Each year, THON’s Line Dance is filled with references to relevant pop culture moments, Penn State happenings, and global news.

From mentions of the Costco guys to women’s volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher, this year’s Line Dance summed up most of the big moments from 2025.

Here’s a breakdown of the meaning behind each line.

Verse 1: Penn State

PSU, eco leader // ‘When It Rains It Pours’ in Beaver

Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the United States in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025.

Back in April, country singer Luke Combs performed at Beaver Stadium and sang his hit single “When It Rains It Pours” to a crowd of 80,000 fans.

‘For the Culture’ shared between // generation’s step routine

In October, the Penn State Alumni Association hosted the 2024 Black Alumni Reunion, celebrating its theme “For the Culture.” During the weekend-long event, it hosted a step show competition in Schwab Auditorium.

Pantry’s decade of donations // campus-wide renovations

Penn State’s Lion Pantry celebrated its 10 year anniversary on November 21.

Over the course of the last two academic years, there have been many renovations and projects under construction on and around campus including the complete renovation of East Halls, the relocation and opening of the Palmer Museum of Art, the opening of the Susan Welch Liberal Arts building, and the continuous renovations to the Nursing Science Building. Up next: Pollock Halls.

Nittany Inn, enjoy your stay // grab your gear – DEMO DAY!

After being closed for renovations since 2020, the Nittany Lion Inn reopened in September.

At the beginning of January, Beaver Stadium’s press box was demolished, marking the start of its major revitalization project.

Playoff run starts in town // Saquon hurdles to first down

This past season, Penn State football secured a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals, hosting SMU in a first-round playoff game in Beaver Stadium for the first time in Penn State history.

Former Penn State running back and current Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley made an even bigger name for himself after hurdling backward over a defender in a matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Holy Cow! on HUB lawn // Blue Band – marches on

The Student Association Association (SPA) hosted “Relaxation Day” on HUB Lawn in April, which featured an unexpected appearance from Moo the Therapy Cow.

Last year, Penn State’s Blue Band celebrated its 125th anniversary.

Palmer’s open, book your tour // glory found in every roar

On June 1, the new Palmer Museum of Art opened in the Arboretum.

Last year’s Penn State Homecoming theme was “In Every Roar, Tradition Soars.”

Coach Katie makes history // point, set, match – VICTORY!!

After defeating Louisville and winning the program’s eighth national title, Penn State women’s volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley was named the first female head coach to win the national championship.

Verse 2: World Events

Women’s bracket record views // Notre Dame! Bienvenue

Last year’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament championship game achieved a record of 18.9 million viewers, beating the amount of viewership of the men’s national championship game.

Roughly five years after a fire broke out, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reopened in early December.

Ceremony down the Seine // podium that’s never been

During the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, teams sailed down the Seine River in Paris.

Gymnast Rebeca Andrade secured Brazil’s first-ever Olympic gold in women’s gymnastics after winning the Olympic gold medal in the vault event.

Sweden – NATO awaits // Nadal – one of the greats

At the beginning of March, Sweden joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Last fall, Tennis legend Rafael Nadal retired, finishing off his career with 22 Grand Slam wins.

Solar glasses to look through // Northern lights cast a hue

On April 8, 2024, a rare total solar eclipse passed over the United States with many folks watching through solar glasses.

On October 10, glimpses of the Northern Lights were visible in parts of State College.

Sixty-five elections heard // value in the people’s word

With 65 national elections held across the world, 2024 was considered the biggest election year in history.

Carter serves humanity // Protect – the coral sea

On December 29, the 39th President of the United States Jimmy Carter died at 100 years old, living longer than any other president.

The Coral Sea Marine Park is now under protection, along with 52% of Australia’s oceans.

Humpback journeys through the blue // chopsticks used for rockets too

A humpback whale recorded the longest distance traveled by swimming from Colombia to Zanzibar from 2013 to 2022.

On October 13, after SpaceX’s Starship landed back at its launch site, the rocket was caught by “chopstick” arms.

Servers down, pause on data // a new gen, here comes beta!

Due to an outage in late November, Microsoft users couldn’t access Outlook and Teams.

2025 marked the birth of “Generation Beta,” including all children born from 2025 to 2039.

Verse 3: Pop Culture

Spidey gets down on one knee // holding space for gravity

Spider-Man actor Tom Holland proposed to his co-star Zendaya this year.

After “Wicked” stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were told in an interview that fans were “holding space” lyrics to “Defying Gravity,” quickly becoming an internet meme.

H-O-T-T-O-G-O // dee-rect from do-ming-o

Chappel Roan’s hit single “HOT TO GO!” gained massive popularity last year with TikTok trends circulating.

In October, “SNL” performed a parody of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” with the bridesmaids in said sketch singing about how the bride cheated on the groom with a man named Domingo. The sketch instantly went viral on social media, leading to two additional Domingo sketches.

Moo Deng Pesto, we’re obsessed // in the villa, got a text!

Due to how cute they are, Moo Deng the baby hippo and Pesto the penguin chick went viral this year.

The hit reality TV show “Love Island” puts more than a dozen attractive, single young adults in a villa each season, requiring them to find a match in order to stay.

Hoda gives her last report // One Direction we support

Earlier this year, TV personality Hoda Kotb left NBC’s “Today Show,” after serving as a host for nearly two decades.

On October 16, former OneDirection member Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires, causing fans to show their support for the band.

TikTok, can’t be found // Guess whose screen time’s going down?

Last month, TikTok was temporarily banned and removed from app stores in the United States, lasting only 12 hours before then-President-Elect Donald Trump pledged to keep the app online.

Meee! Four Seasons room // Costco guys, bring the boom

A clip of the baby saying “Meee!” in response to being asked if she wanted to go to the Four Seasons Hotel in Orlando went viral.

AJ and Big Justice, known as the Costco guys, became famous on social media this year, creating the song and phrase “We Bring The BOOM!” The Costco guys have appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and have collaborated with other famous social media stars like Mr. Beast and Jersey Joe.

Pommel horse to ballroom host // Nikki Glaser epic roast

Penn State alum and gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik took the internet by storm during the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming known as “Pommel Horse Guy.” Shortly after his rise to internet fame, he landed a spot on the most recent season of “Dancing With The Stars,” finishing in fourth place.

In the spring of 2024, comedian Nikki Glaser achieved true celebrity status after she participated in “The Roast of Tom Brady” and stole the show, leading to her invitation to host the Golden Globes.

Father-son NBA // diss tracks dropping every day

Lebron James, along with his son Bronny James, became the first father-son duo to play for the same NBA team, making history.

Last May, a feud between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake led to each artist dropping diss tracks over the course of two days with Lamar’s “Not Like Us” becoming an instant hit. Lamar performed said song in his Super Bowl Halftime show, two weeks ago.