Recently, Center Grove decided to cancel the Riley Dance Marathon. According to Adam Cullers, co-chair for STUGO’s Riley Committee, the administration decided to cancel the Riley Dance Marathon because the student body had been rejecting it. The Riley Dance Marathon was not getting the response that it had gotten in the past, and Center Grove was not raising enough money to keep the Riley Dance Marathon going.

“I guess the administration realized this just isn’t an event that’s going to work for Center Grove,” Cullers said. “They were thinking that since the Dine and Disney event was far more successful than Riley Dance Marathon last year, they suggested that we plan that in April for Riley in place of the Dance Marathon.”

The Riley Dance Marathon is not the first project that has been canceled by Center Grove recently. In late January a video project was organized by Whiteland student Landry Long and STUGO to raise money for the children’s hospital. Yet the administration pulled the plug on the video just before filming began.

“Everything was set up and ready to go, all approved by Mrs. Hardin but on the day before we were going to shoot we got word from the administration that we hadn’t gotten it approved by them,” senior Tristan Pickett said.

According to Pickett, the administration needed to do background checks on any student coming from Whiteland. Because not enough information was available on the Whiteland students, the administration was forced to cancel the project.

While the video project is no longer taking place, STUGO created the idea of Dine and Disney to substitute the traditional Riley Dance Marathon. Dine and Disney is a chance for students to watch a Disney movie on the football field or in the auditorium while food trucks are available for students to choose from. The new idea was a lot more student-friendly and got more attention and advertising than the Dance marathon did. STUGO decided that Dine and Disney will be the new Riley Fundraiser and believe that it has the ability to be successful for a long time.

“The Riley Dance Marathon was cancelled because the student government knew students were not as interested in the Dance Marathon as they were the Dine and Disney,” STUGO member senior Megan Kelly said. “The Dine and Disney is taking place of the Dance Marathon because of the outcome”.

STUGO and the administration believe that the Dine and Disney will get more attention by the students and will have a great turnout. Noah Newkirk contributed to this article.