On an average Friday night at Higherground in the Crest Wellness Center, students would find a Club Mercury dance party starting at 10 p.m. and ending around 1 a.m. featuring current dance hits spun by a local disc jockey.
| Dance Marathon Time: 10 p.m. Date: Friday, March 5 Place: Higherground Cost: $8 |
On March 5, however, that familiar dance party will be replaced by a dance marathon starting at 7 p.m. and extending well into the morning until 3 a.m. The event will feature dance music from a variety of eras and genres selected by DJ Jones. All of the proceeds will go to St. Jude’s Hospital, the leader in childhood cancer research, said senior and Higherground club manager Laura Klawitter.
“Higherground has always wanted to do a dance marathon,” Klawitter said.
She said the event came together when Paula Stuettgen, senior coordinator of student development and progress, mentioned doing a benefit for St. Jude’s at Higherground.
Rental Resources will sponsor the event, which features free food, such as pizza and subs. Prizes will be awarded throughout the evening with an $8 door fee, Klawitter said. Prizes include an iPod, gift certificates and T-shirts.
The event will feature an expanded selection of music ranging from swing to Top 40 dance music chosen by DJ Jones, who has done the All Hall Fall Ball for the past two years, Klawitter said.
Sophomore Chantal Ivey said she is a regular at Higherground because of the atmosphere. She said she enjoys their dances because it gives students more alternatives on what to do.
“There’s not a lot of options (for students) besides partying,” she said.
Ivey said many people don’t go to the Higherground events because students aren’t aware of the facility.
“A lot of people don’t know what Higherground is,” Ivey said, “but when I take students with me, they always have a good time.”
Higherground’s permanent fixtures would be available during the marathon, Klawitter said, such as a bar that sells MGD Light, Leinenkugel’s Original and Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss.
“We have a great sound system … (and) Higherground is a safe environment with free pool, foosball, computers and board games,” she said.
Klawitter said students should come to the event to help out with the cause.
“These kids suffer more in the first 10 years of life than some people do in all their life.”
