Penn State Dance Marathon, THON for short, is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Millions of dollars are raised to benefit children battling pediatric cancer through the Four Diamonds Fund. At the end of the fundraising year, students gather in the Bryce Jordan Center, our basketball arena, for a 46-hour dance marathon; hence the name. It has grown immensely since its first year in 1973, which has brought many new improvements and accomplishments for the organization.
I have very little issues with THON, and I have been apart of it all four years of my time here at college. That being said, there is always room for improvement. Here are five ways I feel that THON could improve upon to make the organization and experience better as a whole:
1. More Fundraising Opportunities
The 2018-2019 THON season will begin the post-canning era, which I talked about in a previous article of mine that I encourage you to read. With canning gone, new fundraising techniques need to come forward. I don't have hard numbers, but canvassing has never been as successful as canning was. Either it needs to be more encouraged, or new methods need to be adopted.
I'm not saying that there aren't plenty of choices for fundraising. Whether it be giveback nights at restaurants, donation boxes, or dodge-ball tournaments, these methods have been used for a long time now. Hopefully new ideas will spawn in the coming years too, ones that I can also generate public interest.
2. Less Politics & Fewer Cliques
THON is made up of committees, subcommittees, and many clubs. This point is more in response to the groups that make up THON rather than as a whole; though the organization isn't without its faults too. By asking around and from what I have seen with my own two eyes, THON clubs all across Penn State's 24 campuses have sometimes fallen to politics. Lets just put it this way; there is a right way and wrong way to run a club.
Some clubs are welcoming to everyone and don't care about who's who. Others not so much. A club that is about raising money for kids with cancer shouldn't be about being in the "in-crowd." Clubs should not become cliquey. This is especially true at the leaders-level. Don't show favoritism towards some over the rest of the club due to an outside friendship you may have. I know a good number of people who have stopped participating in THON due to the politics and cliques that come with it. College is supposed to be a step above all that drama from high school. Don't perpetuate it.
3. Better Treatment Of Commonwealth Campuses
Many who do not go to University Park feel this way. There seems to be some sort of notion that if you do not go to "Big-Penn State," you are lesser-tier student compared to them. That sometimes runs over into THON clubs as well. Maybe that could be a part my second point. However, the issues are more than just that. Commonwealth campuses often do not have the same privileges that State College kids have. When canning was still a thing, commonwealth students were only allowed to can in the town that their campus was located in, while state college kids were allowed to can almost anywhere they liked.
Yes, that issue may be a thing of the past, but I'm sure similar rules will be in place in the future concerning fundraising. Rules and regulations have almost always favored State College kids. When it comes to getting into the BJC itself on the day of THON, often state college clubs are given preferential seating and can overpower the lesser clubs. If you want to take away anything from this point it is this: we are all raising money for the same cause. We are all in the same boat. WE ARE just as much Penn State as you are. Don't treat us as second-class. Treat us as equals.
4. A Better Pass System
If you have ever attended THON you know this to be true; the pass system is an absolute mess. The most recent system that was touted as "the one that would fix all the problems" only created more problems. The now-digital system alerts someone who has a floor pass when it is there time by texting them at that time. The only problem is, it never works like its supposed to. The digital system usually crashes on day one, creating absolute chaos. The result is backed up lines, many not being able to visit their friends and children dance on the floor, and a headache for all.
It's also bad enough that cell phone reception is terrible once inside the BJC. I am no expert with technology, and I have never worked the pass system so I may have no right to say anything about it. However, I do not see what is wrong with just assigning someone a time, and using a piece of paper to get in when it is their time. It sounds simple to me. The real-life scenario is probably not so simple, but some genius at our school needs to reinvent the system.
5. Make It More About "The Kids"
It's actually a little sad that an organization whose slogan is "FTK- For the Kids!" is the one who I am suggesting should make it more about the kids. I am not saying that everyone is guilty of this, and I will admit the majority of members fully understand why they are doing this. That being said, THON at times hasn't exactly been all that welcoming of those kids. New policies that were put into place last year restrict the time that THON children and their families are allowed out onto the dance floor when previously there was no limitations.
Another point of concern is some clubs treatments of their designated THON families. I know a couple families that did not get along well with their clubs. Let's make it simple folks. THON is "for the kids." It is not about you dressing goofy and taking pictures to put on Instagram. It is a time to cheer on those battling cancer, celebrate those who have won their battle, and remember those we have ultimately lost. There is often a lot of focus on us the college kids, and I am not saying we don't deserve at least some credit. At the end of the day, this is about the kids, and it is important we do not forget that.
