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The 38th annual official magazine of Northwestern university dance marathon

Emcee 2012

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The Emcee, the official magazine of NUDM, has been a staple of our annual event since its inception in 1975.

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Page 1: Emcee 2012

The 38th annual official magazine ofNorthwestern university dance marathon

Page 2: Emcee 2012

Dear family, friends and supporters of Dance Marathon,

In 1975, a few Northwestern students had the idea for an event. Dancers would boogey down for 52 hours in Blomquist Gym-nasium to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of America and NARC. Thirty-seven years later, Northwestern University Dance Marathon is as inspiring and impactful as ever. Dance Marathon has raised money and awareness for issues such as congenital heart defects, HIV-AIDS, youth homelessness and cancer. DM has brought the Northwestern community together in the spirit of philanthropy and selflessness. DM has taught us that even when your feet are sore, your eyelids weak and your energy all but gone, the power and strength of our community will shine through and bring us to unbe-lievable heights. At the onset of DM 2012, we had no idea what an incredible ride we were in for. In the past year, DM has been selected The Most Influential College Organization in the Country, had more people pledge to dance for the 30 hours than ever before and fostered relationships unlike any other student group on campus, showing us the true effect of genuine philanthropic efforts. From our Holiday Party to the Soccer Clinic held with the Northwestern Soccer Team, this year has shown an incredible variety in the events we hold, creating a truly year-round DM experience. The dedication of your son, daughter, grandchild, friend, or fellow Northwestern Wildcat has been inspiring. Our Executive Board members have endured countless hours of discussions and arguments united by the universal passion to drive our organization forward. Our committee members have accumulated hours of phone calls, emails and committee meet-ings solely out of love for our purpose and mission. Most importantly, our dancers have spent afternoons in the freezing cold canning outside Welsh-Ryan Arena, long nights writing fundraising letters and a whole weekend dancing as a unified Northwestern for the betterment of our university, community and society. The connection that we have created with The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation and the Evanston Community Foundation is one unlike we’ve seen in recent DM history. The work of The B+ Foundation has reached families across the United States and research in a variety of different fields. Additionally, their message of staying optimistic and positive resonates beyond those affected by cancer and asks us all to be better people. Our relationship with the Evanston Community Foundation is a 15-year partnership that DM cherishes. Our community is one that Northwestern students take great pride in and we strive to improve. Through pairing with The B+ Foundation and Evanston Community Foun-dation, we hope to benefit both our community but also our organization and its members. While DM is itself a 30-hour event, we strive for more than just a 30-hour commitment. People have said that DM is one of those experiences that they will never forget, that changed them forever, that made them proud to be a member of our great community -- and we truly believe that. DM not only changes the lives of our beneficiary, but also of our dancers, of committee members, of our Board and even the two of us. As we enter the 120-hour club, I think we can both say with confidence that DM is an unforgettable and humbling experience for all involved.

DMLove,Kunal Joshi and Scott Ritter

Executive Co-Chairs’ letter

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Table of Contents

DM Jargon 4TiMeline 4DM By The nuMBers 5TenT Talk 5Be PosiTive in-Focus 6-7WeekenD-oF PreP 8Playing The PerFecT song BeFore aFTer, DM 8FunDraising TiPs 9DM eFFecs 9gourMeT DM 10DM incenTives 10TenT DiagraM 11Block-By-Block 12ToP FunDraisers oF nuDM 2011 13an in-DePTh look aT DM’s rooTs 14raJing WiTh raJe 15The hour cluB MeMBers 16Tricks oF The TraDe 17WhaT’s your DM Dancing sTory? 17iT’s a BirD, iT’s a Plane: ProFile on B+ heroes 18-19BehinD The scenes WiTh “hoTsauce” (neD & ashley) 20-21nuDM 2012 BroughT To you By... 22-23exec Thank you’s 24-27aDs 28-35

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DM JARGON

TIMELINE

Monday: Work on your costumes. After getting the list of block themes, meet up with those in your dance group (or your fellow indepen-dent dancers) to determine who is going to be dressed up as what. Disney theme? Be sure to get at least every Princess in your group. Michael Jackson theme? Get one Jackson and a couple of zombies for the inevitable playing of “Thriller.” Getting a nice group theme estab-lished will boost morale as the hours build up!

Tuesday: Practice your dance moves. You’re going to have to have a pretty varied repertoire if you’re going to be getting down for 30 hours. Brush up on the Soulja Boy, teach your-self how to Dougie and learn how to move it like Bernie. In between practicing, perfect your own moves and get ready to be inventive during the coming weekend.

Friday: Sleep. Go to sleep early Thursday night and get ready for the greatest week-end of the year!

Thursday: Snack shopping. It is very im-portant to have a nice spread of energy bars, fruits and other snacks to survive the weekend. Avoid anything with too much sugar, since the inevitable crash will make the later blocks miserable.

Wednesday: Deposit any checks you still have left. The last thing you want on the day of DM is to be told that your donations haven’t been sufficient. Make sure you’ve counted up every nickel from canning, sent emails of thanks to those who donated online and bring any other deposits to the DM office in Norris.

With Dance Marathon just a few days away, it’s time to start prepar-ing for the weekend. Thirty hours is a substantial length of time to do anything, let alone dance your heart out. The following schedule will help you prepare for this incredible event.

This dictionary lesson is mainly for Dance Marathon newbies who are about to join the 30-Hour Club. The old timers could give this lesson, but they don’t. They just speak in a code not everyone can understand. It is about time someone decoded it, so here is the new official DM dictionary!

Block [blok] nounOne of 10 three-hour blocks that comprise DM. Each has a different theme and music genre, and prompts outfit changes for many of the dancers.I enjoy the first and last few blocks the best, but I get tired in the middle.

Beneficiary [ben-uh-fish-ee-er-ee] nounOne of two organizations each year that DM selects to give their raised money. The primary beneficiary is a national (usually pediatric) organiza-tion, and the secondary beneficiary is local.This year’s primary beneficiary is The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation.

Canning [kan-ing] nounThe act of standing outside while wearing a bib, holding a can and asking random people for money, after explaining DM and its beneficiaries. Cans and bibs are available at the DM office in Norris but only to be used at speci-fied times and places for which DM has canning permits. I am going canning at the football game on Saturday.

Dancer [dan-sehr, dahn-] nounThe coolest Northwestern students ever that pledge to raise at least $400 and then dance for 30 straight hours the first weekend in March.There are more than 1,300 dancers signed up for DM 2012! Emcee [em-see] nounThe Emcee is the annual DM publication that you are reading right now and is sent to dancers, sponsors and the rest of the DM-affiliated community for additional informa-tion about DM and tips for weekend-of. Not to be confused with the Emcees. (see next)The Emcee is a very informative, interesting and beautiful publication.

Emcee [blok] noun,verbThe very prestigious action or act of being on stage during DM, cracking jokes, pumping up the dancers and making announcements. In recent years, one male and one female Emcee have been selected. This year’s emcees are both Communication students who are hysterical. Letters [let-er] nounAlso known as solicitation letters, they are a popular fundraising strat-egy for many dancers to send to their friends and family explaining DM and its beneficiaries while subtly asking for money toward their totals.Ah, I need to send out my letters soon because the half money deadline is coming up!Partner [pahrt-ner] nounA fellow dancer with whom one registers for help and motivation during the fundraising process, as well as the 30 hours of dancing. Together, each pair must raise $800. I chose my partner wisely — someone with a lot of wealthy family friends.Team [teem] nounA group of students, often a dorm or Greek organization, that registers for DM together. They often fundraise together, dance together and wear matching clothing during each block of DM. Group members are still expected to raise $400 each. My team is going to raise more money than yours! Trivia [triv-ee-uh] nounThe weekly gathering at Buffalo Wild Wings in which the Special Events ommittee runs a different themed night of questions each week, while the restaurant offers promotional discounts for participants. Participa-tion requires a $5 donation that can go toward a team total. It was embarrassing how few answers you knew at Trivia last night.

by Nikki Adler

by Dave Park

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DM by the NUmbers

TENT TALK

by Dave Park Dance Marathon is drawing closer and closer with each passing day, so what better time is there to reflect on the successes of last year’s DM? The event made history last year when more than $1,000,000 was raised by more than 900 dancers. On average, this is about $550 per team of two, which is impressive considering this surpasses the $400 minimum. However, not every group was a simple team of two. The following breakdown should help show just where all this money came from, and how huge and varied DM dancer groups can be. Out of all of the dancers who participated in DM last year, the majority, 541, were associated with small or medium groups, which were usually Greek affiliations or a group of people from the same dorm. Another large portion of the DM population was a part of larger groups, comprised of more than 40 people. Three-hundred-six dancers were associated with these large groups, and the largest of these groups, DGZBT, had 89 dancers. The rest of the dancers were either members of a DM committee or danced as independents, the smallest of the represented groups. DGZBT was the big winner in the donation category: Altogether the group raised just more than $100,000, or a little more than $1,000 per dancer. This average, however, can’t beat the team of Teresa Caya and Annie Weiss, the duo that went home with last year’s grand prize vacation trip. These two dancers raised an impressive $6,000. That prob-ably took a lot of canning! Last year’s numbers were impressive across the board, and with early estimates this year showing that dancer registration numbers have broken records yet again, hopes are high for another incredibly successful DM.

by Noor Hasan

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BE POSITIVE IN FOCUS

Every year, Dance Marathon raises money to benefit a foundation. This year, most of the money raised will be going to The An-drew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation, a child cancer research foundation.

The B+ Foundation was formed after leukemia took the life of Andrew, a 14-year-old athlete and A student from Wilmington, Del. After a state championship soccer tournament, Andrew went into cardiac arrest and then received the diagnosis. Although he was not expected to live through the night, he managed to stay alive for 167 days. The B+ Foundation is so named because Andrew’s blood type was B+ and because even through his illness, he had an overwhelmingly positive attitude.

“I knew Andrew McDonough from my hometown of Wilmington, Del,” said Eamon O’Neill, Midwestern regional director of The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. “He was a great kid, brimming with life, and it is tragic that he died so young. Thousands of other kids are in similar positions and fight everyday for their lives. Being around this on a regular basis, you cannot help but be inspired.” The objective of The B+ Foundation is to support families with a child with cancer, both financially and emotionally, as well as promoting a positive attitude about life and recovery, much like Andrew had. “The B+ Foundation has three causes that we strive to help,” O’Neill said. “The first is to provide financial and emotional sup-port to families who have a child with cancer. We call this our Family Assistance Program, and in 2011 we gave out over $500,000 to families across the country. We also fund research projects that aim to develop cures and advancements in chemotherapy. Lastly, we try to spread the B+ message. This means appreciating your life, your family and everything you have been given.” Over the course of each year, the Foundation holds many events across the country to raise money for the foundation.

