THON independent dancer couples are selected through a weighted lottery system without affiliation to a certain organization. The more funds that are raised, the greater the chance of being selected.

Simply put, getting picked is no easy feat. Sixty independent dancers are a part of THON 2021’s 592 total dancers.

Seniors Eleanor Smith and Lincoln Weinstock met each other on the third day of their freshman year and are dancing as an independent dancer couple in THON 2021.

Getting selected as a THON IDC is exciting for any Penn Stater, but it’s even sweeter for this duo because they were unsuccessful in landing an IDC spot last year.

The pair was simultaneously raising money for THON and an abroad service program last year, which took up a lot of their time and fundraising efforts. After procrastinating last year on fundraising, the duo started right off the bat and pushed. Their efforts paid off, and they were successful in year two.

“I was super excited,” Weinstock said. “It takes a lot of self-motivation when you’re not representing an org and you don’t have 20, 30, or 100 people pushing and supporting all of the time. It’s a lot of just yourself, reaching out to close friends and family. It’s super rewarding, and we were super excited when we found out. I was jumping up and down and was on the phone with my girlfriend and was just like, ‘WE GOT IT. WE DID IT.'”

The pair shattered their original fundraising goal and exceeded all of their previous expectations.

“Going through this process is definitely a lot of self-motivation and you really have to push yourself and keep yourself on track,” Smith said. “It’s really cool though. It feels like a really personal experience because you’re doing it together, but also on your own. When I found out, I was super excited. I’m always drowning in my work, but it lifted my spirits so much and made my day so much happier. I got so giddy.”

The duo was disappointed when they couldn’t dance junior year, but that’s not the reason they THON. They THON to bring light to a lot of darkness and to support THON families financially and emotionally.

“THON is for so many people a beacon of hope of being to get through really, really tough times in their lives that nobody should ever have to go through,” Smith said.

“I’ve always wanted to dance since my first THON freshman year,” Weinstock said. “My family is very Penn State heavy and my aunt was super involved with THON when she was a student here on exec board. One of my neighbors growing up was a THON child, so that was a part of it, too.”

Last year’s efforts motivated them to be resilient and push even harder this year to try and dance.

“I’ve always been interested in THON, the message, and support that it brings,” Smith said. “I really wanted to dance to show that people are not alone when they’re dealing with pediatric cancer and the struggles they’re going through. Being able to dance is physically showing you’re there for them. Raising money is great, but especially being able to actively be there with them to show that we’re there emotionally and physically to support them.”

Last year, Smith stayed in the Bryce Jordan Center for 20 hours. Her legs began to lock-up on hour 18, and she recalls the crowd in her section bringing energy to motivate her to do squats in the stands.

“The overall energy of THON is always crazy and super cool,” Smith said. “Last year, I did eight laps around the BJC and ran into random people and started talking to them. There’s such a cool camaraderie. You get to chat with people that are all there together.”

The dancer couple is spending their THON Weekend playing lots of board games and physical activities to engage their bodies.

One of their dancer relations committee members (DRCMs) is a State College townie and agreed to lend them her ping pong table, paddles, and balls. Additionally, they will be finishing puzzles, watching the sunrise, completing a bucket list, and receiving a few visits from friends.

The pair met each other randomly and are grateful to reflect on their Penn State friendship by dancing in THON together. They couldn’t think of a greater way to end their college experience.

“It’s a real nice cherry on top for senior year,” Weinstock said. “I’m excited to see everything THON does this year virtually. We’re not going to be together physically, but we’re going to still all be together as a community.”