Welcome to our THON coverage. Please visit THON.org if you are interested in donating.

We’ll be taking reader submissions all weekend. Please send them to [email protected].

4:20!!!! THON raises $7,838,054!!! The top Commonwealth fundraisers were… 1st: Fayette 2nd: Altoona 3rd: Hazelton. The top independent organization fundraisers were… 1st: Atlas THON 2nd: Springfield THON 3rd: OHANA THON. The top Greek fundraisers were… 1st: Alpha Tau Omega and Zeta Tau Alpha 2nd: Alpha Sigma Alpha and Lambda Chi Alpha 3rd: Alpha Chi Omega and Pi Kappa Phi

4:01!!!! THE LAST LINE DANCE… FOR REAL!

3:56!!!! “Somewhere over the Rainbow” plays in the BJC for Sir Christopher Millard.

3:37… A wave is going around the BJC, coordinated by DJ Larry. Awesomeness.

3:18… The Nittany Lion leads some Penn State cheers. The crowd is enthusiastic.

3:14… The final line dance?

2:53… Go Go Gadjet pulls the “Zombie Nation” card. THON goes crazy.

2:27… Go Go Gadjet has taken the stage, playing pop hits to the delight of the crowd.

2:02…DJ Larry Moore ups the energy with some techno beats

1:56…BJC joins families in singing “Angels Among Us.”

1:43…Celebration of Life Video makes everyone want to try even harder next year FTK

1:36…Claire’s mom and dad tells the family’s story

1:33…Eli AKA “one of the men in black” shares the story of his own struggles as a cancer survivor

1:30… The parents of Chris-who came up with the Four Diamonds- take the stage to thank THONers for their hard work over the years

1:20…Meet the Four Diamonds Families

1:14…Miranda Zigler’s family and friends tell the story of their brave daughter and friend

1:11…Road to THON video

1:05… A long term survivor, Sabrina, shares her story with the BJC and gives thanks to THONers and for her two children

1:02…Family hour begins

12:58…A touching “Where Are They Now” presentation.

12:54…Tribute to THONers Emily Trump and John Quigley who passed away in a car accident.

12:45…1,2,3 Chug! Water social!

12:43…some crowd surfing down on the floor

12:34…Some committees bustin’ a move on stage to “Total Eclipse of the Heart”

12:24…2010 morale captains to the stage

12:20…2009 gets out there. It’s safe to say you don’t realize how quickly technology has evolved until you see an old line dance video

12:14…2008 time

12:11…now 2007 hits the stage

12:05…time for 2006

12:02…a 2005 line dance

11:59…Dylan Mosel hits the stage to bust a move to queen

11:53…JR and Natalie close out with a cover of a cover: “Killing Me Softly,” as the families leave for the south annex in order to prepare for Family Hour

11:44…One of the kiddos gets to belt out “Love Story” with Natalie

11:37…”Sweet Caroline” got the crowd singing, and some kids jamming, but then again when does it not?

11:32…Just got hit with a beach ball- proof JR and Natalie are keeping up the excitement in the BJC

11:23…playing to ladies in the crowd with a song from “The Little Mermaid” and some Taylor Swift

11:14… Switching up singers on Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and a pretty sweet guitar solo.

11:13… Newest installment of nourishment comes from Subway.

11:11… Everyone’s singing along to Stand by Me.

11:08… Moving into Faith by George Michael. Didn’t even know you could play this and the last one in the same set.

11:04… JR and Natalie open up with Wild Night by Van Morrison. The bassist has a tie-dye shirt, a gray ponytail, and red Chuck Taylors.

11:02… DJ Larry jumping around in the booth with a morale captain.

10:59… A new band is starting to set up.

10:56… Daft Punk has everyone celebrating. Don’t stop the dancing.

10:52… Dancers getting clean at the car wash.

10:43… And morale captains are back to the stage!

10:42… Jan Stouffer and group, featuring several of the families, closed the talent show on a high note with a thank you song

10:35…Tucker sang “Boom Boom Pow” and stole the show after Katie and Addie’s original tap routine.

10:29…Kaitlyn preforms “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus and Taylor shared an original THON poem

10:23…After listening to some B.E.P. from Dani and Ashley, we heard some trumpet from Nick and watched Tyler juggle

10:18…Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page to see some THON photo albums

10:10…Max and Edie show us some killer light saber tricks, and Kim and Hannah preform Selena Gomez’s “Naturally”

10:03…Readying the stage for some THON talent

9:53… Another line dance…with a Rita’s water ice man!

9:47…Soulja Boy has got the floor dancing together

9:39…”Nothing But a Good Time” gets the BJC moving.

9:25…Urban Dance Troupe-winner of the dance off-takes the stage!

