DM Dancer Relations members stood in the halls of Norris. With them were large boxes stuffed with bags containing the DM 2007 T-shirt. The design: the outline of a city and a highway, with the words “Life is a Highway” written at the bottom, on a white shirt. Dancers swarmed the boxes, depleting many of the sizes within seconds, prompting Dancer Relations members to shout out orders like “take a bag and go this way” to speed up the distribution process.

DM dancers quickly donned their new apparel, and then sprawled out against the by-now-very-familiar-walls for their final rest of the night. Communications freshman Rachel Kalt said this was the moment she was waiting for.

“I’m elated,” said with huge relief. “Now that it’s here, I can’t wait to get out there.”

By participating in Dance Marathon 2007, Kalt said she achieved one of her collegiate dreams.

“Dance Marathon was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come to NU, to participate in it,” she said, a wide grin on her face. “This is really surreal.”

The knocking. For the last time, the sounds of fists pummeling against wood resonated through the halls one final time. A countdown erupts in the Louis Room. 3….2….1…..doors shoot open. Smoke fills the rooms, lights spin around in myriad colors and the dancers storm the floor, screaming like crazy. They begin dancing, more frantically than before, some dancers chest-bumping one another. I’m bringin sexy back…. This familiar call ignites the crowd, who go absolutely nuts for Justin Timberlake’s smash hit. Only 180 minutes left in DM, and already the emotions building up for over 27 hours have spilled over.