Many students were in awe when they walked through the math hallway. The doors were decorated like houses in a snowy town. The teacher’s who are located in that hallway have their faces cut out on a snow man. Their theme was a “winter wonderland.” This is the hallway that won this year’s Deck the Hall’s competition.

This hallway was created by the Class of 2015, who won the competition. There was a tie for second between The A-Blast and The Antenna Yearbook (working together) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA).

Deck the Halls is a friendly competition between many different clubs and sports in spirit of the holiday season. The winners of the competition receive $300 towards their club.

Clubs who willingly participate are assigned with a hallway to design or a part of the school to bedazzle by continuing to uphold the theme of holiday halls. This year’s participating clubs include Family Career Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), DECA, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Hispanic Leadership, The Antenna Yearbook, The A-Blast, Speech and Debate, Golf, Just World, Art Club and the Feminist club.

All the classes and their sponsors helped organize and participate in decorating a hall in the hopes of their class winning.

Deck the Halls also serves as a way of creating an environment where students come together right before break and work towards the same goal.

“It benefits our club by bringing us together and a lot of people showed up to help make all the decorations so everyone could get involved,” Class of 2015 sponsor Cragin Winkler said.

However, the competition isn’t just about the money.

“Besides the reward, the time spent with one another and the laughter my friends and I shared during our session of ‘pimp my hall’ are memories, and that is the ultimate prize,” junior Kadijah Sesay said.

Some people participate in Deck the Halls regardless of the reward, simply to have a good time and spread joy throughout AHS.

“I participate because it’s so important to have school spirit and to take pride and support your class. I think it’s a really good tradition because it brings out the best in the students and when kids walk through those doors it’s going to feel very positive,” junior Dini Mohamud said.

Most clubs use Deck the Halls as a way to advocate their organization to the students of AHS in order to recruit new members.

“Deck the Halls is a great way that we can promote our club and I think it’s a great tradition that we should [continue] to do every year,” FBLA member Ky Nguyen said.

Despite all of the healthy competition, there are still winners and losers. The judges have specific things that they are looking for when evaluating the different hallways.

“There are four main categories that are listed in the rubric that we go by. We take use of space, school spirit, incorporation of winter decor and creativity into consideration as we walk through the halls,” judge Jennifer Crump-Strawderman said.

There was a tie for second place with Yearbook/A-Blast and Deca.

1st place of Annandale’s annual 2014 Deck the Halls is Class of 2015.