Formerly known as the Students Against Drunk Driving, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) is using this year’s rise in school spirit as a platform to increase the safety of school events like homecoming and prom.

“This is a really important year for us because we are somewhat of a new club at McLean,” said senior Riya Master, the President of SADD. “We only renewed the club our junior year and we really want to reach out to the newer drivers and get them more educated about the destructiveness of drunk driving but we now encompass a lot more as well.”

As school spirit has increased this year, SADD has increased their scope as well.

“We are heavily working in conjunction with the Leadership class this year, and now that the school is hosting more events we are seeing a larger role surrounding those events and trying to make the community as a whole safer,” Master said.

SADD is looking to have more students join their club and spread the word about the dangers of drunk driving. “When it comes to driving the capability to injure someone else or yourself is immense when you aren’t under the influence, and when you are or when you are texting or being distracted by passengers it really impairs your ability to concentrate on the peril you are putting yourself into every time you get in a car,” said Master.

Every school in Fairfax County has a SADD club, and all of them have made it into a large part of their school’s mentality, they allow the club to paint on the walls and host the club as part of their pep rallies.

“You can see it at all the other schools, and as the club grows I think you’ll see it more at McLean as well,” said Master. “But it is something we are working on and it is something that is really coming together as the school becomes more of a community rather than just a school.”