The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 28, 2000, Page 6, Image 6
Quote of the Day:
i ‘To believe yourself to be brave is to be brave; it is the
only essential thing.'
- Mark Twain
Page 6 %\\t (BaiMCOCk Monday, February 28,2000
Participants in
the Dance
1 Marathon give
one another
massages to
take a break
from all the
dancing. Aside
from the mas
sages,
dancers could
do crafts, play
games and eart
when they
needed a
| change of
pace.
_mtam-; -1
Amy Goulding Photo Editor
One participant's account of the
weekend's record-setting marathon
by Mark Hartney
Staff Writer
I've never been awake for more than
24 hours. There have been all-nighters,
but I usually wind up in the fetal posi
tion a few hours after dawn.
Enter Dance Marathon, a 28-hour
event beginning early one evening and
ending late the next. At USC, I’ve played
rugby, campaigned for Student Govern
ment president and have been actively
involved in other areas, to put it mildly.
This was an opportunity to show what
a hard man I really was.
When I got to the Russell House on
Friday, dancer registration was well un
der way, with 300 students, countless
staff and administration, and a handful
of people in “MORALE” shirts signing
in. They rounded us up, and we ran in
to the RH Ballroom to “2001” and the
fight song. One minute down, 1,679 to
go.
Overall Chair Kate Stewart soon
took the stage to welcome the dancers,
who were accompanied by members
from the Children’s Hospital of Richland
Memorial. Then, we heard the rules. (1)
No watches. (2) No leaving. (3) No ly
ing down. Ed Bender and Jenn Aip head
ed the morale team, which would en
force the rules with unlimited eneigy.
The team demonstrated the line dance,
a series of 20 or so songs with infinite
dance steps. We were going to leam it.
The Soul Mites took the stage, as the
ballroom became at once an elementary
school playground, complete with four
square, a concert, an arts center, and a
gameroom. “Gamecock Happy Hour”
followed the band, as the morale team
bombarded dancers with ffisbees, water
bottles and candy. Ray Tanner, coach
of USC’s nationally ranked baseball
team, took the stage to encourage the
dancers, followed by former SG Presi
dent Kim Dickerson, herself a former
patient at the Children's Hospital. I then
joined my morale group.
I would be a Big Booty Bandit for
the remaining 24 hours. Arp and Ben
der showed us what could be won by
having boundless spirit. We paraded
around with the “spirit stick,” a 7-foot
rod of infinite colors. Everyone was a
winner, but the BBB was loudest. After
the first competition, Arp spoke words
t '
that brought cheers of joy from hundreds
of dancers.
“Dinner time.”
Spaghetti, breadsticks and sweet tea
followed in the Preston Dining Hall.
When we returned, Stone’s Throw, a lo
cal band, took the stage, and the bungee
run and boxing ring opened for business.
No one knew it, but Friday had long since
disappeared.
Shannon Griffin and Whit Hudson
showed us the next installment of the
line dance, where dancers climbed
“vines,” peeled and ate “bananas,”
and slapped their chests to “Brass Mon
key.” Fatigue was beginning to set in.
Then we learned the third part of the
line dance. All weariness was driven
out, as the morale team came on and
impersonated the Spice Girls, TLC, and,
in a particularly touching performance,
The Backstreet Boys. Dancers then
took the stage to participate in the sec
ond part of “MTV Happy Hour,” “Sin
gled Out.” The spirit stick was passed
on, and the dancers met Girma Taffasee
Russell, a child from Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. Each family that visited re
minded dancers why they were on their
feet.
After a series of eliminations, I was
reminded that everyone was a winner
at Dance Marathon, even if elementary
school kids are better than you in sports.
Breakfast was ready, and I watched the
sun rise over a bowl of Frosted Flakes
and a strawberry Pop Tart. Seeing
daylight come meant 1 had about 16
hours to go, and I really needed socks.
Morale led us
through two more series of the line
dance and one series of backyard games.
Student Media favorites The
Speakeasies then took the stage and
played a few’ loyal covers. Jeremy Rip
py asked me when they were going to
play some “booty music,” and the team
answered by performing 1999’s version
of the line dance. This was the hardest
part of the marathon. I'd been up all
night, and all I wanted was my body pil
low.
Delirium vanished as we stepped
outside to Sumter and Greene streets
and awaited the arrival of the other
marathon, The Olympic Women's Tri
als. They went 26.2 nonstop, and we
were on our way to 28. Watching them
pass the 25th mile gave us the energy
to make it until lunch.
We crossed into p.m. hours. Ten to
go. I was in my fourth T-shirt and grow
ing increasingly aware of the 2 p.m.
men’s basketball game. As Eidson and
Bradley led USC past Georgia, Caro
line Parler led us in West African dance.
We followed with the fifth and sixth
installments of the line dance and head
ed to dinner. Kenny, the former
frontman of Shades of Grey, was
waiting when we came back.
