Coming up on Feb. 26 LHS will be working with Red Cross to host a blood drive for LHS students for the second time this year.
Earlier this school year, on Oct. 23, LHS worked with the Red Cross to host its first blood drive of the year. Students who donated or volunteered were informed that if they met certain requirements they could acquire red cords to wear at graduation. However, red cords are not the only cords graduates can obtain.
Other areas in which cords are available include Advanced Placement (AP) courses, National Honors Society (NHS), Spanish IV, Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA), Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and for senior Bengal’s Purr staff.
Other than the NHS and blood donation cords, such graduation cords are likely unique to Lewiston High School, according to Kevin Driskill, principal.
Clubs and staff members to Driskill, and he takes them to the school’s Academic Council to be approved.
Driskill mentioned that sometimes it is hard to choose which groups should receive a cord because, “They want it to be an honor, but they have to decide what is too much and what is too little.”
No new cords have been added for LHS graduates in the past two years, he said. According to Rhonda Wilson, LHS administrative secretary, the amount of people wearing cords over the years has increased as “more clubs add to the mix,” she said, and people become more aware as their clubs inform them of opportunities. DECA cords have been common in the past, she said, as well as those of National Honors Society and AP courses.
In preparation for the Oct. 23 blood drive, Cynthia Johnson, psychology teacher, provided information on how to obtain red cords for graduation. Students can either donate blood three times with the American Red Cross (one donation must be between June 1-Aug. 31 or Dec. 15-Jan. 15) or recruit five first-time donors and record the recruits under the referrals section of the dashboard.
Cynthia Johnson plays a big part in recruiting students for the blood drive and informing them of red cords.
“Graduation cords, personally I don’t think are just a focus on academics. I think students should be able to be recognized for a lot of things. Red cords, for example. So many students are willing and brave enough to become blood donors. Giving blood is a huge deal.”