Whiplash isn’t Penn State’s most visible club, but it certainly makes an impact. The 31-girl hip-hop dance troupe focuses much of its energy on its annual THON performance, though it’s active in other spaces during the year, too.

For the past two years, Whiplash has placed in the top three for fundraising during the THON Showcase, which happens annually when organizations compete for donations credited toward their efforts to raise money for THON. At the THON 2025 Showcase, Whiplash placed second, just behind Rince na Leon, raising $3,000.

“It’s honestly so humbling and rewarding, receiving first or second place for the THON Showcase,” Kira Watson, the president of Whiplash, said. “It is such an amazing event, and it raises so much money for THON in general. Being able to get that money towards our THON fundraising total is indescribable.”

Because Whiplash is a smaller organization, things such as the THON Showcase allow for the opportunity to raise as much money for THON as possible. 

“[In preparation] we’re practicing four days a week, for two hours each practice. It’s split up where the dance itself is choreographed by a lot of different team members,” Watson said. “It’s a lot of collaboration, and then we put it all together and work on a team in order to perfect it. We put in a lot of hard work, especially for that specific event, because it means so much to us.”

On top of performing at the THON Showcase, Whiplash had many of their members participate in standing for the 46-hour dance marathon. 

“The feeling of being on that stage and performing in front of so many people that are there for such a great cause, you just feel like you’re on top of the world,” Watson said. “It was like 6 a.m. when we were performing, so some of us were at our lowest points. We all just came together and remembered why we were doing this — For The Kids. Going on that stage and reminding ourselves that we’re there to entertain and get the energy up again, especially at such a hard point in the weekend, is so rewarding for us.” 

On top of THON, Whiplash performs in the Allen Street Jam for Homecoming during the fall, where they are the reigning champs. This year, the group competed in the Performing Arts Council Dance Competition, too.

“We’re such a close group of girls that it doesn’t even feel like work sometimes. I love Whiplash because we all share not only the passion that we all have for dance, but also the passion we all have for THON,” Watson said. “The friendship that we all just share with each other is such a big thing, it’s hard to describe to someone who isn’t part of it. It’s the small moments that you wouldn’t think of from a dance team.”