THON

It's THON weekend!

There is nowhere on the Penn State campus this week that you could go where everyone wasn’t talking about THON. Many students spend most of the year preparing and fundraising for the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon to combat childhood cancer. Like football, THON is a way of life at PSU.





The video above is a preview of THON and what this event is all about.  The video itself is a culmination of video, text, and music to promote THON. Since this is THON weekend, videos like the one above have flooded Facebook newsfeeds and it’s all that anyone is talking about.

Although the video shows what THON is, the video actually seems to be a brilliant marketing technique to gain supporters to donate to this charity. Every aspect of this video plays on pathos of the viewing audience. Even though THON is student run, the video is not just targeted towards the college students on campus, but rather to every single person who cares about children and fighting cancer.

 For instance, the text present in the video states how and why we THON. By using inspiring words such as “hope,” “strength,” and “love,” the prime motivations of THON are conveyed. Also, the video shows the BJC with all the students dancing and supporting the children in unity which conveys the message that together we can help fight childhood cancer. The children with cancer are also shown dancing and smiling which reminds the audience who they are donating money for and who they are supporting. The video pulls on the heart strings of the viewers and plays into their emotions. The chosen music also plays a large role in the message that this video conveys. The song relates to childhood cancer because it sings about seeing the enemy and keeping hope because the fight isn’t over yet. It is about miracles and THON is an effort to make miracles happen. The video is truly inspiring.

I never stopped to think that promotional THON videos contained so much rhetoric, but by playing on the pathos of those involved, this video strongly convinces its viewers to support and even donate to THON.

Happy THON weekend! FTK ❖