Sem’s 2018 Dance Marathon

: Students pose for a picture to commemorate their achievements. (Photo Courtesy of Wyoming Seminary Facebook)

: Students create a tunnel for Emma Straub to run through up onto stage. (Photo Courtesy of Alice Jawon Kang ‘19)

: Members of the Sem DM Committees hold up the number reveal.

: Molly Leahy ‘19 and Lillie Hornung ‘18 lead students in learning part of the Morale Dance (Photo Courtesy of Molly Leahy ‘19)

: Alexis Greene ‘21, Ava Bufalino ‘21, Shawna Casey ‘21, Quinn Medico ‘21, and Grace Aiello ‘21 pose with Rylee Bond. (Photo Courtesy of Grace Aiello ‘21)

By Reese Butcher ’20

Sem Dance Marathon is well-known and well-celebrated event. With around 300 kids turning up this year and over $31,000 raised, participants and coordinators alike were ecstatic at this record-breaking high. Over the last 7 years, Sem DM has raised over $135,000 all to be donated to the Janet Weis Children’s Miracle Network.

To kick off the week before Sem DM, there was an assembly complete with all you need to know before attending your first DM, a faculty flash mob during Chapel, and Tunes for Tots at lunch all week where you could request a song for $.50 or skip the current song for a $1. Next, Dance for a Donut and Society Day competitions brought some fun competitiveness to light where you could donate a minimum of a dollar to your society for points and dance to get a free donut. Finally, after school on Friday, there was a dunk tank where you could sink faculty members, or even students, for $1 or more depending on how close you wanted to be.

All of this was put together by a newly formed committee. Even though Sem DM has been going on for a while, this committee had its first (and successful) year due to DM normally being a government-run event. By pulling the organization and execution out of the Student Government, the hope was that more people could get involved and could be focused more specifically on one task like morale or promotion. Based on the numbers and fun had, this will definitely continue to be the new style of running Sem DM.

The event itself is jam-packed of activities, like Lip Sync Battles, Inflatable Bull (Shark) Riding, and the Morale Dance, but the real stars of the show are the miracle kids. This year, three kids came back to share their stories and have fun. Rylee Bond, Emma Shaffer, and Emma Straub each had time on stage where all people in attendance attentively listened as they each shared their stories and then lead an activity like Simon Says. Afterwards, the kids were free to go around and take pictures, play games, and dance, and there were always students ready to make their night the best it could be.

To cap off the already amazing night, students gathered around to bid on a chance to pie a faculty member in the face and then witness the grand reveal of how much money was raised. Ten students walked out on stage, all holding posters turned towards them so one wouldn’t be able to see the numbers. One by one, the numbers were revealed, 6… 5… dot(.)… 3… and so on. Cheers erupted as $21,403.56 was displayed. But wait, that wasn’t right. The students were then told there was a mistake and the number 2 needed to switch with 3 and reveal the true amount raised ($31, 402.58). Students cheered even louder and tears of joy were shed. To finally end the night. students went to a rave to celebrate all the money they just raised for the Children’s Miracle Network.