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.
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