NUDM raised $1,214,632.

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Updated 8:29 p.m.
Gabe Bergado, March 10, 2013
    Photo by Sunny Kang / North by Northwestern

    The Northwestern University Dance Marathon 2013 raised a total of $1,214,632 benefitting the Danny Did Foundation and Evanston Community Foundation.

    More than 1,000 undergraduate students registered to dance for NUDM 2013 held from March 8 to 10. The Danny Did Foundation, NUDM's primary beneficiary, is a non-for-profit organization that provides epilepsy awareness information.

    The DM Finance Committee made the announcement Saturday night and presented a check for $741,394.10 to the Danny Did Foundation. DM presented a check of $82,377.12 to ECF.

    Kappa Alpha Theta was the top small fundraising group with $18,030. "We're all really excited," said Weinberg sophomore Anna Schlessinger, a member of the team. "We're a smaller group so it's nice to get recognized." This was the first year the sorority was not paired up with a fraternity. The top fundraising group in the medium category was SAE-Tri-delt with ...

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    Alex Zhu, David Zhang, Sunny Kang, March 10, 2013
      Photography by Sunny Kang, David Zhang and Alex Zhu / North by Northwestern.

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      Christian Holub, March 9, 2013

        As NUDM 2013 entered its last leg, dancers found themselves high-fiving University President Morton Schapiro on their way into the tent for Block 10. After everyone gathered inside the tent and the airy feeling inside the tent was once again replaced by steamy claustrophobia, Schapiro took to the stage to give everyone another quick pep talk, peppered with his trademark humor.

        "I slapped a bunch of your hands on the way in," he began. "And it was disgusting!"

        With everyone wearing the same white DM 2013 shirt for the final block, it's become difficult to distinguish dancers from official DM committee members or other supporting visitors. Schapiro's response was to add one of his signature purple sweaters to the mix, wearing it under his DM shirt for fear that "you wouldn't recognize me" without it. But his jokes quickly gave way to a heartfelt salute to the tent's dancers.

        "It's amazing what you're doing ...

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        Sylvan Lane, March 9, 2013

          We asked the dancers during Block 9 what song has saved them so far. Here is what they said:

          Jake Chatzky, Weinberg freshman: "Sandstorm" by Darude

          Nedra Lucas, Weinberg sophomore:  "Make It Nasty" by Tyga

          Sean Cabaniss, McCormick junior: "Levels" by Avicii

          Vivian Prieto, Communication freshman: "Jump On It" by Sir Mix-A-Lot

          Ornella Hernandez, Medill freshman: "Let's Go" by Calvin Harris ft. Ne Yo

          Benjamin Weisbrod, Weinberg sophomore: "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne

          Carly Pablos, SESP freshman: "So What" by Pink

          Alison Murray, Weinberg junior: Theme from Space Jam by Quad City DJs 

          John Taseff, McCormick junior: "Sandstorm" by Darude

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          Christian Holub, March 9, 2013

            The latest of NUDM 2013's celebrity-made videos was a contribution from the cast of Modern Family. Here are five other facts about members of the cast. 

            1. The patriarch of the sprawling family, Jay Pritchett, is played by Ed O'Neill. Twenty years ago, O'Neill was busy portraying Al Bundy, the lead role in another ABC sitcom, Married with Children. Both roles involve pretending to read a newspaper. Y'know, like dads do. A few months ago, enterprising Internet navigators pointed out that O'Neill has used the same prop newspaper for both roles. In other words, Ed O'Neill has been reading the same newspaper for 20 years!

            2. In July 2012, Forbes reported that Sofia Vergara, who plays Pritchett's wife Gloria, is the highest paid actress in TV, surpassing even Kim Kardashian.

            3. Both Ann Romney and Michelle Obama have said that Modern Family is their favorite show. Rest easy, everyone: No matter what happened ...

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            Megan Thielking, March 9, 2013

              NBN caught up with dancers at the end of Block 9 to see how they were feeling after 27 hours of dancing. 

              Photo by Megan Thielking / North by Northwestern.

              Photos by author.

              "Very tired right now, but very excited." – Weronika Wasilewski, SESP sophomore

              Photo by Megan Thielking / North by Northwestern.

              "Awesome." – Alex Cash, McCormick senior

              Photo by Megan Thielking / North by Northwestern.

              "Really great." – Laura Rozier, Weinberg sophomore (right)

              "Excited for a change of pace." – Sarah Parker, SESP sophomore (left)

              Photo by Megan Thielking / North by Northwestern.

