At 2 a.m. on Friday night, after all the parties were broken up and night clubs closed their doors, the Deis-a-thon was still going strongly. Organized by Senate members Robyn Kaplan, Andrew Katz and Edgar Ndjatou, all '06, Deis-a-Thon was conceptualized as an all night dance-a-thon for students to raise money for charity by getting sponsored to dance. Along with helping a good cause, participants also could have fun with their friends and win some prizes in the raffles drawn at various points during the event. When asked about how the event coordinators decided on the charity REACH, formerly known as Waltham's Shelter for Battered Women, Kaplan explained, "REACH is a charity that a lot of Brandeis students are affiliated with. REACH trains our students for services like STAR (Students Talking About Relationships) and the rape crisis hotline, so we figured we would give something back."

The event started off slow at 10 p.m., but continued to grow later into the night, dying down around 3 a.m. Held in the Campus Center Atrium, the decorations gave the event a festive atmosphere. Christmas lights adorned the walls and the staircases, complimented by the patterned glow of a disco ball and rotating colored lights. Comfortable couches lined the outskirts of the dance floor, inviting weary dancers to rest their feet. A professional DJ played everything from the latest hip-hop, to disco, to Bar-Mitzvah favorites like "Hands Up."

For those dancers who couldn't make it through the night without sustenance, the event provided refreshments compliments of Student Events ranging from pizza to Dunkin' Donuts to Lizzie's ice cream. Unfortunately, the coordinators underestimated the amount of food needed, and a few dancers complained when the food ran out before they arrived.

Despite the lack of food, the event was very successful. The atrium was filled with animated dancers for a good part of the night, hardly any of them stopping to take a break on the couches. When asked about the goal of the event, Ndjatou said, "I hope students have fun. I also want them to realize this benefits the community at large - to realize there is a world outside of Brandeis and to be a part of the Waltham community." As evidenced by the amount of money raised, $1200 with more donations still coming in, and the enthusiasm of the approximately 200 participants, it is safe to say the goal of the night was accomplished.

If you know someone who is a victim of domestic violence you can call Reach's hotline at 1-800-899-4000.