smothers Brothers’ show was filled with great music and a bunch of laughs. I wouldn’t have missed the University of Housto- n/A&M game for them, but they were still entertaining. Bryan recording studio helps launch local bands By John Righter Of The Battalion Staff Kevin Bomar, owner of Air play Studios, is determined to play every demo tape and to dem onstrate every device in the 16- track recording studio inside his Bryan home. Two and a half hours after the interview began, Bomar is just warming up. “You can’t leave without listen ing to the Subculture demo,” he insists while running behind his console to a reel-to-reel player. “You’ve got to hear this. This is a Subculture you’ve never heard live.” Bomar gives an easy interview. Just sit him down and mention production or local music, and the man will take care of the rest. “There are so many good bands in College Station,” he said. “Unfortunately, the support is bad because no one stays in this town long enough to follow a group. They go to school, party, and then go their separate ways. There is no chance for a cult fol lowing like in Dallas or Austin.” Eighteen years ago Bomar got his start in music by playing in a high school band in Dallas. From there he moved on to session (freelance) work, and writing and performing jingles. It was during his time as a Dallas session player that he became interested in pro duction. “I worked for a booking agency, but it was real sporadic in the ’70s,” he said. “Fortunately, I got to work with some quality en gineers who took me behind the console, where I picked up the basics of engineering.” Si (Cor To drums A near-f atal bout with a rup tured appendix in 1981 brougt' him to College Station formedi cal help, drawing him out of die regular Dallas session work and leaving him in a huge financial hole. Bomar decided to stay in Col lege Station, first venturing into promotion (George Strait and Joe “King” Carrasco) and then into production. During the past eight yean Bomar has expanded Airpla' Studios from a $7,500 unit wilt an eight-track recorder to a $35,000 system that hasbeenup- ^ lece i graded to a 16 track. The studio, which takes uphat of Bomar’s home, is his own cre ation and the product of mar hours of work, witnessed by the day job Bomar keeps in addition to producing. “Engineering in the studio a not just pushing buttons, chang ing faders and hitting the record er,” Bomar explains. “There’s^ of things that go into it. “You have to plan the outcome of a sound. You need tositdow: J and plan the production withtlK band and find out what soutie they are after and how you 0 help them achieve it in the do- rest and cheapest way.” Being an accomplished mut cian also doesn’t hurt. Bontf' range of instruments include bass, drums, guitars, violin, 1$ monica, keyboards and a speo* new addition in the form of' $1400 Casio FZ-1 sampler/mod- lator that allows him to reprodt* 1 100 different musical arranf ments in clear stereo sound. w dr. HAD EOT a IA P£ Fa m. 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