4 THE CAPITAL TIMES
As THON draws near, a dancer's perspective
Steve O'Holla reflects on the past and looks
By Steve O'Holla
Staff Reporter
SAOI 42@PSU.EDU
With THON less than thirty
days away, I will share my "pre
THON" dancing views with
you. I want to clear something
up first. I do not have to "dance"
for 48 hours and I don't have to
wear a thong for 48 hours, two
common misconceptions people
have about THON in general.
THON is the largest student
run philanthropy in the world
and is officially called the Penn
State IFC/Panhellenic Dance
Marathon. THON is short for
marathon and is a year round
fund-raising event benefiting
The Four Diamonds Fund,
conquering childhood cancer,
at the Penn State Children's
Hospital in Hershey.
The year culminates in a no
sitting, no sleeping, 48-hour dance
marathon held every February. This
year's event takes place Feb. 17-19
at the Recreation Hall in University
Park. Over the past 30 years, the
students of THON have raised
over $3O million and have helped
thousands of children and families
fight pediatric cancer. Now that
you know what THON is, here is
my story.
I first was introduced to THON back
at Penn State Hazleton four years ago.
I did the letters, the pledge booking,
the canning, and of course went to
see the marathon at University Park
Thinkfast for cash
Student Activities challenges students to test their knowledge
From left: Sean Stanton, Steve O'Holla, and Micheal Edwards made up the team '"The Navy Seals"
who reached the final rounds where O'Holla was second runner up in attempt at the win.
By ASHLEY LOCKARD
Editor in Chief
AFLSOOO©PSU.EDU
On Thursday, Jan. 20, at 9:30
p.m. students enjoyed a quiz
show style event, sponsored by
the Entertainment Council, called
Thinkfast, an audience-response
interactive trivia game.
Nichole Duffy, student activities
coordinator, helped plan the event
which took place in the Capital
Union Building.
Students and faculty in
attendance competed in several
rounds of competitive, brain-
teasing trivia.
Contestants were able to form
teams consisting of up to four
people or contestants could
compete solo. Each team received
a remote with selections 1 through
5 to use in order to answer
the questions.
Every round provided 20 questions
shown on a projector screen ranging
in topics, including: TV, movies,
name the artist, history, geography,
famous speeches.
As every question was answered,
contestants' scores rose depending
how quickly the questions
were answered.
On the last question of each
round, competitors were able
to bet all, some, or none of
their points in order to gain the
most points in the end (similar
to Jeopardy).
During each round at random
times, the announcer gave
Photo courtesy of The Capital Times
Members of THON and other students help to raise money by volunteering their
time working at Cold Stone Creamery in Colonial Park.
every year. Why did I get involved in
THON? I do it for the kids. The kids
are enough of a reason.
When my 3-year-old neighbor
died of pediatric cancer when I was
younger, I often asked the question,
"Why?" Why do things have to
happen to good people? Everyone
has their stories and many are tragic.
For those of you who say, "I don't
care" or "I don't have enough time,"
I would like you to know that I work
a full-time job, I am an intern, and
contestants a chance to earn the
most points for the question
before the answer was shown on
the screen by being the first to
answer a question unrelated to the
game. Some questions involved
the students having to show the
announcer something before other
contestants could.
"I earned our team one thousand
points by being the first one to
show him an out of state license,"
said Matt Mahoney.
The teams competed until there
were four top teams. Then one
Students compete in the final round testing their knowledge for a change to win the grand prize of $2OO
January 23, 2006
am a member of five organizations at
Penn State. We make the time!
THON is such a wonderful
experience that I encourage everyone
to support your dancers from Penn
State Harrisburg who have worked
so hard fund-raising this past year. I
will appreciate seeing your smiling
faces that grueling weekend!
Dancers Erin Moskalczak and I
will need all the support we can get.
Staying awake for 48 hours will be
extremely tough, but the fact that life
person was chosen from each
team to compete in a round. They
competed until the first team
reached 50 points.
From there, the top two teams
chose one person to compete in the
final round as semi-finalists against
two wild card players where they
competed for 100 points.
The wildcard players were
chosen from the people left in the
audience in some uniquu ways.
Some people danced to tr} to get a
seat and some even sang.
"The stuff they did to get people
is tougher for the kids
will keep us going.
We are going to be
there for one another
and realize that our
determination will
help find a cure! So
many students have
put in countless hours
and very few get the
credit they deserve.
However, knowing we
did it for the kids is all
that matters.
This year we have
been busy canning.
No, we have not been
preserving fruit for
jelly! We have bl
standing outs
businesses
for donations
customers e
and exiting
stores. We have
volunteered at
Stone Crel
where twenty-I
of the salei accumulated durii
hours we worked are donated
THON. The scoopers who to(
the time to scoop had nothini
but positive things to say
about the experience.
Erica Cook, junior elemental
education, said, "It was a fui
night and we raised money
a good cause." Her interest
THON has prompted sevi
others on campus to expi,
interest in some of the many
BEN: Humanities celebrates
Continued from page 3
to pave, clean, and light the streets of
Philadelphia. He started the first fire
company and opened a hospital.
Franklin was not just about public
service. He also helped to make the
colonies an independent nation.