“Some of [the events] are on college campuses, while others are just put on the Foundation. We also apply for grants from vari-ous sources to help our mission,” O’Neill said. “In order for our Family Assistance Program to work, we rely on a nationwide network of social workers who help eligible families complete our application.”

Although DM is just one of the many college campus events that occur to help this foundation, it is anticipated to greatly benefit the foundation.

“DM is going to have a huge impact on The B+ Foundation,” O’Neill said. “The Foundation has been around for just over four years and is still growing. DM will provide huge financial support to the foundation which will go directly to helping families and funding research in the Chicago area.”

In addition to financially assisting the foundation, DM has also helped B+ to expand geographically. The amount of publicity DM attracts nationwide has given The B+ Foundation a greater presence within the nation.

Aside from dancing or raising money for DM, there are many other ways students can get involved in the Foundation.“We are always looking for people who are interested in helping us do events on various college campuses throughout the

country,” O’Neill said. “A donation of any size is always appreciated, as well. Just being familiar with the Foundation through bepositive.org and spreading the word is great, too.” Getting involved in this Foundation is very important. Childhood cancer affects many lives across the nation, and Foundations such as B+ are incredibly helpful to the fight against cancer. “There is a huge need for improvement in the treatment, research and funding of childhood cancer,” O’Neill said. “Every school day, 46 kids are diagnosed with cancer and will be subjected to unimaginable pain just to fight for their lives.”

by Jacinda Ratcliffe

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BE POSITIVE IN FOCUS

Every school day, 46 children will be diagnosed with

cancer.

There are 12 major childhood cancers.

Only 3 percent of the National Cancer Institute’s

annual budget funds childhood cancer research.

Childhood cancer is responsible for killing more chil-

dren and teenagers every year than any other disease.

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Weekend-of prepTake a nap Friday afternoonGetting a couple hours of sleep before DM starts can keep your energy levels high for much longer than if you were just to coast on Thursday’s night sleep.

Don’t eat too much beforehand“Being awake for 30 hours messes with how your body functions, especially digestion,” Cooper explained. Try and stick to light and healthy foods.

Come up with costumes for the themesHaving fun outfits to change into maintains excitement during breaks and creates morale in the tent.

Bring multiple pairs of shoesSwapping between sneakers and flip flops allows you to rest your feet even during the middle blocks.

Pick up a few essentials from CVSHaving a few wisp toothbrushes and a stick of deodorant in your bag has the power to make you feel a lot cleaner than you are.

Don’t psych yourself out“DM can be exhausting at times, but if you maintain a positive attitude, then you’ll have a much more enjoyable and memorable experience,” Giannetto said. Get yourself excited rather than stressed before you get to the tent.

by Michele Moses

In preparation for Dance Marathon 2012, we talked to a group of seniors who are upcoming members of the 120-hour Club. Here are a few tips on how to get ready for the weekend-of from Michael Giannetto, Elyse Roth, Michael Simms and Sarah Cooper.

“Levels” – Avicii: This song is the No. 1 party anthem of the year. Nothing will get you pumped up more than Avicii’s biggest hit.“We Found Love” – Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris: Sure it may be overplayed on the radio, and you see all of your friends on Spotify listening to it, but there is no question Rihanna’s blend of pop and electronic dance music will get you ready to go 30 hours nonstop.“Party Rock Anthem” – LM-FAO: As the song suggests, you will be a “party rocker in the house tonight,” so there is no reason not to prepare accord-ingly.“Calling” – Sebastian In-grosso: Between “Calling” and “My Feelings for You,” Sebas-tian Ingrosso has been produc-ing some great music as of late. This house anthem will get your feet moving for one of the longest nights of your life.“Ni**as in Paris” – Jay-Z and Kanye West: One of the best hip-hop songs of 2011 will be sure to get you ready to “ball

so hard” for Dance Marathon.“Every Teardrop is a Wa-terfall (Swedish House Ma-fia Remix)” – Coldplay: Yes, Coldplay’s original song is a nice, soothing tune to relax, but when Swedish House Mafia — the mastermind behind “Save The World” — remixed this track, a new party track was born. It’s the same soothing lyrics but with epic electronic drops and a killer melody.“Without You” – David Guet-ta feat. Usher: It would be wrong to put all of these other electronic dance music artists on this list without a shout out to David Guetta.“Super Bass” – Nicki Minaj: This feel good hip-hop track will put your mind and body in the mood to dance all night long.“Cinema (Skrillex Remix)” – Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go: Skrillex is out of control, literally. His songs sound like a dying amplifier going through a cheese grater, but nonetheless, they are catchy and embrace the new dubstep/electronic house era.

“Not Over You [Collin McLoughlin Cover]” – Gavin DeGraw: Fa-mous for his covers of “Save The World” and “Titanium,” McLoughlin is slowly making a name for himself on YouTube. The “Not Over You” cover is arguably bet-ter than DeGraw’s and has a more relaxing and continuous flow. “Waiting On The World To Change” – John Mayer: The sim-plest of relaxation songs by one of the most relax-ing musicians out there.“I Would Do Anything For You” – Foster the People: Everybody, please stop listening to “Pumped Up Kicks.” It is overplayed. “Over My Dead Body” – Drake: This song is by far the most relaxing and retrospective track off of Drake’s sopho-more album, “Thank Me Later.”

“Heartbeat” – The Fray: The band never fails to disappoint and consistently puts out top-notch tracks to un-wind.“Haven’t Met You Yet” – Michael Bublé: Take pride in your 30-hour accomplishment with the one Michael Bublé song that is guar-anteed to make you smile.“Not Lost” – B.o.B: This is a B.o.B under-ground track that’s not well known and has the wonderful feel of “Don’t Let Me Fall.” B.o.B does much more than rap and this song is a testa-ment to just that.“Superstar” – Lupe Fiasco: Enjoy a chill hip-hop song with this quality 2007 throwback.“This Love” – Maroon 5: The suave sounds of Adam Levine will cause anybody to relax, calm down, and fall asleep.

Playing the perfect song before, after Dance Marathon

Get Amped! Chill Out!by Ross Gordon

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by Ross Gordon

DM EFFECTS

Fundraising Tips When Jimmy Clifton first decided to participate in Dance Marathon as a freshman, he knew he’d have to work to raise money. Just how hard he’d have to work -- and how big the reward would be -- was more of a surprise. Clifton, a Weinberg junior, became an Internet sensation during his fundraising efforts after he ran into a chemistry lecture wearing a chicken suit and started doing the chicken dance. “It took me a couple of minutes to open the door to the lecture hall once I got there because I was so nervous,” Clifton said. “I was sweating, waiting to go in.” Clifton then ran to the front of the class and led students in the dance before being chased into the hall and tackled by the professor, Dr. Owen Priest. “It was kind of a blur, the only thing I could think was, ‘I really hope the class does this with me,’” Clifton said. “I did this whole thing winging it -- pun intended.” Clifton’s friends from his dorm had first proposed the idea of wearing the costume -- which Clifton called “the unofficial mas-cot” of Slivka Residential Collegee -- into a class in exchange for $250 toward his DM goal. Some friends came and filmed the event to put it on YouTube; once it was online, it quickly racked up several hundred thou-sand views and was featured on such websites as CollegeHumor and Tosh.0. While Clifton was in on the idea from the start, senior Anant Johri was stunned this summer to hear what his friends had planned for him. “Over the summer my friends made a Facebook group without my knowledge saying that if people pledge enough money I will dye my hair blonde,” said Johri, Co-Chair of Marketing for DM. “I’m Indian, and my hair’s dark so it’ll be pretty absurd. However, Johri eventually agreed to the deal and has now said if his friends raise $800 towards DM he’ll follow through. Currently, he said, he has about $450 pledged from friends. Yet not all out-of-the-box fundraising ideas involve public humiliation. Sophomore Ray Stuart has long had a passion for knitting, so for the last two years, she’s been selling handcraft-ed knitted items to friends and family to raise her money. Stuart began selling mittens and scarves last year and expanded her efforts over the summer by creating a Face-book page, adding new items such as stuffed animals and allowing customers to name their own price. “Since I started the Facebook group, a lot of people have been asking for the mittens and scarves, but I get a lot of hat requests, too,” Stuart said. “I’d been knitting since I was 12, so at some point I just thought, ‘Do I have a marketable skill here?’” Stuart said she’s been able to raise most of her DM money this way and hopes to continue using knitting to fund-raise in the future.

Dance Marathon is thought of as one of the most significant events of Northwestern student life. It is men-tioned on all lists of “Things you must do before graduating” and is covered in every brochure or information session for prospective students.

But how is it possible that this event, allegedly so central to NU cul-ture, is experienced by only around 1,600 of Northwestern’s undergradu-ates each year? Easy: It isn’t. Take Emily Ferber, a sophomore in the Medill School of Journal-ism, who describes herself as “not the kind of person who enjoys concerts or big, loud events where everyone is dancing.” By responding to an email off a listserv, she gained the opportunity to cover last year’s DM for North by Northwestern. “It allowed me to get involved in a way that I found con-structive,” she said. “Not only did I get to experience DM in a way where I got to learn, but I got to experience it emotionally like all of the dancers.”

by Tom Meyer

by Michele Moses

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Photo by Justin Barbin

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GOURMET DM

dm incentives

· Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches· Popsicles· Jamba Juice· Clif bars· Bananas· Apple/orange slices

common dm foods in past years:

Food committee members provide some welcome relief throughout Dance Marathon, as dancers often flock to the sight of food like a pack of starving wolves. But aside from feed-ing a tent of hungry dancers, the Food committee also plays an important role in boosting the morale of hundreds of dancers throughout the course of 30 hours. “Dancers obviously have their ups and downs during particular blocks, and food plays a big role as far as getting them energized,” said Promeeta Ghosh, Co-Chair of the Food com-mittee for DM. To reduce overhead costs, all food items served during DM are donated. “For every dollar we save, it’s one more dollar we can give to the beneficiary,” Ghosh said. When selecting the DM menu, two of the biggest considerations are portability and ease of distribution. During DM, Food committee members distribute the snacks on giant trays, and dancers all reach for the food themselves as the committee members walk around the tent. Another challenge for the Food committee is catering to the wide variety of food aller-gies among dancers. This can be especially problematic with peanut butter and jelly sandwich-es, a traditionally popular snack among dancers, as the dancers with peanut allergies must leave the tent during sandwich distribution. Snacks are distributed twice during each three-hour block, and for blocks during which breakfast, lunch and dinner are served, snacks are distributed once. Breakfast is ca-tered by Whole Foods Market, while lunch and dinner are catered by Sodexo, Northwestern’s campus dining program.

by Nicole Hong

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by Maura Brannigan

Dance Marathon incentives are based off of how much money you have deposited as of the Full Money Deadline, which was Wednesday, Feb. 22. And for those dancers who raised more than their necessary $400, well... Read on!