              "Pretty fantastic. Surprisingly fantastic." – Jenna Stoehr, Weinberg sophomore

              Photo by Megan Thielking / North by Northwestern.

              "Definitely awesome." – Alex Benfield, Weinberg junior

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              Alex Zhu, David Zhang, Sunny Kang, March 9, 2013
                Photography by Sunny Kang, David Zhang and Alex Zhu / North by Northwestern.

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                North by Northwestern Staff, March 9, 2013

                  Numbers fluctuated a bit this block, as women were almost evenly split in the sex vs. shower debate and only six men preffing showers. What will the results for Block 10 look like?

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                  Edwin Rios, March 9, 2013

                    After a year-long wait, DM executive co-chairs Matt Larsen and Katie Amys have finally reached their fourth straight Dance Marathon, this time at the top of the helm. NBN caught up with the duo to discuss morale boosting, the Danny Did foundation and what made this year's beneficiary unique.

                    NBN: How do you think Dance Marathon has gone so far?
                    KA: I think everything has gone really well so far, especially from what I've heard from committee members and dancers. In terms of morale, we have now passed that really tough block where people usually get a little tired, a little cranky. Overall, it seems like most people didn't hit that or eased through it.
                    ML: Yeah, and all the committee members, whenever we've had to make last minute adjustments to schedules, everyone's been able to handle it really well.

                    NBN: How do you guys try to keep morale up for exec and your dancers ...

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                    Megan Thielking, March 9, 2013

                      We're not sure how Adam Sandler is tied to DM, but here's a few fun facts about the celebrity video guest.

                      1.  In the '80s, he played Theo's friend Smitty on The Cosby Show.

                      2. Sandler lived with writer and director Judd Apatow when they were both starting out. 

                      3. He was a finalist to play Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but the role went to Johnny Depp. 

                      4. Sandler has dogs named Meatball and Matzoball.

                      5. He performed at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

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                      Emily Jan, Gabe Bergado, March 9, 2013
                        Photography by Emily Jan and Gabe Bergado / North by Northwestern.

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                        North by Northwestern Staff, March 9, 2013

                          At Block 8, it seems as if the men have finally begun to break. Starting at Block 1, the large majority of men requested sex. After Block 8, the men were almost split equally. The women have remained relatively constant. 

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                          Sunny Kang, March 9, 2013
                            Photography by Sunny Kang / North by Northwestern.

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                            Susan Neilson, March 9, 2013
                              Photo by Gabe Bergado / North by Northwestern.

                              Singer and guitarist Evan Bakker, bassist Stuart Babcock and drummer Jake Besen make up Nebula, a space-rock band whose spirit animal Bakker described as “what would happen if an albatross and a phoenix had babies." North by Northwestern sat down with Nebula, the DM Battle of the Bands winner.

                              How’d you guys get started?

                              Bakker: Besen and I started casually improvising in October. By the end of the quarter we realized we had five solid songs. It was almost like we were trying to make them catchy as possible so we could memorize them easily. It wasn’t until January that we brought on Stuart.

                              Stuart: Was it this quarter? I don’t even remember.

                              Bakker: After that it was exponential growth in terms of the song quality. We’ve already put the bowtie on top of the songs. I think they’re all ready to be made public.

                              What are your ...

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                              Megan Thielking, March 9, 2013
                                Photography by Megan Thielking / North by Northwestern.

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                                Gabe Bergado, March 9, 2013
                                  Photo by Denise Lu / North by Northwestern.

                                  Weinberg freshman Zach Elvove didn't know what to expect at his first Dance Marathon. His father told him tales of couples gathering at Blomquist Gymnasium dancing to Frank Sinatra, Jr. and raising about $10,000. An experience very different from the colors and lights that fill the NUDM 2013 tent and philanthropic event that has raised over $1 million. 

                                  Zach's father Roy (Speech '75, Medill '76) was responsible for all things PR during the first NUDM in 1975. Being the first year, Roy was unsure if the event was going to be pulled off, let alone the year after it. Almost four decades later, and NUDM is one of the biggest events on campus.

                                  Following in his father's footsteps, Zach has served this year as a communications subcommittee co-chair. "I'm kind of excited to take part in something my dad helped start," Zach said. "I felt a little challenged ...

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                                  Anne Li, Chrissy Lee, March 9, 2013

                                    Northwestern University Dance Marathon broke records last year when it raised $1,107,670 and maintained its highest participation rate of 900 dancers. But it wasn't alone – other schools were making history, too. Penn State's 'THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, reached a record eight figures and Indiana University Dance Marathon surpassed $2 million for the first time since its first event in 1992. 

