The first-annual summer blood drive is on campus today in the Memorial Union from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The season of fun in the sun runs blood supplies low when people who give blood regularly go on vacations and have other worries on their minds.

There is also another reason for the increased demand: The low supply wouldn’t be such a problem if blood demand didn’t rise during the summer months.

Traffic accidents increase with more cars on the road, which in turn increases trauma patients.

The Fourth of July and Labor Day are prime times for accidents and with a low supply of your favorite life-saving liquid, mortality rates increase as well.

We’ll give you a break this time because people don’t know about the blood drive on campus. Greeks aren’t around to promote the drive and compete with each other to see which house can give up the most bodily fluids.

Try something new: Be selfish; forget altruism.

Don’t give blood because someday your friends or family might have surgery or a transfusion and need the blood to live.

Don’t give it out of a sense of love for other human beings.

You don’t need to donate blood, 70 percent of the population has the same type as you. Let them stock their banks with the blood of those people who are not too lazy to give a pint.

Maybe you have a rare blood type the blood banks are really short on. Let someone else donate.

You don’t have enough time in the summer to take 30 minutes to go to the MU. You should probably continue that four-round disc golf game.

Go to the MU today and donate blood to be selfish.

Instead of getting $20 from donating plasma, you’ll spend $20 less at the bar when you’re down a pint of blood.

Give blood because you may need the transfusion or have surgery when there is a shortage.

Donate because the rest of the American population is too lazy to do it.

Did you know some hospitals give priority to people who have given blood in the past? Better bring your donor card into the OR.

Remember the rare blood type you have?

Did you know you can only receive that specific blood type?

You love yourself too much not to give blood.

Give blood to be selfish. You may need it someday.

If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for the cookies.

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Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Kate Kompas,Greg Jerrett, Heidi Jolivette, Justin Kendall and Tara Payne.