$700Extended foot massage

$800Extended foot massageOne scheduled extended bathroom break (wash your face, brush your teeth, etc.)

Top 40 DancersExtended foot massageOne scheduled extended bathroom break (wash your face, brush your teeth, etc.)One sit-down break at the time of the dancer’s choosing to be able to sit down outside the tent

Top 20 DancersExtended foot massageOne scheduled extended bathroom break (wash your face, brush your teeth, etc.)Two sit-down breaks at the times of the dancer’s choosing to sit down outside the tentMorning yoga with FitGirlOne song request to be sent to [email protected] the week of DM

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dm incentives

tent diagram

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light and sound platform

Main stage

Dancer Cubbies

Main marqueenorth marquee

Visi

tors

’ pla

tfor

m

First aid

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BLOCK-BY-BLOCKBlock 1 | 7:00 p.m. – 10 p.m.HeroesTop 40s

The moment you have been waiting for has arrived: Welcome to Dance Marathon 2012 blastoff! This block, celebrate our own B+ Heroes by embracing your youth with three hours of bumpin’, upbeat Top 40s hits.

Dress: Your favorite DM merchandise

Block 2 | 10:00 p.m. – 1 a.m.KISSFM presents Young, Wild and FreeParty Anthems

You are just settling into your groove, and your moves have never looked better. It’s a night out at Club DM as KISSFM hits the DJ table this block, mixing and mashing all of

our favorite party anthems. Better perfect that fist pump, danc-ers!

Dress: Neon gear

Block 3 | 1:00 a.m. – 4 a.m.Dirty Dancing: Havana NightsSongs to Get Down to

It is the biggest beach bash of the year, and you are invited! “Get Busy” (Sean Paul) during this adult swim for the first block of lockdown, with tunes like “Tonight I’m Loving You” (Enrique Iglesias) and “Mr. Saxobeat” (Alexandra Stan).

Dress: Beachwear

Block 4 | 4:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m.aBLOCKalypseApocalyptic, Epic Beats

The sun will rise and mark the beginning of a new day! But ac-cording to the Mayans, 2012 is supposedly the end of the world. During this second block of lockdown, we need all our dancers to unite! Think “Till the World Ends” (Britney Spears), or “The Final Countdown” (Europe). The real question is will you be a zombie or a superhero?

Dress: Zombies OR superheroes

Block 5 | 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.Cowboys vs. AliensPopular Country vs. Electronic and Techno

The first half of DM is finished, but the second half promises to be even better! In this block, we're not pitting two halves of DM against each other, but cowboys and aliens, instead — will you croon to the tunes of Toby Keith or jam to the sounds of Daft Punk?

Dress: Cowboy apparel OR alien costume

Block 6 | 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.Rep Your CitySongs About Cities, and the Artists Who Sing Them

You've been dancing for a while, so why not get a little taste of

home? Rep yourhometown proudly in this block that takes you on a trip from the “Hotel California” (The Eagles), down to “Miami” (Will Smith) and even to “New York, New York” (Frank Sinatra)and many more!

Dress: Hometown fashion, local sports jerseys

Block 7 | 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.Hey Now, You’re an AllstarSports Themes and Pump Up Songs

Dancing sure is a work out, so do yourself a favor and embrace your inner athlete! Put on your athletic-wear on your way to the “YMCA” (Village People) so you can let everyone know that you're an “All-Star” (Smash Mouth).

Dress: Gym clothes, athletic wear

Block 8 | 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.You Know You Were Born in the 90s if…Disney, 90s, When We Were Young

It's time to turn back the clock to your favorite decade and jam to the tunes that will bring your childhood radio to real life! In this block, will you show off your grungy “Teen Spirit” (Nir-vana), or will you beg the pop to hit you “Baby, One More Time” (Britney Spears). Neither? “No worries, (Hakuna Matata),” your favorite Disney movies will make an appearance, too.

Dress: 90s attire

Block 9 | 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.Schneider Electric presents All of the LightsDubstep, House and Dance

The home stretch is almost near! Boost your energy in this block that is all about color! Think Dayglow meets Rubik's Cube when all of the “Levels” (Avicii) pair up with “All of the Lights” (Kanye West).

Dress: Dancer hour-club shirts, paired with bright accessories

Block 10 | 10:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.Be PositiveDM Block 10 Traditions

You can be positive that DM will finish strong with a focus on our primary beneficiary.B+ isn't a grade; it's an attitude, and one that ends DM right.

Dress: 30-hour shirts, provided before Block 10

by Maura Brannigan

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tOP fUNDRAISERS

Anyone that has danced during Dance Marathon knows the DGZBT team has an enormous presence in the tent, but they didn’t get there coasting on just $400 per person. In 2011, DGZBT raised almost 10 percent of DM’s $1,019,130 total, making them our top fundraising group overall. According to Kelyse McKeon and Katie More, the DG leaders of the group last year, they have letter-writing campaigns and incentives for the top canners and writers each month. It was a special moment for them, as well as the ZBT leaders, to see their name at the top of the fundraising board. “Seeing the fruition of our team’s efforts was exciting for everyone on the team,” More said. The team hopes their energy and excitement will carry them through to DM weekend, but they have set the bar high. Their goal is to always do their best, so they are hoping to improve their fundraising total again this year. But as for any specifics, they won’t reveal their secrets. Maybe we will see six figures from this amazing group this year! Though DGZBT was raking in tons of dough, they were not the only group racking up huge numbers. Kappa-Pike and Willard both contributed more than $37,000 to DM and the Children’s Heart Foundation last year, making them the second and third top fundraising groups of 2011, respectively. Now is not the time to forget the little guys, though. The dancer pairs made up more than 750 of the students, raising money together during the months leading up to DM. Without the dedication and hard work of these couples, DM would have come nowhere close to the $12 million that it has raised during the past 37 years. Leading the fundraising pack last year was pair Teresa Caya and Annie Weiss, raising a total of

$6,000! If every pair raised this same $6,000, and there are 375 pairs of dancers, that’s a total of $2,250,000! So aim high, dancers, and feel the same sense of pride that Neelima Agrawal Amanda Niem, the third-highest individual fundraiser, felt knowing Northwestern was able to raise so much money for such as amazing cause!

GroupsDG-ZBT: $99,014Kappa-Pike: $43,231Willard: $37,935

IndividualsTeresa Caya & Annie Weiss: $6,000Johanna Cronin & Stella Stahl: $4,139Neelima Agrawal & Amanda Niem: $3,013

by Jordan Prindle

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Photos by Justin Barbin

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Hay & jacobowitz

Back in 1975 -- when “Sat-urday Night Live” aired its first episode, the Vietnam War ended and Microsoft became a trademark -- Northwestern was creating a tradition of its own: Dance Marathon.

The first DM at Northwest-ern raised $9,100 for the Ameri-can Epilepsy Foundation. Now, in its 38th year, DM is looking to break the $1-million mark for the second year in a row.

Jac Hay and Jan Jacobow-itz played an instrumental role in establishing DM, originally named “Dance to Give Them a Chance.” After establish-ing a dance marathon at the University of Maryland, Hay continued his charity work at Northwestern. Jacobowitz had participated at a dance mara-thon with her brother at the University of Illinois and want-ed to bring the organization to Evanston.

How has your involvement with Dance Marathon im-pacted your life post-North-western?Jac Hay: Just a lot of friends now. I did a lot of good things, thank God. It helped me with my public speaking.Jan Jacobowitz: Dance Mara-thon showed me early in my life what a difference a few people could make in the lives of oth-ers. When I graduated from law school, my first job was as a legal aid attorney, and even today I am the ambassador

for the United Weight Cam-paign at the University of Mi-ami’s law school. It’s the idea of building community and a sense of spirit that translates into fundraising.Fill in the blank: At its core, DM is about __________.JH: Giving.JJ: Giving back to the commu-nity.How would you convince a Northwestern student to dance in DM in 20 words or less?JH: It’s the experience of your lifetime. I have people from 40 years ago who still call me and thank me.JJ: It’s not only fun but also a life altering experience.When was the moment when DM clicked in your mind as being something special?JH: I knew it in a second, the second I saw “They Shoot Hors-es, Don’t They?” with Jane

Fonda, which was about dance marathons. When I moved out to California, I met Jane Fon-da and wanted to tell her who I am. I told her, “Your movie changed my life,” and she was very, very impressed about Dance Marathon.JJ: When I first traveled to the University of Illinois and wit-nessed the dance marathon. Barry (my brother) was danc-ing with a 4-year-old. I went home and said NU needs to be a part of this.DM was just announced as the “Most Influential Col-lege Organization.” Given that it was not the first dance marathon to be cre-ated as a fundraiser, what about Northwestern al-lowed DM to really thrive?JH: Location: Where the money is, your being on the outskirts of Chicago. Take Champaign: How much money can you get out of Champaign? When you do Dance Marathon, it involves the whole community.JJ: Seems that the student commitment through the years and the desire to make Dance Marathon part of the culture of the school is what has created such a large driving organiza-tion. Northwestern is a much smaller school (than the Uni-versity of Illinois), so I think to get the campus to rally around a particular cause might be an easier thing to do.

An in-depth look at dm’s roots

Photo contributed by Jan Jacobowitz

by Ross Gordon

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Rajing with Raje

Known to the world of Dance Marathon as RaJe (pronounced “rage”), Kunal Joshi and Scott Ritter act as the face of DM to the outside community; from choosing the Executive Board to being the main line of communication with our beneficiaries, they make it all happen. From day one, this dynamic duo hit the ground running, effectively leading one of the largest student run philanthropies in the world and learning about each other in the process. Now, we’ve uncovered their secrets, their magic and their successes just in time to watch them RaJe the only way they know how: on the dance floor for 30 hours.

What is so special about this year’s DM?Scott: We’ve transformed an organization known for a 30-hour event to one with a year-long focus. From the early planning stages last spring to the last seconds of DM, we’ve been an organization where people have been fully engaged the entire time. We are especially proud of the additional awareness this change raises for our great beneficiaries, The B+ Foundation and the ECF.Kunal: I would agree that is the best part about what we’ve done as an organization. By doing so, our dancers and supporters have a stronger grasp of how meaningful their efforts are. It’s great that everyone knows whom they’re dancing for and why, which at the end of the day helps us make a stronger impact.

What are you guys most excited about for DM 2012?Kunal: I’m particularly excited for “Sandstorm,” the greatest song in the world. Oh, and crying on stage. Scott: Yeah, I’m pretty excited to see Kunal crying on stage. It’s definitely going to be a highlight. But what excites me the most is that every DM is different. Every year there are curveballs and magic that really make it a unique experience. And I’m just excited for the energy that our dancers and committee members show for this organization.Kunal: I’m also excited to see the faces of the B+ Heroes and their families when they come in to the tent and see how much energy and enthusiasm our 1000+ dancers are showing for them.

