Students gathered in Gym 1 during eighth period on Monday to support classmates participating in winter sports and to cheer on fellow students and their faculty partners in the Dancing with the Faculty event, hosted by the SGA.

To kick off the pep rally, SGA officers announced the rosters of the winter varsity sports teams as members walked around the gym to receive recognition from their peers. Following the introductions, however, was when the crowd began to get even more excited.

Dancers were chosen from each class, including freshmen Sophia Martinese, John Nguyen and Cheryl Mensah; sophomore Solomon Shewit; juniors Jacob Rosenblum and Eric Xie; and senior Darren Bolduc.

Faculty members included Spanish teachers Alexandra Pou, Ellen Whitten and Margaret Gendive; Director of Student Activities Shawn DeRose; English teacher Suzette Henry; Intervention Specialist Mark Forgash; and reigning champion, English teacher Emily Orser.

After dancing to a variety of songs and showcasing their best dance moves, the contestants were whittled down to the final two pairs. After a rigorous final round, SGA president senior Allison Chou revealed the victorious pair to be Xie and Pou, leaving Henry and Buldoc as the runner-ups.

“Being in dance competitions has always been a challenge for me, but with the support of the class of 2014 and the Swim and Dive family, I was able to take home the gold,” Xie said. “I have a title to defend now, and only a legend will bring me down.”