In Norris right now, students are steadily streaming past Starbucks, down the stairs and past the Crepe Bistro into the giant white Dance Marathon tent that’s been blocking views of the Lake Fill since Tuesday.

An hour ago I was at a barbeque, where a girl declared that now we could finally bash on DM, as anyone involved was currently in Norris, preparing for the culmination of the fundraiser marathon. Everyone in the circle around her, including me, joined in. We complained about what an inefficient fundraiser DM was, donating only 71% of the money they raised to charity. We questioned why participants spent 30 hours dancing, something no one seems to look forward to anyways, instead of doing community service or raising more money for 30 hours.

It’s easy to criticize DM, the Northwestern fundraiser that overshadows all the others, and takes over campus for an entire weekend at the end of every Winter Quarter.

But at 7 p.m. on the opening night, as the dancing is about to commence, the atmosphere here is unlike anything else. The participants are beaming, jumping, singing, and chanting. They are enthusiastic about something that seems like an impossible feat. From the ceiling on the first floor hang DM logos and facts about AIDS. In the bathrooms, there are signs made by HIV-positive teenagers, with their stories, poems, pictures, and aspirations. “Dance for me because my hope is vital and I depend on you,” said Brryan, 18. “Dance for me because I want my mom at my wedding,” said Ally, 11.

As the MCs count the seconds until dancing begins, 4-3-2-1, broadcast on the many flatscreen TVs of Norris, I feel like I’d do almost anything to be in the crowd of more than 800 that are participating in the craziest, most feel-good event I’ve ever witnessed. DM may be easy to criticize, but I believe that those involved are doing more than simply raising nearly a million dollars for charity. They are instilling the importance of awareness and community involvement in a way that I believe will stick with participants and organizers for the rest of our lives. In this way, DM makes a far greater impact than the money it raises each year. This is why students will spend an entire weekend dancing when their peers are partying, studying, and sleeping. This is why we do DM.