9:18… Orchesis takes the stage, performing a remix of this year’s top 25 songs.

9:14… People are starting to trickle into the upper deck.

9:09… Hey-ay! Hey-oh! THON, THON, FTK!

9:01… Slides of Strength, front and center. And a wave is starting up. Holla Back Girl.

8:57… Penn State Majorettes AND PJ Maierhofer are on the floor imparting their twirling wisdom.

8:54… OPP is rolling out a huge mat in the middle of the floor. Can’t make out what it is yet.

8:44… Morrrrrale captains to the stage!

8:39… I Want You Back continues MJ’s prominent appearance this THON.

8:36… Floor is squeaky clean and dancers can spread back out.

8:33… Seats in the BJC are definitely looking fuller than they were even an hour ago.

8:25… Segueing into Chumbawumba. This is definitely a walk through the pages of my childhood. A THON walk for us non-dancers.

8:21… The Macarena is lighting this place up!

8:18… OPP starting to swab the deck.

8:15… Why they haven’t started up the disco ball during Play That Funky Music is beyond me.

8:12… Families are starting to roll in.

8:07… Larry’s showing how eclectic he is with Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel.

8:01… Starting off the new hour with a line dance.

7:51… Whipple Jam’s closing number: Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show.

7:45… You Can’t Always Get What You Want.

7:39… The General by Dispatch. I got a four-letter word for that: Nice!

7:36… “We found the Creedence, Dude…” Down on the Corner.

7:32… THON walk time. Also, Whipple Jam’s back on line with Johnny B. Goode, much to the delight of Onward State’s Nick.

7:31… Confusion in the DJ booth? Whipple Jam doesn’t look like they’re done, but Coldplay’s playing over the speakers.

7:27… Bluesy pop: Waiting on the World to Change.

7:24… Whipple Jam’s trending toward the ’60s with Bad Moon Rising.

7:22… Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da: Probably what I’d say if I was a dancer at this point.

7:17… Soulshine by Gov’t Mule is a popular one among the live bands.

7:13… I don’t ever think I’ve heard Three Dog Night played multiple times at the same event.

7:08… Whipple Jam opens up with Roadhouse Blues. Roll baby roll.

7:05… The dancers are refueling with some goodies from Starbucks and The Corner Room.

7:03… Someone tell the band they are not allowed to warm up during Billie Jean. That’s just not right.

6:55… Live Skynyrd as a band sets up on stage.

6:53… Larry gives it to the men for the first time in 34 years!

6:48… The girls try their hand now

6:43… This time, the men lead the line dance. Larry doesn’t think they can beat the girls…

6:42… The only fitting cap-off to the Color Wars awards ceremony would be a…line dance!

6:38… The Final Standings: in 4th place, Red; in 3rd place, Orange; in 2nd place, Blue, and congratulations to Green, the overall winner!

6:33… The final event, worth triple the points, who (of the dancers and crowd) can cheer the loudest for their color.

6:31… Orange wins event 3 of 4 in the finale: Build the Giant Shrine of the Silver Monkey.

6:17… And green guesses the secret talent: John balances the Color Wars flag on his chin–complete with a demonstration!

6:11… Billy the Answer Head comes out of retirement as they’re playing Figure it Out on stage with a dancer from each color team.

6:04… And it’s the Color Wars finale, with the Hey Arnold football pass. They’re also holding a big Billy the Answer Head from Figure it Out on stage. Can’t wait.

6:02… New Color Wars standings: 1st-Green, 2nd-Blue, 3rd-Red, 4th-Orange

5:56… That time once again–line dance!

5:49… Jump Around being danced to with much jumping around.

5:46… Usher feat. Ludacris and Lil’ John lighting it up with Yeah!

5:40… Canned Heat by Jamiroquai–better known as the Napoleon Dynamite dance song. Vote for Pedro!

5:36… Spotted on the floor: A gorilla and a banana. What an apt pairing.

5:33… “Where’s Moraldo” color wars event starting now. From press row, I see a few Waldo-inspired moralers roaming around the floor.

5:18… Color war standings before the finale: Blue, Green, Red, Orange.

5:10… Dancing to a remix of Gnarls Barkley’s “Transformer” – awesome

5:07… Fusion Dance is up now, people seem to love it. Not a surprise considering their reaction to Jai Ho

4:56… another day another LINE DANCE!

