Brightly colored pig hats, massive neon beach balls and tons of Mardi Gras beads all collided to create a lavishly bedecked crowd that pulsated to the music on the floors of the Bryce Jordan Center this weekend.
But while the crowd downstairs was bobbing to the beat, family and community members were upstairs, affectionately swapping stories of who they know in Thon and jovially awaiting to explore the inner workings of the event through the aptly named "mini-Thon tour."
The Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is the model for several similar dance marathon events held throughout the country. So, during Thon weekend, many people take tours to understand the inner workings of Penn State's student-run philanthropy. And others just come for the sights and sounds.
As they waited for their first group of tourists at about 9 a.m. Saturday, tour guides Hillary Lewis, Ashley McCabe and Michelle Laboda said people are very interested in tours this year.
"Tours are done every year, but they are especially popular this year because people want to see what's changed," Lewis said, referring to Thon's move from Rec Hall to the BJC this year.
The first group of the morning was senior citizens from The Village at Penn State's Retirement Center.
Laboda led the group of retirees from the loud party of the BJC to the mezzanine level where the Thon captains slept in eerie silence.
After moving through the sleep quarters, Laboda introduced the visitors to the Thon children's "no grownup room," an oasis for the kids that allowed them to enjoy some independence. The tour continued on through the swarms of pinks and greens that dominated the hallways.
Posters showcasing the children's smiling faces adorned the Family Hallway, another focal point during the tour, which led up to the dancer's "snack shack," where only the dancers can eat, and the "dancer walk," a hallway that serves as a morale booster.
A "No Squirt Guns! They will be confiscated!" poster hung in the hallways leading up to the "dancer walk," which boasted its "Thonopoly" theme. Hearts and footballs hung from the ceiling as Monopoly squares commandeered the colorful tapestries that covered the walls.