                                    See how Northwestern stacks up against the nation's top 10 college dance marathons, ranked by revenue and participation in 2012.

                                    Graphic by Chrissy Lee / North by Northwestern.

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                                    Gabe Bergado, Sarah Turbin, March 9, 2013
                                      Photography by Sarah Turbin and Gabe Bergado / North by Northwestern.

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                                      Megan Thielking, March 9, 2013

                                        Updated, 7:47 p.m.

                                        A student in the DM tent collapsed Saturday during Block 6.

                                        The block ended early so that the student could receive proper medical attention and be transported to the hospital by EMTs. 

                                        PR Co-chairs Katie Prentiss and David Harris said that the schedule will likely move up and lunch will be moved around.

                                        After meeting with the executive board, Prentiss and Harris confirmed that the karaoke and total board segments will be cancelled for Block 6. The group video scheduled for the block will be moved to later in the day. Lunch will be served to dancers shortly, putting the blocks back on schedule. 

                                        "The dancers just got an extra-long chance to freshen up, which is never a bad thing," Harris said. 

                                        Prentiss and Harris confirmed the condition of the student during Block 9.

                                        "We received confirmation from the hospital that the student is fine," Harris said. The co-chairs were unable to comment further.

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                                        Lauren Lindstrom, March 9, 2013

                                          Without sleep and jetlagged, Ashley Balcerzak and Summer Delaney are ready to dance.

                                          Balcerzak returned for her third year participating in Dance Marathon. The Medill junior flew in from Washington, D.C. four hours before DM started in order to join “The 90 Hour Club.” Medill sophomore Delaney is also back in Evanston. She returned to work on the Dancer Relations Committee.

                                          They are spending Winter Quarter in the Medill on the Hill program, but taking a break this weekend for DM.

                                          “I’m not really prepared,” Balcerzak said with a laugh. “It’s funny, I see people I haven’t seen since last year and they say, ‘what are you doing here? You’re crazy!’”

                                          All of the travel and the exhaustion is in pursuit of the coveted “120 Hour” title, earned after participating all four years. This year, she is participating with the Alpha Phi/Sigma Chi team, but she's already looking forward to next year. “When ...

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                                          Priya Krishnakumar, March 9, 2013
                                            Just past the halfway point, we asked dancers what essentials they kept in their fanny packs. Here's what dancers need the most: What's in your fanny pack?

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                                            Denise Lu, March 9, 2013
                                              Photography by Denise Lu / North by Northwestern.

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                                              Julie Kliegman, March 9, 2013

                                                DM Executive Co-chairs Katie Amys and Matt Larsen take a break from supervising the event to show us their best moves.

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                                                North by Northwestern Staff, March 9, 2013
                                                  As we close out the first half of Dance Marathon, men continue to prefer sex and women are still divided, although both agree that sex in a shower would be the ideal. As one of the female dancers said, "I've gone so much longer without a shower." 

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                                                  Gabe Bergado, March 9, 2013
                                                    Photography by Gabe Bergado / North by Northwestern.

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                                                    Julie Kliegman, March 9, 2013

                                                      fusion

                                                      Photo by Denise Lu / North by Northwestern.

                                                      Fusion, a student group specializing in combining modern and hip-hop dance, took the stage at 7:30 a.m. to entertain dancers eating breakfast.

                                                      Weinberg sophomore and Fusion dancer Jenna Stoehr said she was excited to perform on the DM stage for her second year.

                                                      "We really like to pump up dancers," she said.

                                                      Fusion dancer Kelly Staricha, a McCormick junior and member of the 90-Hour Club, said it is harder to gear up for a DM performance than it is to stay motivated as a regular dancer in the tent, but that taking the stage helps her spirit.

                                                      "You get a huge adrenaline rush when you go on stage," Staricha said.

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                                                      Julie Kliegman, March 9, 2013

                                                        kotowski

                                                        Photo by Denise Lu / North by Northwestern.

                                                        State Senator Dan Kotowski spoke to the dancers at the end of Block 4. In addition to his government work, Kotowski is on the board of the Danny Did Foundation.

                                                        At 13, Kotowski was diagnosed with epilepsy. He said he was lucky to get the medicine he needed.

                                                        "It's OK. Everything's cool, right?" Kotowski was pointed out that many people are not as fortunate as he is, and that what the dancers were doing to raise money would save children's lives.

                                                        "What you're doing today is giving people a chance to save lives," Kotowski said. "You're going to give people a chance to see the sunrise."

