Finance Fatigue

As the dancers deal with sore feet and exhaustion, the finance committee works tirelessly a few steps from the dance floor.

Finance committee co-chairs Jessica Sher, a Communication junior, and Julie Braeutigam, a Communication senior, lead a team of more than 15 people.

“We’re counting money from dancer registration and the various events in and around Norris,” Sher said.

The committee began working at 3:30 p.m. and will work until the end of the event.

“We will be counting money until right before the big checks are given out Sunday morning at around 12:45 a.m.,” Sher said.


Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern

Orange Juice and Cereal are Welcome Relief

Dancers received a breakfast of Cereality, orange juice and muffins at 7 am. It was the first meal dancers have received, and it comes after twelve hours of near-constant motion.

Top: Mike Mcgee, a Weinberg freshman, is one of the first dancers through the line.

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

Exhaustion Sets in During Fourth Break

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After 12 hours of dancing, students close their eyes to rest during their 10 minute break before breakfast.

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While their breaks were filled with conversation and laughter in the beginning, the fourth break is silent.

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Communication junior Jennifer Lozano takes a drink and watches the sun rise as their first night came to end.



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Awaking the Dawn

As the sun rose, ballons fell. Dancers greeted the dawn with a celebration of yellow and orange balloons.

Joanna Allerhand/The Daily Northwestern

Muslims Find a Quiet Place to Pray

Aamna Anwer had a place to pray. She just didn't have something to cover her head.

The Weinberg sophomore was one of three Muslims who left Dance Marathon to fulfill their prayer obligation. The Muslim religious code asks women to cover their heads during their prayer, so Anwer settled on a shirt from the DM office.

"We have to make do," said Adeeb Hakim, one of the three students and a Weinberg senior. "It's not that bad."

Weinberg senior Adnan Javed said Muslim-cultural Student Association President Amir Siddiqui helped to arrange the prayer times with DM administrators in advance.

"We have to pray five times a day," he said. "When we need to pray, we can take five minutes and go do it."

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

The Graveyard Shift

Although Norris usually closes at midnight, there is no rest for the concierge staff during DM.

"It's been pretty quiet," said Demetrius Harrison, a Weinberg sophomore. "I'm planning to go upstairs and visit some friends later."

Harrison and Luke Rouser, a Norris staffer, signed onto an extra concierge shift Saturday morning from 2 to 8 a.m.

"I did it for the extra money," said Rouser, a Weinberg sophomore.

Although Harrison said he could use some extra cash, he saw the graveyard shift as an unique opportunity.

"It's a way to randomly meet people," he said.

Rouser and Harrison have been working with DM security to enforce the DM lockdown from 2 to 8 a.m.

"We've had a couple of instances where people who were drunk wanted to get in," Rouser said. "(The DM security) have been pretty tough - they took care of a lot of things."

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

More People Falling Asleep

At 5 a.m., Dance Marathon staff seem grateful for the new Norris couches.

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

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Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

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Joanna Allerhand/The Daily Northwestern

At the Third Break, Dancers Wear Down

At their third break, dancers were starting to show signs of fatigue.

“I started to deteriorate at an hour-and-a-half,” said Alison Lynch, a Communication freshman. “But I’m hanging in there.”

Lynch said she thought she would survive, though she said she doesn’t know how.

“That’s a good question,” she said. “I have no idea how people do this every year and stay awake and come out saying it was so much fun.”

Other dancers were cramming food into their mouths, while others fell asleep — energy bars in hand.

But when it was time to reenter the Louis Room, the first dancers ran in jumping and screaming. They said they were ready for the next theme: ”Kick off Your Sunday Shoes,” a mix of Motown, salsa and swing.

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

Get down tonight

(From left) DM partners Aleisha Fetters, a Medill sophomore, and Amanda King, a Communication sophomore, dance during the 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. block Saturday.

Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern

Blast from the Past

Last year's DM executive board cheers dancers on Saturday. Some of the executive board flew in for the event. This year's executive co-chair Nadia Rawls said this could become a tradition in the future.

Joanna Allerhand/The Daily Northwestern

Refresh and Reboot

Students said they felt rejuvenated after given the opportunity to wash, shower and receive a foot massage around 2:40 a.m. Saturday.

"I feel much better," Ajay Vaidya said after taking a shower. "The foot massage will help too."

DM participants showered in shifts during the third block. Males and females were segregated and brought down to the basement bathroom of Norris in a spacious elevator.

They were allowed 90 seconds to wash their sweaty, tired bodies.

"They enforced it pretty strictly," said Vaidya, a SESP senior. A 30 second courtesy warning was given.

Upstairs, a long row of students lined up along the second floor corridor to receive much-appreciated foot massages from DM volunteers.

