Ask the Coach
Penn State tradition Hey, Coach! While home on break, I wanted to vent a little about a wonderful Penn State event that has changed for the upcoming year.
Thon, our 48-hour dance marathon, has been short-changed and is now only 46 hours long.
This is an event that raises money for the Four Diamonds Fund that helps kids with cancer. I don’t know if you have ever attended, but this will be my third year. This is one big party, sans alcohol, that’s a lot of fun, and it supports a great cause.
What has happened is that Thon has outgrown Rec Hall, and it has now been moved to the Bryce Jordan Center, where we play our basketball games.
Instead of allowing us to complete our tradition of 48 hours, Thon has to be cut it short so that the center can be available for athletics on Sunday night.
Don’t you feel that if they are going to move the event that they should let us keep the tradition?
Do you feel that it’s a big deal when we’re only talking about two more hours? Thanks, Coach.
Signed…..Dance Fever
Dear Dance Fever: The Coach read something many, many months ago about this change.
After having attended Thon seven years ago, the Coach knows how excited Penn State students get about this event, to include our own students at The Eberly Campus.
With that said, it is no surprise that students would want Thon to keep its tradition. Certainly the Coach can see that point of view. It’s a wonderful event that brings students together to do great things.
Many children with cancer attend the event and actually participate. They get on stage and prance around a little, and they get to see themselves on the big screen. It’s their day in the sun, and it’s something that they will never forget.
However, as always, the Coach tries to see multiple sides of an issue, where there sometimes must be a tradeoff to make things work, thus enabling things to move to the next level.
Hopefully, we can agree that this has happened with the change to a much bigger venue. If offered a choice of 48 hours in “tiny” Rec Hall, or 46 hours in the Jordan Center, the Coach would have a hard time believing that the majority would still want Rec Hall, just because of the other two hours.
Perhaps it would have been better if it would have been known before the fact that the move would take away hours 47 and 48. However, it is the Coach’s understanding that changing to 46 hours wasn’t made known at the time of the move.
That change was communicated well after the fact, so students were caught off guard and became upset.
Respectfully, the Coach believes that 46 hours is more than enough time for the event, especially for the so-called dancers, who have to remain awake and on their feet the entire time.
Thon officially starts at about 6 p.m. on a Friday night, and thus, dancers have already been awake for approximately 10 hours before Thon even begins. Many of the participants will have gone without sleep for close to 60 hours by Thon’s end.
A lesser issue is that many participants probably skip school the next day, but the Coach has no issues with that. They earn a well-deserved day off.
However, there are many direct and indirect health issues associated with an event such as this, and that’s where the Coach’s main concerns lie.
So, the Coach is all for Thon; it’s a wonderful event. However, the Coach would encourage everyone to keep the purpose of the event in the forefront and put far less emphasis on losing two hours.
The Coach says that with the utmost respect, knowing how much this event means to our campus and the entire university.
Change is something to which we all need to be open. If a change must occur, we should try to take the high road and embrace it, without letting it disrupt our lives and focus.
Have another great event.
Coach’s Comments: Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he takes a chance and sticks out his head. Thanks for making the Coach a part of your day. Have a safe weekend.
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You can contact the Coach via e-mail at askthecoach2003@yahoo.com.