ConcernedTHONAlumni2
Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:54 pm Post subject: Loss of "Student-run" aspect most troubling

I personally believe that 48 hours is what THON is and if it is to be changed to 43/44 hours it is no longer the same event. It has been a tradition for over 30 years and it is successful for a reason- messing with something that doesn't need to be fixed often leads to its downfall- that said- THON will go on regardless of what has happened here- because it is all about the kids and student/alumni devotion and dedication to the Four Diamonds Fund- however- I think the most distressing aspect of all of this is that the students have lost control- yes the students did make the decision to go to BJC for 43 hours instead of staying at Rec Hall for 48 (likely with many new stipulations)- but there is much more to it- they should not have been forced to make that decision in the first place- the administration has wanted to shorten THON for almost a decade and when the students gave them an opportunity to force a mandate through (by telling them the reasons why THON needed to move to BJC in the future in the first place), the administration took advantage of the students and forced them to make a choice that they didn't want to make- and they fought hard against it but in the end felt as they had no choice- The students went into this with the intention of moving THON to BJC to better the future of THON- they had no idea that cutting THON to 43 hours would become a part of the package- I think the administration of the University should stand up and say what really happened instead of making the students- who have already suffered enough in all of this in my opinion- take all of the heat for a decision they did not make- I believe the three main reasons THON is so successful is our ties to the Four Diamonds Fund, the "student-run" aspect of the event and the fact that it is the only 48hour dance marathon in the world- yes it is hard but it is supposed to be- with 2 out of 3 of those criteria coming under fire- what will the future hold?