With a haze hanging in the air, students donned a range of costumes and reentered the tent for Block 2 of Dance Marathon 2013, the “Thrift Shop” block.

Looking out on a sea of furry clothing and animal prints, emcee Chloe Woodhouse noted the dancers’ creative attire.

“I have seen more animal print, more real fur than I have ever wanted to in my entire life,” the Weinberg junior said.

Later on, two male students dressed as cows would take the stage to dance with radio personality Special K from 103.5 KISS FM.

As University President Morton Schapiro took the stage just after 10 p.m., students cheered and chanted “Morty, Morty!” Schapiro commended the dancers for their “pretty fancy” costumes and for participating in DM rather than studying or hanging out in Evanston’s “brothels.”

“Not this group,” he said. “No paper, no finals — screw it, I’m gonna dance!”

Dr. Stephan Schuele from NU’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center thanked the dancers for bringing more exposure to epilepsy research, likening them to actor Michael J. Fox in representing Parkinson’s disease.

“Northwestern University: You are our celebrity,” he said.

Television actor, writer and comedian B.J. Novak, who performed on campus as A&O Productions’ Winter Speaker less than a week ago, previewed the block’s theme song in the second celebrity video. In the video, he stood next to a chalkboard covered in sheet music.

“I think it looks like Macklemore, from what I can tell,” Novak said, eliciting cheers from the crowd, just before the block’s namesake song blasted through speakers.

DM’s finance committee announced at the end of the block they had raised $25,307 by Oct. 20, 2012, the Sunday before the dancer registration deadline. Dancers will return at 1 a.m. for Block 3, “Adult Swim.”

— Lauren Caruba