Freshmen in fraternities generally don’t get to experience much of a free year. Pledging usually takes up more than a half of a semester, either in the fall or the spring. With pledging generally comes obligations to show that you truly want to be a part of the brotherhood that is a fraternity. THON weekend brings one such opportunity to bond with the rest of the fraternity before actually becoming a member of the brotherhood.

For the 15 member pledge class of Delta Tau Delta, being at THON has been “one of the ultimate Penn State experiences so far.” Although some pledges only arrived at THON sometime around midnight, the experience has made them want to stay until the final reveal on Sunday, but even they admitted that they will eventually need a break.

Since this is their first THON, they are still trying to grasp the entire experience that is THON Weekend.

“It was a little quiet throughout the night, but we want to be here to see it through,” said one pledge. “This is a part of the whole shebang, the whole Penn State experience.”

Members of Kappa Delta Rho’s pledge class haven’t gotten tired of holding their fraternity’s letters just yet, but they did say that they have taken much-needed breaks. One pledge admitted that he had only been in the BJC less than ten hours, already getting a three hour break after holding his fraternities letters up for the majority of that time.

After all, a pledge’s main obligation is to make sure that the fraternity keeps their spot in Section 123 of the BJC, and like almost every other organization in the building, holding their name up for everyone to see.

“As long as we have a spot in the stands for the fraternity, we can take breaks,” added one pledge. With 12 pledges, that means that the prospect of going home to catch some sleep is real. About half of the pledges are in the stands at one time, with the other half at home saving their energy and getting much-needed sleep before the final four hours.

“It’s a good experience to be here and see that this truly matters to the kids.”