USC President John Palms joined
the line dance after a short speech. His
“sex machine” rivaled that of the best
dancers. As my whiskers grew and
my legs protested, we entered the last
hour. I demonstrated the robot to a
group of students, and although Laura,
a fellow robotress, didn't show me
her version, I started to feel great.
Not just great. Amazing. It was dark
outside again, and everyone - every
one - was dancing. As participants’ fam
ilies and guests watched, we performed
the line dance with feverish intensity.
Next, we circled the ballroom and
swayed as “Angels Among Us” played.
Afterward, each morale team gave
out their “Most Spirited Dancer” awards,
and Delta Delta Delta received the Spir
it Cup for raising more than $10,000.
“2001” and the fight song came on again,
as the morale team picked up cards for
each character in the total amount raised.
They came up in reverse: 0 ... 8 ... 4
... 0 ... 2 ... 6 ... 6. $66,204.80, more
than $10,000 more than last year’s to
tal. Tired but inspired, I hugged as many
people as I passed when I left.
Although I had no trouble getting
to sleep, I'm ready to top Purdue's Dance
Marathon of 48 hours next year. I hope
you're behind me, dancers.
Amy Goulding Photo Editor
Sophomore Elise Tyndall (left) and freshman Carrie Sanders (right) work on pieces to be sewn into a
Dance Marathon quilt during Craft Hour.
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Campus Notes
Applications ready for
Elite Male Pageant
Applications packets are ready for any
males interested in participating in the
2000 Elite Male Scholarship Pageant.
Gill Aisha Taylor at 544-1581 or Jota
ka Eaddy at 544-1939.
Outreach to call
prospective students
Girolina Outreach will call students on
selected Tuesdays during the spring se
mester. From 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. Tues
day at Lieber College, students can tele
phone prospective USC students.
Traditional dancing
comes to Gallery 701
Traditional dancing front New England
with callers Jenny Ashlock and Linda
Thomas and live music by Sligo Creek
will be from 8 to 11 p.m. March 11 at
Gallery 701,701 Whaley St. There will
be a dancing workshop at 7:30 p.m. for
new dancers. All dances will be taught,
and partners aren’t necessary. For more
information, call Columbia Tradi
tional Music and Dance at 796-8935.
Police training course
offered to Columbians
A free 10-week course is being offered
to Columbia residents. Participants re
ceive a graduation certificate and are
eligible to participate in a 10-hour elec
tive ride-along program, which offers ob
servation of police work under actual
working conditions with an officer. The
class will begin March 7 and end May 9.
Call the Columbia Police Training De
partment at 733-8399.
Ambassadors accept
new members
University Ambassadors are accepting
new members. Pick up applications at
the Visitor’s Center. Applications are
due at the center by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
For more information, call 777-0169 or
e-mail saralijones@sc.edu.
Nutrition, exercise
information available
Nutrition and exercise consultations, body
fat percentage estimations, blood pres
sure readings and more are offered in the
Open Door Drop-in Center from 10 am.
to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday in the
Student Health Center basement. For
more information, call 777-8248.
RAD class to have
weekend session
There will be a Rape Aggression Defense
class for females March 18-19. On March
18, the class will meet from 9:45 a.m. to
6 p.m. March 19, it will meet from 1-5
p.m. The class is sponsored by the USC
Police Department, Marriott and the
Housing Department. Tuition is
$12.50. Call Henry Gaibade at 777-0855
to register.
Psychology awards
available in Barnwell
Undeigraduate psychology awards are
available. Pick up applications in Barn
well 208. Completed applications are
due by 5 p.m. today in Psychology Un
dergraduate Student Services. For more
information, call 777-7674.
Professors can be
nominated for award
The Amoco Award for Outstanding Teach
ing is given annually to an outstanding
teacher in undergraduate courses. Stu
dent nominations are essential in the
selection process. A selection commit
tee composed of undergraduates and for
mer winners of the award evaluates the 1
nominations and determines the list of
finalists. The committee urges the stu
dents to nominate their most effective
undergraduate professor. Students should
write a letter with the name of the nom
inee and a short paragraph giving the rea
sons for die nominadon. The letter should
be addressed to professor Lori Thombs,
chair of the Amoco Committee, De
partment of Statistics, USC. The dead
line is Friday. The winner will be an
nounced at the spring general faculty
meeting, will receive a check and cer
tificate, and the winner’s name will be
engraved on a plaque on the main floor
of the Thomas Cooper Library. Previous
winners are not eligible.
Briefs for Campus Notes can be submit
ted to Russell House Room 333. We can’t 1
promise to print everything, but we can
promise to try.
■ CORRECTIONS
The Gamecock strives to report the facts
correctly and responsibly. If you come
across any inaccuracies in our reportage,
t nlease let us know.