Alumni Association dances into Thon

Two of the Thon dancers this year don't have a class in Willard Building, they don't dodge bikes on Pollock Road nor do they have University IDs.

Actually, they're not even enrolled at the University -- at least not anymore.

This year marks the first year the Alumni Association will be represented on the floor, even though the association has been actively involved in the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon for several years with cash contributions, gifts and time.

The dancers, both distinguished students during their time at the University, are Brian Allen, captain of the men's basketball team from 1988 to 1989, and Dina Weisleder, captain of the 1995 and 1996 cheerleading squad.

The pair, who met during a cheerleading competition, said they are enticed by the challenges posed by Thon.

Allen, who has stayed close to the University as a football and basketball television analyst, first became involved with Thon in 1989, leading the participants in stretching exercises. Since then, he has been unable to contribute due to a conflict in scheduling with his basketball duties, he said.

This year, however, he has made Thon a priority by raising money for the Four Diamonds Fund and orchestrating a documentary on the event, which he will also host.

"I'm usually actively involved in what I cover. Whether it be basketball, or any athletics, I'm usually involved physically," Allen said. "So why not make the documentary from that perspective?"

The former point and shooting guard admits he expects Thon to be physically draining but feels confident. "I feel like I'll be fine. Hopefully I've run enough marathons," he said, referring to one of the ways he helped to raise money for the cause.

- Brian Allen, University alumnus

Weisleder said she experienced hallucinations the first time she danced in Thon, in 1995, yet she is ready to dance again. "I remember feeling like the room was shrinking and then I was dancing in a small box," she said.

Weisleder said hallucinations are not her greatest fear -- instead hers is one of the most common, and almost guaranteed problems that will confront all dancers -- aching feet.

"I tell people I'm dancing and they think I'm crazy," Allen said. "They tell me it's voluntary execution, but when you meet the children of the Four Diamonds Fund, you see that it is truly a small price to pay."

Elizabeth Wilson, the associate director of membership and marketing for the Alumni Association, said she is proud of the two first-time representatives of the association, referring to Allen's "enthusiasm" for Thon and the documentary he plans to produce.

"I feel I owe this University," Allen said. "I came here on scholarship, went to graduate school and now I represent . . . the Alumni Association. It feels like I'm giving back."