4:51… …and they glide right through the key change, I think My Hero Zero has played “Living on a Prayer” before

4:43… People don’t seem to care how many times they’ve heard it before, Wonderwall seems to be a hit

4:32… YOU MAKE ME WANNA…

4:26… In the past 10 minutes- Blink-182, Journey and Queen

4:16… Black Eyed Peas and Cyndi Lauper? My Hero Zero is the Pandora of cover bands

4:11… So far the band is yet to play a song I don’t have on my iPod’s party playlist

4:05… I don’t know about walking 500 miles, but these dancers are pulling off an equally impressive feat

4:04… My Hero Zero starting off strong with “Any Way You Want It” by Journey

3:48… Now that all dancers have received and read their mail, we want to know which items are the biggest morale boosters in the final 12 hours of THON.

3:47… Line dance!

3:38… High School Musical’s ‘We’re All In This Together’ playing now on the sing-a-long screen. Did you know one of your esteemed Onward State editors knows the dance?

3:29…Disney Sing-a-Long introduced to a warm reception by the floor. Moralers taking the stage to support the effort

3:17… Lots of throat clearing going on as Biz Markie breaks it down over the PA.

3:13… Dance Off Two: Ram Squad versus Kappa Alpha Psi versus Urban Dance Trio. Ram Squad crowd favorite, IMO.

3:09… ‘Beat It’ makes its second appearance in just as many performances. Step team performing now, moving in ways I can’t even imagine pulling off right now.

2:59… RAM Squad is keeping up the Jackson theme in their second performance here at THON

2:51… Urban Dance Troupe has some moves. I’m liking the Michael Jackson tribute.

2:36… Lion King, Jungle Book? I can get behind this Safari theme for Mail Call

2:31… Mail Call has started. It’s always a huge encouragement to the dancers

2:22… Sorry for all the music updates but they just started “Barbie Girl” – this is important stuff

2:15… Jai Ho! I’ve been looking forward to this one almost as much as I did the Safety Dance

2:09… I find it only fitting that Michael Jackson has featured heavily on the playlist this weekend

2:00… “What Is Love?” – I think a lot of people here this weekend would answer, “THON!”

1:40… OPP is getting ready to clean the floor again, bringing out the ropes to herd everyone out of the way

1:33… Everyone’s limbering up. Good circulation is important when dancing

1:28… Line Dancin’ time everybody. Looks like the Rita’s cup is joining them this time.

1:04… First time we’ve heard Paper Planes this weekend…all I want to do is…

12:50… A Yellow Teletubby and a bunny rabbit just showed up in front of the press box

12:43… Changing things up with some Red Hot Chili Peppers

12:39… …and they’re playing mostly DMB covers, makes sense.

12:30… The Billy Bauer Band has taken the stage. Jamming, kind of reminds me of Dave Matthews, violin in tow natch.

12:07… Overheard on press row… “Why are they showing Mean Girls?”

12:05… A taste of the movie trivia game… “What are the 5’Ds of Dodgeball?”

11:55… Line dance followed by Bad Romance by Lady Gaga. BJC is bumping!

11:51… Morale Captains to the stage. Line dance GO!

11:49… Band is playing an encore Sweet Caroline for the BJC.

11:47… That’s it for the pep-rally. Hope all the dancers are pumped!

11:46… Are you ready to Rock! And! ROLL!

11:42… What’s a pep-rally without Hey, Baby? Everyone’s singing in the BJC.

11:39…  46 push-ups from the Nittany Lion, getting this pep-rally started.

11:36… Excellent, we have come to expect nothing less from Pj Maierhofer

11:34… Speak of the devil; this should be awesome.

11:33… Majorettes doing their thing. Is P.J. in the house?

11:30… Despite Jay Paterno, PSU Silks are now performing on stage.

11:28… Football (and the crowd that received their accessories) wins.

11:27… A dance off, without music? This is interesting.

11:24… DANCE OFF. This is unprecedented. Gymnastics or Football?

11:22… Who had the best routine? Football just got an ear-splitting response

11:19… The player wearing the wig was Mike Wallace, FYI.

11:18… PSU football would serve any other team out there!

11:15… Diamonds not As people. Here comes the football team, get pumped!

11:13… Ninjas are taking over THON! No, false alarm, its the fencing team on stage.

11:11… They transitioned into a fierce dance routine. (Make a wish)

11:09… Women’s Basketball up now… they are yelling scary things in a circle.

11:07… Women’s Gymnastics team on the stage now. You know gymnastics performances are always good.

11:05… Men’s Tennis involved as well. Pillow fight just erupted.

11:03… National champion Women’s Volleyball. Will the performance be as good as the season?

11:01… Everyone on the team just did a backflip at the same time

11:00… Dance Dance Revolution with Men’s Gymnastics

10:55… Fitness Instructors are leading a stretch for the dancers

10:53… Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego with the Men’s Swimming Team

10:49… Cheerleaders are back with a Candyland inspired routine

10:46… The Basketball team made a brief appearance, now it’s Women’s Soccer

10:45… There is a clip from Zoolander playing on the main screen…another water social

10:42… Now the field hockey team is dancing to T.I.

