Iowa State’s spring Blood Drive begins Monday, but with a major change from years past: It’s no longer affiliated with Greek Week.

Greek Week, a weeklong community-building celebration for the greek community, has traditionally given points toward the Greek Week championship to the fraternity and sorority pairings who donate the most time and blood.

However, Greek Week Central will no longer award those points. GWC decided to cut these ties because the greek community could not be united in the event, said Thomas Vance, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication and member of Delta Lambda Phi, a fraternity composed of progressive, gay and bisexual men.

Part of the nonunification Vance referred to was a Food and Drug Administration policy that puts a lifetime ban on donating blood on any man who has had sex with another man since 1977.

“Most of us [members of Delta Lambda Phi] couldn’t participate in donating blood, but it was required to participate to get points,” Vance said.

“It’s not that it put us at a disadvantage, but it was an open act of discrimination.”

“We’re not against donating blood or anything. It’s that it openly discriminates against us. [It perpetuates] things no longer true about the gay community,” he said.

GWC chairwoman Courtney Knupp, senior in agricultural business, said GWC stands behind its decision but offered no other comment.

Pete Arentson, co-director of the spring Blood Drive and sophomore in pre-business, said the Blood Drive had no say in the decision.

“We were asked to come to a meeting and we were told that Greek Week would no longer be affiliated with the Blood Drive. [We would] not necessarily lose their encouragement, but lose the point system,” Arentson said.

He estimates the Blood Drive will lose approximately 400 to 500 productive units of blood because of GWC’s decision. He said he based these numbers off the numbers from the fall 2005 Blood Drive, in which the greek community did not offer incentives to donate.

“Personally, it’s a little disappointing because I think that we won’t be able to pull as many successful units,” Arentson said. “Right now, we’re trying to play the cards we’ve been dealt and try not to lose all the people that would donate.”

A.J. Perdew, sophomore in biology and member of Delta Lambda Phi, said he believes GWC made a courageous decision not to offer Blood Drive points, especially considering the flak it has received as a consequence.

“No one, including Greek Week Central, is trying to protest giving blood. There are groups that are protesting the outdated policies, but not protesting giving blood,” Perdew said.

Perdew, who is a blood transfusion recipient, feels strongly about blood donation.

“It’s the gift of life, and nobody in this ordeal is questioning that,” he said.

He still encourages those who are able to give blood to do so.

“I think if the only reason people were giving blood was so they could get points for a reward, they need to question their personal motivation,” Perdew said.

Arentson, who said he would like to see Greek Week reverse its decision, said he doesn’t question people’s motivations to give blood – he would just like to see it donated.

“I look at it as a business,” Arenston said. “Right now, if those units are out there, we’d go get them. Is it ethical? I’m not sure.

“I hope [people] are giving because it’s the right thing to do and people need blood.”

Director of Greek Affairs Jennifer Plagman-Galvin could not be reached for comment by press time.