If you approached the front of the campus bookstore on Sept. 12, you would have found four students in scrubs taking blood pressures with sphygmomanometers.

The tables were lined with information packets in a haphazard  fashion, student artworks to teach about hypertension and lifestyle changes to promote heart health.

Dion Walsh, a vibrant and cheerful nursing major with a well-trimmed beard and a good bedside manner, directed students to sit on chairs with arms stretched out, resting on the table.

Walsh, among other students in the nursing program, are celebrating the college’s centennial anniversary with the 100 Blood Pressures Initiative throughout November. The goal is to collect 100 blood pressure readings from students on campus.

The 100 Blood Pressure Initiative is orchestrated by Bonnie Clark, associate professor of the City College nursing program.

The program is running the initiative throughout the semester. The next date for blood pressure checks will be Oct. 15 during the open house, and Nov. 14 from 8-10:30 a.m. in the Quad.

Clark said the primary causes of high blood pressure are hereditary issues, weight and stress.

“Stress is where we really work with students,” said Clark, “because school is really stressful. Caffeine is also a major contributor to high blood pressure. Caffeine is a vassal constrictor. It constricts those blood vessels increasing that bottom number, the diastolic pressure.”

Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers. The first number is systolic. It measures when the heart beats and how much pressure the heart itself puts out. The second is diastolic and determines the pressure between heartbeats when at rest.

The second number Clark explains is the most important because that’s the pressure in the blood vessels, which puts strain on the body when elevated over time.

“Detecting blood pressure issues early is an important part of good heart health,” said Clark, “and that many young people don’t think to monitor it before it becomes a problem.”

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He made sure the cuff was tight, but not too much. He started inflating the sleeve while he explained what he was doing.

“Blood pressure is an indicator of hypertension and other systemic problems,” Walsh explained. “Things will cause your blood pressure to go up. We can find a reason why that’s happening and we can investigate.”

Walsh worked as a monitor tech and ward clerk before starting nursing school. He prefers the traditional way of monitoring hypertension.

“In the hospitals we have automated machines,” Walsh said. “It’s good to practice the old fashioned way. I think it works a bit better and you get a bit of a better readout.”

He continues to pump. The sleeve builds up air and pressure tightening around my arm.

“Just tell me if it’s tight. I don’t want to injure you.”

He continued to talk, probably to distract me from the process.

“Normal range for blood pressure is 120 over 80,” he says while he continued to pump air in the cuff. I interrupt him.

“But what about that?” I ask,  pointing to the large cup of coffee I’ve been drinking.

“It’s gonna raise your blood pressure,” Walsh said and returned to his work. “124 over 90. Well over normal.”

Walsh said he would be worried if he were me,  but looked at the coffee and said I should come back when I’m a better experiment.