Throughout the Bryce Jordan Center, dancers began to slink around, holding imaginary guns to the air, eyeing the crowd suspiciously.

The 007 theme blasts through the speakers and the screen fills with images from last year's Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. In unison, the dancers and moralers begin to sing, "Thon is the place for me, welcome to the BJC!"

Filled with references to pop culture and Penn State pride, the Thon line dance is an integral part of Thon tradition and spirit.

Lyrics alluded to the recently departed Steve Irwin, Paul Posluszny's record-breaking season and Bill Cowher's decision to resign as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The line dance also referenced some things only a real Penn Stater could appreciate, with lyrics such as "Nathan's lights, what a shock," an allusion to the neon green sign over the new Nathan's Famous eatery in the HUB-Robeson Center.

For many, the line dance is the most inspiring, energizing part of Thon. The line dance is played once every hour to pump up the crowd and keep the dancers moving.

"I love the line dance. For three minutes, everyone just comes together for this one cause," Stephanie Abdalla (freshman-human development and family sciences) said.

About midday yesterday, the dancers participated in the annual dance-off between the men and the women. The audience voted by a round of applause on which group performed the line dance better. For the 31st consecutive year, the lady's only line dance group took the prize.

"It's completely unfair. You can see that there are like five guys to 30 girls in here, and the girls scream louder," Matt Pagano (senior-premedicine said).

Becky Ellis (senior-history) said she enjoys doing the line dance because of the energy it inspires in the crowd.

"It fires me up," she said. "I feel pumped up, stretched out and ready to go."

Cynthia Barney, a Penn State alumna, said she stands up and does the line dance with the dancers each time it comes on. Barney said she came to Thon to support her niece, but was disappointed to find that the dancers weren't actually dancing.

"It's a great cause, and I know they're struggling, but I would like to see more dancing," she said.

Barney said when she attended Thon in the late '70s and early '80s, everyone had to dance or they were kicked off the floor.

"It's still a marathon," she said. "But it's not a dance marathon."

Lucy Yao (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) attended Thon for the first time this year with her sorority.

"I thought they'd be dancing," she said, "but it's not really possible for anyone to dance for 46 hours."

Adam Beani (senior-applied psychology) said it is actually easier to try to dance the entire time. Almost 40 hours into Thon yesterday, he said that he felt "amazing."

Beani said the line dance is his favorite part of Thon because it boosts his energy.

"The more you dance, the less you think about the pain," he said.

Pagano agreed that constant movement and a good attitude were very important.

"It's all about the energy," Pagano said. "I'm just trying to make as many memories as possible."