Last night Flogging Molly, with help from opener Scythian, showed Penn State the true meaning of St. Patrick's Day: being Irish, drunk, and pissed-off.
Things got off to a late start, after an overtime set-up, but Scythian quickly got the crowd dancing. Their set, while short, was solid, mixing celtic rock, creole, and an inventive medley of rap covers. The highlight may have been hearing Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" played on accordion. This was not the band's first show at Penn State, and I hope it's not their last. It'd be great to hear them play a longer set.
The show really got underway once Flogging Molly took the stage. Read on for more details and lots of pictures!
At least that's the message I got from Dean Brady's recent blog post. In a similar move to Dean Wormley, Dean Christian Brady of the Schreyer Honors College is urging students to be responsible this weekend. In a post on the SHC website, while not explicitly asking students not to participate, he says:
I do not want to be infantilizing by stating the obvious: you are all adults (even if many of you are not yet of the legal drinking age) and you are free to make your own decisions regarding how you spend your weekends. It is certainly my hope that whatever your activities you remain safe and would bring no disrepute to yourself or to our institution.
As UPUA quoted in their advertisement in the Collegian today, "may no act of our's bring shame." I think this is a good thing to keep in mind this weekend.
In an effort to treat next Saturday "like any other Saturday", State College's tavern association has decided to maintain normal hours this Saturday and not hold any special promotions for State Patty's Day.
This is a big change from last year, when I can remember seeing students lined up outside the Phyrst by noon. McLanahan's has also removed State Patty's Day merchandise from the shelves after they were asked to by borough leaders. Scott Lucchesi, owner of the Phyrst, seemed to think think this was the wrong approach to the problem.
There was hardly a dry eye in the crowd as this year's Family Hour drew to a close. The entire stadium sang along to Alabama's "Angels Among Us" as people on the floor and in the stands joined arms and swayed together.
Family Hour is what THON is all about. It is a chance for the families helped by the Four Diamonds Fund and THON to share their gratitude. Families shared their stories; stories with happy and bittersweet endings.
Read on about my experience on the floor during Family Hour.
PR Captains Anna Sofio and Lenny Smith say this year's THON has been busier than ever.
Even if you have access to a coveted pass for the final 4 hours of THON, you will have to arrive early if you want to use it. The floor is expected to reach capacity by 9 or 10 a.m., before the official close of the pass line at 12 p.m. The floor has been at capacity several times throughout the weekend, more often than ever before, according to the captains.
What would a dance marathon be without music? To keep dancers going through the weekend, THON plays what might be one of the most epic party playlists of all time. Between DJ Larry Moore, live bands, and even some Rock Band, the music rarely lets up throughout the weekend.
Spending most of the weekend in the BJC, I've heard a lot of music. Read on for my top 10 songs of THON so far (in no particular order).