The 46 hours have come and gone, and for Penn State freshmen, that means completing their first THON Weekend as students. From learning their first Line Dance to experiencing their first Pep Rally and Final Four inside the Bryce Jordan Center, THON Weekend remains one of the most defining traditions at Penn State.

After another record-setting year that saw $18,841,726.53 raised For The Kids, THON 2026 will go down in the books as one to remember. As the confetti settled and the Bryce Jordan Center returned to normal, our freshman staffers took time to reflect on what it meant to be part of their first THON experience.

Brandon Collica

My first THON was a super cool experience to be a part of, especially being able to be on the floor and experience the energy of the dancers at the start. Being able to see the emotion of both the kids and dancers was something I won’t forget. #FTK

Karlee Feger

My first THON was an incredible experience! Hearing so much about THON leading up to the big moment was building my anticipation, but truly witnessing THON Weekend was life-changing. I was on an Operations committee, so I had the unique perspective of seeing THON come together during setup and then returning the BJC to normal during teardown. THON was such a beautiful, touching event, and seeing everyone come together for a cause greater than themselves was so inspiring. I am forever grateful to be a part of this amazing cause and cannot wait for my next three years of involvement.

Christian Gresko

Going into THON weekend, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I knew it was going to be a weekend of hard work. What I didn’t know was how life-changing and fulfilling it would be after the end of it all. Since I’ve gotten to Penn State, I’ve always been trying to do more. So when I got the chance to work for 30 hours doing what I love for a weekend, I couldn’t help but be ecstatic. Yes, I was nervous because being up for so many extra hours isn’t effortless, though the reason for it makes it all feel amazing.

When you realize you’re standing for an important cause like this and for those who can’t, all the pain goes away. This past weekend, although tired as anything, I felt great to know I was a part of that and working alongside these great people. THON brings so many people together. I saw people I hadn’t seen in years, and it was amazing to reconnect with them once again.

I’m so glad I got to be a part of THON this year with Onward State. I was able to create powerful images that I am so proud of, and I got to work with the best. There’s no such feeling.

Brandon Hurley

I will admit, before THON, I was a little skeptical about all the hype. I can safely say that, after my first five minutes of being on the floor, that skepticism was gone. THON has genuinely been one of the coolest and most impactful things I have worked on during my time at Penn State. I never imagined the scale of what was done this weekend could be done by student-led organizations, but here I am, pleasantly disproven. The hours were long, my feet still hurt, but it was all worth it.

At first, I was nervous too. I didn’t want to mess up something as big as this on my first go. That nervous anxiety all melted away when I saw how nice and welcoming everyone was. Everyone I interacted with, from Public Relations to Rules & Regulations to Dancer Relations, was all so amazingly nice. I even got to see my Orientation Leader from New Student Orientation, which was super cool. Bringing all these amazing people together for one goal will always be an amazing part of THON. Also, FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS PERFORMED. Legitimately my favorite band.

The emotions felt were so different, and they all almost hit at once. The pride from everyone in the BJC cheering on the kids who were having the time of their lives, to the joy felt when the total was revealed, to the sorrow that came from the tribute video, all the emotions were there. I think I can safely say that THON is my new favorite Penn State tradition, and I cannot wait to cover it next year and for the next three years. THON made me proud to be a Penn Stater. FTK. Always and Forever.

Brian Kriley

My first THON experience is one I won’t soon forget. I loved the atmosphere, and seeing the whole Penn State community come together for a cause is a surreal experience and is one of my proudest moments as a Penn Stater.

Sammy Layman

Nothing could’ve prepared me for my first THON. I got to experience being in the lower bowl, upper bowl, press row, and on the floor. People tried to explain it to me, but it’s completely different once you get there. There is nothing like it that I have ever seen before.

I felt a little under the weather, so I didn’t get there until 11:30 PM on Friday. I walked into hundreds of students circling the halls of the BJC. I made my way to my session with my Service or ESA and went to the upper bowl. It started off slow, but my favorite part was helping the people who were staying there for hours on the end, talking to them and walking around the BJC together.

Later that morning on Saturday, I got to go into a section in the lower bowl, and that was a completely different experience. I got to see way more people in my org, and we all danced together and had an amazing time. It was awesome how happy every single person was, even if they were tired or going a little delirious.

The next day, after I slept at home, I had a graveyard shift in the bowl which I got to find more with some of the older girls and girls my age as well. I had a graphic to do that night, and after I tried to do it standing, I realized that the Onward State press row was right behind me, so I got to work there the rest of the time.

After that, I went home and took a quick nap before my Onward State shift on the floor, taking pictures. I accidentally set my alarm for p.m. instead of a.m., but ended up waking up just in time. As I was walking back to the BJC, it started to snow, of course. I thought it was surreal that people had been up the entire time.

The floor experience was completely different than in the stands. It was more evident to see that everybody shared experiences with cancer affecting their lives, or were truly there to support people who had. The emotions were raw, and the connections were tight. One thing I never saw was people complaining negatively. I love working with the Onward State staff and seeing people that I know on the floor.

After my shift, I clocked back in for the Final Four to be with my friends in the upper bowl. This is when Family Hour took place, and the Go Go Gadjets performed. Family Hour was very emotional. It’s hard to get a bunch of college students together like this for this big of a cause, and I truly think that everyone at the fully understands why they’re there, and one of the biggest reasons for this is because of family hour. Families shared their stories, and they made a slideshow of people who had passed to pay tribute.

One controversial opinion I have is I think they could do better to take care of the students who are standing for 46 hours, who aren’t dancers. There are always medical issues, and it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured, if not worse. Overall, though, everyone is there for a great cause, and it’s cool to see the actual impact that Penn State has on families and how we can come together as a community. I can’t wait to be more involved next year. THON 2026 was definitely a hit!

Peter Williams

Going into THON, there was so much I was unsure of and worried about. I still can’t completely believe that people actually stood for 46 hours, and even though I was not scheduled to work the entire weekend, I didn’t think I could make it through. I always heard people talk about THON, all the way back to my initial tours of Penn State and through my first semester, yet I was never fully able to understand what it meant to be there and experience it until my first THON.

I was scheduled for a combined 24 non-concurrent hours of photography work, and thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. But by the end, I told an editor that I want more hours next year because I enjoyed it so much!

What I didn’t know is that it’s not just 46 hours of standing around or dancing on the floor of the BJC. Every minute of the event was action-packed with entertainment and fun. I have attended numerous paid events at Penn State so far, yet this “free” one was the most enjoyable of all. My favorite THON event by far was the Kids’ Talent Show, but from Fitz and the Tantrums to the Pep Rally and more, there was no shortage of fun.

Getting to walk around the floor and see people united towards one cause, having a blast without any worries in the world, and looking up to see a full BJC with engaged supporters, was all unreal. When I left my final shift, I had been awake for over 24 hours, more than any other time in my life, yet I still felt full of energy and ready to do it again. Seeing the grand total raised up number-by-number and realizing that my contributions made a difference was the icing on top of the cake, and reminded us all what we were doing this for.

THON 2026 was simply the best weekend of my entire time at Penn State so far.

Hope Seman

I thought it was fun but exhausting, and I genuinely don’t understand why anyone would want to be a dancer if you prioritize your health. I think that the spirit and support for THON bring the Penn State community closer together. Overall, fun and exciting in the beginning, but I didn’t understand the hype.