What’s your favorite DM memory?Kunal: On Food committee my sophomore year, we served popsicles during Block 9. Just getting mobbed by popsicle-crazed dancers was probably one of the most fun and memorable DM moments for me.Scott: For me, it was dancing on stage with the children from the beneficiary last year. It really struck home the reasons why we do DM. In the difficulty of fundraising and just being college students, we often get caught up and forget what DM is about. But at the end of the day, it’s about making the biggest impact we can on the lives of these great kids.

What’s your relationship with each other?Scott: Kunal and I have a relationship much like my older brother. We make fun of each other a lot, but we’re hard on each other some-times, too. It’s not always the easiest relationship, but at the end of the day, we both know we’re in it for the same reason. Everything we do, we do for the benefit of the organization. We’re in the same boat trying to get to the same place.Kunal: I think one of the greatest things is the synergy that exists -- we’re just on the same wavelength. We know when we both need to relax, when we both need to do work. We both seem to sync up very well.

What is the first thing you’ll do when DM is over?Kunal: Sleep, take a shower, reconnect with my friends. Maybe figure out what I’m doing next year? Scott: I’ve never gotten a massage before, and I think post-DM is going to be the prime time to get one.

How has running DM changed your college experience?Kunal: I sleep a lot less now than I did before. One of the greatest things we do is see the interactions between the committees, dancers and supporters throughout the entire year and really see the microcosm that DM is. We get to see how DM comes together, and it’s really amazing and overwhelming for us.Scott: It’s taught me to learn from my mistakes. Jumping into this position, it was an overwhelming but welcome challenge for us to organize the Executive Board, 22 extraordi-narily passionate individuals, into a body that aligned everyone’s passions under one goal. It’s taught me a lot about how to work better with people, be a better communicator and, on top of it all, to be a good friend.

What are you going to miss the most when you step down as DM Executive Co-chair?Kunal: The power.Scott: Yeah, you say it like we’re actually going to step down.

by Sourav Bhowmick

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The hour club members

During the notoriously painful middle blocks of her first Dance Marathon in 2009, Elyse Roth was utterly con-vinced that she was never go-ing to do DM again.

It was the check presen-tation during Block 10 that changed her mind. The Medill senior is about to complete her fourth and final DM with DG, and with the same dance part-ner she had throughout the years.

From memories of “Here Comes the Sun” and the yel-low balloons after the halfway mark, to the instant gratifica-tion of seeing the large check presented to the beneficiaries, Roth has bittersweet feelings about completing her last DM. She remembers the se-niors from last year refusing to leave the dance floor at the end of 30 hours and claims that this year it will be her turn.

“When you’re doing some-thing so good, something that’s such a Northwestern staple, it becomes addicting,” Roth said.

ElyseRoth

Medill senior120-hour club

Due to tent issues, danc-ers of DM 2011 had a two-hour break between the middle blocks. While most took ad-vantage of the time to nap, Weinberg senior Mitchell Drew and his friends put mu-sic on and kept dancing.

“We wanted to keep go-ing,” Drew said. “That was the pinnacle of my DM experience last year. If I could go back and do it again, I’d do it fresh-man year, too.”

Drew first did DM dur-ing his sophomore year both because of the cause and knowing that DM was, in his words, “one of those things you needed to do before you graduate.” Looking back on his past two DM experiences, Drew remembers almost fall-ing asleep while standing up, the electronic block when “Sandstorm” comes up and, of course, the challah. Out of all those moments, Drew still pegs Jimmy Clifton’s donning of his notorious chicken suit to be the most memorable.

Mitchell Drew

Weinberg senior90-hour club

Weinberg sophomore Mi-chael Psitos puts things into perspective by comparing DM to class lectures.

“Thirty hours is the length of one quarter’s worth of class lectures. One hour, three times a week, ten weeks. You take the equivalent of that, and you just dance for the en-tire time -- it’s such a strange experience,” Psitos said.

Despite how themed blocks and costumes are inte-grally dynamic aspects of DM, Psitos was simply focused on surviving his first 30-hour DM that he does not even recall dressing up. The sophomore is now on DM’s Dancer Relations committee and will be doing his second DM this year. De-spite having gone through DM once, Psitos remembers last year’s DM as a blur, admitting that he will never feel expe-rienced in dancing for thirty hours straight. Nevertheless, he sees himself eventually joining the 120-Hour Club, especially upon realizing that DM is the one special event on campus that unites and ties him to the entire Northwest-ern community.

MichaelPsitos

Weinberg sophomore60-hour club

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by Kerri Pang

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The hour club membersTricks of the trade

WHAT’S YOUR dm dANCING story?For dancer registration, we asked people to give their reason for why they are dancing this year -- what makes them want to dedicate 30 hours of their life to this organization that is so central to Northwestern life. We chose our favor-ite response, and even two runners-up. As you read this, take a moment to reflect on what your own Dance Marathon story is. Chances are it will make those 30 hours so much more meaningful for you.

Winner: Drew LevorsenBecause even though it’s harder than anything I’ve ever done, there is no feeling like going through hell and back for those kids. Seeing their face last year when they saw the check was worth every second.

1st Runner-Up: Maria Fernandez-DavilaFirst and foremost I want to dance at DM because of the reputation it has for being an amazing memory to make with friends as well as a fun opportunity to give back! I personally know Ali McDonough who began the B+ Foundation in Delaware after the death of her brother, and I am actually from Delaware so I am familiar with her story and have participated in events with the organization before. I am so proud to be able to help a foundation from my home state and one that I believe does great things for their cause.

2nd Runner-Up: Lisa AkintiloBecause dancing while raising money for a fabulous organization is the perfect combination -- like peanut butter and jelly or cookies and milk. Separately, each counterpart is pretty good, but together, they’re ridiculously awesome.

Each year, Dance Marathon attracts participants across Northwestern to raise money to benefit a founda-tion and to dance together for 30 hours. And while each year contains a number of veteran dancers, there are also a handful of newcomers trying to figure out the scene. Once they get past the first hurdle of raising $400, they also must figure out how to navigate through a day of dancing. Before they even get to the dancing, students must register at the beginning of the year to participate. Ev-eryone signs up for different reasons. Currently going into his fourth year of dancing, Mike Giannetto had a fairly simply reason for signing up his first year. “I wanted to participate in one of Northwestern’s biggest traditions,” Giannetto said. “I find the experience to be extremely rewarding. It’s great hearing the total amount after dancing for so long with some of your closest friends.” Despite all the good the fundraiser does, there is still the reality of having to dance for 30 hours. While that may seem incredibly intimidating to newcomers, there are many tricks and tips to getting through them. A change of clothes and shoes is beneficial, as hours of dancing will produce lots of sweat. Also, be sure to have comfortable shoes to get through the day. Hydration is crucial, and if forgotten, the consequences are severe. But in addition to these, Giannetto offers more quirky ideas. “Definitely bring some Gatorade for those middle hours,” Giannetto said. “Also, bringing crazy clothes/cos-tumes makes the dancing more entertaining.” Giannetto dances with the DGZBT group each year and has learned many tricks from them. Dancing in a group can also be helpful because the community of people can keep spirits up. A person’s attitude can make or break the DM experience. “Be open-minded and stay positive,” Giannetto said. “You will get tired, but complaining about it just makes it worse. If you have a positive attitude, then you’ll have a much more enjoyable and memorable experience.”

by Kerri Pangby Jacinda Ratcliffe

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It’s a bird, it’s a plane... The battle against cancer is a trying journey, filled with numerous hospital visits, bouts of chemotherapy and vigorous monitoring of blood cell counts. But according to The B+ Foundation founder, Joe McDonough, the hardships of the battle do not faze the kids who have to endure it. “These are the best patients in the world. They just have so much strength,” McDonough said. “Children are so resilient and just so inspirational.” Still, cancer is a constant burden, so McDonough wanted to give these kids a way to escape it, even if just for a short period of time. That’s where the B+ Heroes program came in. “The original goal was to put children up on a pedestal so even for a little while, they can forget the pain of chemo they’re going through as a child of cancer,” he said. According to Eamon O’Neill, the Foundation’s Dance Marathon liaison, the program pairs cancer-stricken kids with local college students with the purpose of developing a meaningful rela-tionship between the two parties. “We look at it as a win-win for both sides. The kids that come on the campus get a chance to do things they may not be able to do otherwise: hang out with college students, get put on a pedes-tal, forget they have cancer for a little while,” he said. “The college kids get a lot out of it too. We try to focus on making it a developing relationship rather than an in-and-out type of thing.” McDonough said the program started three or four years ago with a basketball tournament held at the University of Delaware. From there, the program has expanded to a number of other college campuses, including the University of Arizona, Boston University and Northwestern, where there are currently about a dozen B+ Heroes paired with organizations around campus. The program has been of great benefit for both the B+ Heroes and the college students, Mc-Donough said. “[The heroes] have big brothers and big sisters who they just met and who will keep in touch with them. They make them feel special,” he said. As for the college students, “they’ve told me [they] won’t look at kids in the mall the same way, that [they] will be a different kind of teacher or salesperson … it really, truly changed them for good.” There are minimal qualifications for a child to be considered a B+ Hero, McDonough added. “A child with cancer. That’s all. A child with cancer whose family had an interest and willing-ness to participate in the program,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what type of cancer, it doesn’t matter where they are [in the progression of the disease], black or white, rich or poor… childhood cancer does not discriminate.” But for the groups adopting a B+ Hero, McDonough has stricter qualifications and wants to ensure the groups to commit to them. “I am very protective of these kids. These children are my kids. I have adopted thousands of kids with cancer, and I want to make sure [the adopting group] doesn’t let them down. These kids have been through so much and I don’t want them to have any disappointment.” Delta Gamma and Zeta Beta Tau are two organizations that have jointly partnered with a B+ Hero. The Greek organizations have taken five-year-old Vana Kayalik, who was diagnosed with leukemia last April, to various events on campus, including a January showing of the Dolphin Show, “42nd Street,” and a pizza party at the DG House with members of DGZBT after the team canned at a basketball game. “Those kids were out canning, and for us to come [to the DG house], it was like we were the real people and the recipients,” said Vana’s mother, Christina Kayalik. “It makes it tangible for them, and it makes us feel really special. [Vana and her older sister] had a blast, and they made a lot of new friends.”

