At Terry Sanford High School, the dance classroom used during daily academic, learning hours has been dominated by the wrestling team and their 13 foot mats for after school practice. The dance room itself is smaller than the half of the gym that the wrestlers normally use. Although dancers use the classroom on a daily basis during and after school, the wrestling team has taken over the classroom. These mats take up the entirety of the classroom, the barres and other classroom pieces have been ripped from the walls and stashed in a corner. The wrestlers and other athletes that use the mats wear protective clothing and shoes while using the mats, but the dancers in our classes wear only leotards, tights, t-shirts and shorts. Dancers are not allowed to wear shoes in the classroom, which is clearly stated in the county policy for the Cumberland County Dance Department. These mats can cause skin diseases such as herpes, ringworm, MRSA, and many others. Only about four years ago, Terry Sanford finally gained a dance program, after being the only school in the county without one. Our school worked to create a dance classroom, complete with barres and mirrors and a raked dance floor. The project in total cost about $26,000. Prior to this year, wrestlers practiced in the Auxiliary Gym where the mats and other wrestling supplies have been stored. The Gym is used for Basketball practices, as the boys and girls teams occupy both the main and auxiliary gyms. Information from a source says that for the barres and dance supplies to be dismantled, a work order had to have been placed through the county. There was not a report of a work order sent, therefore it can only be assumed the school officials came into the dance room to dismantle the barres by themselves. With your help, the dancers of Terry Sanford High School can get their classroom back. Please sign the petition below.