Web site opens Thon to world


Friday, Feb. 20, 1998	Web site opens Thon to world By DAVID ANDREWS Collegian Staff Writer Some will experience it by standing in a crowded room for 48 hours, battling fatigue and blisters. Others will "experience" the 1998 Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon this year on a comfortable seat in the quiet of their own homes.
	The dance marathon World Wide Web site, located at www.thon.org, will provide viewers across the country with a close look at the proceedings in White Building. For the first time, a running video, a Web site to chat with the dancers and a donation site will bring Thon into cyberspace. "It's allowing dance marathon to get more recognition, not just at Penn State, but all over the world," said Todd Waltman (senior-health policy and administration), overall chairman for dance marathon. To make the expanded Internet coverage possible, SRT Enterprises, which created the Web site, will provide three or four cameras in White Building, said Haydn Kuprevich, director of advertising and marketing for SRT Enterprises. One camera will move around the dance floor, while others will be stationed at different points throughout the building. The videos will be combined to make a single, running video of the weekend, which can be viewed live with RealVideo, Kuprevich said. Near the back of the dance floor, SRT will also provide two computers for dancers to chat on. Other computers may be set up in the HUB Fishbowl, where children who cannot reach the White Building can interact with the dancers.
`48 Hours of Thon`	Giving the children who benefit from the dance marathon a view of White Building was a prime motivation for the Internet coverage, said Kuprevich, who danced in the 1996 marathon. "The hope is that the children down in Hershey who are unable to attend this weekend will be able to have a closer connection to the Thon experience," he said. Some dancers said they will appreciate the chat room as an added diversion. "Anything new that they can do to keep us busy would be welcome," said Kurt Rodeghiero (junior-international politics), who will dance for Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, 409 E. Fairmount Ave. Rodeghiero said his only misgiving about the Web site is the 10-minute time limit for chatting, implemented to keep dancers from falling asleep at the computers. The service is also aimed at University students studying abroad and alumni who live too far away, Waltman said. The Web site will not only raise awareness of dance marathon this weekend, but also throughout the year, Kuprevich said. By visiting www.thon.org, people will learn of the latest Thon news throughout the year, such as committee selection and the choosing the logo. Visitors will also be able to see video clips of the marathon throughout the year, he said. "We wanted to help dance marathon move forward into the next century," Kuprevich said.