10:38… Fencing Team is here wearing their gear and rocking some gold shoes

10:35… Women’s Lacrosse is performing next

10:31… Lionettes are dancing now to a fight song medley

10:29… Jay Paterno is hosting the pep rally

10:26… This year’s pep rally theme – board games

10:25… Lion is on the cowbell, more THON cheers

10:23… Blue Band’s back, F…T…K!

10:22… They’re teaching some THON specific cheers

10:20… Penn State Cheerleaders take the stage, time for the THON pep rally!

10:09… Line dancing time, people are getting good at it

10:04… I LIKE BIG….

10:02… The stage is full of kids and moralers dancing

9:42… Breakdancing circle on the floor is eliciting cheers from the stands

9:36… The BJC is getting full, they’ve opened up the nosebleed sections

9:34… A THON kid on stage right now has some sick dance moves

9:28… One unabashed male dancer is rocking a Tridelt wide neck tee on the screen

9:26… Like to move it, move it? Head down to the BJC

9:18… Dancers are throwing all the beach balls in unison on the floor

9:12…Now they’re breaking out the Chinese Yo-yo’s

9:10…Juggling looks so impressive to me. Any jugglers out there?

9:03…Here comes the Penn State juggling club. Juggling always rules

9:02…Sweet photo taken by OS Photographer Melanie

8:58…It’s time for the line dance again

8:52…We Will Rock You! What a pro

8:49…Miley Cyrus has to be the Queen of Pop these days. Lady Gaga, if you come at the queen, you best not miss

8:44…Men In Black father-son duo. Hope they don’t erase our memories afterward, this rules

8:41…Hula hooping while reciting original poetry is superb

8:39…Is this Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus? I can’t tell the difference!

8:36…Sydney and Katie Bush singing “Good Morning Baltimore”

8:31…Penn State has the most polite cheer ever. “Thank you!” “You’re welcome!”

8:24…Cascada never fails to pump everyone up

8:21…Ventriloquism!

8:12…Silver inflatable THON letters on the stage, woop woop!

8:01…Line dance line dance line dance

7:59…And now CCD is stripping down their equipment after a very well-received set

7:52…CCD’s final song is “The General” by Dispatch, surprising no one

7:46…2 songs left for CCD. First up: “for all the frat dudes” – “Crazy Game of Poker” by OAR

7:41…Eve 6 being broken out by CCD now

7:38…CCD tears it up on “When You Were Young” by The Killers. Their drummer is insane!

7:33… As a wave erupts in the BJC, CCD starts blasting Can’t Stop by RHCP.

7:29… THON child, Levi has just joined the set for a cover of Twist and Shout!

7:28… The lead singer may have just stopped the set to tie his shoe. And then drowned out some important THON information. They’ve got heart though, the scoundrels.

7:25… After some weird transition about playing for sorority girls, CCD has moved back to music with Green Day’s When I Come Around.

7:21…CCD keeping things going with Better Man by Pearl Jam.

7:17… CCD (as I’m calling them) just moved into Story of a Girl by Nine Days.

7:13… The band’s name is Country Club Drive. Rocking the house right now.

7:05… A band has taken the stage, running sound tests. (Mohawk-man is in attendance.)

6:58… You can dance if you want to! Men (and women) at work in the BJC right now.

6:55… Suave-mohawk-man is back. Let’s find out what his game is…

6:47… Morale Captains to the stage. You know what’s up!

6:44… Decade video trivia = blast from the past.

6:41… Mmm Bop!

6:35… Something is happening on the stage. There was a suave-looking gentleman…with a mohawk.

6:28… Dancers are Stayin’ Alive. Disco fever, baby!

6:21… Color-oriented decade events. Traveling back in time!

6:19… New Color Wars totem-poll: Green 1st, Blue 2nd, Red 3rd, Orange 4th.

6:13…As the Show Twirlers exit, Whiplash comes on the stage to show off their moves

6:09…”They’re like little PJ’s!” – Onward State writer Noah on the Show Twirlers

6:02…And they close off their short set with “Love is a Battlefield”. Now the Show Twirlers are up

5:55…”Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins. Nice choice

5:51…Pennharmonics taking the stage now. Their first song? “Fireflies” by Owl City

5:46… Are those arts and crafts tables I see?

5:31… Morale captains to the stage! It’s line dance time, yet again!

5:29… Hmm DMAIG. There’s life after college?

5:23… Some crazy dudes are showing off their moves in an impromptu dance circle.

