This year’s Dartmouth’s Finest was the ‘strangest thing’
Peter Quinn, Gabriel Fernandes and Slade Bertalotto pose after winning. Photos by Kat Sheridan
The entire cast pose in the formal wear at the end of the show.
The entire cast during the opening dance.
The cast lifts Gabriel Fernandes up after he wins Dartmouth's Finest.
Gabriel Fernandes performs “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.
The entire cast pose at the end of the opening dance.
Sloane Brodsky opens the show.
The entire cast during the opening dance.
Peter Quinn dances to “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Slade Bertalotto sings "Ho Hey" by the Luminescent while his friends back him.
Leila Hijazi performs "Remember Me" from Encanto with a friend.
Tristan Almeida does a comedy roast show.
Peter Quinn gets a surprise guest for his performance.
Slade Bertalotto sings "Ho Hey" by the Luminescent.
Rowan Desautels sings "The Wizard and I" from Wicked.
Peter Quinn has some backup during his dance.
'Baby' does the "Dirty Dancing" lift.
The first number featured glowing, dancing stick figures.
People celebrate that the show went well.
Rowan Desautels sings "The Wizard and I" from Wicked.
An unreleased episode of Stranger Things.
An unreleased episode of Stranger Things taking place at Scoops Ahoy.
It's Friday the 13th, but not as in the movie!
Leila Hijazi performs "Remember Me" from Encanto with photos of her as a child in the background.
Gabriel Fernandes performs “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.
Tristan Almeida dons a jersey to win support from the judges.
Nicholas Mota dances to "I've had the time of my life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes like in the movie "Dirty Dancing."
The first number featured glowing, dancing stick figures.
Nicholas Mota pulls a judge into the dance.
The crowd waves phone flashlights during a song.
Hayden Igisomar asks the audience trivia questions.
Nicholas Mota dances to "I've had the time of my life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes like in the movie "Dirty Dancing."
Gabriel Fernandes performs “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.
Peter Quinn, Gabriel Fernandes and Slade Bertalotto pose after winning. Photos by Kat Sheridan
The entire cast pose in the formal wear at the end of the show.
The entire cast during the opening dance.
The cast lifts Gabriel Fernandes up after he wins Dartmouth's Finest.
Gabriel Fernandes performs “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.
The entire cast pose at the end of the opening dance.
Sloane Brodsky opens the show.
The entire cast during the opening dance.
Peter Quinn dances to “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Slade Bertalotto sings "Ho Hey" by the Luminescent while his friends back him.
Leila Hijazi performs "Remember Me" from Encanto with a friend.
Tristan Almeida does a comedy roast show.
Peter Quinn gets a surprise guest for his performance.
Slade Bertalotto sings "Ho Hey" by the Luminescent.
Rowan Desautels sings "The Wizard and I" from Wicked.
Peter Quinn has some backup during his dance.
'Baby' does the "Dirty Dancing" lift.
The first number featured glowing, dancing stick figures.
People celebrate that the show went well.
Rowan Desautels sings "The Wizard and I" from Wicked.
An unreleased episode of Stranger Things.
An unreleased episode of Stranger Things taking place at Scoops Ahoy.
It's Friday the 13th, but not as in the movie!
Leila Hijazi performs "Remember Me" from Encanto with photos of her as a child in the background.
Gabriel Fernandes performs “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.
Tristan Almeida dons a jersey to win support from the judges.
Nicholas Mota dances to "I've had the time of my life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes like in the movie "Dirty Dancing."
The first number featured glowing, dancing stick figures.
Nicholas Mota pulls a judge into the dance.
The crowd waves phone flashlights during a song.
Hayden Igisomar asks the audience trivia questions.
Nicholas Mota dances to "I've had the time of my life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes like in the movie "Dirty Dancing."
Gabriel Fernandes performs “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.
Dartmouth’s Finest always has some strange elements, but this year was definitely the “Strangest Thing.” During the March 13 performance, music from the beloved television show played, and the show began with the cast entering the upside down.
Gabriel Fernandes won both the People’s Choice and Dartmouth’s Finest for his singing and guitar performance of “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.
“Man I feel great, this is one of the highlights of my life,” said Fernandes. “I’m going to be thinking about this moment for my entire life, even with special days I think this is going to be one of them.”
He chose this song because of “a lot of singing in the shower, in the car” and thinking it sounded good, so he decided to try out. He thanked his parents and friends who supported him, as well as the advisors who put the show together.
The runners-up were Slade Bertalotto and Peter Quinn. Bertalotto sang “Ho Hey” by Luminescent, encouraging audience participation for some of the memorable lyrics. Quinn had a multi-talent piece, starting by singing “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter before launching into a dance with his friends to “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
The hosts Sloane Brodsky, Hayden Igisomar and Phoebe Murray walked the audience through the show, making references to “Stranger Things,” asking the audience trivia questions on the performers based on their introductions and finally announcing the winners of the show.
The show opened with a dance number from all participating seniors to a medley of songs many heard in “Stranger Things” like “Running Up that Hill” by Kate Bush, “Upside Down” by Dianna Ross and “Never Ending Story” by Limahl.
The show took two weeks to put together from start to finish, with the students all working together to put together the tradition.
“These past two weeks, we’ve been able to bond like a family of brothers and sisters,” said Fernandes.
There were nine performances this year, with a variety of talents. The first performance was in pitch darkness, with the students dressed as glowing stick figures and dancing to “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.
Others sang from popular media, such as “The Wizard and I” from Wicked and “Remember Me” from Encanto, which featured pictures of the singer Leila Hijazi growing up.
There was a comedy show by Tristan Almeida, who roasted the judges and made jokes about his own short stature. Two seniors did the dance from Dirty Dancing, one of whom was in drag. Plants in the audience came to lift “Baby” to mimic the iconic moment from the movie.
Some ‘unreleased episodes’ of “Stranger Things” aired, with the students playing beloved characters like Robin and Steve, running from danger and failing to sell ice cream in March.
At the end of the show, all of the students were asked typical pageant questions about their beliefs on friendship, what they would tell their younger selves, where they see themselves in five years and the broader world.
When the final five performers were chosen, they were all asked the same question: “If you were to look back 10 years from ago from today, what is the single most meaningful footprint you want to have left at DHS?”
All five had a similar answer: to have been kind.
“I always feel like I want to be selfless and humble,” said Fernandes, “So for me, my main goal is to make others happy.”
He added, “To me, a footprint at Dartmouth would be how I was able to help others, assist others and overall just make other people’s experience better.”
Dartmouth’s Finest began in 1994, as “Mr. Dartmouth” to fundraise for the National Honors Society. Sometime in the late 2010s, it became “Dartmouth’s Finest” so that everyone had a chance to compete. Now, it raises money for the senior class.
Principal Ryan Shea said they raise on average $12,000 from the event every year. The amount that they raised this year has not been calculated yet.
“Considering that they were cut a week short due to the blizzard and that they put it all together in such a quick amount of time and get to show how talented these amazing seniors are,” said Shea.
He added, “This is a night they’ll never forget.”
