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Screaming and dancing on Greene Street, Carla McPhee had a message for students passing by the Russell House.
"I need 4 quarters, 20 nickels, or 100 pennies," the assistant women's basketball coach yelled, "This man's in a suit, get him out of jail!"
The man in the suit, former President Andrew Sorensen, wasn't in jail for a crime. He was in jail to help children.
The Student Government's annual Dance Off raised $516 on Thursday afternoon for the Children's Miracle Network, with prominent USC campus figures standing in a makeshift jail cell until they could raise $100 for the Children's Miracle Network.
Overall Director of Dance Marathon Carolina Bradshaw was pleased with the success of the event.
"That definitely exceeded our expectations," Bradshaw said. "I think we're going to try to do it again this year."
If the volunteers collecting donations outside the cell raised $100 before the person inside the cell did, the campus celebrity was required to stay the full hour.
It didn't take an hour for Sorensen. It took all of seven minutes.
Students quickly pitched in dollars to him, and faculty and staff members were more than happy to donate to his bail fund.
"I participated in the program every year that I was president," Sorensen said. "It's such a good cause for children, and it's a great program."
Dr. Ron Binder, the director of Greek Life for the university, didn't have it so easy. He dedicated an hour in the afternoon to the project, and he spent the entire hour in the cage.
Some students, upset with his tough crackdown on Greek life this year, taunted him as they put money in the buckets of the volunteers.
"I think it's great he's in the cage," Dave Hinson, a fourth-year print journalism student said while throwing money in the buckets of the volunteers.
Binder seemed to take the ribbing in good fun, laughing at students while pleading for money.
Ray Curbelo, a second-year business student, said Sorensen, McPhee, and Binder were all very popular in raising money.
"It's impossible to say who raised the most," Curbelo said.
While some students were attracted to the project due to the celebrities in the cages, others said the Children's Miracle Network made them decide to give.
"It's to help children," Melissa Love, a first-year marine science student, said. "It's just a good cause."
Bradshaw said there will be more fundraising activities next month for Dance Marathon.
To register for Dance Marathon visit www.uscdm.org.
- Assistant News Editor Kara Apel contributed to this report.
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