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                                                          Photography by Denise Lu, Gabe Bergado and Julie Kliegman / North by Northwestern.

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                                                          Dawnthea Price, March 9, 2013

                                                            He visited back in October and stole hearts, so we scoured the Web for some facts about Newark, N.J. mayor Cory Booker.

                                                            1. His maternal great-grandfather was white: As determined in an episode of the PBS series Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Booker discovered that his great-grandfather was white.

                                                            2. Leadership runs in his family: Booker’s parents, Cary and Carolyn, were among the first black executives at IBM. Booker himself was elected senior class president during his time at Stanford University.

                                                            3. He was a movie star before becoming mayor: Booker was the subject of a 2005 documentary about the 2002 mayoral race he lost against then-incumbent Sharpe James.

                                                            4. Booker is still on TV: He stars in Brick City, a Sundance Channel series focusing on Booker’s mayoral work in Newark.

                                                            5. He has more Twitter followers than constituents: According to the 2010 Census, Newark has a population of 277,140 people. Booker himself ...

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                                                            North by Northwestern Staff, March 9, 2013

                                                              The polls continue as we ask dancers what they'd prefer. There's a pretty clear answer to what the guys want, but not as much of a defined trend for the ladies. 

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                                                              North by Northwestern Staff, March 9, 2013

                                                                For Block 2, we asked dancers the same question as last block: Would you rather have sex or take a shower? The numbers tell the story. 

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                                                                John Hardberger, Jon Palmer, March 9, 2013

                                                                  Back during Block 1, we watched Burgie get his groove on.

                                                                  Video by Jon Palmer. GIF by John Hardberger / North by Northwestern.

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                                                                  David Zhang, Sunny Kang, March 9, 2013
                                                                    Photography by Sunny Kang and David Zhang / North by Northwestern.

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                                                                    Yunita Ong, March 9, 2013

                                                                      Environmental activist Erin Brockovich appeared on screen at 2.20 a.m. to lend her support to the more than 1,000 dancers. Here are five things you should know about her.

                                                                      1. She is noted for investigating Pacific Gas & Electric's poisoning Hinkley, Calif. residents with toxic groundwater. This led to the largest direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history.

                                                                      2. A 2000 biographical film named after her, made $126.6 million in North America and $130.7 million in the rest of the world.

                                                                      3. She visited Northwestern in November as the Student for Ecological and Environmental Development's annual fall speaker.

                                                                      4. Brockovich has since participated in other anti-pollution lawsuits. One such case which is being investigated by the EPA is one that claims that waste sludge from leather production, containing high levels of hexavalent chromium – believed to be a potential cause of abnormally high numbers of brain tumors – was distributed to farmers in Missouri to use as ...

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                                                                      Edwin Rios, March 9, 2013

                                                                        A proclamation of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn officially made March 8 to 10, "Northwestern University Dance Marathon Weekend" in the state of Illinois.

                                                                        Tom Stanton, Danny Did executive director and Danny's uncle, congratulated dancers for their support.

                                                                        "For the last nine months, it's been an awesome ride," he told the cheering crowd. "Your love and support have changed our lives."

                                                                        Wearing a plain white shirt with a black sketch of his nephew Danny, Tom capped off his speech with what he called "the immortal words of MC Hammer and Jerry Lou": "Turn this motha out."

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                                                                        Denise Lu, March 9, 2013
                                                                          As of Oct. 21, 2012, the Sunday before dancer registration, DM raised $25,307.
                                                                          money
                                                                          Photo by Sunny Kang / North by Northwestern.

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                                                                          North by Northwestern Staff, March 9, 2013

                                                                            We asked dancers during Block 1 whether they'd like to have a shower or have sex. Check out what they chose below.

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                                                                              Photography by Alex Zhu, Gabe Bergado and Liz Steelman / North by Northwestern.

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                                                                              Katie Nodjimbadem, March 9, 2013

                                                                                Members of the Dancer Relations committee are wearing highlighter yellow shirts with “Expect the Unexpected” printed on the back and sharks on the front. We asked a few of them to tell us about the most unexpected thing they’d seen during the beginning of Block 2.

                                                                                Here’s what they said:

                                                                                “The most unexpected thing for me was the professor [Stephan U Schuele] who came up and talked to us. I never would have expected a professor to do that.” - Andrew Wei, Communication sophomore

                                                                                “I saw a senior guy in a full on leopard print onesie.” - Emily Glaser, SESP sophomore

                                                                                “Someone’s wearing a cow suit.” - Emily Lichtenberg, McCormick freshman

                                                                                “I was walking in the main [lobby area] and I almost fell through the tarp wall.” – Kelsey Adams, Medill freshman

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                                                                                Anne Li, March 9, 2013

                                                                                  As dancers are getting into the groove in Block 2, hunger pangs are inevitably kicking in. Here's what some dancers are craving.