5:13… Michael Jackson reincarnated in the form of a teeny All Star Cheerleader. She was best-in-show!

4:59… Nittany All Star Cheerleaders have taken over the stage with their crazy acrobatic shenanigans.

4:54… More Slides of Strength! Toy Story theme is looking good over there.

4:48… Morale captains to the stage! You know what that means…

4:46… Homecoming theme revealed: Bonded by Blue and White.

4:44… PSU legacy finishing off now. TMNT was definitely the most impressive of those performances.

4:39… Homecoming themes on stage. TMNT first off, now Toy Story.

4:25.. New Color Wars status: Green 1st, Blue 2nd, Red 3rd, Orange 4th. Also, whack-a-moraler has started up. Looks painful!

4:08… Wigs for kids! That’s a lot of hair…

3:55…Line dance!

3:43…The theme song of “Slumdog Millionaire” has got everyone excited

3:40…Best wave yet thanks to DJ Larry Moore

3:35… Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” has the the BJC singing

3:30… Floor’s looking clean after a good mopping

3:26…”Fergilicious has got the dancers moving again and looking fresh

3:12…Morale to the stage for a line dance

3:07…Dancers are doing some stretches

3:04…Table Ten goes on their way with “Send Me on My Way”

2:58…Pulling out the wa-wa pedal

2:50…Got the crowd singing along to some Dispatch

2:43…Table Ten covering some 90’s hits.

2:39…Table Ten is helping the crowd and dancers feel good with their laid-back, fun tunes. And the kids are loving jamming out on their blow-up guitars

2:25…Table ten receives a warm welcome after some Bob Marley and beat-boxing

2:20… Another band hits the stage with some kids air-guitaring along

2:17… Got a wave going in the BJC

2:06… Gemelli bakery is providing the dancers with a snack

1:49…Line dance

1:38…Color war Showcase Showdown and Orange and Green win it!

1:33…Elmo’s leading a conga line with a Burt-less Ernie and a lizard

1:30…The dancers are still going strong and there’s still time to donate!

1:16…The dancers are playing  “The Price is Right” games

1:07…Wish the dancer good luck-text your message to [email protected]

1:04… Color Wars update: Green, Blue, Orange, Red.. a new leader!

12:56… The stands are filling up  as the crowd gets their groove on to some HSM

12:46…Video message from Prof. Frank Clemente AND a line dance

12:40…Make a wish and hug-it-out time

12:34…Water social time..Chug! Chug!

12:29… Cha cha time has gotten the dancers and onlookers moving

12:14…Michael Woods comes on stage, marking the end of the fashion show

12:07…Dylan Moser comes on the stage, sporting an inflatable guitar.

12:02…Ohana’s Kaitlyn Good loves to go jetskiing

11:57…Layn Burger LOVES sea turtles

11:53…And the kids fashion show begins! Mr. and Mrs. THON introducing it.

11:46…Intense game of Musical Diamonds going on now…and Green wins!

11:32…Color Wars update: Blue, Green, Red, Orange

11:27…Here comes another line dance!

11:22…MiniTHON just did their #THON dance. Quite impressive!

11:09…MiniTHON shout out!

11:04…Color War Update – Blue, Green, Red, Orange

11:00…Velveeta’s last song of the set: “I Would Walk 500 Miles”. Classic.

10:55…”I feel like I’m in a Back to the Future movie!” – Photography Editor Stefan on Velveeta. Now they’re playing “I Don’t Want To Lose Your Love Tonight”. Right into crowd favorite “Sweet Caroline”!

10:52…”Take Me Home Tonight”, another song that was well received. Velveeta’s got the show on lockdown.

10:46…Now Velveeta is playing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. This is sure to get just about everyone singing.

10:43…Cheap Trick!

10:42…Fresh off of a sweet rendition of “I’m a Believer”, Velveeta is playing “Centerfold”. Their singer sounds like the kind of guy who would have a goatee. We can confirm that he is indeed sporting one.

10:35…Velveeta had the crowd singing along to some Joan Jett

10:27… Velveeta’s renditions of “Footloose” and “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” have really got the crowd movin’

10:20… After some Violent Femmes Velveeta has moved on to Tom Petty’s “American Girl”

10:11… The beach balls are still flying, the people are still happy and energetic, and a band’s readying to hit the stage

9:58… Morale captains to the stage

9:40…Dancers are taking a tour of US major cities

9:27… Stefan, our photography editor, is downstairs right now with a group being taught the line dance in the South Annex.

9:00… Color War Update: #1-Blue, #2-Red, #3-Green, #4-Orange

8:43… Some pictures from the floor.

8:39… Sigma Pi and friends are tearing it up in the stands.

