Skip to main content

And We Danced (for 26 Hours)


This quarter, I participated in my second Dance Marathon. Although last year I danced the full 26 hours with Belles, this year I was a Moraler, whose job is to come in for three hours and pump up the dancers who are completing the full event. The Bruin Belles Moraling crew chose 3-6am for our shift, and the theme during this time (much to my delight) was Disney! After an hour-long nap at 1am, I woke up and dressed in my best Disney attire (complete with a tutu and flower crown, of course) to join the rest of the Belles at Pauley Pavilion. I also drank a lot of coffee right before this, so as I skipped down to Pauley I was feeling pretty alive, and I seem to remember excitedly screaming in a couple of my fellow Belles’ faces before we ran inside (sorry Abby and Charlotte! I was a little pumped if you couldn’t tell). I know that right now, we probably sound crazy for wanting to wake up and dance from 3-6am, but it was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had this year in Belles. We were able to be part of a moving ceremony about the realities of HIV/AIDS around the world and hear from some truly inspiring young speakers about their personal experiences with Pediatric AIDS. After this, it was time to get down to some Disney tunes as we celebrated the perseverance of these kids and the endurance of the dancers, who were starting Hour 16 as we arrived! They are all so inspiring, and I will never forget rocking out to “Under the Sea” from the Little Mermaid or “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story at 4am with my favorite group of people, Belles. Our group of Moralers ended up staying an extra hour, until 7am, and then we bid a fond farewell to the students still dancing for another six hours. I am so proud of all of the Belles who participated in Dance Marathon, whether for 26 hours or just a few like me. It is a truly worthy cause, and I am so happy that I was able to be a part of it this year. And let this be a lesson to anyone out there – if you ever need someone to cheer in your face at 3am, just remember that you’ve got a friend in me.




Allison Grenda
Distinguished Belle
Second Year Bruin Belle

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What I Didn't Know

  What I didn't know The morning after I got the highly anticipated call that I got into Bruin Belles, I found this bell (figure 1) on my dorm door: a door belle…get it? I can still very clearly remember the few weeks surrounding this moment. I wanted it SO BADLY! When I saw the Belles tri-fold at the enormous activities fair, I knew immediately that I needed to be a part of that community. On paper, it sounded like everything I wanted: a group of likeminded passionate women who did community service together and other social events. I worked tirelessly on my application and was so nervous for my interview that I signed up for the very first slot (Monday at 8am… yikes). I got the long-awaited call late on a Friday night. Yashvi, the public relations director at the time, told me that I had gotten in, and while still on the phone I screamed “I GOT IN!” to my roommate. My heart was beating so fast. However, I think if I had known what was to come, my heart would have beat so fast it ...

Finding My Home

  My time as a Bruin Belle has been incredibly transformative. This exceptional group of empowered women has not only enriched my college experience but also inspired me to make a lasting impact on the world. Entering UCLA, I was eager to find a community that aligned with my passion for service and personal growth. Joining the Bruin Belles provided that and more—a warm embrace within the vast UCLA landscape. At the core of our experience is our dedication to service, from local volunteer work to impactful fundraisers. We take action, build connections, and create change within our community. Being a Belle has given me the opportunity to volunteer for initiatives such as dog adoption, environmental activism, food insecurity, education advocacy, and houselessness. Through volunteering in various areas of our community, I have found purpose and a newfound passion for advocacy. Additionally, BBSA is more than a service organization to me; we are a sisterhood that fosters leadership. T...

A Senior's Reflection

A Senior's Reflection   As my time at UCLA and Belles comes to an end, I want to reflect on all the experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have over the past years. I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many great people, many of whom I have found through Belles. This community has given me so much and I could not be more appreciative. It provided such a welcoming and open space for me to grow as a person when I first arrived on campus at UCLA after a full year of online school. With the time I have been given in Westwood,  I have been challenged academically, learned to embrace independence and time alone, and have learned more about myself in the process. That is truly a gift.   That being said, some of my favorite and most impactful Belle events have been Meals on Wheels and Baby2Baby. Meals on Wheels was an amazing experience, and I truly felt like I was making a difference in the community. Through this organization, we packed meals and distributed them to older adu...