                                                                                  "Popsicles. They have sugar, and they’re so cold in the hot tent."
                                                                                  Jesse Rothschild, Communication senior.

                                                                                  "Fruit again. It’s sweet, but it’s healthy and it has liquid."
                                                                                  Kate McCarter, Weinberg freshman.

                                                                                  "Orange chicken by Joy Yee’s. It’s so good, and it’s so filling."
                                                                                  Alex Ayerdi, Weinberg sophomore.

                                                                                  "Strawberries. We just had strawberries the last block, and it was so good."
                                                                                  Tony Chen, Weinberg freshman.

                                                                                  "A smoothie, because it’s refreshing and cold."
                                                                                  Connor Tatooles, Weinberg sophomore and Matt Mrozek, SESP junior.

                                                                                  "Mexican. It hits the spot."
                                                                                  Nathan Jimenez, Weinberg senior.

                                                                                  "Chocolate because I want some sweets, like it gives me energy."
                                                                                  Anna Kwak, Weinberg freshman.

                                                                                  "Fresh fruit, because you’re really parched."
                                                                                  Lucy Yang, Weinberg freshman.

                                                                                  "Green peppers. They’re my face."
                                                                                  Charlie Lucke, Weinberg freshman.

                                                                                  "Pizza, because it’s really ...

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                                                                                  Sarah Turbin, March 8, 2013

                                                                                    Glancing at a list of the blocks of Dance Marathon requires a little reading between the lines. What the hell does “Block 9: Where’s My Spotlight?” even mean? We tell you which artists — new and old, funky and fresh — to expect in the 30 hours of DM.

                                                                                    Block 1: Dance for Danny

                                                                                    As always, the first block is all about pumping everyone up. In particular, all those great, mononymous musical artists get airtime: Jay, Whitney, Madonna and of course Beyoncé. Oh yeah, and the unavoidable Internet-meme songs.

                                                                                    Block 2: Thrift Shop

                                                                                    This block embodies the nostalgic feeling you get when you dust off the first album you bought in elementary school. Alternatively, it could also be the feeling you get when you watch your dad break out his dance moves to a song he heard at prom.

                                                                                    Also, inevitably: Macklemore.

                                                                                    Block 3: Adult Swim

                                                                                    Hey lil' mama lemme whisper in your ear and tell ya something that ya wouldn ...

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                                                                                    Katie Nodjimbadem, March 8, 2013

                                                                                      When dancers find themselves entering a delirious state around Block 4, wondering if the end will ever come, a good song could change everything. Dancers have relied on DJ Sims, an NU alum, to pump up the jams for 17 years and counting. Sims returns to campus this weekend for NUDM 2013, but he’s not the only one ready to party all night.

                                                                                      McCormick sophomore Caleb Young and and Weinberg sophomore Oluwaseun Olalekan Ososami were chosen as this year’s DM student DJs after submitting potential music sets to NUDM a few months ago. Young was a student DJ last year but this is Ososami’s first DM experience.

                                                                                      “We were only going to select one, but we liked two of them so much, we decided to take both of them,” Jas Baziuk, Productions Committee co-chair, said.

                                                                                      Young, who will close the “Adult Swim” block, is also a member of the NUDM Productions and Technology. He became interested in ...

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                                                                                      Alex Nitkin, March 8, 2013

                                                                                        Originally published Nov. 6, 12:13 a.m.

                                                                                        Weinberg juniors Demetri Elias and Chloe Woodhouse were selected Sunday night to be the emcees of Dance Marathon 2013. North by Northwestern sat down with them both to ask about the Danny Did Foundation, dancer enthusiasm and their favorite dance moves.

                                                                                        How did you find out you were going to be the emcees of Dance Marathon?

                                                                                        Chloe Woodhouse: It was crazy. [DM leaders] acted like they were calling us in for another interview. So they asked us a lot of questions, and at the end they asked if we wanted to be the emcees. Then they held up a big sign that said “congratulations,” and we just lost it.

                                                                                        Demetri Elias: Oh, we were so excited. We just threw off our hats and hugged and went crazy. It was really emotional.

                                                                                        Why did you want to apply in the first place? What makes you well-suited for the job?

                                                                                        DE: My freshman year ...

