This year’s THON line dance is filled with references from all of the biggest events, trends, and icons from the past year.

From Char Morett-Curtiss to the OceanGate submarine and even a mention of the Roman Empire, this year’s line dance summed up most of the big moments from 2023. Here’s a breakdown of the meaning behind each line.

Verse 1: Penn State

New field honors Char’s attack // Basketball brings madness back

After retiring following the 2022 season, longtime Penn State field hockey coach Char Morett-Curtiss was honored with her namesake placed on the squad’s new facility. Morett-Curtiss helped lead the Nittany Lions for 36 seasons, eclipsing 524 wins in that time.

Penn State men’s basketball returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Backed behind star players Jalen Pickett, Seth Lundy, and Andrew Funk, the Nittany Lions pulled off an upset win in the opening round over Texas A&M before falling to Texas in the second round.

Big Ten redefining // Last commercial, silver lining

The Big Ten made a huge announcement over the past two years by integrating UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington into the conference for all sports beginning in 2024. It was the first expansion of the conference since the addition of Nebraska in 2011 and Maryland and Rutgers in 2014.

With the announcement of new conference members, the change meant that the iconic Big Ten commercial played during Big Ten sporting events would need a comprehensive overhaul.

Ashe reaches 15 years // Penn State science pioneers

The Penn State Ashe Awards, an event put on by the Penn State Black Caucus that “highlights the achievements of students and organizations of color,” celebrated its 15th year in 2023.

Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine brought in Dr. Giselle Saulnier Sholler, an internationally known physician-scientist, to help improve pediatric cancer care and research within the university.

Waffle Shop, burning hot // Sinkhole ate my parking spot

In the fall, the iconic downtown Waffle Shop caught fire, forcing a rebuild of the restaurant’s interior. Luckily, no one was injured and the shop re-opened less than a month later with a new design.

Just before the start of fall, Eisenhower Parking Deck and Eisenhower Road were shut down due to a widening sinkhole in the area. Consequently, the parking garage was forced to be evacuated.

Students gifted basic needs // Said farewell to downtown Sheetz

For the Class of 2024 gift, the group voted to support the UPUA Basic Needs Endowment. It’s a fund that will provide sustained support for students facing hardships in pursuit of their degree.

Penn Staters bid a farewell to the downtown South Pugh Street Sheetz. The location had been a late-night hot spot for students and residents since opening its doors in September 2015.

Illuminate your inner pride // ASL making strides

Penn State is all about showing off your school spirit, and this line refers to Homecoming 2023: Illuminate the Lion Within. It may not be time for football or Homecoming, but we can sure keep that inner lion in our hearts.

The Penn State Sign Language Organization has grown substantially in size since forming in 2022. The group even performed a sign language rendition of “Dance the Night” at the THON Showcase.

Authenticate, what’s your number? // Iron Man runs the summer

Penn State introduced Microsoft Authenticator, its new two-factor authentication app that replaced the long-used Duo Mobile. The new app now makes those using it enter a random number on the app that pops up on the screen that uses it.

Over the summer, Penn State hosted the IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley, where runners ran a course throughout Centre County that ended in Beaver Stadium.

Beaver squirrel, man he’s flyin’ // Say it with me, love ya lions!

During the first half of the football team’s opening matchup against West Virginia, a squirrel ran onto the field, catching the attention of a cameraman who broadcasted the rodent on the big screen. The entire stadium cheered on the squirrel as he scored a 35-yard touchdown in front of the 107k strong.

This lyric is about the amazing Nittany Lion. Where would we be with the best mascot in the country?

Verse 2: World Events

DC pandas, going home // Back in nature, free to roam

The pandas at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington were sent back to their homeland where they will roam free with their peers.

Better pay, writers strike // Cuban launches Pharma-site

For the majority of the year, the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists both went on strike over labor disputes. Both groups thankfully negotiated new deals and got back to work.

Dallas Mavericks owner and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban launched an online pharmacy that allowed those who used it to acquire generic drugs at an affordable price.

Newest crown since ’53 // Light from distant galaxy

Charles III was named king of England following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. It was the first change of the crown in over 70 years.

With the help of a James Webb Space Telescope, a team of Penn State researchers discovered the second-most distant galaxy. It was found in a part of space known as Pandora’s Cluster.

X is here, blue bird’s gone // Hottest month we’ve come upon

After purchasing Twitter, Elon Musk dropped the app’s name and logo for the letter X. With it came a multitude of changes to the app including a subscription to be verified on the app.

