Written by Keona Montague and Kaitlyn Casciato
During this THON™ Weekend, we got the chance to interview Jordan Westbrook, one of the dancers from the Penn State Cheerleading team. During the weekend, Jordan along with a little over 700 dancers, stood against childhood cancer for 46 hours without sleeping or sitting. During the weekend the dancers participated in the Line Dance every hour, along with enjoying multiple live performances and spending time with their family and friends on the floor. Throughout the event, the dancers have the support of their organizations and teams standing in the bleachers of the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC) cheering them on. Some of the organizations have large signs and pictures of their dancers to keep them going.
When we asked Jordan why she THONs, her face immediately lit up, and she said “So that children can be children and families can stay whole, to hopefully dance for a cure, and for their Four Diamonds families.” It is clear to see that Jordan and the rest of the cheer team are very grateful and care so much for their families, as well as fighting for this cause as a whole. Jordan, along with the Penn State Cheer Team, dances for their families which they are paired with. The team is paired with Junie Beckinger, Aubrey Evans, and Emma Munger.
The theme of their T-shirts this year was inspired by Junie’s stuffed dog, Dexter. Junies dad bought her the dog when she first got admitted to the hospital, and has carried it with her to all of her treatments since then. This is why they wanted to use the design of Dexter on their shirt. The design of the shirt can be seen in the picture below.
We also got the chance to ask her some more fun questions about her THON experience so far and how she was staying motivated during the weekend, some of them being what her favorite song was to listen to during THON weekend, and she replied “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon. Walk the Moon was the band that was featured as the National Act on Friday night on Day 1. Jordan reminisces on listening to the song during team arrival, and hearing the song performed live during THON Weekend made it even more special.
When asked what her favorite THON Weekend memory is, Westbrook said “Dancers Stand with her best friends in the world.”
As THON Weekend comes to an end dancers excitedly await Total Reveal. The excitement in the Bryce Jordan Center is indescribable as they lift up the numbers showing the culmination of the organization’s hard work this past year. Now it is time for everyone involved to relax and appreciate everything they’ve achieved.
Featured Image: Courtesy of Keona Montague