In between the awe-inspiring chaos of THON and the looming headaches in the leadup to and fallout from State Patty's Day, the Greek community is very busy this time of year. Luckily, Panhellenic Council President Paige Rothaus answers our questions about the current state of the Greeks at Penn State and moving forward.
THON is an incredible event. For 46 hours, we forget the differences between us Penn State students that divide us for 362 days a year, and come together for a cause that's just about as noble as it gets. It's inspiring enough before you even consider what actually goes on over the course of the weekend--the dancers refusing to sit or sleep, the BJC packed with supporters, and families and children getting one weekend to either just be a kid or to celebrate life. But that doesn't mean it's perfect, because, frankly, nothing is. THON as a charity might be above reproach, but the event can certainly be improved. We posed that task to the Onward State staff, who responded with a variety of suggested changes.
In addition to working as Managing Editor for Onward State, I've had the pleasure of serving as a THON Technology captain for the past two years. My duties as a Technology Captain centered around the Pass System. The Pass System is used to control access to the event level of the Bryce Jordan Center during THON weekend, in order to maintain fire code regulations as well as to provide a reward to organizations based on their fundraising levels. Unfortunately, the system also necessitates that we limit the number of guests who have access to the floor. Because of the significant number of people wanting to get on the floor, long lines have formed historically on the concourse level of the BJC. Last year was plagued with some of the longest lines that THON had ever seen.
The University of California, Los Angeles held its 9th annual dance marathon over the weekend. Student groups danced for a whopping 26 hours straight to raise money for pediatric AIDS victims. Something seems a little fishy. It's almost like I've heard of this idea before. Is this just a THON copy cat? Should we Twitter-bitch about it being a "total rip-off" of Penn State's impressive philanthropy? Or should we jump down from our high horse and see this as an indicator of THON's overwhelming success? Let this be a lesson in bragging etiquette.
I sat at home Friday afternoon before heading to the Bryce Jordan Center thinking about what I would experience for the next two days. I knew it would be something I never forgot, something that I would take with me for the rest of my life, no matter how old I got. When I returned to my couch on Sunday evening, I realized that I didn't dream big enough.
Throughout THON weekend, everybody had their own tips on how to stay motivated, stay dancing and stay sane.
Some people thought the best way to stay awake was embarking on a 1000-word puzzle while others provided piggy-back rides across the floor.