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                                                                                        Edwin Rios, March 8, 2013

                                                                                          With just under an hour and a half left in Block 1, the crowd took a moment to celebrate the 10th birthday of Johnny Stanton, Danny Stanton's brother. Danny, who died in 2009 at the age of 4, was the inspiration for the Danny Did Foundation.

                                                                                          Weinberg juniors Demetri Elias and Chloe Woodhouse, the DM emcees, led more than 1,000 people in tent in singing "Happy Birthday" for the second-oldest Stanton child. 

                                                                                          After the jingle, the crowd repeatedly chanted "Johnny, Johnny" until the next song started. Once "Gangnam Style" came on, however, Johnny, his father Mike, his younger brother Tommy and older sister Mary Grace broke it down on stage, surrounded by a horde of dancers.

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                                                                                            Watch the promotional video North by Northwestern editors made to pump up the more than 1,000 dancers in the tent for DM 2013.

                                                                                            Shot by Sam Spahn and edited by Christophe Haubursin / North by Northwestern.

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                                                                                            Gabe Bergado, March 8, 2013

                                                                                              NUDM 2013 surprised dancers Friday night with a motivational video from Katharine McPhee, best known for Season 5 of American Idol and, more recently, the NBC show Smash. Here are five things you should know about the pop singer.

                                                                                              1. McPhee first caught American Idol judges' eyes with her audition performance of "God Bless the Child" in San Francisco. She made it to the finals of her season, where fans called themselves victims of McPheever. McPhee lost to Taylor Hicks, who has been MIA since his Idol win.

                                                                                              2. The pop star-turned-actress was cast in the pilot of You Are HereMTV's mall-based drama. The episode was never aired, and the network didn't pick up the series.

                                                                                              3. Her first single was "Over It" from her self-titled debut album Katharine McPhee. The single peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.

                                                                                              4. McPhee co-starred as a Zeta Alpha Zeta sorority member in The House Bunny. She played ...

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                                                                                              Braelyn Wood, March 8, 2013

                                                                                                The Dance Marathon committees devote time and effort to perfecting the 30-hour event for Northwestern students. Between counting money for the Danny Did Foundation and setting up behind the scenes, committees found time to create witty T-shirts to represent their DM jobs. Now is the time to find out exactly what the clever slogan means, such as why one features a bear fighting a shark.

                                                                                                Corporate Relations 

                                                                                                Photo by the author.

                                                                                                Weinberg senior Jerry Luo and SESP junior Josh Parish designed the T-shirt based on the Wu-Tang Clan song “C.R.E.A.M.” (“Cash Rules Everything Around Me”). The team replaced “C.R.E.A.M.” with “C.O.R.P.D.M.” Underneath are the lyrics “Get the money, dolla dolla bill y’all.” The design on the back uses the Wu-Tang symbol but replaces Wu-Tang with DM 2013.

                                                                                                Dancer Relations

                                                                                                Photo by the author.

                                                                                                The design came from a casual conversation between Weingberg junior Alex Matelski and ...

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                                                                                                Yunita Ong, March 8, 2013

                                                                                                  It’s just half an hour before the 30-hour Dance Marathon kicks off, and armed with a variety of costumes, the excitement among the dancers in the check-in area is palpably growing.

                                                                                                  “I’m really excited, but it’s really intimidating. 30 hours is a long time,” said DM newcomer McCormick freshman Aaron Goldblum, who is armed with a British flag among other items in his bag. “It’s for a good cause. I really like dancing and jumping up and down in front of concerts, so I’m excited to be doing this for charity.”

                                                                                                  Alex Holterman, a McCormick junior, is dancing again after a positive experience his sophomore year.

                                                                                                  “DM is cool because it brings all the Northwestern students – all the groups dancing together, and it’s for an incredible cause,” said Alex Holterman. “It’s going to be a long haul, but I’m going to take it one block at a time and just have fun ...

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                                                                                                  Susan Neilson, March 7, 2013

                                                                                                    Let’s face it. A white tent stuffed with undergrads is hardly conducive to nimble thinking. I mean, the feng shui in that huge room is so off. With this in mind, here are some cheat sheet moves to keep you moving mindlessly all night and day and night – from the first hour, when you’re fresh and twerkin’ it, to the last hour, when you’re more spent than Munch Money at Frontera.

                                                                                                    Shoulder Shrug

                                                                                                    Jeanne Kuang demonstrates the Shoulder Shrug. GIF by John Hardberger / North by Northwestern

                                                                                                    The Shoulder Shrug is a fantastic way to give voice to your inner Charlie Brown extra without all the awkward pigeon-toeing. If anyone gives you shit, tell them you’re practicing isolation. They won’t know what that means, so it’ll sound intimidating.

