There are hundreds of captains patrolling the Bryce Jordan Center throughout THON weekend, and considering all of their responsibilities it’s incredible they don’t need their own moralers (or, uhm, DRCMs) to get them through the weekend. Most Penn Staters know that THON committee members can go home to get some shut-eye between shifts, but where and when do the captains get to rest?

Throughout the weekend, there are captain sleep shifts, usually lasting four hours at a time. Each captain has at least one sleep shift, and some are allowed two depending on their responsibilities. These sleep shifts are organized by the Communications Committee and led by committee members who are designated sleep shift officers.

In the catacombs of the Bryce Jordan Center, makeshift beds are organized in rows, and additional rooms are used as time permits throughout the weekend. These temporary folding beds are made with clean sheets, and captains bring their own pillows and blankets to use during the nap.

When captains go on their sleep shift, they are checked in and assigned for their designated area. As the sleep comes to an end, captains are woken up in time to report for their next shift.

“Being a sleep shift officer has definitely given me a greater appreciation for the captains and all they do,” sleep shift officer Sophia Nitsolas said. “These individuals have been running on no sleep but are all still super patient and worried about how others are doing, never just themselves. They are super stars!”

Although many captains wish they could sleep for more than four hours, sleeping at the Bryce Jordan Center is a much more efficient alternative for THON’s leadership structure than having each captain return home between their shifts, maximizing the time they get to sleep. Think we could borrow one of those beds?