8:24… Its nice to always be able to pick out AtlasTHON with their pink furry hats, gonna have to get one.

8:18… The Singing Lions are performing a medley of songs ranging from Queen to Michael Jackson… on second thought, maybe that’s not such a big range.

8:00 Greek Sing winners’ rendition of Mary Poppins makes an encore appearance FTK!

7:58… Slides of Strength #3, the first of the morn.

7:51… Make no mistake, folks…Larry Moore is dancing on stage. A little bit off in the corner doing his own thing, but he’s there.

7:45… Pasta race: bringing Italian culture to THON. Other than GTL.

7:41… Moving right along, keep dancing to Dancing Queen.

7:36… Line Dan? It’s OK, we know what you meant, Larry. This one is by far the best because of the dancing robot on stage. Danger, Will Robinson!

7:33… The Kiss Cam makes its rounds…even DJ Larry takes part.

7:23… The Brew Devils cap off their set with Last Nite by the Strokes and Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root.

7:15… More ’90s: One Week by the Barenaked Ladies and What I Got by Sublime. I’m sensing a pattern here.

7:07… And a jangly version of OutKast’s Hey Ya to boot.

7:04… In a surprise move, they slip into the real Sweet Home Alabama, or in this case, Sweet Home Pennsylvania.

7:02… A lil’ twang with Kid Rock: All Summer Long.

6:58… Loving the ’90s theme. Beverly Hills by Weezer.

6:55… After a more mellow helping of Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon, the Brew Devils are turning the heat back up with Dani California.

6:42… Next song is Let’s Get It Started – The Black Eyed Peas. Just about the last song I’d expect after 311, but oddly it works.

6:38… The Brew Devils are introduced, opening up with a cover of 311’s All Mixed Up.

6:34… Equipment testing for the next band coming up. They’ve got a real nice-looking black Gibson Les Paul.

6:25… In the meantime, the rest stretch out to the soothing melodies of Ke$ha.

6:24… New meal for dancers 150-199, from Irving’s Bagels and Starbucks. Mmmm.

6:18… Line dance! Olé!

6:10… The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are back in the house. Psh, as if they ever left.

5:56… GOOOOOOOLD DIGGER!

5:54… Hopefully the stands will fill up more come sunrise.

5:48… A Toy Story theme for the spelling bee. When you’ve been on your feet for almost 12 straight hours, it’s hard to remember who played Buzz Lightyear and spell his name correctly.

5:39… New Color Wars Standings: Blue in 1st, Red in 2nd, Green in 3rd, Orange in 4th. Next event: the Human Spelling Bee.

5:35… Hammer Time!

5:28… I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness. End of discussion.

5:23… Morale captains to the stage. Has a real nice ring to it.

5:20… Sweet Escape, Gwen Stefani. It’s back.

5:04… Glee makes another appearance with Sweet Caroline. Tapestry’s rendition is much more artful than the stadium version.

5:00… Dancers are now getting a chance to get off their feet via piggyback rides. Also, Tapestry is dancing to the tune of Don’t Stop Believing (the Glee version).

4:52… The entire OnwardState press row is singing along with “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

4:49… Third a capella group of the night, Shades of Blue

4:45… Dancers are playing tail-gateing games and answering Penn State trivia.

4:43… Zombie Nation – the whole stadium is on it’s feet!

4:35… Everyone’s chugging water bottles with the Hospitality captains.

4:28… It’s line dancin’ time!

4:10… It was inevitable, “Tik-Tok” – Ke$sha

4:07… “Does Barry Manilow know you raid his wardrobe?” – Copa, Copacobana

4:05… Dancers are making THON bracelets

4:00… Message from Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin, a cancer survivor himself

3:44… Slides of Strength, Round 2.

3:38… They were about to start with Billie Jean but then backed off.

3:34… An Indian dance group has taken the stage, complete with a techno synthpop and traditional mix.

3:28… What better way to follow Rock Band than with a line dance?!

3:27… And Weezer wins the Rock Band tournament!

3:23… Second Rock Band team is playing Say It Ain’t So by Weezer. I am officially reliving the 1990s.

3:19… FOTO killin’ it with My Own Worst Enemy by Lit. Interesting choice…

3:17… Rock Band Finals between the top two teams…it’s on!

3:11… Go Shawty! We’re gonna party like it’s ya burfday.

3:04… THON child break dancing. Nice!

3:02… A man in an American flag Speedo and Bear Bryant fedora (that’s all, folks) dancing in Section 107—USA!

3:01… All the single ladies at the BJC

2:58… Energy level is still pretty high in the stands, though they are clearing out a bit, unfortunately.

2:52… Just high-fived a gingerbread man. Am I hallucinating?

2:47… Enough trivia, BJC is rocking to Live Your Life.

