Name: Ryan Anderson
Major: Computer Science
Past THON Experience:
THON 2016 OPP Committee Member
THON 2017 R&R Committee Member
THON 2018 TECH Captain: THON Weekend Dashboard (Dash) Project Manager

Name an interesting, weird, or quirky fact about yourself:

Lil Jon once made fun of me in front of thousands of people.

What made you want to apply for the Technology Director position for THON 2019?

I wanted to apply to be the THON Technology Director because it gives me the platform to make changes using my passion for technology. After working on a team to create Dash last year, and seeing how the success of that affected the people that attended THON, I wanted to take this position to positively affect everyone in the THON community year round using technology. I also wanted to help streamline THON’s processes, so more time could be spent For The Kids.

What are your responsibilities as the Technology Director?

As the Technology Director I lead 5 teams in the development and maintenance of THON’s websites: thon.org, store.thon.org, photos.thon.org, dash.thon.org, think.thon.org, and quizzes.thon.org. My general responsibilities are non-technical, rather I provide oversight and direction for the initiatives of my captains in the effort to improve all aspects of THON through technology.  

What do you want to implement in your position this year that’s unique and differs from years past?

This year several new platforms were developed, which are talked more about in the overall goals question. It is hard to say what is unique this year on TECH rather than previous years since TECH typically develops entire new things every single year. The positions on TECH aren’t based on recurring events or logistics, and are required to pave their own path every year to be successful.

What makes the Technology Committee so cool, fun, and/or important?

The Technology Committee impacts every committee, organization, and person who comes in contact with THON. Through Dash we manage events, through THINK we provide tools and processes for all organizations and committees, and through our public facing sites, thon.org, store.thon.org, and photos.thon.org, we spread THON’s brand and mission to their hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

What are the overall goals you hope to reach with your committee for THON 2019?

My main initiative this year was to inspire and empower the captains of the Technology Committee so that all 22 of them felt the ability to make a positive impact in their positions, and their dedication and success is what I am most proud of. Their amazing work is highlighted by the new online store at store.thon.org, the new photography site at photos.thon.org, the new quizzing platform at quizzes.thon.org, the continued success of Dash, and massive improvements to the THINK platform that have transformed the ways in which we manage committees, organizations, and finances. A more personal initiative that I have taken this year is to try to improve THON’s information tracking and communication platforms for the future. Going into THON 2020, there are several new systems that have been put in place to advance these areas.

Why do you THON?

There are so many reasons why I THON, and it is hard to pick out any single one to write about. The one thing that stands out to me about THON are the people involved, whether it is the families that we serve or the volunteers. So many in this community have pushed me to be a better person, to work harder than I thought I could, and to find light in so many places I didn’t know it could be. I THON to improve all of their lives, just as they’ve improved mine.

What’s your favorite THON memory?

I always cheat with this and give two answers. My first favorite THON memory is the final four hours of THON my freshman year. Before this, I’m not sure if I had felt the magic of THON. However, during family hour, I remember being next to a large ROTC dude, looking up at him, and seeing tears run down his face. Everyone in the BJC had linked arms, I started crying, and it was the greatest feeling of unity and solidarity that I had ever experienced. That moment convinced me to come back to THON my Sophomore year, and it changed my life. My other favorite THON memory is shutting down the floor component of Dash before the final floor last year. The entire year I had been told that there was nothing you can do, Pass is always going to fail. My friends, predecessors, other captains, almost everyone thought Dash would fail. When I turned it off, after it had been a success, it felt so good to know that the countless late nights and long days were worth it, and that thousands had been positively impacted by our work.

Per Onward State tradition, if you could be any dinosaur, which one would you be and why?

The Troodon