by Jillian Sandler

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A profile on DM’sb+ Heroes

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by Jillian Sandler

Kayalik said she wanted Vana, along with her eight-year-old sister, to get involved with the B+ Heroes program to give the girls a group of role models to emulate. “I don’t come from a family of college graduates,” Kayalik said. “I wanted [the girls] to know that they will go to college. [The B+ Heroes program] serves an example of what you can do when you can get older and the impact you can make. I think it’s a great ex-ample for them.” Kayalik added the B+ Heroes program has been a great benefit for Vana and the rest of the family. “They kind of give us a little bright spot — they give us fun times and take our minds off of it and let us know they’re there for us in any way they can be,” she said. Zeta Tau Alpha and Phi Kappa Psi have also taken a B+ hero under their wing. They are partnered with 17-year-old Shannon Henry, who Zeta’s DM Chair, SESP junior Janelle Henney, said gives the sorority and fraternity’s dancers motivation to keep their move on. “It’s somebody to fight for and somebody to raise this money for,” Henney said. “We’re raising money for Shannon.” Members of Zeta have welcomed Henry through inviting her to their holiday party and showering her with gifts such as nail polish and Zeta and NU memorabilia, Henney said. Henry, who will be heading to college next year, said she was excited by the oppor-tunity the B+ Heroes program provided for her to get a taste of the university lifestyle. “It sounded like it would be a fun program and it (gives you a chance) to interact with Northwestern, and since I’m going to college next year, I thought it would be fun,” Henry said. Henry, who became involved with the B+ Heroes program last summer, also said the program has served as a great support system throughout her battle with cancer. “It has a really good impact because you can meet a lot of other kids who are going through the same thing, and you meet a lot of people who can support you, and you have a lot of fun with them,” she said. Henney said Henry has also served as a valu-able teacher to those who have had the chance to interact with her. “We could all learn from her perseverance, courage and not letting cancer define her life,” Hen-ney said. “I feel like I learn from her every time I speak with her.” It is qualities like these McDonough saw in his son, Andrew, who passed away after a battle with leukemia at age 14. Though McDonough said he is “living his worst nightmare,” he believes the B+ Heroes program is something of which his son would have been proud. “It warms my heart because I got to believe that Andrew is so happy,” McDonough said. “He was such a warm, upbeat, loving kid that this is the kind of program he would design. He is behind this pro-gram.”

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Behind the Scenes with “Hotsauce”

(Ned & Ashley)

Junior Ashley Thompson and senior Ned Baker, otherwise known as “Hotsauce” for their self-pro-claimed “spicy and dynamic aura,” are still awestruck about leading Dance Marathon 2012’s 1,300 dancers for the entirety of the event’s 30 hours as this year’s emcees. “After dancing my freshman year, I’m so excited to return as a senior to make this year’s DM the best one yet,” said Baker, a Detroit, Mich. native. “Being emcee has been a dream of mine since I walked out of the tent after those first 30 hours.” The road to becoming the face of DM has been a long, exciting process, starting in November with three rounds of auditions over the span of two weeks. The auditions, interactive and grueling, are designed to test how the Emcees react in certain situations they may face during the weekend-of. Additionally, it is important to see how the emcees interact with each other and how compatible they are with the energy and nature of DM as an organization. This is something that Hotsauce certainly does not lack. Within the first five minutes of meeting the pair, their enthusiasm, animation and morale is absolutely contagious. The two love DM, they already love the dancers and, importantly, they love each other. “DM has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” said Thompson, originally from Dallas, Texas. “Ned and I are thrilled to be leading it this year, and we know it’s going to be abso-lutely incredible.” Get to know Hotsauce pre-DM with our Q&A, here:

Q: Welcome to DM Quarter! How are you feeling about the big weekend?Ned: We’re very excited. I had this plan that I would run every day to get in shape, and I’ve run… once. Maybe I’ll take up Zumba, but probably not. Ashley: I mean, we were literally going to work out together every day.Ned: But we’re thrilled. Crazy excited.

Q: What would be your ideal super power?Ashley: Mine would be teleportation, partly because that would mean no walking through the snow on campus. Also, on a more clichéd note, it’s because I’m missing so much of my sister’s senior year. I just want to be in more moments of my favorite people’s lives.Ned: It would definitely be to stop time. Example: Stop time. Do homework. Resume time. Hang out with people.

Q: How does it feel being campus celebrities?Ashley: At first, it was really hectic with all the interviews we were doing with basically every Northwestern publication – very strange, but very cool.Ned: I kind of enjoy just dropping it in conversation, like “Hey, I’m Ned, I’m one of the DM emcees.”

by Maura Brannigan

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Behind the Scenes with “Hotsauce”

(Ned & Ashley)

Junior Ashley Thompson and senior Ned Baker, otherwise known as “Hotsauce” for their self-pro-claimed “spicy and dynamic aura,” are still awestruck about leading Dance Marathon 2012’s 1,300 dancers for the entirety of the event’s 30 hours as this year’s emcees. “After dancing my freshman year, I’m so excited to return as a senior to make this year’s DM the best one yet,” said Baker, a Detroit, Mich. native. “Being emcee has been a dream of mine since I walked out of the tent after those first 30 hours.” The road to becoming the face of DM has been a long, exciting process, starting in November with three rounds of auditions over the span of two weeks. The auditions, interactive and grueling, are designed to test how the Emcees react in certain situations they may face during the weekend-of. Additionally, it is important to see how the emcees interact with each other and how compatible they are with the energy and nature of DM as an organization. This is something that Hotsauce certainly does not lack. Within the first five minutes of meeting the pair, their enthusiasm, animation and morale is absolutely contagious. The two love DM, they already love the dancers and, importantly, they love each other. “DM has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” said Thompson, originally from Dallas, Texas. “Ned and I are thrilled to be leading it this year, and we know it’s going to be abso-lutely incredible.” Get to know Hotsauce pre-DM with our Q&A, here:

Q: Welcome to DM Quarter! How are you feeling about the big weekend?Ned: We’re very excited. I had this plan that I would run every day to get in shape, and I’ve run… once. Maybe I’ll take up Zumba, but probably not. Ashley: I mean, we were literally going to work out together every day.Ned: But we’re thrilled. Crazy excited.

Q: What would be your ideal super power?Ashley: Mine would be teleportation, partly because that would mean no walking through the snow on campus. Also, on a more clichéd note, it’s because I’m missing so much of my sister’s senior year. I just want to be in more moments of my favorite people’s lives.Ned: It would definitely be to stop time. Example: Stop time. Do homework. Resume time. Hang out with people.

Q: How does it feel being campus celebrities?Ashley: At first, it was really hectic with all the interviews we were doing with basically every Northwestern publication – very strange, but very cool.Ned: I kind of enjoy just dropping it in conversation, like “Hey, I’m Ned, I’m one of the DM emcees.”

Q: Do you two have any special plans for March 5?Ned: First off, I’m going to use my excused absence from Play Writing and then probably just wear a bathrobe all day. Actually, no. Onesie pajamas!Ashley: I was on my way home from DM last year and was planning on passing out when my friend called with an emotional emergency, so I didn’t sleep for another 12 hours – I was up for a total of 40-something hours. So, this year, my plan is definitely going to pass out, turn off my phone imme-diately and wake up whenever I wake up. I mean, I have an exam on the 6th. I’ll probably lounge around, avoiding studying, never getting out my glasses or pajamas.

Q: Is there a part you’re most excited about?Ashley: Hour 1 and Hour 30 and that 4 a.m. kick you get on Saturday. Somewhere in the middle of DM, there’s that one moment where your sensors are gone and your walls are gone, and every-thing’s hilarious and DM is the greatest thing that will ever happen to you.Ned: If Fitz or Morty shows up.Ashley: Yes!Ned: Oh, and then when the Battle of the Bands winner plays.

Q: Very important question: How do you eat an Oreo?Ashley: It’s a process. I twist it and try to get as much of the cream as possible on one side. I eat the cookie side, then scrape off the cream with my two front teeth in a star pattern.Ned: Wow. OK. I mean, I make Single Stufs into Double Stufs, and Double Stufs into Triple Stufs.

Q: How do you plan on keeping the dancers motivated for all 30 hours?Ned: We have to remind all 1,300 of them about the beneficiary, and also leading by example. Ashley: Monkey see, monkey do.Ned: You got to stop referring to the dancers as monkeys, Ashley.

Photo by Laura Kick

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Alumni and Community Relations (ACR): Melissa Fredericks and Ilana GolbinAlumni and Community Relations (ACR) fosters relationships with Northwestern alumni and faculty and Evanston community leaders to engage them in Dance Marathon. This committee facilitates ways for the nationwide alumni network to remain connect-ed to DM with exciting events like AlumNites in cities around the country. Responsible for coordinating local volunteer opportuni-ties, ACR is also the primary liaison between the Evanston Community Foundation (our secondary beneficiary) and the hundreds of dancers. During the 30 hours, ACR is the committee that puts on the Kids Fair, a cappella concert and the Alumni and Community Block (dancing teachers!).

Committee members: Lexi Osborn, Daniel Dozark, Lauren Mendel, Katie McLaughlin, Richard Goldring, Abby Klearman, Jasmine Jor, Dulcinee Deguere, Heather Ma, Rohan Sawhney, Jessica Wang, Sarah Freishtat, Kate Mattax, Janelle Henney, Caroline Frisch, Arielle Maschke, Emily Sinclair, Priya Soni

Corporate Relations (Corp): Sarah Rosenak and Jonathan SchwartzCorporate Relations (Corp) establishes and cultivates relationships with companies big and small, from Fortune 100 corporations to smaller Evanston businesses in order to gain sponsorships for Dance Marathon. The committee spends a significant amount of time working to connect with new corporate donors as well as continue our relationship with previous donors. Corp also collaborates with other committees to obtain gifts and prizes for dancers and events.

Committee members: Andrew Christy, Ellen Chou, Kelleigh Whelan, Farzaan Kassam, Priyanka Melgiri, Dan Ryan, Andrew Holden, Sean Widjaja, Debbie Martins, Olga Pototskaya, Danielle Marks, Meredith Finsand, Alyssa Lloyd, Devlin Brannon, Erin Ku, Katie Carr, Katie Hooley, Jane Weiss

Dancer Relations (DR): Kameron Dodge and Nadija Rieser Dancer Relations (DR) is responsible for one of the most integral parts of Dance Marathon: the dancers. Throughout the year, the DR committee spearheads efforts to help dancers fundraise and prepare them for the 30 hours. In addition, the committee plans everything related to dancers during the weekend-of, from pumping up the dancers to leading the 30-hour dance. The DR commit-tee is also responsible for connecting the dancers to our primary beneficiary and its cause by planning outreach events throughout the year.

