Students and faculty got a hardcore workout on Nov. 15 when Reach Out hosted its fall semester ZumbaThon.

Reach Out is a student organization made up of about 30 to 40 people that raises money for a school in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

At 7 p.m., two instructors got 14 students and faculty to dance for a 50-minute workout. Both instructors taught from the stage and the participants mirrored the instructors’ movements.

Each song lasted for about three to four minutes for an intense arm, body and leg workouts, with just seconds between songs for participants to get water and wipe their faces. Songs were a mix of Latin, hip-hop and pop vibes with rhythms that repeated two or four times.

This allowed people to get the move right by the second time. Throughout the routines, dancers would rarely let their heels touch the ground, as being on the balls of their feet helped them perform the quick moves as they came and went. At the end, the group warmed down with a four-minute song where they stretched their arms, back and legs.

Each semester, a ZumbaThon is hosted in Shippensburg University’s Ceddia Union Building (CUB) multipurpose room (MPR) to raise money for the educational program and the trip Reach Out makes every January to the school.

During the set-up, Reach Out’s public relations chair, Elizabeth Karper, expressed that “it provides cultural awareness and it’s working out for a good cause.” Outside the MPR, students were given a waiver to sign for the intensity Zumba brings, as well as information on Reach Out’s “Education Initiative.”

A poster board containing pictures and quotes from the Dominican Republic students offered people more insight to the group’s mission.

One of the instructors, Dr. Gretchen Pierce, a history professor, is currently on sabbatical but is still advising Reach Out. She walked in with a pink cheetah print bag with two full water bottles and a small towel.

“My degree is from the University of Arizona and mainly in Latin American History,” Pierce said. “I have been teaching at Ship for seven years and started teaching Zumba a year after teaching at Ship.”

Pierce plans on attending the trip to the Dominican Republic this January. The other instructor, Jennifer Deliz, an SU alumnus class of 2010 with an education degree, is a friend of Pierce and has been teaching Zumba alongside her for a few years.

The most impressive part of the night was when a short, young girl got on stage to teach a routine. She wore pink capris and a green T-shirt with a thin gray hoodie. She got on stage and performed an extremely difficult, fast-paced song.

Kiah Lyons used to dance for a long time with a company that no longer exists, but she feels that Zumba is more fun. Although Lyons is not a student at SU, she has ties to the Reach Out program and is certified to teach Zumba.

“When you dance, you have to be serious and with Zumba no one cares what you look like because it’s an individual workout,” Lyons said.

José Ricardo Osorio, modern language department chair, was the only male in attendance that danced.

“I needed this. It’s been a rough day. I do not Zumba often, but I do dance once a month and go to the gym once or twice a week,” Osorio said. Osorio is another adviser for Reach Out and will be accompanying the group to the Dominican Republic this January.

Reach Out will be having another ZumbaThon in the spring.

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