During THON Weekend, the Bryce Jordan Center is filled to the brim with letters of the alphabet — especially the Greek alphabet. In case you weren’t there to experience the magic in person or maybe you were physically present in the crowd but zoned out halfway through your graveyard shift, we’ve got you covered with an “A” to “Z” list of niche aspects that encapsulated all things THON 2024.

A — Assorted Subs

This was meal No. 2 for the hard-at-work dancers. Nothing beats a good ole’ sandwich.

B — Blog

Check out our coverage here.

C — Costumes

So many creative wardrobe choices popped up on the big screen during THON this year including Chase from Paw Patrol, a crab, a patriotic cowboy, and Mario.

D — Dragon

This year’s THON theme features a green dragon to represent THON 2024’s mission to “Treasure Every Adventure.”

E — Everybody Wants Water

Oh, nice! You brought that handy-dandy, reusable water bottle to stay hydrated! Unfortunately, the line to fill said bottle up will take so long to move, it will be time for you to walk the stage in your cap and gown and receive your degree by the time it’s your turn. On top of that excruciatingly long wait time due to the limited supply of water fountains in the Bryce Jordan Center, the actual spouts are angled poorly so you will likely only fill up your bottle halfway before it begins to spill out.

F — Fanny Packs

There’s no other place on our green Earth that has more fanny packs concentrated in one place than State College does on THON Weekend. The accessory from the 1980s make their annual return to assist Penn Staters through their journey of making it through 46 hours straight in the Bryce Jordan Center by providing some extra storage for food, chargers, or personal products.

G — Guitars

An electric performance from Donny Burns & The 3rd Degree on Saturday morning featured three dudes absolutely shredding on the main stage, giving the BJC some great covers in the process such as “Life Is A Highway” and “Free Bird.”

H — Hydration Reminder (Taylor’s Version)

A Taylor Swift-themed video aired on the jumbotron promptly reminding everyone in the BJC to properly hydrate. Clearly, they knew how to appeal to their audience.

I — I Can’t Feel My Arms

Shout out to all those absolute units that were carrying their organization’s respective signs. You made the stands a better place, even if your limbs went numb in the process. Hopefully, you at least got a killer bicep pump.

J — Jamming Out

What better way to bring a community like ours together for an entire weekend than blasting music and dancing all the way to the end? The various live music acts, including a surprise performance from WALK THE MOON, kept the energy alive and well.

K — Kids

Sure, the other parts of THON Weekend are fun and whatnot, but we’re here For The Kids at the end of the day. FTK!

L — Lights

The flashing and strobing lights definitely maintain the energy as the hours tick by. They also keep you awake for sure!

M — Mirroring Choreography

It turns out that following the Dancer Relations captains on stage during the line dance is a lot harder than it sounds. The sporadic, quick-paced routine definitely gives your brain a run for its money, especially when they are facing a different direction than you are.

N — NO SITTING

If you or someone you know willingly touched their buttocks to a seat in the stands of the BJC, you have committed what is essentially the worst offense known to mankind, and you should spend the rest of your life regretting that decision. Just kidding, but you are very lame for that.

O — “OG Fortnite, Hop On”

“OG Fortnite, Hop On” is one of the many standout lyrics from the line dance. Seriously, though, bring it back.

P — Pretzels

Shoutout to Auntie Anne’s for keeping us fueled through the 46 hours. You’d be shocked at how versatile pretzel bites can be. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, THON participants love a good cup of sweet or salty deliciousness.

Q — Quotes Overheard

“If they had a dunk contest for THON on a nine-foot rim, I’d look like Aaron Gordon.”

Who knows what you will hear during your abnormal extended time in the BJC, surrounded by your peers who are likely sleep-deprived and hangry.

R — Red Shirts Galore

Run from them, hide from them, they will always find you. Just kidding. Kind of. We appreciate you, Rules and Regulation.

S — Signs

The stands were absolutely cluttered with signs varying from Greek letters to big cardboard cutouts of dancers’ faces. Some of the best sign themes included Toy Story, the Madagascar movie, and Monsters Inc.

T — Titanium by David Guetta ft. Sia

Coming on at approximately 1:13 a.m. on Saturday morning, this track visibly and audibly got the BJC jumping with its lively beat and ever-so-screamable lyrics.

U — Unidentified Flying Objects

It seemed like the air of the BJC could not go a moment without having some sort of object entering its stratosphere. However, upon scientific review, it was just tennis balls, balloons, or t-shirts being tossed up by passionate THONers. Alien truthers are unfortunately going to need to find something else to fuel their argument.

V — Vampires (potentially?)

There is not an ounce of sunlight visible in the BJC. If there were any bloodsuckers present among us in the crowd, we would have no clue. Something to keep an eye on…

W — Wii Basketball

A very generous soul set up a TV and a Wii out in the concourse. Folks were gathered around getting shots up on the Wii Sports Resort basketball court.

X — X, Formerly Known As Twitter

Are you following @OnwardState on X? If you aren’t, that means you missed countless pieces about THON including features on dancers, humorous content sourced from the students here at the BJC, and any other coverage you might have missed. Go check it out!

Y — Yellow Ribbon

This is a visual reminder of what our goal is during THON. We use all of our collective spirit for 46 straight hours in order to fuel the fight against pediatric cancer. If there is one community that can help push us towards a cure, it’s right here in Happy Valley.

Z — Zero Dollars Remaining On Your Meal Plan

The food here at the BJC is quite pricey. A prolonged stay here will cost you a pretty penny. But hey, if you use your meal plan, it’s technically free because it’s not real money, right? Go enjoy some crab fries or a chicken basket!