Dancers have to help themselves prepare for the Interfraternity/Panhellenic Council Dance Marathon, which starts at 7 tonight in White Building, but once things get underway, the marathon's morale and entertainment committees will help dancers combat sore feet, hallucinations and boredom all weekend.

This year's marathon features a few firsts, such as the IFC's co-sponsorship with Panhel and a visit Saturday from MTV's "Remote Control" host Colin Quinn, but the morale and entertainment committees remain a standard in the 48-hour fundraiser.

Every year some dancers suffer from minor medical injuries to psychological trauma but the morale committee is prepared to come to their aid, said Chris Bannon, marathon overall chairman.

The morale committee is divided into ten teams of about 30 people per team, said Kevin Donlon, morale committee chairman. The teams work in four-hour shifts, with at least two teams working at all times, he added.

Committee members are responsible for watching for medical injuries, Donlon said. Dancers who fall unconscious or suffer other medical injuries will be taken to the University's Ritenour Health Center by Emergency Medical Service employees, he said.

For dancers who are sore, committee members will provide massages. To prevent dancers from suffering from dehydration, committee members will serve them drinks, he said.

And for those who hallucinate, committee members will reassure the dancers about their situation or allow them to rest if they cannot continue.

Last year 37 dancers of 544 were unable to finish the marathon, Donlon said.

Another goal of morale and entertainment committees members is to prevent dancers from becoming bored, Donlon said.

Jumping rope, painting with pudding and playing musical balloons and "duck, duck, goose" are a few of the activities dancers participate in to keep busy, Donlon said.

A mock dating game is planned for midnight Saturday and will be hosted by the morning disc jockeys of 97 WQWK, he said.

The Nittany Lion, a magician, and the Pittsburgh Pirates' Parrot will wander among the dancers to cheer them on at different times during the weekend, said Lauren Feola, the entertainment committee chairperson.

A large television screen will play scenes from movies at one end of the gym, she said. She added that all of the bands and people who appear at the Marathon receive no monetary payment for their work.