By Angela Almeida
Opinions Editor

Daniel Almeida is a household name for me, literally. He is my brother and a current sophomore at Penn State University. In high school, he was never the “involved” type. In fact, he shied away from pretty much any function entailing varsity letters or checks for attendance. In college, however, he leads a much different life. As evidence of this, today he will be one of roughly 700 dancers to participate in Penn State’s annual 48-hour dance marathon or “THON”.

Benefiting cancer research for children, THON raised about $7.5 million just last year. It is charitable while being one of the most intense experiences any Penn State student can endure. That is, of course, if they are given the opportunity. And in the case of my brother, he is one of the few.

Extensive preparation went into getting in shape for THON. He had to start working out (a feat for a self-proclaimed “chill guy”). He had to start dieting (yes, that means days of partying came to a slow). Overall, he had to start being a part of something.

Considering he just started dancing and will go until 6 p.m. on Sunday, I have yet to hear how THON went. However, I am incredibly proud and excited to see him get involved and in a HUGE way. After all, even famous people are in the know about THON. According to The Penn Stater, stars such as Lindsey Lohan and Chloe Kardashian have twittered about attending the event. It’s a sure phenomenon.

To see THON 2009 visit: