June 12, 2023 by Sahiba Jassal (‘24)
My fellow students of Saratoga High (SSHS), I’d like you to imagine a scenario: you’re walking to your second block band class at 9 in the morning. All of the sudden, you hear a faint sound–a squelching of sorts. As you approach the end of the G-wing hallway, the sound gets louder and louder. Right when you turn the corner into the E-wing, BAM! Your eyes are tainted with the sight of two classmates loudly exchanging saliva right in front of the band room door! How would you feel? Disgusted? Because that’s exactly how Cassie Child, current SSHS junior, felt when she experienced this public display of atrociousness–I mean… affection.
Public displays of affection are very common in high school because of all the teen hormones, and our school is no exception to America’s PDA crisis. But don’t get it twisted–not all PDA is created equal. PDA can include light activities such as hand holding and hugging. Those are not the issues. The issue lies in making others uncomfortable with heavier aspects of PDA, like necking in the cafeteria booths (yes, I’ve witnessed this more than once). SSHS junior Bianca Babcock remarks, “I come to school to learn about kinematics equations, not to watch 50 Shades of Gray play out in the school hallway.” And the majority of the public holds the same opinion as Babcock according to a survey by Debate. The survey states that 79% of people believe PDA should be prohibited since it diverts from the students’ education (Rindt).
Many students who engage in public displays of affection argue that anti-PDAers are simply jealous of people in relationships, and that is why they’re uncomfortable with seeing others be affectionate. Babcock, who has had a boyfriend for approximately two years now, argues that this is incorrect. Although in a relationship, she still claims, “when I see PDA, I feel like I want to kick a chair over.” Turns out hatred of PDA isn’t limited to us single folks.
School is not the right place to overly express your affection, so please–for the sake of your SSHS teachers, staff, and fellow students, play tonsil hockey with your partner in private.
Rindt, Eris. “Students Discuss Impact of PDA in School Environment.” Railer News, 14 Sept. 2021, railernews.org/17705/news/students-discuss-impact-of-pda-in-school-environment/.