Civic responsibilities are common right now - but they extend beyond the need to vote.

The 14th annual University of Arizona-Arizona State University Blood Donor Challenge is taking place on campus right now in Bear Down Gymnasium, but unfortunately, not enough people are giving enough blood to overtake the Sun Devils' donations - or more importantly, help save lives.

By not giving blood, a healthy person is potentially denying an ill or injured person the chance to heal. This patient in need could be an accident victim, a hemophiliac or a cancer-stricken youngster. But whoever they are, they are facing an emergency situation that can be treated with blood, one of the common factors that all humans share.

With this in mind, excuses like "It's inconvenient" or "I'm afraid" do not cut it and are reduced to apathy. Donating blood is something almost any healthy person can do.

Brian Green, a recruiter for the American Red Cross, said the organization is in the midst of a critical blood shortage, especially for O-negative and O-positive blood - as of Tuesday, the Red Cross' southern Arizona blood banks had less than one day's supply, which is at least 350 pints, of either type.