The weekend of September 22-24, 2017 was a significant one for Penn State students and THON volunteers. It was the end of an era for all Penn Staters past and present, but for us seniors, it was the end of our era – one last canning trip, and it coincided with our final year.
The THON community has been aware of the phasing out of canning for a while, and has known that this weekend in 2017 would be the last of its kind. When the announcement came out in 2015, it felt so far into the future. I think that we assumed the decision would be reversed by then, that by September 2017, things would go back to normal.
We’re here now, after the last trip, and the guidelines have remained firm. It’s been a controversial decision from the start, and while we understand the rationale behind it, many are still uncomfortable with the way the situation was handled.
Tally Sepot’s death was a tragedy, and my opinion on the end of canning doesn’t take away from that. I don’t want to imagine being in the position of losing a close friend and a sorority sister, much less on a weekend that was spent working for something close to our hearts. It could have been anyone, and maybe my opinion would be different if I had felt the loss first-hand. I can’t speak for those who were personally affected by the horrible event.
While the Penn State and Greek community mourned the loss of Tally, that did not stop the outrage that occurred after the canning decision was announced. Canning not only brings in a lot of money for THON, but it is how the student volunteers bond with one another. It reinforces the mission of THON and we form friendships with others who share a passion for fighting this disease. We make new friends and show the world our dedication to this cause as we brave all sorts of weather and fatigue on these canning trips.
I’m not going to go into all of the reasons that volunteers have opposed the canning decision. I am positive that you will find many if you were to survey every student, and it’s not my place to assume 15,000 opinions on the subject.
I was one of the students that were almost positive that canning would be reinstated by the time the final trip came. It just made no sense that canvassing trips were still allowed but canning was not, and I was confident that such a strong tradition wouldn’t be “cancelled.”
But here we are now, with this tradition having come to a close. Current freshmen and sophomores have never known canning the way the Class of 2018 did their freshman year, and as all of the classes before that have known it. The next classes that come to Penn State will never experience such a weekend and the feeling of community that it brings, and these thoughts ran rampant as the final canning trip approached, arrived, and then quickly became part of the past.
It’s hard to believe it’s actually over.
This last canning trip was the best I have experienced. We raised more money than any other trip I have been on in the past, and aside from having a fun weekend, I was also reminded of why we do this and who we are fighting for. After being outside under the sun for hours, a woman with two children walked up to the storefront where I was standing. One of the children was bald, thin, and had a small tube taped to her face and running up her nose – I knew what that meant. My stomach immediately dropped and my heart broke in half, but my spirits were also lifted after the mother stopped to thank us.
She placed money in our can and said, “Thank you guys. I appreciate it.” These were two simple sentences, yet had so much power and emotion behind them.
In a matter of seconds, this woman had reminded me the importance of my – and 15,000 other students’ – actions. ; they make a difference. They matter to these families every day, not just on the weekend we see them in February. We are changing their lives. There, right in front of me, was a family that had benefitted from all of these weekends.
They are why we do everything in our power to raise as much as we can.
The final canning weekend left me wishing there could be another one. I would love the chance to experience the bonding and fundraising several more times, but that can’t happen. So instead, I’m thankful that I was able to end my time with a Penn State tradition on such a high note. I hope that every volunteer was able to do the same.
Canning may be reinstated one day. If it is, it’ll certainly not be while any current Penn State students are here. We will be long gone by the time the decision is reversed. But while we’re here, we have a responsibility to forge new traditions and generate excitement about other ways to fundraise. We can hope that things will change in the future, but for now, we should also make alternative fundraisers and new THON traditions with as much of an open mind as energy.
Let’s start brainstorming. Let’s channel our frustration over canning’s end into something beneficial and creative. Let’s plan what else we can do and start new traditions, so that the next generation of Penn Staters will look forward to something the way we have always looked forward to canning.
I have never agreed with the decision to end this tradition, but I understand why it needed to be done. I hope that future administrators will bring it back – but in the meantime, we need to appreciate the past and what canning was able to do, instead of grieving the loss of it. If it does come back, I hope it’s in the safest way possible, so that every student volunteer is protected.
It’s not canning that raises money to fight pediatric cancer – it’s the students. As long as we have dedicated volunteers, we can still raise millions of dollars for THON and help every family that needs it. I have no doubt that Penn Staters will continue to fight even harder going forward; we’re known for being resilient – that’s what makes this school special.
I hope that everyone enjoyed the last canning weekend, and I hope that the seniors look back fondly on the trips we had before we knew there would be an end. Our weekend trips have made an immeasurable impact. It’s sad when a tradition comes to an end, but we have so many reasons to be proud of what this particular tradition has done – now, it’s time for the next one.
Canning is over, but we will never stop fighting for a cure.