Imagine the perfect day at school: your schedule is light (therefore so is your backpack), you’ve just received the score on your math test necessary to pass the class and your parking spot is near perfect. You’re walking toward the quad, thinking about all these great things with which life has blessed you on this fine day, when your eyes suddenly spot a couple making out on a quad bench. Within moments, your life comes crashing down before you; you fall to your knees, face firmly in palm. Your backpack is now heavier than a freshman’s, you’ve actually failed the entire Palo Alto Unified School District math curriculum and your parking spot now sucks.

To me, there’s nothing more disgusting than public displays of affection (P.D.A., as it’s known in some more underground, shadier circles). Feeling up your significant other in broad daylight, and on the pristine grounds of Henry M. Gunn High School, is less a romantic gesture and more an example of gross misconduct in the workplace. There are much more honorable endeavors in my opinion—learning, for one, or maybe even just coming to school to hang out with your friends, your teachers, yourself, etc. Don’t get me wrong, though. I have nothing against people having relationships; in fact, I think having someone whom you can count on, who is always there for you, is invaluable, especially during the tidal wave of pressure that is high school. But no matter your reason for coming to school every day, please don’t make it to eat face with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

In fact, what you’re doing (actually, hopefully not doing) in front of everyone makes the rest of us feel incredibly uncomfortable. I can be great friends with someone and enjoy talking to him or her, but my eyes cannot “unsee” that dreadful scene. The moment you witness an acquaintance in the heat of passion, there is no salvation for that poor soul’s reputation. That person becomes “the person that always makes out in public,” or the two could collectively become “that one hella P.D.A. couple.” There are worse reputations to have, for sure—“nose-picker” comes to mind—but when the entire definition of your school persona boils down to one sinful, soulless act, it can be somewhat degrading.

Quite honestly, couples who enjoy partaking in these public displays of shamelessness are just rubbing it in for the rest of us. Yes, we get it; you guys are going out. In fact, we knew that from your
“in a complicated relationship” status on Facebook. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t need the constant, in-our-faces reminder of your flourishing love life. The rest of us are perfectly content with being totally indifferent about or suffering from crushing despair over not having a significant other, but we don’t need you two, the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of Gunn, to shove it in our faces.

Everything I’ve said may sound like someone who is terribly distraught over the fact that he doesn’t have a girlfriend and is somewhat jealous. That may be slightly true, but there’s never anything wrong with some advice on moderation.

—Chollampat, a senior, is a News Editor.