2:44… Decent balance of questions between really cakey and pretty tough.

2:37… THON trivia showdown, for Color Wars points.

2:35… Larry says: Lean Back, y’all.

2:28… Morale captains to the stage! It’s line dance time!

2:25… First THON Walk is starting up. Theme: A Walk through the Pages of your Childhood.

2:22… New update on Color Wars standings: Blue 1st, Red 2nd, Green 3rd, Orange 4th

2:16… Speaking of awesome fiddle solos, they are now playing The Devil Went Down to Georgia!

2:14… Lowjack in the middle of Ants Marching by Dave Matthews Band. Fiddle solos rock…hard.

2:10… Just heard a call out for a ROCK BAND CONTEST. Teams forming now no doubt.

2:07… Lowjack moving on to Save Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry.

1:58… Soulshine by The Allman Brothers now. Keyboardist just revealed that it was morning! :0

1:53… Was not expecting Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman. This set-list is awesome!

1:50… In a change of pace, Lowjack has transitioned into Slide by the Goo Goo Dolls.

1:46… Time for Brown-Eyed Girl. Lowjack is playing a ton of crowd favorites right now.

1:42… Excellent rendition of Folsom Prison Blues being played right now! Epic keyboard solo.

1:38… BJC singing along to Lowjack’s version of Wagon Wheel, by Old Crow Medicine Show.

1:35… Lowjack moving into Have You Ever Seen The Rain by CCR. It’s a crowd-pleaser.

1:28 … Lowjack has finished setting up. Started off with some good ol’ Tom Petty!

1:23 … Everyone’s hopping to Thriller. MJ is living on in the BJC right now!

1:19 … A band is setting up on the stage now. One of the roadies unleashed some Hendrix.

1:16… Java Catering chicken fingers for the dancers. Sounds delicious. The dancers are decorating the heck out of their tables as well.

1:08… A message to [email protected] puts your words up on the big screen. Send a text to the dancers!

1:01… Line dance time! I’ve already lost count.

1:00… Tonight’s gonna be a good night! B.E.P. rocking the BJC.

12:52… Y! M! C! A!

12:48… Pumping the Gaga.

12:30… Now it’s Blue in the Face’s turn, starting off with some Journey.

12:15… NOTA’s back, now with some Third Eye Blind

12:08 am… Jenga anyone?

11:37… OPP is getting ready to clean the floor.

11:31… They’re showing the Gold Ribbon video, about the Four Diamonds families over the years.

11:27… The Lion and the cowbell is a great combination. We Are… PENN STATE!

11:23… Another line dance: “Morale Captains to the Stage” Noticeable increase in dancer ability to follow along.

11:19… Commonwealth of Champions has ended.

11:17… Dancers making “Spirit Towels” at the tables on the Press Row side of the BJC. Conga lines have broken out across the floor.

11:10… The Commonwealth Spotlight Video is on the screens now.

11:06… Last song for the talented, young woman: “Just Dance”

11:02… Lots of beach balls bouncing all over the BJC.

11:00…Silly hat update: We’ve seen pirate hats, burger king crowns, pimp hats, and one dude in a propeller beanie.

10:52…Interactive Texting at THON 2010…text your message to [email protected] and it could get put up on one of the BJC’s large video screens!

10:47…Our sixteen-year-old, one-woman performer from Penn State Berks is pulling out all of the pop favorites. Taylor Swift and Jay Sean. She even included the Lil’ Wayne rap verse of “Down,” as if we didn’t think playing two instruments and singing is impressive enough. Bravo.

10:36…’Party In The USA’ with a piano accompaniment on stage. Welcome to the Penn State Dance Mileython.

10:24…Spotted on the floor – Moralers lug a foosball table to some dancers.

10:17…A Line Dance is just what we needed.

10:04…Attention silly hat enthusiasts: We’ve spotted hats shaped like hamburgers, hats shaped like hot dogs, Cheesehead hats, novelty foam cowboy hats, and a few ‘Cat-In-The-Hat’ hats.

9:51…Fall Out Boy’s ‘Dance Dance’ – dancers, please ignore the lyric “we’re falling apart to half time.”

9:39…Slides Of Strength for dancers #1-49.

9:37…You know, for a song with such a good reputation, “Hokey” and “Pokey” don’t usually have positive connotations.

9:35…Spotted on the floor- the Eat’N Park smiley face cookie mascot. He’s much shorter in person.

9:30…When someone uses “This is a unicorn!” and extends their index finger from their forehead as a segue into a song, I’ll admit it, I’m intrigued.

9:17…Family Brew graces us with a twangy rendition of the Fight Song. You better believe there were cheers from our little press nook upon hearing them sing “Onward State.”

