The climactic end of the 1994 Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon slowly approaches. The old familiar song comes on again as eyes glaze over, ears perk up and bodies begin to move mechanically in unison, repeating the movements ingrained in their minds.

This weekend, the line dance will help keep the dancers awake and sane through 48 sleepless hours. On Friday night, the fresh-faced 'thonners will learn the customary routine. By Sunday night, it will be second nature for these dancing zombies.

The line dance and accompanying song have been brewing in the morale committee for about a month. The committee will unveil the routine and song tomorrow night after the dancer-morale social, said Kristy Walter, overall morale committee chairwoman.

"We try to use something that hasn't been overplayed because they'll hear it over and over again," said Walter (senior-sociology). The line dance will be done more than 50 times during the weekend, she added.

The 12 morale captains choose a song with motivational words, key phrases and an upbeat tempo, "Something that isn't too fast but will get them to move," Walter said.

The captains brainstormed to come up with a fairly challenging song and dance that will attract the 'thonners' attention, engage their minds and circulate their blood. Big movements are especially important to keep the dancers stretched out and constantly moving.

Morale captain Mona Dunkirk said the line dance was her favorite part of Dance Marathon last year when she danced. It is important at the dancers' lowest moments to hear and recognize the song, she added.

"The difficult part was coming up with movements everyone will know," said Dunkirk (senior-animal bioscience). "It's hard not to use movements from the past."

Jamie Harbeson still remembers the song ("Move Any Mountain") and dance from when he danced last year. The line dance focuses shaky dancers' minds and forces them to get their blood going, he said.

"Everybody goes through different highs and lows emotionally," said Harbeson (junior-economics and international business), who added that the dance wasn't difficult, just long. "You feel kind of dazed and lost, and the line dance makes you feel kind of good because everybody's synchronized."