If you missed THON’s annual pep rally, have no fear! Valley was front and center to give you the details.
The theme of 2017’s pep rally was Disney. Every sport’s team had to incorporate at least one Disney song in their skit. The judges, which included the Blue Sapphire, Mike the Mailman, the Blue Band Drum Major and others, had to pick 3 teams to move on after the initial performance. From there the audience would choose the winner via cheering.
The hosts reminded us that the teams have come up with their own music and dance moves, but they all “dance to conquer.” After a comical intro from the hosts that consisted of social media lingo, the pep rally began.
It started off with Penn State’s cheerleaders pumping up the crowd with fan favorite cheers from football games. After, came the famous Lionettes, who were flawless as always and did a routine to Alessia Cara’s “How Far I’ll Go” from Disney’s Moana. What a great kickoff!
Before choosing the final three finalists, the judges revealed who they enjoyed the most: men’s gymnastics, the football team, men’s soccer, men’s tennis, and and women’s volleyball.
Men’s gymnastics consisted of amazing flips and tricks including back flips, what appeared to be break dancing moves, and full body twists. Perhaps the most memorable section of their skit is when High School Musical’s “Breaking Free” came on and members were held up in the air.
The football team had no problem rallying the crowd when they entered the stage. They had silly and smooth moves in their routine, incorporating Darth Vader masks at the beginning, but ultimately moving on to perform Disney’s Frozen —blonde wig and all.
Men’s soccer, another judge favorite, was hilariously unique. They entered the stage wearing jorts and cut off jean vests, performing scandalous and fierce moves. They definitely pleased the crowd —are we sure they didn’t have a choreographer?
Men’s tennis took to the BJC’s stage in matching neon tie-dye outfits, which was a costume favorite. They impersonated Kung Fu Panda and even had an entertainingly awkward couple dance to “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. The best part was when they conformed into human steps and one of their member’s ran across and jumped off the “steps.”
Photo by Ann Li
Women’s volleyball also did a good job in impressing the judges. Their routine was one of the most original. They were dressed as felines and danced to a theater piece, then showed off their dance skills to more contemporary jams.
Finally, the judges announced that men’s gymnastics, women’s volleyball, and men’s soccer would be moving on to the final round. The crowd eventually chose men’s gymnastics as the winner after each team performed once more.
Throughout the pep rally there were heart-warming messages from celebrities and sports teams that could not attend, which reminded the BJC of why we THON.
Congratulations to men’s gymnastics!
