Today I had the privilege of visiting the floor at THON. As I wandered through the Bryce Jordan Center, surrounded by a sea of vibrant colors and kids wielding water pistols, I chatted with some of the dancers.
Meet dancers Nate Spilman and Kyle Jack representing Phi Mu Delta!
How has your experience been so far?
Kyle: “It’s been amazing getting to see all the families and the children and spending time playing with the kids.”
How have you enjoyed the bands?
Nate: “Lenina Crowne was amazing! They started the weekend on a high note and they’re probably the best band we’ve seen so far.”
Meet moraler Matt Tessitore representing Alpha Sigma Alpha!
What is most interesting costume you have seen so far?
“I’m going to have to go with C3P0. I couldn’t tell if it was a robot or if there was an actual person inside of it.”
Meet dancer Nathan DeTurk representing the Off Campus Student Union!
What songs have you enjoyed dancing to?
“I like the line dance because it gets everyone involved. Everyone is doing the same dance and it brings all of Penn State together.”
Meet dancer William Theodore Olson IV representing the Smeal Student Council!
What songs have you enjoyed dancing to?
“My friend is keeping a “Timber” count. So far, it has been played seven separate times so of course that’s my favorite song.”
What keeps you dancing?
“Everything! From getting sprayed with a water gun to the smiles on the kid’s faces.”
I also got the chance to talk to some of the people working behind the scenes at THON. When I entered the BJC, I was greeted by Captain Tyler Marchewski who had these words to say about THON:
“THON means a lot to me because it brings everyone at Penn State together for a great cause.”
If you’re looking to make a THON playlist, here are some of the best songs I heard at the BJC:
“Wake Me Up”, Avicii; “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, The Beatles; “What Is Love”, Haddaway; “Get The Party Started”, P!nk; “It’s Tricky”, RUN DMC; “It’s Raining Men”, The Weather Girls; “Under The Bridge”, Red Hot Chili Peppers.
And a big thanks to Victoria Scialfa for guiding me around the BJC!