Franklin was elected to the
Second Continental Congress and
worked on a committee of five
that helped to draft the Declaration
of Independence.
A few years after his wife's
death, he traveled to France as an
ambassador to the Court of Louis
XVI. In his late seventies, Franklin
returned to America.
He became the President of the
Executive Council of Pennsylvania
and served as a delegate to the
Constitutional Convention and
signed the Constitution.
It was a sad day in April 1790
when the 84 year-old Franklin died.
up in the wildcard seats was
hilarious," said one of the semi
finalists, Steve O'Holla from "The
Navy Seals" team.
The final winner was a student and
professor from Penn State Harrisburg.
The prize was $2OO in cash.
O'Holla stated, "I was okay
with not winning because I had a
great night."
The students in attendance all
participated with excitement
throughout the night and seemed
to really enjoy this unique and
spirited event.
forward to the future
THON-related activities. We also
had a "Cold Stone Shuttle" taking
students who did not drive or do not
have a car to Cold Stone Creamery.
We will be back at Cold Stone
Creamery on Wednesday, Jan. 25
from 5-10 p.m. Show your support
and stop by for an ice cream!
We are also sponsoring "PSU Idol,"
which will be an event that everyone
will be talking about! It will be held
on Feb. 1 from 9 -11:30 p.m. in the
student center of the CUB. Those
who wish to sing are eligible for
great prizes and of course the title of
"PSU Idol."
"PSU Idol," similar to "American
Idol," will feature Penn State
From left: Erin Moskalczak and Maruja Rosario
In attendance at his funeral were 20-
30 thousand people who marched to
Christ Church burial ground where
Franklin was put to rest next to his
wife Deborah who had died twenty
five years earlier.
FUNCK:
classroom
Continued from page 1
Funck has many degrees
including a Bachelor of Science in
Chemistry, a Masters of Science
in Petroleum Management,
and Masters of Art in National
Security and Strategic Studies.
Funck said, "I got my
undergraduate degree in 4 years
at Grove City College, the Navy
sponsored me getting my masters
in petroleum management at the
University of Kansas and you
had to complete it in eighteen
months and the Naval War College
Masters was a 1 year course."
One of the things that Funck
enjoys most about teaching is
getting the chance to work with
students in small group settings
or one-on-one. "It is especially
nice to hear someone who came
into a class 'hating science' tell
you at the end of a semester that
they may now take more science
courses or even change their
major," said Funck.
Junior Jan Hutwelker had Funck
for Chemistry 012 and says that
he would take a class with him
again if he had the chance. "He
has a genuine appreciation for
the subject matter and presents
everything in a fairly engaging
fashion," said Hutwelker. He also
added that Funck is able to convey
the ideas of the class clearly and
Harrisburg's version of Simon,
Paula, and Randy as judges and
plenty of fun for all in attendance.
Singers will make a donation of $lO
and there will be different seating
prices for those who wish to attend
this grand karaoke event. A 50/50
raffle will kickoff the evening.
So who will be the Penn State
Harrisburg Idol? You will have
to find out for yourself on Feb
1. Look for us in the lobby for
more information.
For those who wish to sing, simply
e-mail myself at saol42@psu.
edu or Maruja Rosario at
mxr3oo@psu.edu. Rosario is the
THON-chair and she has done
a fantastic job of getting funds
tting our committee
ig danced in THON
she has a first-hand
e of how incredible
really is.
On Jan. 17, 2006, the 300th
anniversary of Franklin's death,
Boudreau, along with more
than 300 others, marched that
Same route which so many took
the day Franklin was buried at
Christ Church.
"Thank God we didn't get the
ice storm they were calling for,"
Boudreau said.
What's his legacy? "Franklin won
Penn's Heart as well as America's
heart," Boudreau shared at the
celebration Thursday.
As faculty, staff, and students
enjoyed cake to celebrate
Franklin's birthday, a remembrance
of all the good did not only for
Pennsylvania, but also for America
was celebrated.
As a belated birthday wish, we
would like to say thank you and
happy birthday Benjamin Franklin.
Beyond the
even add a touch of humor to
every lecture.
During the upcoming year,
Funck hopes to finish a research
project that one of Penn State's
graduate students and Dr. Ciocci
have been working on for the
Environment Protection Agency.
He also wants to take a look at
what Penn State can to do to
better support their ever-growing
chemistry course enrollments.
Currently, Funck is an XGI
advisor and is also active in the
local chapter of the American
Chemical Society. He enjoys
fishing and hunting and is a Boy
Scout leader. Funck has been
married for twenty-four years and
has three children - a son who is
a graduate student at Texas A&M,
a daughter who is a freshman at
Washington College and another
son who is presently in high
school. "One achievement that I
have been most proud of in my
life above all other things has
been raising three great children,"
said Funck.
Where one chapter ends, another
one begins. So next time, look
beyond the book's cover to find
out what a person's really about
because you'll never completely
understand the book if you never
look inside.
an counting the days
HON and I can't wait
' I experience being
dancer for myself. I
Ipe this article cleared
ip any questions
you may have had
about THON and
at the same time,
inspired you to
get involved in
THONnext year.
Remember, we
are doing this
for the kids!