If You Don't Like It, Don't Watch It
Written by Karl Houtman, Former Student on Friday, November 14, 2014
You don’t know what you’re doing is wrong until you’re caught. You might have kissed or hugged someone on campus before and not faced consequences, but your next kiss on campus could be your last.
Public displays of affection in schools has been a widely debated topic across the globe. But how, exactly, does this relate to us here in Snohomish?
In Snohomish High School’s student handbook, the topic of “inappropriate” displays of affection is a student disciplinary issue. This begs the answer to the question of what we think is “inappropriate” and “affection." Glacier Peak, on the other hand, has no mention of PDA rules on campus in their handbook.
Students can be seen hugging and kissing all around campus on a daily basis. It is a staple of everyday life here and at many high schools across the nation. Even though there are rules about displays of affection, people still display their love for others through physical interaction.
If there are rules about public displays of affection at SHS, then why do people get away with it?
Dr. Beth Porter, the principal at Snohomish High School, said that “I’m fine with students holding hands or even a quick kiss, but what I don’t want is kids all over each other.”
To most, hugging and kissing are little things, things that our mother would do with us in public when we were younger. We’re fine with these because we grew up with our parents doing this, and believe it to be part of life.
However, the West Virginia Department of Education stated that acts such as kissing and embracing fell under the topic of “inappropriate displays of intimate affection.” They did not specify the meaning of the word “embrace,” meaning that acts such as a hand shake would be subject to that disciplinary rule.
Sexual interaction in schools is not alright with most students because it is illegal in public. Many couples will kiss and hug in hallways and sometimes even classrooms, but not on that extreme of a level. This, we believe, is just a natural action that we have known for most of our lives.
Many people and administrators will debate that such displays can make other students “uncomfortable” in a public setting. But these displays aren’t your eyes. You are the master of your own body and all of its features. Viewing intimacy in public is a personal choice, so don’t let others make that choice for you. If you believe something to be inappropriate or uncomfortable, look away or go somewhere else, and leave them to their “business.”
High school is the final step of our lives to become the people we want to be, and we will all take that step differently. Just try not to do anything with anyone that you may regret in the future or tell your kids to teach them a life lesson.
