Every semester students line up en masse at the Memorial Union to fill out paperwork, go through various medical tests and have holes poked in their bodies. It’s not the most glorious or fun way to spend your afternoon, but just about everyone should do it.

Monday is the start of this semester’s ISU Blood Drive. This event, organized by 54 enterprising young students and numerous Blood Centers of Iowa staff is one of the easiest ways to do your good deed for the day that you’ll ever find. You should give some blood — our medical expert assures us you can spare a pint or two.

The Fall Blood Drive runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday.

The Red Cross says only 5 percent of the population gives blood, and doubling that number would eliminate the nationwide blood shortage.

Donating blood probably isn’t something you think about on a daily basis, but rest assured, if you’re ever in a situation where you need blood, you’ll probably want it.

The Blood Drive is a good time. People are always happy to see you there, especially if you’re giving a double unit. The needle doesn’t hurt any more than a mosquito bite, and there’s free cookies and juice when you’re done. Tasty philanthropic event wins again!

If you’ve got three hours to spare, they’re also looking for volunteers. Don’t worry — they leave the phlebotomy to the professionals. Even women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly stopped by last year to hand out cookies.

You’ll also get a card with your blood type on it, and a thank you card when the blood you’ve donated gets put to good use.

Blood can also be fractionated into different products, so the one pint you donate can save three lives. If we still don’t have you convinced, every two seconds someone needs blood in the United States, according to the American Red Cross, and about 38,000 blood donations are needed every year to save the lives of patients around the world. Right here in the United States, 80,000 people suffer from sickle cell disease, requiring them to get frequent blood transfusions throughout the course of their lives. Type “blood donors save life” into Google and read people’s stories.

Today, and for the rest of the week, you will have an opportunity to give blood to help patients who need it. It requires minimum effort on your part — just show up and fill out the paperwork, and you’re good.

OK, so it’s not necessarily that easy. The American Red Cross clams that less than 38 percent of Americans are qualified to give blood. Those who have been to Africa, Europe or pretty much anywhere else that’s far, far away will be immediately disqualified, along with those who are homosexuals or who frequent the company of prostitutes.

We’re not fans of the long-standing policy of the Department of Health and Human Services to bar gay men and women from donating. Something else the government doesn’t let gays do? Yeah, we’re surprised, too.

We also aren’t supposed to encourage lying to the Red Cross about your sexual history because the FDA wants to pretend you have AIDS.

Some professors even give extra credit for volunteering or donating. If you’re in a class taught by one of these awesome people, you don’t have any excuses.

If you have the time to spare — and we know you do — you should definitely find your way down to the MU. Save lives.