The sun has finally risen on the last day of THON, but that doesn't mean the day is over, but actually far from it. Yes, 40 hours may have been completed, but it's the next 6 that are crucial to the 708 dancers.
At this point, it is beyond cliched to say that THON unites all of Penn State behind a common cause--the fight towards the eradication of childhood cancer. But for some involved with THON, the charity and the event take on a greater meaning. Count dancer Eric Clair amongst those who have a personal connection with pediatric cancer. "When he was 9 months old, Eric was diagnosed with cancer," his mother, Cindy, explains.
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Dancer Mail starts to pave the way into the home stretch of THON. For dancers, it's one of the most emotional events of the weekend, where friends and family send in their messages to help them through their remaining time on the dance floor. Dancers started receiving their mail at 2:46 this morning, between the pep rally and general Sunday festivities. At an off hour like that, it gives some much-needed to the dancers an a pretty empty BJC. So we wanted to find out what kind of stuff dancer mail was made up of.
The physical tolls of THON can be challenging--Penn State's Dance Marathon wouldn't be so special if it weren't for the rigor of staying awake and on your feet for 46 hours. But while foot massages and piggyback rides can help alleviate some of the physical stresses, it's sometimes even tougher to stave off the mental monotony of nearly 2 days on the Bryce Jordan Center floor. That's where Color Wars come in.
Fashion is an essential part of THON culture, and this weekend I want to highlight some outfits I found particularly interesting. In the midst of all these crazy colors, a couple people still managed to shine. The bright colors maintain a cheerful atmosphere, while tube socks increase circulation. At THON, fashion isn't just aesthetically pleasing. It's functional too. Erin and Jeremy ended up wearing essentially the same outfit, and somehow it works for both of them. See for yourself!