Canning – look it up on Dictionary.com and they’ll tell you it is, “the process or business of sealing food in cans or tins to preserve it”. Ask a Penn State student and they’ll tell you it’s a series of weekend long events that have become a vital part of the fall season here at Penn State. Canning is one of the many things that make being a student here a truly unique experience and set us apart from other universities. Let’s be real, how many other college students do you know that would be willing to stand outside in the cold all weekend asking strangers for money? What makes it so great is that canning is one hundred percent voluntary and yet, for many, it’s an essential part of the Penn State experience. Not only do canning weekends raise astonishing amounts of money for our beloved philanthropy, but they are also a chance to form lifelong friendships with people who may have been total strangers before you left State College. With our third canning weekend just around the corner and THON approaching fast, I thought it’d be a good idea to offer a few helpful tips that will ensure each and every one of you incredible volunteers have the best canning weekend possible. So grab your pillows and PSU IDs and get ready to raise some insane amounts of money FTK because canning weekend #3 is officially here.
DO Thank your host
I don’t know about you guys, but if someone asked me to let a ton of perfect strangers sleep, eat, and maybe even shower at my apartment for an entire weekend, I’m not so sure I’d comply. Thankfully, we canners are blessed every weekend with some amazingly generous hosts. These people not only allow us into their homes, but also take on the responsibility of feeding us for an entire weekend – which we all know can be a pretty daunting task with the appetites of college kids. The generosity of hosts never ceases to amaze me and I think it’s something that definitely needs to be acknowledged by each and every one of us. Be sure to offer a personal thank you to your hosts this weekend and try to help out in any way you can because without their hard work and kindness, canning wouldn’t be possible.
DO Stay up late and bond with your fellow canners
As someone who can never seem to get more than five hours of sleep per night, I know how valuable a few extra hours of sleep can be to any college student. That being said, when canning, sleep shouldn’t be your first priority. Yes, you’re going to be getting up pretty early so it would make sense to get some sleep, but trust me when I say you’d be missing out if you did. The great thing about canning is that it is a chance to actually just hang out with people in a real home away from the college atmosphere. It’s basically like a slumber party for college kids, and anyone who says they don’t love a good slumber party is lying. So eat pizza, swap hilarious stories and get your bond on because you won’t find a better way to really get to know someone than canning.
DO Bring warm clothes
As the girl who can be seen wearing three winter jackets on any given day, I will be the first to tell you how important staying warm is when canning. We all know how brutal State College weather can be, but the 10-20 minute walks we endure going to and from our classes everyday is not even comparable to standing in one spot for hours on end. So be sure to pack your comfiest sweatshirts, gloves, scarves and hats because no amount is too much when you’re up against low temperatures. Yeah, you might need to pack an extra bag, but I promise you that you won’t regret it. Besides, a warm canner is a happy canner and who doesn’t want to be a happy canner?
DON’T Be afraid to go all out
When it comes to canning, it pays to be insane. No crazy outfit, wild dance or out of tune singing is too much. Personally, the number of people who gave me money the first time I dawned my pink fuzzy ATLAS hat blew me away. The key to canning is being able to get someone’s attention. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, and not everyone is going to donate just because you got their attention, but they sure as heck can’t donate if you don’t get their attention in the first place. So pick out your wildest outfit (bright colors, tutus, costumes, crazy hats – the sky’s the limit!) and work on those dance moves. Unless you’re hosting, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll never see these people again, so why not get your weird on?
DON’T Only go with your friends
Yes we all love our friends and seeing them over the weekends, but when you limit yourself to only signing up to go where your friend does, you’re missing out on the opportunity to make new ones. Of course it’s possible to still make new friends while you’re with an old one, but I’ve found that it’s much harder. I know the concept of driving for hours to a location you know nothing about in a car full of perfect strangers may seem weird, but it really is an amazing opportunity to meet new people. Besides, no matter how different you are from the other people on your trip, two things are guaranteed: you are all Penn State students and you all want to end childhood cancer. After that, what else really matters?
DON’T Complain
Like I mentioned beforehand, going canning is completely voluntary, so if you choose to go, you have no excuse to complain. I’ll admit that canning can be a pretty daunting task for first time canners, and the concept may seem a little overwhelming at times, but when your mind starts to wander to your grumbling stomach (which reminds me – pack snacks!) or your aching feet, remember those Four Diamonds. Take a minute to think about the unbelievable amounts of pain felt by the victims of childhood cancer and I guarantee that you’ll not only survive those last few hours, but you’ll be more motivated than ever. Every minute we can, every car that stops, every penny we raise is making a difference in the life of a child. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of any better way to spend my Saturday.