Liberal arts majors John Zang and Rob Turchick join Dean Long for episode 38 of our bi-weekly podcast Liberal Arts Voices to discuss THON and State Patty’s Day.

John and Rob begin the podcast by discussing their experiences as dancers in last weekend’s IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON). For those who do not know, THON is a Penn State student-run annual initiative to raise money in support of pediatric cancer research through the four diamonds fund at Hershey Medical Center. This year, Penn State students raised a staggering $10.6 million that will go to children and families facing the many forms of pediatric cancer.

This year, John and Rob filled the two dancer spots earned by the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC) for raising $5,600 last year. John and Rob share how they stayed awake and standing for the 46 hours of the Dance Marathon. John and Rob also talk about how LAUC successfully raised $8,400 this year. Congrats to LAUC for their efforts this year!

The second half of the podcast shifts to a discussion of State Patty’s Day, an annual student created holiday occurring this weekend focusing primarily on drinking. The group talks about the recent movement encouraging students to think differently about State Patty’s Day, especially in light of the events on campus last fall and early spring. John and Rob shed some light on the variety of responses about the holiday within the student body and across the variety of student organizations. Dean Long talks about his recent blog post with LAUC President Lauren Perrotti focusing on the different service initiatives planned for this weekend.

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 38 “THON and State Patty’s Day” 

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