February Tidbits

I realized I haven’t really done an updates post in a while, yet I really enjoy writing them!  I really like being able to talk about the everyday activities I get up to here at Penn State.  It seems to me that posts like this are so much more representative of my life here.  A lot of my posts are about trips away or huge events that happen on campus, but the reality is most of my days are spent hanging out with my friends, studying and covering stories for The Underground (the online news organization I write for). 

I’ll definitely try write a few more of these before the semester is ! Here is six things I've been up to recently or simply just things on my mind.  

1. We’ve all read or watched videos about the now suspended executive order signed by President Trump banning immigration from seven countries.  Even though my immigration status is unlikely to be affected it’s a pretty scary time to be an immigrant in the USA.

As part of my work for The Underground I attended a town hall for international students where the Vice Provost of Penn State Nicholas Jones highlighted Penn State’s position on the order. You can read more about it here. I think it is a sign of the times that university officials are now actively encouraging international students, particularly students from the Middle East to not travel abroad and to act with vigilance in “uncertain times”. Scary. 

2. Carrying on from the point above I have been doing a lot more work The Underground which I am really enjoying ! I usually cover one or two events on a campus a week and occasionally write editorial pieces about politics, usually something about the impact of American politics abroad. 

3.  I finally went and saw La La Land the other day and loved it! Whilst it wasn’t a story that left you thinking for hours after the final credits rolled onto the screen it was just a very enjoyable watch.  I really enjoyed how the directors played with the idea of choice, chance and destiny and how even the small decisions we make today can determine our destinies.  Also Penn State was showing the film for free over the weekend, and I mean who can say no to an Oscar winning best picture film?

4. The weather.  It’s been very cold in State College since November but last week we had three days when the temperature was 25 degrees. It was hotter in State College than it was in Sydney last week.  Whilst these types of temperatures are extremely disturbing ( hello global warming) it was so nice to walk around outside in t-shirt and shorts for the first time in months.

5. Next week is spring break ! I’m going to stay with my friend in Philadelphia for a few days before catching a plane to Miami with other friends to spend the rest of the week on the beach.  I’m so excited to be finally able to relax and soak up the sun for a few days. At the same time this is my last break before I leave. In sixty seven days, just over two months I’ll be zipping up my bags for the last time and saying goodbye to all the wonderful friends and opportunities I have here.  Even writing about it now is making me emotional, so I hate to think what the actual act of leaving is going to do to me. 

6. On a much lighter note, the past weekend was State Patties weekend in State College. State Patties is an early celebration of St Patricks Day but is really just an excuse to drink all weekend long.  It’s one of the biggest weekends of the year at Penn State and people come from all over the country to celebrate it .  Whilst I spare you the details ( yes Mum and Dad I know you read this) it was a really good weekend and a lie in on Sunday was much appreciated.   

When the camera gets with your eyes closed :( but this was State Patties day !

THON weekend

When people talk about Penn State University, they tend to talk about two things – football and THON. Whilst football season might be sadly over for the year, this past weekend was Thon and it was an absolutely incredible weekend.   

So what exactly is Thon ? It’s a 46 hour annual dance marathon to raise money for child cancer research at Penn State Hershey medical centre. It is the largest student philanthropic fundraiser in the entire world and Penn State students spend the entire year planning and fundraising for the even.  Basically the idea behind it is that select ‘dancers’ have to spend 46 hours on the dance floor ( really the court in the basketball arena) and are not allowed to sit down or sleep for the entire weekend.  The rest of the school, clubs, sports teams and greek life support the dancers in the stands with the unwritten rule being that you’re not allowed to sit down either !

I think you’ve probably gotten the idea now that Penn State does nothing in halves. DNCE and Joe Jonas performed, Khloe Kardashian tweeted about the event and we raised $10 million for child cancer research !

Let me tell, standing for a few hours is really hard…. Standing for 46 hours, mingled with the fact you can’t sleep is awful and I have so much respect for those people who chose to be dancers. 

Thon started at 6pm on Friday and then went all the way through to Sunday 4pm. I’m in a Thon organization called BLVD and we started queuing at 1pm Friday in order to get a spot in the stands.  On Friday evening DNCE performed a surprise set and Joe Jonas came down onto the floor and sung with all the dancers. 

Joe Jonas performing

I was also lucky enough to work on Friday evening, meaning I got given a press pass and was able to go on the floor to take photos and interview dancers and guests.  This was such an incredible opportunity and I felt like a 'real' journalist !

BJC arena 

I didn't stay for the whole 46 hours at THON (because yes I actually do sometimes have to study). I stayed till midnight on Friday evening and then my friend Jess and I went back at 2am on Sunday and stayed till the end at 4pm.  Fourteen hours on no sleep and no sitting was hard and after a couple of hours our feet were numb and we felt like we were in a kind of of dream. 

At 12pm on Sunday the final four countdown began – the last four hours in which everyone pays tribute to the children currently receiving treatment and those who have passed away.  There was not a dry eye in the audience at this point, but hearing the families stories really reiterated the point of the fundraiser. Being the USA there is no universal healthcare and if your child gets cancer the family is expected pay for the treatment, meaning that some families literally have to bankrupt themselves in order for this children to survive. The money at Thon ensures that families at Hershey hospital don’t have to pay a single cent for their children’s treatment and can focus on more important things. 

4pm sit down - we made it !

Finally at 4pm after standing and dancing for 46 hours the whole stadium sat down with a huge sigh of relief. Thon was bigger and better than I ever imagined and I’m so grateful to have been part of such an experience.