                                                                                                    Step: Move your shoulders rhythmically up and down while stepping from side to side. Throw in a hair flip if you’re feeling feisty.

                                                                                                    Bring it out ...

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                                                                                                    North by Northwestern Staff, March 7, 2013

                                                                                                      Northwestern's annual Dance Marathon is an exciting time. Friendships are formed, memories are made and charities are helped. But those transcendent experiences of holding your friends and singing "Here Comes the Sun" together as yellow balloons rain down from the rafters Saturday morning come with a cost: 30 hours of demanding physical activity without any sleep, not to mention all the blood, sweat and tears that goes into fundraising.

                                                                                                      A situation like this calls for role modelsl! These NBN writers all faced different travails during their dancing experiences, but overcame them with the help of powerful celebrities. Call them what you want: inspirations, heroes, spirit animals. Whatever you call them, their examples might be what you need to survive DM.

                                                                                                      Andrew W.K. By Christian Holub

                                                                                                      I guess I never really wanted to do Dance Marathon this year. I loved the DM experience last year, but it just wasn't in the cards this year.

                                                                                                      Or so I told ...

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                                                                                                      Mallory Busch, March 7, 2013

                                                                                                        As a first-time dancer, the overwhelming feeling I get when I think of Dance Marathon is dread.

                                                                                                        When I signed up for DM, I envisioned partaking in “one of the largest student-run philanthropies in the nation,” a supposedly essential part of the Northwestern career. I’d heard older students testify to having life-changing, incredible experiences because of DM and I knew I couldn’t miss out.

                                                                                                        When DM was just a date in the distance it seemed so easy to me. I’d have enough time to raise money – hell, I’d even heard of some folks raising $300 from canning. The 30 hours were during reading week so I figured there’d be no conflicts, although one sophomore did tell me “you just take a hit” when it comes to studying.

                                                                                                        Like anyone else though, I procrastinated, and the stress set in. I didn’t raise anywhere near $300 through canning. My first attempt outside of Ryan Field got ...

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                                                                                                        Forrest Hanson, March 6, 2013

                                                                                                          It was quite nearly a shitshow at last year’s Dance Marathon, when the event of dancers eating FiberOne bars unfortunately coincided with Norris running out of toilet paper.

                                                                                                          “We’re working hard to make sure we’re totally prepared from the start this year,” said Food Co-chair Katy Vogt.

                                                                                                          Planning meals for 1,000 hungry dancers over the course of 30 hours is no easy task, yet figuring out what types of food to provide is just what co-chairs Katy Vogt and Lauren Mindel do for DM. Starting every October, the Food Committee reaches out to local restaurants old and new (Cheesies?!?) to see if they’re willing to contribute. The committee gets no budget to buy food for DM, and relies entirely on donations.

                                                                                                          “We have a lot of longstanding relations with Evanston vendors,” said Vogt. “We want to serve dancers what they’ll enjoy.”

                                                                                                          To this end, comfort foods like pizza are interspersed with fruits and vegetables ...

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                                                                                                          Megan Suckut, March 3, 2013

                                                                                                            Thirty hours of dancing means 30 hours of music for the dancers in Dance Marathon. But there are songs out there that better embody certain blocks than others do. In true high school boyfriend tradition, here’s a mix CD of sorts that takes you on a block-by-block journey through the 30 hours that make up DM.

                                                                                                            Block 1: "Don't Stop Me Now" – Queen

                                                                                                            Ah, the first block. For these initial three hours, nothing can get in your way of completely owning each and every block ahead of you. You perform your most impressive dance moves for the circle of people that inevitably forms around you, and by the time the block ends, you could swear it has been the best and fastest three hours of your life. "Don't stop me now!" you shout at the Dancer Relations committee members as you strut back into Norris.

                                                                                                            Block 2: "Hella Good" – No Doubt

                                                                                                            With one block in the bag ...

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                                                                                                            Denise Lu, March 1, 2013

                                                                                                              Dance Marathon hosted the 2013 Battle of the Bands on Thursday night at Tommy Nevin's Pub. Nebula, the winner of the competition, will play a set during DM. Other contenders were Almost All-Purpose, Ric Cross and Change of Heart.

                                                                                                              Almost All-Purpose started off the night.