Committee members: Kacky Brown, Christina Cala, Sash Patel, Elizabeth Ebot, Nadia Last, Rianna Curran, Kelley Caddan, Julia Binckeviciut, Priyana Jethrain, Heather Evans, Elizabeth Adams, Sam Zabell, Sean Brennan, Sarah Campbell, Katie Amys, Katherine Wang, Liz Schrier, Sharon Reshef, Kelly Schneider, Amelia Hefferon, Max Hogan, Nora Sullivan, Rebecca Cordy, Adrian Dague, Amina Dreessen, Ben Estus, Michael Psitos, Patrick Sulken, Dal Ackerman, Laika Nur, Katie Reifurth, Lisa Mao, Gina Chang, Judd Korman, Jon Park, Meredith Wise, Sam McQuillan, Carly Haeck, Harmony Lee, Ali Lasher, Johnny Langan, Johanna McCarthy, Molly Hutzler, Tori Goldfarb, Brooke Weisman, Elisse Kavensky, Arielle Berens, Elise Mattenson, Kimi Greer, Ashley Thompson, Katherine Dearing, Kathryn Ikenberry, Anna Radoff, Christine Daly, Bridget Illing, Hayley Blythe, Sally Scannell, Tom Morreale, Holly Nwangwa, Kate Mattax, Kristina Nolte, Kiley Naas, John Park, John Kulesa, Sheila Kredit, Rachael Schultz, Kathryn Thomas, Catherine Althaus, Meagan Read, Ali Wasserman, Hillary Back, Hailey Lillehei, Priyanka Jethwani, Julija Vinckeviciute, Grace McLoughlin, Becca Cordy, Lauren Sher, Claire Nelson, Sam Fansler

Finance: Matt Larsen and Zack Schmidt The Finance Committee’s primary duty is to handle all the money that is involved in Dance Marathon. They manage all dancer and committee member fundraising accounts and oversee the organization’s budget. They keep dancers informed about their fundrais-ing totals and help dancers find new ways to fundraise. Finally, Finance monitors all income and expenses throughout the year and weekend-of to accurately determine the final total.

Committee members: Sam Eastwood, Zari Barzilai, Monika Buska, Shruti Zaveri, Sam Jacobs, Karen Wilbert, Shiva Rangwani, Katie Kerbis, Hailey Arterburn, Louie Deitchweiler, Alex Dinos, Janet Brown, Erin Ogden, Nathan Rosenbaum, Adam Heyligers

Food: Promeeta Ghosh and Wendy LeiFood focuses on providing food at all Dance Marathon events. They solicit local restaurants for donations that either feed the danc-ers and 30-hour committee members during the weekend-of or can be used as prizes at events throughout the year. Additionally, the Food Committee organizes food for events during the year and coordinates food-related fundraisers, such as Top Chef.

Committee members: Josh Bay, Katy Vogt, Cari Romm, Drew Gannon, Sam Palmer, Corinne Worthington, Adam Mendel, Sara Daoud, Marissa Ke, Sophie Shen, Ashley Augustine, Hannah Singer, Heather Polonski, Hannah Newman, Jamie Valente, Mollie Block, Holly Brennan, Natalie Libster, Krithika Narayana, Rebecca Schieber, Emily Moses, Jenny Jo, Michael Burt, Amy Krischer, Lydia Moore, Mike Choi, Madeline Shannon, Jennifer Yu, Ciara Caffey, Caitlin Ahearn, Noah Collin, Christine Hsiao, Julia Kahn, Katie Stevens, Lita Talisman, Madison Ginsberg, Joanne Yi, June Choi, Kellie Perkins, Katie Kim, Arshia Sethi, Laura Shultz, An-drea Carney, Albert Ren, Ivy Zhu, Cory Johnson, Alex Gurvitz, Alex Matelski, Allison Weatherly, Carly Cantor, Derek Suen, Joanne Maliekel, Jamie Weil, Jenny Fang, Jessica Ching, Kevin Song, Leo Zhu, Marissa Gillis, Sungmin Kim, Allison Frost

dm 2012 brought to you by...by Maura Brannigan

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by Maura BranniganMarketing: Anant Johri and Jack MilliganMarketing is in charge of generating excitement for Dance Marathon through merchandise and promotional materials. Marketing is responsible for “gearing up” Northwestern for DM, literally. This committee works with vendors and companies to create DM apparel and memorabilia, such as sweatshirts, T-shirts and water bottles. They also help connect on-campus student groups with vendors to meet their groups’ merchandise needs. In addition, the Marketing Committee is responsible for creating opportunities for parents to support DM through mailings and purchasing opportunities. Finally, the Marketing Committee is responsible for creating and distrib-uting graphic designs for promotional materials.

Committee members: Melissa Yanan, Aria Jelinek, Anne Sendell, Susan Muehrcke, Rachel Graf, Rosalind Mowitt, Claire Morley, Jackie Pober, Dana Glucka, Amiele Zhang, Peter Du, Kalyn Kahler, Vicky Wang, Katie Amys, Katherine Wang, Christina Daley, Yeh-song Kim, Karsten McVeigh, Julia Watson, Caitlin Bole, Jenny Wang, Amanda Glickman, Chris Jackman, Danny Moubayed, Maryia Baradzina, Evan Prose, Meghara Adler, Janalynn Pugh, Nicole Willens, Kirk Vaclavik

Productions: Chuck Hwang and Laura KickProductions handles all the logistical and technical aspects of putting on one of the biggest events at Northwestern. The committee works during the year to find new and innovative ways to enhance the audio and visual experience of Dance Marathon. This hands-on committee collaborates with top lighting, sound, electronics and stagecraft businesses to make DM weekend an even better, cooler experience for everyone involved.

Committee members: Jack Eidson, Jospeh Entenman, Anne Sendell, Meredith McGowan, Laura Svercheck, Han Guay, Alexandra Fox, Max Bair, Rebecca Lai, Ross Chu, Ani Christiani, Hannah Lee, Jackie Pober, Sam Palley, Mike Baker, Josh Anderson, Tyler Johnson, Jazz Bazuik, Jonathan Gobriel, Nate Bartlett, Allison Byers, Aaron Quick, Brad Zipser, Josh Gordon, David Lerner, Meg Dulaney, Stephanie Wang, David Griffin, Rebecca TeKolste, Daniel List, Megan Wines, Alex Moe, Shannon Desmond, Caleb Young, Stephanie Kahn, Umang Jain, Matt Isono, Jason Dog, Joe Greenbaum, David Whitehead, Ali Szemanski, Andrew Mlyneic, Anne Song, Billie Kaplan, Emma Carlin, Ellen Berry, Kathleen Painter, Sam Egle, Ned McGregor, Sara Lowe, Amanda Scherker, Laura Franc, Michael Hlebasko

Public Relations (PR): Sourav Bhowmick and Maura Brannigan The primary goal of Public Relations is to inform the public about Dance Marathon and our beneficiaries. The committee increases campus-wide advocacy and awareness through print and digital communications, including videos and online press releases. They also focus on getting DM’s name out to local and national media, contacting celebrities to support DM and publishing the official DM magazine, the Emcee. PR is also responsible for weekend-of visitor check-in, event security and media relations.

Committee members: Becca Rodriguez, Noor Hasan, David Harris, Kari Fleischauer, Emily Drewry, Michele Moses, Jillian Sandler, Dave Park, Blair Drossner, Andy Garden, Nikki Adler, Madeline Bryen, Jacinda Ratcliffe, Tom Meyer, Summer Delaney, Nicole Hong, Alex Hudson, Will Brito, Jamie Gebhardt, Kerri Pang, Neelima Agrawal, Elise De Los Santos, Katie Prentiss, Meital Caplan, Katie More, Ross Gordon, Breanne Boyd, Olivia Foster-Gimbel, Jordan Prindle

Special Events: Rebecca Berg and Rene Rodriguez The Special Events Committee plans more than 40 events over the course of the year, leading up to the weekend-of and during Dance Marathon. Specials Events works with the Evanston Community, Northwestern Athletics and respected student organizations like A&O, Homecoming Committee, SHAPE, SEED and many more, bringing exciting and innovative events to NU, Evanston and the greater Chicago area. Because of its diverse network, anyone can get involved in energizing the campus, while helping Special Events be as successful as possible!

Committee members: Camaria Lehman, Rachel Schawb, Liz Trumbull, Bobby Ramirez, Rachel Supernant, Mariana Cohen, Emily Blumberg, David Chi, Hannah Kolkmeier, Kuan-Yu Shen, Sarah Parker, Ally Cody, Pooja Avula, Melissa Vega, Nina Marshall, Jake Spence, Julian Hicks, Taylor Friedman, Hayley Buch, Orlando Torres

Technology Resources (Tech): Andrew Griesemer and Jerry Luo The Technology Resources Committee is in charge of the Dance Marathon website. This includes keeping the most up-to-date infor-mation displayed about upcoming events, facilitating online registration and purchasing and creating pages that integrate the ben-eficiary into our website. They are also responsible for the daily monitoring of the website for errors and proper functioning. Finally, the committee serves as a resource for other committees in determining efficient ways to fulfill any technical needs of events and activities during the year.

Committee members: Ashley Falcon, Andrew Lee, Alyssa Clough, Mandy Ziffer

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DM 2012 Exec Board: With infinite love and gratitude

Rebecca BergFirst of all, I want to thank my parents for being incredibly supportive and doing their best to understand why DM always comes before schoolwork. To our wonderful committee: thank you for being dedicated, positive, and excited members. Your initiative helped us bring trivia to new heights and run extremely creative and well attended events. A big thanks to my roomies and best friends, Melissa and Stephanie, who always supported me and listened to me even when the venting/DM word vomit occurred several times a day. I don’t know what I would do without you. To Sam, Shelby, and Jess: thank you for being a constant presence in my life even when we couldn’t always see each other, te amo! To the ladies of Delta Gamma, past and present, thank you for being a source of inspiration and a guiding light. Your dedication to Do Good certainly propelled me to be passionate, committed and obsessed with DM. Corinne, thanks for being an amaz-ing role model and “big sister.” Maura, thanks for being a rock in my life as a woman who understands what it’s like to be obsessed with DG and DM, and finding the delicate balance between the two. To DM Exec: I am so humbled and privileged to have worked with you this past year. Your passion fuels me and your expertise impresses me. Thank you for being incredibly honest, hardworking and fun every single day. And last, but not last, I have to thank my outstanding Co-Chair, Rene. We make an incredible team precisely because you are the calm in the midst of my storm. Your ability to dream bigger and push the status quo helped Special Events reach excellence. Thank you for being my shmee, and dealing with my stress. As you would say, you’re wonderful!

Sourav BhowmickI would be remiss to not firstly recognize everyone outside of Dance Marathon; you guys didn’t sign up for DM but you accompanied me on this journey anyway. To my family, thanks for your continued support, and to all my friends who have reluctantly put up with DM Sourav, thank you for your patience and kindness. It means so much that you recognize how important this experience is to me, and have gone to great lengths to support it. I’d also like to give a big thank you to Erin Gray (PR ’11) for all your help and advice since April. Just when you thought you’d left DM, a Gchat from me every other second had to pull you back in -- I’m not sorry, you know you liked it.

