Among the
592 dancers participating in THON 2021, most are doing so from their apartments, houses, or frats. Only a select few are dancing from the confines of their Penn State dorm rooms.
Senior psychology major Autumn Barber is dancing in the first-ever virtual THON from her on-campus abode as an independent dancer. Barber lives in a single in Eastview Terrace, and in order to adhere to campus dorm policy, she won’t receive any visitors all weekend long.
“I knew this experience would be different, but I can handle different,” Barber said. “Although I would love to be in the BJC with all the kiddies, families, friends, volunteers, etc., I am fully aware and understanding of why that cannot happen this year. I am just looking at all the positives of doing this from the comfort of my room. I do not have to ZipLock all my outfits and things to stuff into my Vera Bradley duffle bag again this year.”
The 2021 THON line dance has officially arrived, and with that, Onward State is here to break down the lyrics and explain every reference noted in this year’s song.
From plenty of Zoom jokes to the hot UPS guy and even a shoutout to Charli D’Amelio, this year’s line dance managed to mention plenty of what happened in the wild year that was 2020. Here are the meanings behind every lyric.
Verse 1: Penn State
Zoom takes over campus classes, // grab your sweats and blue light glasses
Penn State students have officially entered their third semester of Zoom classes due to the coronavirus pandemic. While students did return to campus and some in-person classes
While on-campus students have waited for the chance to come back to Penn State, some wonder if there is the possibility of being sent home should coronavirus cases rise in the area.
Penn State began the on-campus move-in process for the spring semester on Feb. 9 for the start of in-person classes on Feb. 15.
From Aug. 7 to Dec. 18, there were a total of 5,052 positive coronavirus tests in the fall semester at University Park, according to Penn Stateâs coronavirus dashboard. However, Penn State never suspended in-person classes or sent all on-campus students home in the fall.
Despite the possibility of being sent home early, several students are still living on campus this spring. One of these students is Maggie Whalen.
Local news from StateCollege.com and Centre County Partners. Read about As Students Return to Campus, Penn State Expands COVID-19 Testing, Plans for Increased Activities and more from the State College, PA region
The quarantine experience at Eastview Terrace has vastly improved since the first weeks of the fall semester.
Originally, when admitted to quarantine, students were provided with three meals per day with little to no entertainment opportunities. One of our staffers even wrote about
In the latest upgrade to the Eastview Terrace quarantine experience, Penn State Housing and Food Services has created an online portal so that students can order snacks and everyday convenience store items through the Penn State Eats app.
Students can order pre-packaged food, frozen entrees, Penn State Bakery treats, and even Berkey Creamery ice cream (when available). Toiletries and school supplies are available to purchase, too.