Adam Greiss swiped a Red Hot from the piles of brightly-colored candy lining the tables during dancer registration for this year's Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.

"We wanted to change our team name to 'The Bod Squad'," Greiss (senior-accounting) said jokingly as he stood in front of the rules and regulations table. "We better start working out or it will be a joke."

Greiss was one of about 700 students who will have registered by next Tuesday, officially confirming their spot to dance in Thon.

"Dancer registration is to enroll dancers ... and get them all the proper information they need to prepare to dance in February," Rules and Regulations Chairwoman Kate Balliet said.

With upbeat music blasting from the morale table, dancers shuffled to the different stations set up in 129 HUB-Robeson Center, filling out surveys, verifying personal information and enlisting for mail calls.

Sitting against a background of balloons, Dancer Relations Captain Jackie Fiorello said many dancers appeared nervous about the "no-turning-back now" mentality.

"It's the first real step in Thon," Fiorello said.

Despite a few jittery nerves, the atmosphere remained festive and cheerful as students chattered about their preparations for the upcoming Thon weekend.

"I'll be exercising a little and working on stretching," Brian Henry (senior-accounting) said. "Standing on your feet for 48 hours will be stiff."

Jen Diefenderfer (junior-public relations) said conditioning for the marathon will include a dry break from alcohol.

"I celebrate my twenty-first [birthday] Feb. 4," Diefenderfer said. "The two weeks after will be my recovery and relaxation."

In his 10th semester at Penn State, Garret Plunkett (senior-supply chain and information systems) said dancing in Thon is a pursuit of his before graduation.

"It's something I want to do my last semester," Plunkett said. "It's a capstone -- a good way to end."

The final dancer registration session is from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in 129 HUB, where the total number of those registered is expected to rise to about 700 dancers.

Finance Chairman Mike Werstuik said the minimum amount organizations must raise per dancer couple saw a $400 increase this year -- from $1,100 to $1,500.

"It's basically to ensure that, with limited capacity at Rec Hall, everyone who is most motivated to dance [will] fundraise the most," Werstuik said.

Students said although the hike would likely affect independent dancers who receive minimal outside help, the price for reserving a spot is still directly deposited into the Four Diamonds Fund.

"I don't think anyone would have a negative attitude or gripe," Kyle Patterson (senior-industrial engineering) said. "Facing this big of a challenge, these kids face bigger challenges every day of their lives."