9:10…Red wins the rock-paper-scissors challenge. Hopefully we can get the box score up here later.

9:01… Color War event! This time it’s rock-paper-scissors.

8:59… WASHBOARD SIGHTING! Family Brew, feat. Graham Spainer, has taken the stage.

8:52…To show its support, QWiKRock sent a man in a chicken suit. FTK?

8:44…A Madonna music video intercut with live feeds of the kids on the floor? Did someone slip something in my drink?

8:40… It is announced that Blue won the Color Wars Hula Hoop Challenge. To think about – is the competition for these events more fierce early on, or late in the weekend? Because in some cases, deliriousness brought on by sleep deprivation can lead to being hyper-competitive. Or so I’ve made up.

8:34…”Morale Captains, to the stage!” Oh hey, Line Dance, I remember you!

8:22… ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight?” Appropriate considering this years’ ‘Love Belongs Here’ theme. Well played, Dreamers. Well played.

8:15… We follow up with The Dreamers on the main stage. Because if guns didn’t win this crowd over, A Capella will.

8:10… Airforce ROTC honor guard takes the stage. I didn’t expect to see uniformed men twirling rifles to the Mortal Kombat theme, but that just means i’m pleasantly surprised.

8:04… And off come the warm-up pants to reveal…brightly colored spandex! Everything from black and yellow-checkered print to powder-blue cow.

8:03… 2010 THON Express Team takes the stage. The ran 135 miles to get here. Click here to find out more.

7:56… If you’ve ever wanted to see giant Greek letters held up in a crowd, now’s the time to visit the BJC.

7:48… First Color Wars event of the evening – get as many people through a hula hoop during the duration of a song. The catch is everyone has to hold hands. Hope no one wipes out!

7:44… The flags representing the Four Diamonds are being waved: Honesty, Courage, Wisdom, and Strength.

7:37… “You just learned the line dance for 2010!”

7:26… Our copy editor, Evan, is trying to dance along, despite the fact that he hasn’t paid close attention. We admire his effort.

7:16… “Tiger Woods, change your name, this Cheetah can’t be tamed.” ZING!

7:04… Spoiler alert: David After Dentist makes an appearance in the Line Dance.

7:02…

6:56: We’ve been walked through the entire dance. Now we’re trying it at full speed.

6:43: The Line Dance Coordinator starts teaching the Line Dance! It’s complicated, but everyone is going to get plenty of practice during the course of the weekend.

6:35… “Morale Captains to the stage!” First Line Dance!

6:31… THON 2010 Awards Ceremony. The FTK shirt wins best shirt!

6:24… About to start a Jimmy Fallon inspired game of Dance Your Hat and Gloves Off

6:22… Still waiting for the first line-dance to start

6:13… “Please don’t stop the music” playing on the BJC speakers

6:09… Graham Spanier sighted on the floor with the dancers

6:05… Trying to find any individual dancer on the floor is a lot like Where’s Waldo…great crowd turnout!

6:00… And they’re on their feet! THON 2010 is officially underway! First song: When Love Takes Over

5:56… Graham Spanier: “Penn Staters, erh–h-ehh…” Never heard him so articulate.

5:54… When everyone cheers, it gets loud in here. Almost Beaver Stadium loud.

5:47… The THON Overall Committee is coming on stage. Baba O’Riley: Best Entrance Song Ever.

5:44… Lion leading a We Are…

5:42… The Lion has joined RAM Squad onstage…looks like a dance-off

5:38… RAM Squad!!! Love that breakdancing.

5:34… NOTA acapella group performing a medley. Favorite so far has to be the Doug theme song.

5:27… The Four Diamonds Fund thanks THON for fighting pediatric cancer. FTK! FTK! FTK!

5:26… “Love Belongs Here”

5:24… The Pre-THON Show!!

5:22… National Anthem now.

5:15… Rules and Regs Overall is discussing safety procedures. Hopefully an unnecessary measure.

5:10… Dancers stand in 50 minutes!

4:58… Hotel California blaring. Committee members are milling around.

4:50… Rules and Regs members are protecting the stage. Dancers are all seated on the ground.

4:34… Dancers still streaming in. So many of them!

4:25… The Dancers have entered!!!

4:01… People from every organization are filing in now. Most have been waiting for hours to get the best spots.

4:00… The doors are open!!!

3:56… Committee members are lined up on the floor. FTK! FTK! FTK!

3:54… Doors open in 6 minutes for the crowd!

3:24… Also, there is a huge disco ball throwing light around the BJC

3:18 pm… Onward State arrives on Press Row. Currently, the only activity in the BJC consists of committee members busily finishing their preparations.