One of Abington Junior High School’s most popular clubs, Teens Against Drugs and Alcohol – or TADA – celebrated its 30th anniversary with the highly anticipated annual event, TADA Games, the finale of which was held on Friday, June 14.
Throughout the last two weeks of school, teams of students, led by two ninth-grade peer captains, compete in Olympics-style games against each other. The teams are all named after colleges and universities, and events range from a scavenger hunt, to tug-of-war, track and field, and more, with different rounds of competition each day after school. Teams closely track their standings, but the winner is not determined until the Friday TADA Games Finale, when teams compete in a relay race and a song and cheer competition, with lyrics written to popular songs that discourage the use of drugs and alcohol. Costumes and choreographed routines accompany the songs, which are scored by a panel of judges. In the end, the winners are crowned after their opponent captains get a pie in the face. This all happens before a crowd of friends, families, teachers and peers, as hundreds come out to watch the signature event.
This year’s winning team was the University of Kansas Jayhawks, with the University of Michigan Wolverines winning the song and cheer, and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats winning the athletics portion of TADA Games.
TADA was founded by Junior High school math teacher, Mr. Michael Sandler, who is still a part of its operation today. The club has grown to hundreds of members, all in grades 7 through 9. The philosophy of TADA is that the best way to keep teenagers from using drugs and drinking alcohol is to provide them with fun activities in which they can participate, as an alternative to using these harmful substances. Throughout the school year, students in TADA are given the opportunity to attend a Philadelphia 76ers game, dances at Beat Street Dance Club, a Haunted Hayride, a Karaoke Dance and more events held at the Junior High. There is only one requirement of all members of TADA, and that is that they avoid the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products. The combination of this student pledge and the fun activities helps students meet other like-minded peers who want to avoid the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Not only is TADA fun, but it also provides numerous leadership opportunities for its students, with TADA Games, in particular, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, comradery and sportsmanship.
