Public Displays of Affection (PDA), has been a controversial issue for students and all individuals alike. From kissing in the halls to hugging and warm embraces, I believe the extreme and very public actions should be limited and prevented if possible.
Things like cuddling and making out in hallways has become more common this year.
According to the student code of conduct for the 2023-2024 school year, rule 27 of the handbook states that a student shall not engage in any sexual behavior on school property or at a school-sponsored activity, and that A. Mutual Sexual Activity UB: Mutual Sexual Contact between two students, UB: Excessive Display of Affection: A student shall not engage in consensual sexual contact and/or sexual acts. Violating these rules can result in minimally, a call to parents or in worst-case-scenarios, long term suspension or expulsion.
Sophomore Brennan Atkinson has been in a relationship for 2 months. He thinks that there is no harm in PDA, and that it’s cute. “I’ve always not minded at all, I mean, I see other couples kissing and I think it’s kind of cute,” Atkinson said. “But there’s always an extreme to everything. We’re not gonna go over the top and start making out in the courtyard. As long as you don’t do anything above kissing or anything that is way too touchy I think it’s fine.” According to Kialo.com, some individuals believe that students should be educated enough to know when it is appropriate, and that “many LGBTQ+ students may come from unaccepting or unsafe home conditions, and are only able to express themselves and be who they are in the safety of the school environment.”
Overall, the debate over whether or not PDA is acceptable at school has been a topic of interest for a good amount of time. Kissing and making out should not be allowed. This makes too many students uncomfortable and promotes negative emotions in bystanders. The CMS student code of conduct is too vague and up for interpretation. This causes a difficulty for staff to enforce rules and regulations against these acts. The conduct should be revised to a more direct restriction for kissing and making out. Students should not be subjected to having to watch this in the place where they are learning. This would also prevent more negative emotions, and although it might make the couples upset, they have opportunities to do this outside of school. As a student body, we are here to learn and make memories, but some memories can be made after 2:15.
