Hi everyone! My name is Mimi Overbaugh and I am super excited to be a rover for WEPO 2012! I am a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering. After finishing my freshman year, I can look back and say that I am very proud of myself for getting involved in a lot of different activities outside the classroom. As new students in a completely different environment, it is very beneficial to branch out and try new things (and it’s probably easiest to get involved your first year too). Although I loved all of the clubs and organizations I joined, such as EON and SWE, I can say without a doubt that the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON) changed my life in so many ways.
What is THON?
Penn State’s THON is the largest run student philanthropy in the world that raises money to help find a cure for pediatric cancer. THON now has over 15,000 student volunteers, 700 dancers, and has raised more than $78 million benefiting the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State’s Hershey Children’s Hospital since 1973. A year’s worth of hard work culminates in one weekend in February where dancers stay on their feet for 46 hours in the Bryce Jordan Center. It is a truly touching and life-changing experience that will have impact on everyone involved.
Ways to get involved
Organizations
If you get involved in any organizations at school (and I sincerely hope you take advantage of the hundreds of groups available to you!), you can participate in THON with your org. Almost all organizations have members that are committed to THON’s effort—they usually hold weekly meetings, are assigned a THON child, fundraise, and thus have dancers as well. For instance, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) was paired with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and together, they helped to raise money for THON and participated in the weekend’s festivities. This option is great for those who want to get further involved in an organization that you are already in.
Special Interest Organizations
In addition to your general organizations, such as SWE, you can also get involved in one of the many special interest organizations that unite for the common cause of THON. Their goal is to raise very large amounts of money specifically for THON, and therefore these groups tend to be a lot bigger than your general organizations. For instance, one special interest org, called Atlas, has a few hundred students working to raise money. They also hold regular meetings, while their fundraising is a bit more intense. One advantage to this type of group is that you can meet a wide variety of people while still having a blast.
Committees
In order for THON to operate as smoothly as it does, there are many webs of volunteers who work hard together to ensure a successful weekend. There are 11 different committees (Communications, Donor & Alumni Relations, Merchandise, Hospitality, Finance, Morale, OPPerations, Public Relations, Special Events, Rules and Regulations, Entertainment) that each have a different color and responsibility during the weekend and the months leading up to it. In order to obtain a committee position, you must fill out an application and have an interview. If accepted (high acceptance rate), then you are placed onto a committee. A committee is led by a captain (who is in turn led by an overall) and there are usually between 20 and 40 people. Your captain leads weekly meetings (usually starting in October) and you participate in different activities depending on your specific committee, such as spirit events and training sessions. During the weekend of THON, you are given work shifts and help to run the BJC. Although each committee is different, they all work together and are crucial to the success of THON.
My THON experience
Because a lot of my family went to Penn State and participated in THON, I knew that I wanted to join as well, because I wanted to feel like I was a part of something much bigger than myself. I decided that a committee position best suited me, because I wanted to join a close knit group of people. On the application, you put your first two choices—mine were Morale and Hospitality, which are typically the two most competitive ones. After going through the interview process, I unfortunately was not offered either of my top two choices; however, I did get placed onto a Rules and Regulations (R&R) committee. Needless to say, I was a little bummed out, but I did not let that discourage me. I decided to make the best of my situation, and make a difference in any way possible. It was one of the best decisions I made during my freshman year (along with attending WEPO!!!!). There were only a small percentage of freshmen out of the 40 kids, so I stepped out of my comfort zone by taking on the role of “Ice Breaker Chair”. I was able to form friendships, even with the upperclassmen, who become some of my best friends at school. As the year went on and we became more involved, we invested so much of ourselves to the committee and THON, and it was so rewarding. When the weekend came, we felt very prepared and confident that we could successfully do our jobs. I was actually picked to hold a special position during the weekend—as a part of a Pass Team that helped move people on to and off of the floor, I was lucky enough to interact with VIP guests! Because I excelled over the course of the weekend, I was one of the committee members chosen to get an Incentive Pass, which is a pass that allows you to be on the floor for the last four hours (a pretty big deal—especially for a freshman!) I got to experience Family Hour, where the families talked about their struggles with cancer, as well as a concert performed by Go Go Gadjet, and the reveal of the total, an unbelievable $10,686,924.83!!!! It was the most rewarding weekend that I have ever experienced, and I urge all of you to get involved in THON in some way, because it will change your life!
“Kids dream about growing up to be many things: firefighters, teachers, doctors, professional athletes, and even superheroes. A child with cancer dreams about the chance to grow-up.”
Visit www.thon.org for more information. One day we will dance in celebration, but until then we will dance for a cure. For The Kids—FTK!!
Mimi is a sophomore in Industrial Engineering. She is a rover for WEPO 2012.
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