On April 27, Watkins Mill High School Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) members participated in ‘Angel Day’ to bring awareness and promote responsible decision making ahead of prom night.

SADD is a nationwide organization that aims to support a world where young people make positive decisions. The organization’s mission is to help young people confront the risks and pressures throughout their lives. “We try to help students make good choices,” SADD sponsor Ana Mitton said.

Members participated in ‘Angel Day,’ where students wear white to represent an angel of someone who has died from instances of drunk driving or suicide. Students do not communicate with anyone because they have ‘passed away.’ They wore a sign about the circumstance of their death and a statistic about drunk driving or suicide follows.

The purpose of ‘Angel Day’ is “spreading an awareness of.. people being more careful [about] their actions and their decisions on a regular life basis,” junior SADD member Tori Enamorado said. These decisions can include drunk driving, texting and driving, and drug abuse.

Angel Day is also to “help students realize the things that they do [have an effect],” Junior Kailey (Kitty) Pedapudi said.

‘Angel Day’ occurred the day before prom, using this as an opportunity to warn students to make responsible decisions on prom night. Junior SADD member, Julia Crews, portrays a student who died in a drunk driving accident. “You shouldn’t be drinking and driving especially with prom [tonight],” Crews said. “It’s a good message… to tell people: stay safe.”

SADD co-sponsor Matt Johnson placed a wrecked vehicle in the parking lot allow students to recognize the dangers of drunk driving and texting and driving on prom night. Staff across the school have been warning students to make smart choices.

Prom night is one of the most dangerous nights for drugs as well as drinking and driving. “We want to make sure our students don’t feel that they need to drink to have fun. One little decision can injure life,” Mitton added. “Have fun at prom, but by all means, stay safe”.