Donning latex gloves, DM volunteer Stephanie Lecci helped pamper students' feet.

"Foot massages aren't the most pleasant experience," the Medill senior said. "But I think (the dancers) feel better afterwards."

Lecci, who is slated to dance between 6 and 9 a.m., coaxed students' feet out onto the plastic tarp, massaged them for two minutes and applied a variety of soothing lotions such as Purell and baby lotion.

The scent of baby powder emanated through the second-floor corridor as Lecci and other volunteers finished their massages.

"The baby powder is key," Lecci said. "It dries the feet."

As an amateur masseuse, Lecci said she hopes her foot massages have a positive effect on tired dancers.

"Although I did foot massages last year, I mostly do whatever I think would feel good," she said.

Students seem appreciative of the volunteers' efforts to make their experience comfortable.

"I'm ready to go back now," Vaidya said.

Text: Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Photo:
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Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

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Joanna Allerhand/The Daily Northwestern

Going Strong with the Air Guitar

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

The Night Claims its First Casualties

The dancers are tiring, but the support staff are some of the first ones out. Meghan Watt, a Medill Junior, sleeps upstairs in Norris.

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

Dancers Tired on Their Second Break

Six hours in and dancers already are laying down in the halls of Norris University Center on their second break, feet propped up against the wall.

George Kirchner said the night was going well, though the Weinberg sophomore was lying on his back with his legs in the air.

“I didn’t get too much sleep this week with school and everything,” Kirchner said. “My feet are tired, but they’re alright.”

Kirchner was dragged out of the dancing to play the “Singled Out” game onstage, based on the TV dating show. His partner, McCormick sophomore Tom Wallace, said it was the highlight of his night.

SESP senior Jamie Platzer said her feet were tired as well, but she had no doubt she would finish the night. She was reluctant to say what her favorite part of the first two sets was, but with some prodding from her friends, she admitted it.

“I really liked the choreographed dance routines,” she said, laughing.

DM coordinator Jackie Weisman had the task of telling the dancers it was time to get back out in the floor.

“Dancers, we love you but it’s time to go,” the Weinberg sophomore said.

And so they went.


Text: Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

Weinberg freshman Rachel Kalt and SESP freshman Karena Malmgren prop up their feet during the second break.

Photos: Tommy Gigilo/The Daily Northwestern

DM: The Second Shift

Although he missed the first block of DM, AJ Aguado has already been dancing for two hours. As a member of Fusion and Kaibigan, two on-campus dance groups, the Weinberg freshman took part in the DM Dance Show, one of many DM events held this weekend.

"It's been great so far," Aguado said. "A lot of energy is required."

A crowd of 50 gathered in the McCormick Auditorium from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday to see student dance groups perform in the Dance Show, Aguado said. Boomshaka and Graffiti Dancers also danced in the event.

Aguado said he was somewhat nervous when he signed up for DM.

"I wasn't sure how much of a toll this was going to take," he said. "I feel kind of sore and I'm sleepy."

Twenty-hours hours remain.

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Striking a Pose

During the second block, dancers had their photos taken. Around 550 dancers had posed for photos by midnight Saturday morning. The photos will be available for dancers to purchase online with proceeds going to DM's charites.

DM partners Lauren Ashley Buchanan, Weinberg sophomore, and Medill freshman Scott Olstad strike a goofy pose for the photographer.


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Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern
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Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

Going Up for Donations

Harrison Shih is spending 30 minutes standing in an Norris elevator tonight, offering chocolate chip and M&M cookies to riders in exchange for donations. Shih, a Weinberg freshman, is a new brother of Zeta Beta Tau.

"We're trying to make the atmosphere more professional so that people understand DM is serious and really organized," said Shih, dressed formally with dress pants, a white-collared shirt and tie.

All the new brothers of the fraternity signed up for 30-minute shifts to collect money in the Norris elevators. In addition to tonight's fundraising efforts, Zeta Beta Tau members have collected money from passersby in Skokie during the past six weeks, targeting shopping malls and downtown streets.

"We make about $130 in two hours (while canning in Skokie)," Shih said. "Our goal is to make $55,000 this year."

Although Shih said he made only $3 during his shift tonight, he said he was still satisfied.

"I like helping people," he said.

Paul Takahashi/ The Daily Northwestern

Credits Roll on Second Block

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McCormick senior Kevin Huang dressed as Mario from the Super Mario Bros. video games during the second block, "Opening Night."

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern


(Middle)
Ruth Kim, a Weinberg senior, sports a Superman T-shirt.

Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern


(Bottom)
Weinberg junior Kevin Ringel dances as Darth Vader.

Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

Joanna Allerhand/The Daily Northwestern