Dancing not the only thing you should do
I completely agree with Rashmi Joshi’s column “26 hours of dancing could be better spent,” (Feb. 2) questioning how dancing for 26 hours in Dance Marathon contributes to the fight against pediatric AIDS.
Sure, it raises awareness as a 26-hour “dance party” and endeavor to guide Bruins to “find meaning” in 26 hours of potential physical torture, but as Joshi said, those 26 hours could be spent doing a thing or two to directly help those children.
It’s true that a “Come Volunteer for 26 Hours” event would probably not draw as many people, but pediatric AIDS ““ and any humanitarian cause for that matter ““ should not depend on flashy graphics, loud music and insanely in-your-face advertising to be effective.
Ever since I signed up for Dance Marathon, I have questioned its methods.
The 26-hour dance event in and of itself will not prevent any child from contracting pediatric AIDS. It’s the donated money that does the magic.
So we are told to “find meaning” in dancing for 26 hours? Not likely.
We would, however, find meaning in raising money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation for 26 hours.
But let’s go even a step further. To paraphrase the words of “American Idol” finalist Kimberley Locke, the celebrity guest at Mini Dance Marathon last Tuesday, “It is important to remember that it is not always about the money, but the time we contribute.”
And time is our most valuable resource. Would it be wise to throw it down the drain by dancing for 26 hours?
Nick Chu
First-year, undeclared
Dance Marathon is worth the pain
When I signed up to be a dancer for Dance Marathon my freshman year, I was in a car accident just three weeks before the event.
My mom pleaded with me to reconsider putting my body through 26 hours of strain: “We’ll still donate the money to you,” she said, “but why on earth do you have to dance the whole 26 hours? What does that have to do with pediatric AIDS?”
Rashmi Joshi raised this same point in “26 hours of dancing could be better spent” (Feb. 2).
With 945 students currently registered to dance, these questions are worth addressing.
The answer is that every year, hundreds of students participate in Dance Marathon to stand ““ literally ““ for something bigger than themselves.
The 945 dancers are, in effect, protesters and activists participating in a mass demonstration for what may be the most pressing issue of our generation.
The dancers may not realize it, but the attention and awareness they generate by dancing is arguably as valuable as the money they raise.
Last year’s Dance Marathon raised over a quarter of a million dollars, but awareness as well as money was distributed. With 945 dancers, if each speaks to 10 or 15 friends about the event, over 10,000 individuals will be reached, and awareness spreads exponentially from there.
Add to that the media attention Dance Marathon generates, as well as the attention of celebrities, community activists, corporate donors and philanthropists. While it may seem like a giant dance party, it’s one of the most effective forms of student activism ever known to UCLA.
Joshi argued that something didn’t seem right about listening to the stories of children with AIDS and then continuing the dance party and “bringing sexy back.”
This physical challenge is the premise for almost every effective fundraiser: AIDS walks, breast cancer marathons, Relay for Life.
These work because people know that confronting these issues doesn’t have to be depressing or solemn: It can be positive, empowering, energizing and fun too.
Finally, Joshi said that “more than a full day of dancing is kind of insane.” We can’t argue with that.
Participating in Dance Marathon is an extraordinary act, but when you consider that 38.6 million people around the world are living with HIV, maybe what’s really crazy is that more people don’t.
Shannon Raj
Fourth-year, political science and economics
Dance Marathon Public Relations