Three Liberal Arts students serve as 2023 THON directors

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) will return to the Bryce Jordan Center from Feb. 17-19. As the world’s largest student-run philanthropy, THON raises millions of dollars to fund childhood cancer research for Four Diamonds each year.

Dancers will stand at 6 p.m. on Feb. 17 and remain standing for 46 hours. The weekend will be complete with performances, activities and line dancing — which are all made possible by THON’s directors who comprise the executive committee.

Three students in the College of the Liberal Arts are members of the executive committee. Here are their THON journeys.

Lexi Murphy-Costanzo

Lexi Murphy-Costanzo, a fourth-year student majoring in psychology with minors in human development and family studies and child maltreatment and advocacy studies, is the THON 2023 communications director. The Broomall, Pennsylvania, native first got involved with THON through her high school’s Mini-THON. This experience advanced her love for fundraising efforts, leading to her applying to join a THON committee during her first year at Penn State and ultimately serving as a member of the THON 2020 communications committee. She later became a communications captain for THON 2021 and THON 2022 where she was responsible for administrative coordination and organization resources. Now, as the communications director, Murphy-Costanzo shares the history of THON and its programming efforts and oversees the THON communications captains to help guide outreach efforts.

Murphy-Costanzo looks forward to THON weekend this year and seeing, meeting and talking with the families that THON serves and supports through its fundraising, organizational pairings and events.

“There are so many rewarding aspects about being a THON director. Seeing THON families and interacting with THON kids is one of my favorite things,” Murphy-Costanzo said. “Getting to have small interactions with families, even as simple as having a short conversation to learn more about them or what they like to do, their story, how things are going and what the kids are up to at school is incredibly rewarding, especially when you learn how excited families are for THON and their interactions with their paired student organization.”

Murphy-Costanzo’s position enables her to work with multiple stakeholders such as committee members, THON chairs, student organizations, independent dancer couples, Mini-THONs and Four Diamonds. Providing emotional and financial support to THON families as a united community is at the core of THON’s efforts, on top of continuing THON’s legacy and impact.

“We work so hard to put this event together, and in those moments where you get to spend time chatting with families and hearing so much about how they appreciate it or how much fun they're having makes being a director everything."

THON weekend is a time for “kids to be kids” Murphy-Costanzo said as she looks forward to THON and encourages all who can to experience it and get involved.

Tyler Saiers

Tyler Saiers, a fifth-year student majoring in labor and human resources, is the THON 2023 rules and regulations event safety director. In this position, the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, native works to ensure all THON events and interactions with THON families are safe and supportive. This is Saiers' second year in the role.

As the rules and regulations event safety director for THON 2023, Saiers oversees all safety considerations for all pre-THON 2023 events and THON weekend events. He also oversees a committee of rules and regulations captains to make sure events are being monitored and works with the Bryce Jordan Center, University Police and Penn State Environmental Health and Safety to confirm safety procedures and operational plans. His work ranges from confirming layouts to making timelines for transportation to working with other committees to ensure programming success.

Saiers got involved with THON during his first year at Penn State when an upper division tour guide from a club he had just joined — Student Minority Advisory and Recruitment Team (SMART) — told him he should join a committee. Learning that THON was a way to make new friends and work together with others for a good cause convinced him to apply to a committee, which landed him a spot as a committee member for rules and regulations. He loved his THON involvement, found his friends within the organization, and now continues working with the organization to provide others the same experience he felt his first year.

“The THON community has been my group that has made Penn State so welcoming and has made me want to come back year after year, and so every year I increase my participation in THON and find new ways to be successful but also have fun,” Saiers said. “Some people go to work for 40 hours a week and get paid, but for us, it’s just a fun activity that we do with our friends. I want to give everything that I felt in my Penn State THON experience back to others. I want to give back to an organization that has given so much to me.”

Gwen Yetter

Doylestown, Pennsylvania, native Gwen Yetter is a fifth-year student majoring in psychology and biology and minoring in neuroscience. For THON 2023, she serves as the supply logistics director. In her role, Yetter oversees THON’s inventory and in-kind donations, ensuring all THON committees have access to resources and supplies needed to be successful in their THON efforts, while also keeping internal THON costs down.

As supply logistics director, Yetter guides her supply logistics captains on donor outreach efforts, which include not only local businesses but businesses around the world. This range has allowed Yetter to meet people from various backgrounds who are important stakeholders for THON.

“In my role, I am always so appreciative of the different perspectives that I gain with each experience working with others,” she said. “Being a director has given me the opportunity to see THON through other lenses and gain a better understanding of how THON works with Four Diamonds, its beneficiaries and students to build a strong community.”

Yetter’s first involvement with THON started in her high school’s Mini-THON, but when she came to Penn State, she was unsure how to get involved. Wanting to find friends led her to join the Penn State club cross-country team — a group that is very involved in THON and has its own THON families.

One of the earliest memories Yetter has with the club cross country team is experiencing their fundraiser “Miles for Smiles,” a 46-hour treadmill relay in benefit of THON. Seeing the passion for these efforts and later standing with the team in THON 2019 in the Bryce Jordan Center inspired Yetter to learn more about joining a THON committee.

“Being in the stands with the club cross country team and seeing the energy during THON — especially during the final four hours, family hour and the celebration of life video — made me realize how big of an impact THON has on the lives of so many children and families. It really moved me and pushed me to want to get further involved.”

Yetter went on to serve as a committee member for rules and regulations in her second year, and in her third year served as a committee member for communications. She then took on the role of a communications captain. She credits the reoccurring THON weekend magic with fostering her THON spirit.  

“I find that those moments in the Bryce Jordan Center during THON weekend allow you to center your attention and focus on our mission of THON and recognize the power that the Penn State community has when they come together,” Yetter said. “You get to physically see how much good comes out of THON. I think that every year that reminder of that impact pushes me and others to continue doing THON.

“Everything we do for THON is so important to make this impact, and that legacy of supporting THON families will continue after me into future years of Penn State,” Yetter said.