Poor college students have been known to do some odd things to make a quick buck.

The newest fad to hit campus is plasma, or plasma donation that is.

Centeon, a plasma donation center in Des Moines, regularly runs advertisements in the Iowa State Daily to entice students to donate plasma for cash, emphasizing the money-making aspect.

Andres Diaz, a freshman, said he donates plasma twice a week, the maximum number of times that the center will allow you to donate. Making money is the only reason Diaz donates plasma, he said.

“I do it because I’m broke,” he said.

The amount of plasma that a donor can give is determined by body weight, the more pounds, the more plasma, the more cash. Donors are paid for the amount of plasma they give.

“The first time I went I made $30,” Diaz said. He has made $25 a visit since.

The amount of money that donors can make changes often. “It almost seems like a grocery store because they always have deals,” Diaz said.

Craig Calhoun, a sophomore, said he donated plasma several times last year. He has not donated yet this year but is planning to soon. “If you’re a broke college student it’s worth it,” he said. “It only takes an hour and you can watch TV or read magazines or homework. In an hour you can make what you do at other jobs.”

Not everyone is happy with the plasma-donating process.

Leana Benson, a junior, donated last year. She said it was not worth the money, but if she ever really needed $20, she would probably do it again. “It’s money, but it’s not worth it I don’t think,” she said. “I didn’t do it out of the goodness of my heart.”

She said that she donated five times last year when she needed money. “You know you’ve gone there too many times when they recognize you,” she said.

The donating process can be involved.

“The very first time you go, it takes forever because you have to get a physical,” he said. “I was probably there for three hours.”

Workers ask the donor questions about his or her sexual history and any drug use.

They also visually inspect the arms to look for needle marks, indicating intravenous drug use.

When donating, blood is pumped out of the arm into a machine, where the plasma is removed from the blood.

Once the plasma is removed from the blood, the remaining fluid is returned to the body. In five-minute intervals, the machine alternates between pumping blood out of the arm and returning it to the body.

“You just sit there,” Diaz said.

Donating, after you get to the Des Moines center, takes about an hour.

Jimmy Hendricks, director of public relations for Centeon, said that there are no health risks. “We deal with state-of-the-art equipment and have an extensive repeat donor program,” he said.

Neither Calhoun or Diaz are worried about health risks involved with donating.

“They say you have no chance of catching anything by giving plasma,” Calhoun said.

“They take the needle out of the package right in front of you,” he said.

The center screens the plasma and notifies the donor if there are any problems with the donation. “If anything comes up they’ll call you and tell you not to come back,” Calhoun said.

Donors are told to drink lots of fluids and avoid alcohol for a while after donating. Diaz said he was also told that he may see some blood in his urine.

Benson said there are side effects.

“It made me light headed,” she said. “I just don’t think it’s worth it.”