July of 2023 was named the hottest month in the history of the global temperature record. From the United States to Antarctica, every part of the world saw increased temperatures throughout the month.

Skyline covered by a haze // East Coast feels effects for days

Over the summer, Canada suffered from deadly wildfires causing mass amounts of smoke to enter the United States, causing poor air quality in multiple states along the East Coast.

OceanGate submarine // Brazil’s forest going green

One of the biggest stories of the past year was the implosion of the OceanGate Titan submersible during an exploration of the Titanic. The implosion caused the death of five passengers, including the chief executive and co-founder of OceanGate Stockton Rush.

The country of Brazil announced a $204 million plan to help restore and repair woodland in the Amazon rainforest by 2030. The plan was put in place to help the growing climate crisis in the forest.

High Sea’s Treaty, making waves // In New Delhi, numbers raise

The United Nations agreed to a deal that will help wildlife and protect threatened ecosystems in the ocean. The deal will help keep marine life safe and improve their area of living.

LeBron upholds his ring // Watch out, watch out, clear the lane

NBA superstar LeBron James passed the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for first place on the all-time points list. As of the making of this post, James is currently at 39,868 points and is set to pass 40,000 soon.

Verse 3: Pop Culture

Yoncé, Taylor global tours // Shoots his shot, Kelce scores

The summer was dominated by two of the biggest artists in all of music’s tours, Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Taylor Swift’s Eras tours. Both singers journeyed around the world, performing sold-out shows for millions of fans.

While Swift was busy touring she had time to hang out with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce who used a friendship bracelet to shoot his shot with Swift after attending her show in Kansas City. This resulted in Swift attending multiple Chiefs games and the two being an official couple.

Michelle Yeoh, a star indeed // Grimace Shake at Mickey D’s

Actress Michelle Yeoh captured her first Academy Award win in her career thanks to her leading role in the Sci-fi/Action movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” She became the first Malaysian to win an Academy Award.

McDonald’s reintroduced the world to a berry-flavored milkshake called the Grimace Shake. After the release, a trend on TikTok was created where people who drank the shake would be attacked by Grimace himself.

OG Fortnite, hop on // Barbenheimer marathon

After over five years since the map existed, Epic Games brought back its original Fortnite map, allowing players to return to the map that they so heavily enjoyed when they first started playing the game.

Two of the most anticipated movies of the summer were “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” and both films happened to be released on the same day. With that, it allowed movie lovers to enjoy a back-to-back marathon of two of the best films of the year.

Matthew Perry, there for you // Now and then, Beatles queued

Matthew Perry, a member of the popular television sitcom “Friends” sadly passed away at the age of 54. The rest of the cast and millions of fans from around the world showed their love for Perry.

Thanks to the power of AI, the Beatles were able to release a new single titled “Now and Then.” The song was written by John Lennon in the 70s, and recorded by all members of the band and thanks to the power of modern technology, they were able to produce a new song for the first time in decades.

Stanley Cup, strong as steel // Zack and Cody get their meal

The Stanley cup (and no, not the hockey trophy, the actual water bottle) was all the craze this past year. People push the cups to the limit to see what types of things they could survive and still keep the liquid inside cold.

Way back in 2008 while in Italy, Zack and Cody put in their reservation for an Italian restaurant on their show “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” The only problem was that the reservation wasn’t for 15 years. On November 16, 2023, their table was ready and fans made sure they reminded them.

Roman Empire, what’s your pick? // It’s the season of the stick

How often do you think about the Roman Empire? This year women were asking men how often they thought about the Roman Empire and somehow the internet went crazy with it.

Singer Noah Kahan burst onto the scene this past year and his song “Stick Season” was his breakout song. It blew up on TikTok and since then Kahan has become a star.

20 years, Wicked’s rise // Cheeseburger in Paradise

The hit Broadway musical Wicked celebrated its 20th anniversary of its first-ever performance this past year. Since then the show has become one of the most successful Broadway shows of all time.

Jimmy Buffett, the singer of classics like “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” sadly passed away at the age of 76. While he may be gone, his legacy will never be forgotten.

Disney, Warner, Century // He’s just Ken, Hi Barbie!

It was a historic year for both Disney and Warner Bros. as they celebrated their 100th anniversary. Since starting in 1923, Disney has become one of the biggest companies in the entire world.

Barbie and Ken ruled in 2023. On top of the Barbie movie being one of the most successful movies at the box office, Barbie and Ken became pop culture icons, and had everyone wondering if they were Kenough.

Be sure to check out our live blog for up-to-date coverage on THON 2024 (and all of the line dances to come).