Public displays of affection, or PDA, have been a long standing issue in any high school. Teachers and administrators do their best to prevent and discourage PDA, though it is still an issue.
PDA is said to be a distraction from the learning environment, stealing focus from the areas that students truly need to concentrate on.
“There’s a time and a place for things,” teacher Sharon Cheney said. “I don’t think school or in public is the place for displays of affection.”
While public displays of affection between teenagers is likely to be an issue for any school, and has been in the past, there is a proper way to behave that doesn’t involve the disruption of traffic.
“I think it should be left at home,” senior Mallory Watson said. “Making out at school is inappropriate; that’s not what school’s for.”
Most students do not enjoy witnessing the many random acts of PDA and are, in fact, quite disgusted by it. Most can agree that some students take it too far.
“I don’t mind if it’s a peck, but if it’s anything more than that it’s just nasty,” senior Eustacia Soriano said.
For those students not constantly involved in PDA, couples clogging the hallway are a source of annoyance. There’s always someone stopped along every wall and around every corner. The walk and talk policy was put into place to keep students moving.
“The walk and talk policy is a good way to keep the halls moving,” Cheney said. “Kids want to stop and congest the hallways, especially in the rotunda. It needs to be enforced.”
Not only is PDA an unappealing event to witness, it’s one of the main causes for traffic in the hallways and student tardies.
“Do not stop in the middle of the hallways,” Watson said. “It slows people down and makes them angry.”
The tardies caused by PDA and other forms of procrastination have the potential to land excessively late students in after school detention. This year, students will be allowed two tardies a week before ASD becomes a possibility. This year, economics teacher William Long will be the ASD teacher. English teacher Kathy Franklin is the Saturday School teacher.
This year, there have been minor changes in the ASD time schedule. Instead of the customary five o’clock, students will be released at 4:30 p.m. Administrators will be supervising until late buses arrive at five. As always, late bus passes will be provided. Still, ASD is a penalty that most would prefer to avoid.
To avoid after school detention, obey the walk and talk policy. Keep displays of affection to a minimum and be considerate of others.