                                                                                                              Almost All-Purpose

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                                                                                                              Brian Campbell, Feb. 28, 2013
                                                                                                                Lead guitarist Evan Bakker of Nebula performs at DM Battle of the Bands. Nebula won the competition held at Nevin's. Photo by Denise Lu / North by Northwestern.

                                                                                                                Updated March 1 at 1:11 p.m.

                                                                                                                Dance Marathon announced Thursday night that Nebula won the annual Battle of the Bands. The band will perform during NUDM 2013 Block 8 next weekend. 

                                                                                                                Battle of the Bands took place at Nevin's Pub on Thursday night, with less than two weeks until NUDM. The admission fee of $5 will go towards this year's beneficiary, the Danny Did Foundation, an organization dedicated to its mission of preventing deaths caused by seizures.

                                                                                                                Bands interested in battling were required to submit a $15 registration fee and CD with their work by Feb. 18 to the DM office. Only one song was required for bands while DJs were allowed to submit up to a 10-minute set.

                                                                                                                The night started off with Almost All-Purpose, consisting of ...

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                                                                                                                Sarah Turbin, Feb. 28, 2013

                                                                                                                  There are plenty of things that are inevitably going to take place during Dance Marathon. Everyone will be tired. Everyone will be hungry. There will be plenty of crying. And ugly crying. Ugly crying for charity, that is. But have you ever thought about what would never happen?

                                                                                                                  Romance isn’t going to start anywhere on the dance floor.

                                                                                                                  Imagine: House music has been playing for more than two hours. Just as the beat drops, you lock eyes with a fellow dancer. Everything starts to move in slow motion. Actually, that might be a hallucination brought on by sleep-deprivation. Whatever. You’ve caught his gaze. He’s wearing a smile just as enchanting as his fanny pack. That’s not a euphemism. He’s literally wearing a fanny pack. Suddenly, the two of you are all over one another. You don’t even notice the smell of rank sweat radiating off of your own body.

                                                                                                                  This is the DM hookup ...

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                                                                                                                  Time Until DM Ends

                                                                                                                  DM is over! Congratulations, dancers!

                                                                                                                  Photos From The Dancefloor

                                                                                                                  Tweet your photos to @nbn_tweets or email them to editor@northbynorthwestern.com.

                                                                                                                  The Wall

                                                                                                                  DM Blocks

                                                                                                                  Block 1: Dance for Danny (7 p.m. - 10 p.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 2: Thrift Shop (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 3: Adult Swim (1 a.m. - 4 a.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 4: Let's Get Weird; Jhortz and Wizards (4 a.m. - 7 a.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 5: Mickey Mouse Club (7 a.m. - 10 a.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 6: British Invasion (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 7: Bringing Down the House (1 p.m. - 4 p.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 8: Space Jam (4 p.m. - 7 p.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 9: Where's My Spotlight (7 p.m. - 10 p.m.)
                                                                                                                  Block 10: Danny Did and We Can Too (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)

                                                                                                                  We'll be tracking our executive editor, Kim Alters' steps tonight block-by-block. Editor's note::During Blocks 2 and 3, we experienced technical difficulties with the pedometer. The numbers for those blocks may not accurately reflect Alters' steps. Block 5's numbers are low due to a shortened block.

                                                                                                                  We're also having Alex Nitkin, our news editor, text us haikus as he dances his way through DM!

                                                                                                                  All this energy
                                                                                                                  Haven't seen so much neon
                                                                                                                  since last dillo day

                                                                                                                  There go my dance moves
                                                                                                                  block two and I've used them all
                                                                                                                  I cant twerk no more

                                                                                                                  Sweat is condensing
                                                                                                                  on the ceiling and falling
                                                                                                                  Cuz that's a thing now.

                                                                                                                  I just realized now
                                                                                                                  The DR shirts are obscene
                                                                                                                  Sharks and bears can't breed

                                                                                                                  Exhaustion sets in
                                                                                                                  Dancing is no longer cool
                                                                                                                  if I stop I sleeeee

                                                                                                                  An early block change
                                                                                                                  and was just getting groove back
                                                                                                                  what happened in there

                                                                                                                  To that one couple
                                                                                                                  Grinding during block seven
                                                                                                                  We all salute you.

                                                                                                                  The end is in sight
                                                                                                                  But feet are 'bout to fall off
                                                                                                                  Slow dance, anyone?

                                                                                                                  Think my brain broke
                                                                                                                  Chaffing everywhere
                                                                                                                  Where am I?

                                                                                                                  Bed bed bed bed bed
                                                                                                                  bed bed shower bed bed bed
                                                                                                                  bed did I just pee?

                                                                                                                  What's Playing At DM