And I’m grateful for everyone involved with DM. Firstly, a big thanks to B+ and ECF for being incredible partners in our mission to make a difference in the world. Your organizations have helped bring out the best in college students, and humanity at large. Thank you to the magnificent PR Committee; unless I discover a cloning machine, no 30 NU students will have as much talent, ambition and good looks as you guys. Lastly, thank you to the DM Executive Board, with whom I share some of my fondest memories and closest friendships from col-lege. And of course, Maura, darling – my beautiful co-chair, stand-in girlfriend, regular bromandawg, etc. I am so lucky to have spent the past year with someone so lovely, driven, and understanding. It’s an honor to be your co-chair, and an even greater one to be your friend.

Maura BranniganTo Sourav, first and foremost, for being the most talented best friend, stand-in significant other and partner-in-crime for whom I could ever ask. Thank you for the code names, the walks home, the birthday flowers, the nights spent in random bars on 14th Street and the abso-lute brilliance through it all. To Mom, Dad and Cooper, for patiently supporting my DM-induced craziness, somehow even after four years. DGZBT -- 120-hour members and my dear husband, Todd, especially -- for introducing me to the beautiful experience that is DM. To the hydration bong, for spilling on me every year for some much needed comic relief. To my best friends, for always understanding when I put DM first, but for still being right there with me every step of the way. To Elyse, for four years of Bon Jovi, colored hair accessories, Gushers, McCormick Auditorium pep talks and being the B to your A. To Allister, Jason, Rachel, Corinne and Josh, for teaching me what DM really means. To Ashley and Ned, for never failing to make me smile. To our magnificent PR committee, you could not have been more perfect, and I am so proud of you. To whomever on Exec created the DM playlist on Spotify, for giving me music to work to for nine months. To my sister, Rebecca, I can’t believe we did it. To Be Positive and ECF, for changing the world everyday. It has been an absolute honor to work with you. To Scott and Kunal, for giving me this chance to live my dream. Thank you for everything. Lastly, to the Exec Board, to my 21 best friends and my superheroes, there are no words. You are hands down the most inspirational people I have ever met, and you made this messy, sur-real and rewarding journey one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Can we just play “Seasons of Love” now?

Kameron DodgeTo my family -- you are my steadfast confidantes, my endless support system, and my pillars of strength. I cannot imagine making it through my time at Northwestern, much less DM without you. Everyday brings me a new appreciation for your love and especially, your patience. Nadz, I simply could not have made it through DM without you. We are a DR-eam team in every sense of the word, andI appreciate that “All We Do Is Win”. To Hanna McKeen, thank you for forcing me to do DM my freshman year and ultimately being the reason I feel in love with this organization. To the Be Positive Heroes, thank you for teaching me more about life and perseverance than I could ever share with anyone. To all of my brothers in SAE, thank you for making me to relax and have a little fun in the midst of all of mywork. Finally, to the DR-eam team committee -- your work and dedication to the DM spirit is nothing short of amazing. Always remember that your positivity can change people’s lives, even outside of DM. To the board, if I had dreamed up a group of people to spend my last 10 months with, I could not have imaged a better group of people. Learning about your lives and sharing our stories will be an absolute high-light of my Northwestern experience. You all inspire me to be a better person, everyday. Love and family are two words that I do not throw around much, but I am extremely blessed to have found both in all of you.

Melissa FredericksFirst off, the biggest thanks to The B+ Foundation and the Evanston Community Foundation for your commitment to research, community, and battling childhood cancer. DM 2012 exec board, you are all wonderfully inspiring people, and I’m so honored to have had the opportu-nity to work with every one of you this year. Ilana, you are the most wonderful. I’m continually impressed by your work ethic, charisma, sense of style (of course), and dance moves. And thanks for keeping it entertaining all along the way. Special thanks to Regina Topf, Mary

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DM 2012 Exec Board: With infinite love and gratitude

Collins, Heather Nystedt, Matt Herek, and everyone else in the Northwestern, Evanston, and Oak Park communities for all of your hard work and support. Lastly, I would like to thank my friends and family. Thank you for understanding when I put DM first, and thank you for dealing with all of the anxieties and quirks along the way.

Promeeta GhoshThank you to the entire DM Executive Board for an unforgettable experience, which wouldn’t have been the same without my fabulous co-chair, Wendy. After exchanging countless emails and Google Docs, I think I finally did you proud by mastering how to spell “solicitation.” It was an honor sharing a signature (namely “ProWL”). To our beneficiaries, Be Positive and ECF, thank you for all the time you’ve invested in us. Food Committee, you will forever be the best committee and don’t let anyone tell you different. To my friends and family -- thank you for so patiently tolerating my incessant DM talk. A special thanks to the Penthouse/5SH for checking in when I’d disappear and to Jason for cornering me in an 1835 lounge four years ago to rave about Dance Marathon. Carpe DM!

Ilana GolbinI would like to thank my lovely co-chair Melissa for being the rock in my life, and always knowing what to say to calm me down. I’m so lucky to have met you! And to the entire Executive Board, never did I think I would walk away from Dance Marathon with 21 wonderful new best friends. You are all going to do amazing things, you continually inspire me, and I truly hope we all stay in close contact. I would also like to thank the ACR committee for all their hard work and dedication. A big thanks to my family, all of which have been so support-ive of me in all of my endeavors, and for always reminding me of all of the good things life has to offer. Endless thanks to all of my friends for being there for me, especially 2034 for always being a source of laughter, love and a futon to sleep on. Finally, thank you to the Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation and the Evanston Community Foundation, for all the work you do to better the world and the Evanston community.

Andrew GriesemerI owe a huge thanks to the Tech committee members: Ashley, Alyssa, Mandy and Andrew -- thanks for your great work. I owe everything to my co-chair, my rock, Jerry. Special thanks to everyone on the exec board and especially the bro-chairs. Scott, you’ve led me well since that you first threw me a map and left me to walk blindly through the UP. Kunal, from Crew to DM you’ve been a guiding presence in my life. I couldn’t have asked for better beneficiaries than Be Positive and ECF. Thanks to DGZBT for first getting me interested in DM and showing me how easy it is to make money on a street corner.

Chuck HwangThanks firstly to the entire DM Executive Board who seem to fuel my crazy and still make it work somehow. This especially goes to my amazing co-chair, Laura Kick, whose knowledge and expertise about the DM domain seem to know no bounds and seems to save me from my possibly numerous ineptitudes. It wouldn’t be the same without you and I think we make a pretty damn good team i.e. “the LaHw”. Thank you to the Andrew McDonough Be Positive Foundation, in particular Joe and Eamon for their never-ending spirit and for sharing this incredible journey with us. Also thank you to ECF for their steadfast support through these fifteen years. A small but not unsubstan-tial thank you to my Finding Nemo baby Nemo pillow that has saved my lower back from the malevolent intentions of my desk office chair. A huge thanks to all of our vendors, University officials, Andrea Bell, Natalie Furlett, donors, and of course the dancers. I would like to thank the incredibly talented bunch that is our Productions committee who never end to amaze us and make us laugh during our meetings. Thank you to Ashley and Ned for your hilarious antics that have no end. Productions, you all reaffirm our notions, or truth rather, that the Productions committee is the irrefutable best in Northwestern and probably even the world. And last but not least, I would like to of course thank my ever supportive friends (especially the members of the Penthaus -- Alex, Nick, Scott, and Jeff) and family whose advice and wis-dom that I am always thankful for. Thank you to the breath-takingly attractive and elusive girl in my Linguistics class that sat next to me one particular day and was impressed with the amount of important looking emails I sent that I may ask out at the conclusion of the class. For the last and indeed least, I would like to thank my lamp, computer, and kitchen plant.

Anant JohriI’d like to thank Jack, my wonderful co-chair, for your constant dedication and never failing to make me laugh (even if it was tearing up mailings). Thanks to the Marketing Committee, for all of your creativity and enthusiasm. Thank you to Exec for making this such an enjoy-able experience. Thank you to my family and friends for offering your endless support and always making sure I am smiling. Thank you to everybody who paid to see me dye my hair blonde. Finally, I’d like thank every dancer and committee member, you’re just the greatest and DM would be nothing without you.

Kunal JoshiWords cannot truly describe what an amazing experience this has been. First and foremost to my co-chair, Scott “Scotty” Ritter, I can’t think of anyone else I would rather have gone on this wild ride with. Those first few nights when we started planning this whole thing were some of the most sleepless, coffee fueled nights I’ve ever had and even so, I miss them terribly. Bro-Chairs4lyfe. Once our lives are done being useful post DM, you’ll have to teach me how to tie a bowtie. To Joe, Eamon, Katie and everyone at B+, your hard work and dedication is a continual inspiration for me. I know Andrew looks down at you everyday with unbelievable pride in what you’re doing. To everyone at ECF, we’re better together. Here’s to a brighter future for Evanston. To my parents and family, thank you for being there for me to com-plain to and to fund my horrible eating habits, oh, and for being unbelievably supportive and loving. I love you. Finally, to the 20 hardest

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working people I know, thank you so much. I may have said a few speeches that I don’t particularly remember, but I know every single word was absolutely heartfelt. I’ve lied in bed for hours thinking about what an amazing group of people you are and the amazing things you are going to in the future will definitely change the world. When I’m up on stage crying my eyes out, I wouldn’t want anyone but you around you. You have my utmost respect and love. Frattigan, calm down, I love you, oh and I’m ignoring your 200-word limit. Oh Nadz, Go Nadz! You the best, I’m sad we’ve only been real friends this year, even though you are the worst and go to Cheesie’s without me, I love you to death for existing. And Chuck…it’s been a great 2 years with you, even though you’re an idiot, I’ll miss our shenanigans next year, please don’t go to LA. To everyone else on DM, thank you for everything. This organization has truly taught me the value of hard work and passion. We show the world that there’s more to college students and that making a difference in this world is possible. Oh, and look out for me in the tent -- I’ll be the one crying most likely. PS – Food > DR. CarpeDM.

Laura KickThank you to my wonderful co-chair, Chuck. You are such an enthusiastic, fun-loving, funny, and dedicated person, and I am thrilled to have worked with you this year. Thank you for being there with me every step of the way! You are incredible. Thank you to every unbelievably amaz-ing Exec member. You challenge and inspire me, and have made my year. Thank you for all of your support. I am so proud of each of you and I love you all! To the past four Productions Committees, thank you for each magical and life-changing DM, and for welcoming me to the DM fam-ily. You put so much love and dedication into this event each year, and I could not be happier to have worked with you. Thank you to all of the CRC DMers and each of my four incredible co-group heads for their inspiration, support, dedication, and facepaint. CRC WHAT!? Thank you to those, specifically on Productions and in CRC, who encouraged and prepared me for DM Exec. To The B+ Foundation and ECF, the work you do is so important, and I am honored to have been a part of it. Thank you for your support, partnership, and inspiration this year! To all my friends and family, thank you for your unlimited support, patience, and love. With so much love, CarpeDM2012!

