Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi triumphantly announced on Twitter Monday that his green — East Green — emerged victorious after ten weeks of friendly, altruistic competition among the three residential greens Winter Quarter.
Ohio University students donated 936 units of blood at different residence halls on all three greens during Winter Quarter, with each unit donated counting as a vote for that green.
To amp up the competition, a top administrator represented each green. Lombardi publicized the event for East Green, Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith did the same for West Green, and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Jenny Hall-Jones took South Green.
“Doctor Hall-Jones and Dean Lombardi and I, we love competition,” Smith said. “But I’m very, very proud of what the students helped us to accomplish.”
Hall-Jones, Smith and Lombardi took to Twitter throughout the quarter, raising awareness about the individual drives.
“Although I have to give Dean Lombardi his props — he did what he had to do; he beat me fair and square — the cause was what it was all about,” Smith said.
Lombardi, Smith and Hall-Jones devised the competition after Miami University said it would be unable to participate in the OU-Miami Blood Battle again this year because of lack of infrastructure in Oxford.
The OU-Miami Blood Battle raised 800 units during Winter Quarter 2011; this year’s OU Green Battle surpassed that amount by 136 units, said •Elisa Timmerman, a senior studying health services administration and OU’s Red Cross donor recruitment intern.
“I think people have very strong connections with the greens they spend freshman and sophomore year at here at OU,” Timmerman said.
After this year’s success, plans are already in place for next year’s Green Battle, she said.
“We are also looking at possibly pursuing partnerships with other schools for Spring Quarter next year,” she said.
OU is part of the Central Ohio blood region. Units of donated blood serve hospitals in 27 Ohio counties, according to the American Red Cross’ website.
bv111010@ohiou.edu
