English majors' participation with Dance Marathon at FSU give them a creative, fulfilling outlet to fundraise for a great cause
By Ellie Johnson
Starting at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, hundreds of Florida State University students will be standing and dancing for 30 hours to commemorate the milestone 30th year of Dance Marathon at FSU.
Dance Marathon is currently the largest student-run organization at FSU and raises funds for a cause special to many: pediatric illness and injury.
From Feb. 28 to March 2, several students from the English department will join the rest of the participants in support of those who cannot. Despite the organization’s medical emphasis, English majors have always been a part of Dance Marathon and have grown as students and leaders because of the experience.
I am one of those who has grown as a person because of Dance Marathon. Time after time, I have witnessed college students set everything else in their lives aside to fight for something much greater than themselves. This is what has made me stay involved with Dance Marathon during my college experience.
As a junior-year English-Editing, Writing, and Media major, this will be my third year participating in Dance Marathon at FSU. This year, I am serving as a Leadership Coordinator for our first-year leadership program. While this role may seem irrelevant to my major, I have developed professional skills from this position.
This year, my role involves overseeing a team of nearly 100 first-years, and I apply those valuable communication and leadership skills to my life as an English major. Without question, Dance Marathon has helped me become a more organized, active, and attentive student, both in and out of English classes.
Other students in the department have had similar experiences. Sophomore Vega Scholpp, also an English-EWM major, currently serves as a Morale Captain.
“English has always been my best subject and I am very passionate about it,” says Scholpp, who adds that she seeks opportunities to pursue this passion in and out of her English classes. “My role requires a lot of socializing and confidence.”
Similar to my role, Scholpp’s position teaches her valuable communication skills.
“My love for English and being a Morale Captain has enabled me to make deeper connections with people and socialize better,” she says. “Without the confidence and communication skills I’ve strengthened through Dance Marathon, I don’t think I would be as good at English as I have become.”
Emma Jowers is a senior English-EWM major, and she has an important responsibility in this year’s marathon.
“I have the privilege of being a master of ceremonies this year,” Jowers says, talking about her role as emcee with excitement.
“Dance Marathon has taught me a lot about who I am as a person and the things that I am passionate about,” Jowers continues. “I have learned a lot about leadership skills and how to be an encouraging person for others. This has directly influenced my abilities in my EWM studies because it has taught me to connect with other students in my classes and form connections and relationships with my peers and professors.”
Through her emcee experience, Jowers has also written and edited scripts for the event.
“This has given me a lot of real-life practice with writing and editing different forms of texts that I might not be used to and otherwise probably would not work on,” she says.
In addition to the teams that Scholpp, Jowers, and I are a part of, Dance Marathon has several other teams that help enhance English-related skills. Dance Marathon’s Marketing and Publicity branch, for example, focuses on writing, publicity, and media skills, similar to what some English majors learn in their classes.
I encourage you to look into or apply for this branch, or another that interests you for next year if you are looking to further develop these skills. Dance Marathon is always looking to welcome new members, no matter your major or experience.
Whether you are interested in developing leadership skills, English skills, or just interested in joining a fun, yet meaningful, organization, Dance Marathon at FSU has opportunities for you. This weekend, English students are looking forward to being involved in fighting for a cause much greater than ourselves.
Dance Marathon begins Friday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Participants take a break from Friday night at 9 until Saturday afternoon at 4; they then stay at the Civic Center until Sunday at noon.
Ellie Johnson is a double major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in psychology.
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