Matt LarsenA huge thanks has to go out to all the dancers – without you, none of this would be possible. It’s extremely inspiring to see thousands of students put aside other commitments and come together for an entire weekend – a weekend that’s impact will be seen and felt for so many years. The Norris Staff and Cashier’s Office help out so much, without them DM would not run as efficiently as it does. Judy: you are the best. Thanks to the entire DM Executive Board – this has been the greatest experience of my life, mostly because I got to know all of you. Tech – you guys have helped us a ton, we couldn’t do it without you. Thanks to Zack for being a boss, he is a consultant at Deloitte. I’m sorry my emails aren’t as pro-fessional as yours, I’ll work on that. Thank you Starbucks for providing me coffee every morning, I really enjoy the Veranda Blend – nice work. Shout out to the Pike team. Thank you to my friends and family for their continuous support over the past year, it really helps on those longer days in the office. To ECF and The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation, you guys are taking on remarkable initiatives; I couldn’t imagine supporting a better cause. Thanks to everyone who has helped make this experience so memorable, keep making it rain.

Wendy LeiPromeeta: You are amazing, supportive, inspiring, unparalleled. You are the taco to my pizza, the fellow fat kid to my inner fat kid, and the best co-chair I could ask for. I don’t say thank you enough in person so thank you for every day, every hour, every solicitation, and every hug.

Kunal: Honorary Food Co-Chair 2012, thank you for your unyielding advice and encouragement. I promise those incessant questions will stop soon…

To the 2012 board: How do you measure a year? In cups of coffee, in dollars raised, in MAMs exchanged, in Block 10 tears? Looking back on this past year, I can best measure it in love. Quite simply, I love you all.

To AXΩ seniors: (If you still remember what I look like) From 207 to “study hours” to quesadilla days to formals – it’s been a great 3 years. Let’s go for four years and forever.

To my parents: As a kid, I hated how you always encouraged me to reach for the stars when all I wanted to do was watch TV and I was annoyed when you kept insisting. As an adult, I love all of those things about you both. Your unyielding faith in me for the past 22 years has defined me. I am proud to be your daughter in everything that I do.

Jerry LuoFirst of all, I would like to thank the entire Executive Board, especially my co-chair Andrew Griesemer for keeping me updated and picking up the slack while I was abroad, you guys are an amazing group of people and even better friends. I only wish that we had more time to spend together. To all the senior board members, good luck in your new endeavors, I know that you will all go on to accomplish remarkable things. I’ve witnessed how passionate and devoted you guys can be. Thank you to the our awesome Tech committee (Ashley, Mandy, Alyssa, Andrew) for working hard all year and being so dedicated, we hope you learned a lot from us and continue to be a part of the DM family next year! To Be Positive and ECF, keep doing what you are doing because it is changing the world and that is what we at NUDM love to do. I wish you all the best in the future. Finally, many thanks to my parents, my family and all my friends for donating towards a great cause, know that your contri-butions and support will change lives for the better.

Jack MilliganThanks to my current co-chair, Anant Johri, for making my second year on the board as meaningful as the first and for keeping me from getting too eccentric. Thanks to my roommate and ex-chair, Melissa Fredericks, for making it through two entire years of near-constant contact without killing me. Thanks to the entire Executive Board for their support and for filling my Gmail inbox with inane and heartfelt e-mails. Thanks to my family and friends for their ever-present humor and goodheartedness. My college career would have been entirely different without the 40 people and 2 beneficiaries I met on 2011 and 2012 boards, and I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity to be changed by them.

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Nadija RieserI have to start off by saying thanks to the Exec Board. You are the 21 best people I’ve ever met and this year would not have been the same without you. You guys are all like family to me and I love you so much. A special thanks to my co-chair Kam who agrees with me when I say ridiculous things and sometimes lets me snort when I laugh in interviews. All we do is win, Kam. Thank you to the Andrew McDonough Be Positive Foundation for being a fantastic beneficiary and an overall pleasure to work with. The B+ Heroes have all changed my life and I thank them for letting me be a part of theirs. A huge thank you to Scott for putting up with all the long days and sleepless, work filled nights as he made me calm down and/or bought me ice cream and cupcakes. He’s been there to glue me back together after every DM and I would probably not have survived without that. Thank you to my family, specifically to my parents who have been nothing but supportive of DM since day one. Thank you to the Retson family who sparked my interest in Dance Marathon before I was even thinking about what college to go to and have helped me every step of the way. And the biggest thanks ever to my committee who has been nothing short of spectacular all year long. They are the funniest, most caring people I’ve ever had the privilege of working with and they inspire me and make me smile every day. You guys really are our DReam Team and I love you all. Also, you make me remember every day just how much better DR is than Food. GN.

Scott RitterThis past year, I was surrounded by one of the most amazing families imaginable: the Dance Marathon family. From each and every dancer that canned outside of basketball games to the committee members who solicited, edited, designed and organized, thank you. From the Nor-ris and University staff who contributed time and resources to my biological family for dealing with my stress and lack of calls home. To The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation and the Evanston Community Foundation, thank you for teaching us about giving back to the causes and communities that we believe in and for empowering us to make the world a better place. To Sigma Chi, Apollo, IFC, SWACK, PWild, Club Baseball, DM2011, videos of puppets doing regular human things (looking at you, Elmo), and the 116 other people/organizations that I am probably forgetting, thank you for supporting me and making me the person I am today. To the 21 amazing other individuals on the Executive Board, you have done absolutely inspirational work this year and have helped our organization and myself grow in ways I never imagined possible. Finally to Kunal, I couldn’t have asked for a better co-chair to work with through this year. Your dedication and expertise will make an impact on NUDM for years to come. We’ve also become so close this year, that I will be Cc’ing you on all of my personal emails. Thank you for being an amazing co-chair, but more importantly an amazing friend. Finally, thank you for getting all the way through my blurb. It wasn’t funny but that’s probably how I’ll be remembered anyways. RITTER!

Rene RodriguezFirst and Foremost, thank you to Scott and Kunal for giving me the opportunity to be on this wonderful Executive Board. You guys took a chance on me, and I hope Rebecca and I made the board proud this year. I’d also like to thank Momma and Poppa Rodriguez for not getting mad when I couldn’t call because I was busy, and to all of my friends for not de-friending me on Facebook when I sent them no less than 2,034 event invites and when I wrote them far too many emails in capital letters. But most importantly, thank you to my other half, Re-becca. Thank you for laughing at all of my awful jokes, thank you for not killing me when I listen to far too much Dubstep/JoJo, and thank you for being smart enough to tell me when my crazy ideas were stupid. Nothing the Special Events committee did would have been even remotely possible without your unmatched work ethic, wonderful event planning gifts, and all your animal print clothes; mostly animal print clothes. Oh, and sorry for whistling. Actually, sorry I’m not sorry.

Sarah RosenakThank you to the 21 combinations of fantastic genetics that have made the disposition of these past 10 months the sweetest of my college career. We have shared many laughs, cries, dance parties, cold houses, offices, and most importantly, love for two very deserving beneficia-ries. Thank you to The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation and to the Evanston Community Foundation for motivating and inspiring us this year. A special shout out to my caring, genuine, and wonderful co-chair, Jon. Your hugs, encouragement, and creepy man dances make it easy to talk business all day everyday. Thank you to Natalie and Josh for teaching and mentoring us the past year, and to our committee for being the best learners out there. Thank you to my best friends of 832 and 909, to my friend Mike for always being there despite 410 miles, and, last but not least, to my parents. Thank you for taking me rollerblading in Parkes Hall at age 10, helping me move into Elder at 18, and for never being more than a lil’ red ride away the past three years. You have made my NU experience, and for that, among many other things, I am thankful.

Zack SchmidtI’d like to give a big thanks to the entire DM Executive Board; You have all made this an unforgettable year. Additionally, I’d like to thank The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation, in particular, Joe and Eamon for sharing this incredible journey with us. Also, thank you to ECF for your steadfast support through these 15 years.To my friends and family, thank you for all your support and encouragement during this past year. Finally, a huge thanks to my awesome co-chair, Larsen. He’s in Pike.

Jon SchwartzI only have 200 words and a million things to say, so here it goes. First and foremost, I want to thank the dancers, every single one of whom contributes to the lasting spirit and legacy of NUDM and without whom this wouldn’t be possible. Thank you to the incredible Executive Board for their amazing work and support over the past 10 months -- you are each so inspirational in your own ways. A very special thank you goes to my co-chair Sarah, who has been my rock and life partner since this process began. Thank you, also, to the Corp Committee for their amazing dedication and work since the fall -- you all have done a fantastic job and I look forward to handing you the reigns in future years. I next want to thank some of my closest friends -- especially Mike & Schecker -- for their support throughout this process, whether by letting me vent or by cooking me meals when I’m running from meeting to meeting. Thank you to all of the Corp alumni for their advice, especially DM11’s Josh and Natalie, for their advice and encouragement. Finally, thank you to my family for, well, everything. Congratula-tions to everyone at NUDM, The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation, and the Evanston Community Foundation for another successful year!

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Dear Kelly Lee Staricha,

Keep dancing. We love you!

Love,Leah, Mom and Dad

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Dearest Reid,

We love you so much and are very proud of you!!!

Dance your A** off!!!

Adore you,Mom, Dad, Heath, Erin and B&Z

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Dear Jaime, We send lots of hugs, love, virtual foot massages and thoughts of strength and en-durance.

Good luck to you and all of the dancers of the NUDM 2012 as you dance, dance, dance! Love,Mom and Dad

Dear Chelsea Starr Callahan,

We are so proud of your FOUR YEAR dedication to Dance Marathon! You con-tinue to amaze us with your accomplish-ments and your tireless desire to help people through all the fantastic charitable work you do.

We Love You!Mom, Dad, Jessie, Carly and Maizey

Dear Laura Rozier,

You go girl! W’e’re proud you’re participating in such a great fund-raiser for a great cause.

Love from Mom and Dad

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P - You work hard and you’re always kind. We are so proud of you and your great dance moves. Not sure where you got those genes, but don’t ask questions - just dance the night away!

Love you,

Matt McDonald and Michele Moses

Our two favorite M & M’s

“Quitters never win and winners never quit,” so dance, baby, dance!

XOXO The McDonald FamilyDance Marathon 2012

Best of luck to Kameron Dodge and the DM Committee! We are proud of you!

Love,Dad, Mom and Beau

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Kunal and

Scott

Thank you for everything. We love you! RaJe on.

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