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Dance Marathon: test of love, strength by Mark Hartney Reprinted from Tiif. Gamecock 02/28/00 I’ve never been awake for more than 24 hours. There have been all-nighters, but I usually wind up in the fetal position a few hours after dawn. Enter Dance Marathon, a 28-hour event begin ning early one evening and ending late the next. At USC, I’ve played rugby, campaigned for Stu dent Government 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 under way, with 300 stu dents, countless staff and administration, and a hand ful of people in “MORALE” shirts signing in. They rounded us up, and we ran into 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 accompa nied by members from the Children’s Hospital of Palmetto Richland Memorial. "PI. . . _ I_J *1__1_/1\ KT„ .^ _ iiicii, nc ih^uiu uiv i uivj, v*/ 1 waivuto. vw No leaving. (3) No lying down. Ed Bender and Jenn Arp headed the morale team, which would enforce the rules with unlimited eneigy. The team demon strated the line dance, a series of 20 or so songs with infinite dance steps. We were going to learn 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 cen ter, and agameroom. “Gamecock Happy Hour” fol lowed the band, as the morale team bombarded dancers with frisbees, 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 President 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 remain ing 24 hours. Arp and Bender showed us what could be won by having boundless spirit. We paraded around with the “spirit stick,” a 7-foot rod of infinite col ors. Everyone was a winner, but the BBB was loudest. After the first competition, Arp spoke words 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 local 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 Monkey.” Fatigue was be ginning 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 par ticipate in the second part of “MTV Happy Hour,” “Singled Out.” The spirit stick was passed on, and the dancers met Girma Taffasee Russell, a child from Addis Aba ba, Ethiopia. Each family that visited reminded 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 1 watched the sun rise over a bowl of Frosted Flakes and a strawberry Pop Tart. Seeing daylight come meant I had about 16 hours to go, and 1 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. Jere my Rippy asked me when they were going to play some “booty music,” and the team answered by per forming the 1999 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 pillow. 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 growing increasingly aware of the 2 p.m. men’s basketball game. As Eidson and Bradley led USC past Georgia, Caroline Parler led us in West African dance. We followed with the fifth and sixth installments ui me line uauve anu licaucu 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” ri valed 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 robot ress, didn’t show me her ver sion, I started to feel great. Not just great. Amazing. It was dark outside again, and everyone - everyone - was dancing. As participants’ families and guests watched, we performed the line dance with feverish intensity. Next, we circled the ballroom and swayed as “An gels Among Us” played. Afterward, each morale team gave out their “Most Spir ited Dancer” awards, and Delta Delta Delta received the Spirit 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, over $10,000 more than last year’s total. Tired but inspired, 1 hugged as many people as I passed when I left. Although 1 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. For the kids. **ja mrm mb—_n_s I Photos Reprinted from The Gamecock Participants in Dance Marathon gave one another massages (above), raised each oth ers’ spirits (right) and did arts and crafts to stay awake for 28 hours.