Blood has been a popular topic around Baker University’s campus this week, and not just because the new “Twilight” movie recently premiered in theaters.

Two blood drives were hosted on campus this week; one Wednesday through the American Red Cross, sponsored by senior Kayla Anderson, and the other through Community Blood Center, sponsored Friday by Baker’s Panhellenic Council Executive Board and Interfraternity Council.

“We kind of turned it into a blood drive week,” Dominque Vieyra, Panhellenic community outreach and scholarship vice president, said

The two blood drives were mistakenly planned only a day apart from one another.

“We were working with different organizations, and so we didn’t realize until it was too late that the blood drives were in the same week,” Jennifer Letner, fraternity and sorority life coordinator, said.

The proximity of the two blood drives is something that can be a problem when both drives have a certain amount of blood they have pledged to acquire.

“You actually have to wait 56 days in between giving blood,” Anderson said. “There’s a ton of eligibility requirements to give blood, but hopefully Baker students will step up and we’ll both be able to make our quotas.”

Anderson said she and the Panhellenic Council had spoken and were just trying to make both drives successful. Anderson hoped to get 44 pints of blood while Panhellenic’s goal was 28 pints.

“I am focused on my goal but I’m more than happy to send people to the other drive if I get more than I need,” Anderson said.

At her drive, Anderson collected 44 pints of blood.

“I am ecstatic. I’m really happy,” she said. “We were trying to push for another six (pints), but … with people not being able to fill up, like, the pints all the way, we had to turn those away.”

Anderson’s blood drive took place Wednesday while the blood drive hosted by Baker’s greek life is happening Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Collins Center.

The blood donated to the American Red Cross could be distributed anywhere nationwide while Vieyra said the blood being donated to the Community Blood Center stays local.

“It’s kind of cool that we’re helping both locally and nationally this week,” Vieyra said.

Both Vieyra and Anderson expect to host another blood drive in the spring as well.

“Hopefully me and Panhellenic can team up and we can do it during Greek Week and get more involvement in the greek (chapters),” Anderson said.

Anderson said she hoped the Baker campus would make it a priority to give blood this week.

“Usually we’re worried about having a needle in our arm or how it will affect our practice that day, but I guarantee each person knows someone that has needed blood before and one pint can save three lives,” Anderson said. “Blood can’t be manufactured. It has to be donated, and I hope people realize it’s important.”