Lauren Feinstein

December is all about the 25 days of Christmas whether you watch Elf a million times on ABC Family or Ellen DeGeneres’ Holiday Themed 12 days of Giving. While you’re pulling a George Washington and chopping down a tree, some people are lightening Menorahs. The Jewish Holiday began Saturday at sunset and lasts till December 16th. Even if you’re not Jewish but want to surprise your friends, here are eight things that are crucial when preparing for the festivities that take place during Hannukkah.

Last night the fourth annual Mr. and Mrs.THON Pageant took place in Eisenhower Auditorium. From SNL skits to dance moves, all of the committees looked sharp and put up a tough competition. In the end, Finance took the title. I guess you really should put your money where your mouth is.

In this week's distraction of the day column, we checked out a few of the 651 videos uploaded to the Penn State's YouTube profile. There are a variety of videos that are educational, funny and just plain awkward. If you were ever approached on the street and asked a bunch of questions, here are the videos that might be your time to shine in the spotlight.

Although we were swept up in the excitement of Penn State canceling class for an afternoon, Hurricane Sandy devastated many parts of the East coast. Long Island, Staten Island, the Jersey Shore, Atlantic City, and New York City were among the hardest hit cities. People have been suffering without electricity, water, heat, gasoline, food, and shelter. There are so many ways for Penn Staters to help -- even without being in those areas.

Every year there are extremely original costumes, cliché costumes, scary costumes, sexy and innuendo costumes, some that are hilarious, and some that are downright ridiculous. Here is what I presume will be the most worn costumes based on extensive research (Google) and an analysis of pop culture from the 2012 year.

After a week of reading applications, sifting through Facebook photos and reading tweets, Lauren has finally decided on who she is taking to the Onward State hayride since Adam Levine is too busy for her. Only one man can get the rose...I mean...piece of hay.

Lauren, our beloved writer, is currently looking for a man to sweep her off her feet and into the back of a pick up....for our Onward State hayride. Please read, download, and fill out the application here.

In order to celebrate the upcoming 2012 Greek Sing, there will be mini performances of each song in Alumni Hall, Wednesday October 10th starting at 6:45 P.M. Do not forget to dance till the world ends!

Last year, I wrote a survival guide to Yom Kippur. This year, I decided to take a different approach to a sorostitute’s favorite Jewish observation. I decided to do some research since I got kicked out of Hebrew School before this lesson (sorry Mrs. Greenberg).

There are 16 contestants competing at Cafe 210 West's "Red Bull Play & Destroy" Penn State Edition battle. Each contestant will play 30 seconds of a song for each category, appropriately named, battlegories.

The moment you have all been waiting for is here! After weeks of anticipation and annoying profile pictures, fall 2012 sorority recruitment begins tonight. Here's how it all works.

Get ready, get set, and mark your calendars! With all of the musical power invested in him, the Penn State Boombox Guy took to his Twitter yesterday to declare all Wednesdays henceforth as “Boombox Day.”

An update on the Penn State Panhellenic Facebook recruitment logo policy. The policy has changed from punishing those who do not change their pictures to now rewarding them.

The Panhellenic Council has mandated that all chapter members make their Facebook profile pictures an ugly logo from August 15th until Fall 2012 recruitment is over. Here's why I think this is bullshit.

The reasons why a Facebook could potentially cost you a job. Photos of you drinking and status updates are some of the few.

A survival guide on how to survive Yom Kippur whether you are extremely religious or not at all, both at Penn State and at home.

This is a freshman 101 guide to the 2012 fall formal sorority recruitment. Includes tips about outfits, essentials and specific dates of the different rounds.

An easy guide to swiping away your excess meal points.

Instead of bargaining with the HUB Bookstore to get half your money back for your textbooks there is something else you can do with them. Even the books that the store won't take back can be donated to help fight HIV/AIDS through the organization CARE for AIDS.

A recap of the Great Debate VII about lowering the drinking age. This includes some of the arguments from both sides, the Liver Savers who were against lowering the drinking age and the Common Sense team which strongly suggested that the drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18.

A disclaimer was made saying that the views taken by debate participants do not reflect their personal opinions; they were just the outcome of drawing straws for which side they would have to defend. Each team would have an introduction, 3-4 minute presentations by each student, and then a closing statement. Then, each team could rebut comments from their opponents and answer audience questions.

Pamela Luu is an independent consultant that works with For Your Pleasure to help empower and educate women about self pleasuring with the use of sex toys. She runs workshops and events as well as does at home parties.

Campus Candy and Valley Magazine are coming together on April 10th for a fashion show. Admission is free and guests get a sneak peak at the Spring edition of the Valley and 20% off of Campus Candy purchases. Don't forget to dress to impress!

On Saturday, April 9th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in 100 Thomas, the 2011 Graphic Design seniors will be showcasing their multimedia work. This is the 40th annual Follies event where alumni come to connect with the current Penn State Graphic Design Students. Film work is shown and there is a reception after.

Even though it just seems as THON 2011 has just ended, it is already time to start preparing for THON 2012. The Overall Committee was announced last week. Check out the full list after the jump.

Formal is approaching, stress is paired with anxiety so Lauren and Ariel need dates. Apply now to escort one of these ladies to their sorority spring formals.

So, last year you were a little, and now it's time for you to become a big. In sorority terms, this means you will be a big sister, a role model, and a mentor for your little sister. It also means you get the opportunity to send them shady text messages as you sneak into their dorms in East to decorate and spoil them with gifts. Big/Little week is full of decorations, t-shirts, candy, and tinsel that you will find hidden in your room for months to come. All of these things add up and cost some moolah. Your parents probably don’t see hundreds of dollars in candy and streamers as an “emergency” credit card charge. Here are a few tips to cut down on spending, yet still make big/little week incredible.

In a sea of dancers eating, playing jenga, dancing and playing with kids, Onward State approached dancer Samantha Cohen for a quick interview. Check out the full interview after the break.

While Onward State was dodging bouncy balls down on the floor and scoping out the scene, we came across dancer Ian Hochberger from York, Pennsylvania and asked him a few questions. Ian is the THON child for Alpha Omicron Pi and Sigma Chi and he is dancing this year!

Read on past the break for a full interview.

While exploring the floor during the first hour of THON, Onward State caught up with senior Mike Lytle from Penn State Behrend Campus right before he learned the line dance.

As the latest issue in our THON 101 posts, this presents the glossary, like the one in the back of your textbook that defines all the terms printed in bold. You can’t get this one at the Student Bookstore, or any bookstore downtown, and best of all, it's free. Here is the breakdown on useful terms you will probably come across during a THON weekend.