THON 2022 Day One Recap
We’re back in the Bryce Jordan Center and better than ever, folks.
THON 2022 is off and running, and the energy couldn’t be any better. Between musical performances, various games, and other entertainment, the vibes are just perfect, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
With day two now upon us, it’s time to take a look back at the first day of THON 2022.
Onward State Makes Its Return To The BJC
Before spectators arrived and dancers stood, the blog was here setting up for the first in-person THON in two years. As per tradition, we fired up our THON-specific Twitter account a few hours before the start.
As THON continues on, you can follow along with Onward State’s coverage by checking out our live blog and following @OnwardState and @THONwardstate on Twitter. Additionally, we’ll be posting to our Facebook page with updates, too.
State College *Officially* Becomes City Of THON
Earlier this month, State College Mayor Ezra Nanes announced that State College will once again be known as the “City of THON” during the 46 hours the dancers stand at THON 2022.
Well, Nanes made it official about an hour before the event kicked off. Joined on stage by Borough Manager Tom Fountaine and Fountaine’s wife, Tamra, Nanes officially declared the borough the City of THON, continuing the tradition that began in 2015.
“We are just getting started,” Nanes said. “This is going to be the best year ever.”
Dancers Stand, Line Dance Bangs
The 600+ dancers in the BJC stood at 6 p.m. Friday to begin their 46-hour journey.
Shortly after, Dancer Relations captains took the stage to formally introduce this year’s line dance. It’s safe to say it absolutely rocks.
From mentions of Carl Nassib to Simone Biles, THON created a diverse set of lyrics, which can be broken down with our “genius lyrics”. Additionally, we gave our extremely accurate and official power ranking of the line dance lyrics.
Musical Performances
Singer-songwriter Chelsea Cutler took the stage as the surprise Friday night performer and got the BJC crowd rockin’. She performed her hits “Sad Tonight” and “How To Be Human,” among others, and she brought out last year’s surprise performer, Quinn XCII, to join the fun.
Other notable performances included appearances from Penn State’s all-female a cappella group and also Penn State’s all-male a cappella group. Additionally, Gabby Barranta, better known as Gabby Bars, brought down the house with her renditions of Adele’s “All I Ask” and Bruno Mars’ “Talking to the Moon.”
Moonroof and Flooring Company went head-to-head in battle of the bands and kept the energy going following Cutler’s performance. However, there still hasn’t been a winner named at this point.
Just after midnight, TikTok star Katie Feeney took the stage to teach the BJC crowd a TikTok.
Later on in the night morning, it was DJ Dosk’s turn to pump up the BJC crowd. He didn’t disappoint and broke out multiple remixes, including alternate versions of Kesha’s “TiK ToK” and Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar.” Dosk wrapped up with Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” to put the icing on the cake of an exciting performance.
Deep into the morning hours, “My Hero Zero” came out and performed at their twelfth straight THON. Yes, this technically happened on day two, but does time really exist in the BJC during THON? We don’t think so.
The group performed for nearly an hour and pumped out songs from several different decades. “Let’s Get It Started” by the Blacked Eyed Peas, the Foutains of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mom,” and Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” were just a few of the top hits played.
Miscellaneous
Besides the usual musical performances and line-dance festivities, there was plenty more going on in the BJC on the first day. There were quite a few games, including “This or That!” and “Jeopardy!”, among others.
Joined on stage with the Nittany Lion, several kids went up to the microphone and let out their best lion roars. It was a pretty wholesome scene.
A little bit over an hour after dancers starting standing, Four Diamonds families took the stage for kids’ mail call and received words of encouragement from the Penn State community.
Let’s not forget about the first meal for the dancers, either! Pasta, sandwiches, and salads were just what the doctor ordered.
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