A new student organization—APPP—is being offered this year to encourage positive peer pressure. Formally known as SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving), the organization sports the new name APPP, or Allies for Positive Peer Pressure.

“The name was so ‘sad,’ we had to make it happier,” said a core APPP leader Tatum Snyder.

The organization is led by students with the supervision of club moderators and adults. Its purpose is to bring students who make good choices together and promote positive peer pressure.

“I’ve always liked the idea of SADD and positive peer pressure, now even more so because my daughter is a freshman here,” said Mrs. Julie Campbell, social studies.  For years Mrs. Campbell has urged NDA students to be positive influences, to change the tide of peer pressure from negative to positive.

APPP’s mission statement is “Tritons uniting to eliminate alcohol and drug use, bullying and premarital sex through positive peer pressure and fostering good decision-making supported by our Catholic values.”

To ensure the validity and commitment to the values APPP stands for, each student who joins will be asked to sign a contract pledging themselves to those values.

 “We aren’t concerned with activity in the group, but we want each member to sign the contract and live by it,” said Snyder.

APPP sent out informational letters to some seniors last year to get a feel for interest. This year, all juniors received a letter inviting them to the pig roast.  The letters were distributed in random order ‘to make it appear as if it were a random invitation from their peers,’ explained one of the advisers.

“We want to make it a really big deal.  Any talk about it is good,” said Snyder. Later in the year APPP leaders will be reaching out to freshmen and sophomores by speaking in theology classes.

Two opportunities to get involved in APPP occurred Friday. APPP was featured at the club fair during both lunches.

“Bring your friends and be a part of APPP,” said Associate Principal Greg Masarik.  During the pig roast before the Preble football game, the APPP Olympics were hosted with competition in a three-legged race, a blind-folded obstacle course and wheelbarrow races.

“In order for positive peer pressure to work, everyone needs to do it. We all need to commit and become APPPs!” said Snyder.