With Stafford High’s overpopulation, the thought of having large hallways for students to get to class initially seems like a reasonable, effective idea. And, it was for a while — until the couples arrived. 

The fair-minded Stafford students have been battling an increase in public displays of affection or PDA of fellow high school students, recently in February, the month of love. The halls were filled with flowers, balloons, chocolate, and too many romantic interactions for some. Senior Carys Ochille-Mensah expressed her annoyance with the disturbances, “It’s like I’m trying to get to Government and I turn to see a couple full-blown making out by the stairs as if one of them is going off to war.” 

Annoyance with excessive romantic interaction has become shared among the student body, yet no one has attempted to cease the congregating of raunchy teenagers during school hours. Students have picked up on the routine of pairs who hide in stairwells after lunch or shaded corners in the morning, but administration has yet to officially comment or regulate behavior regarding PDA within the school. Within the SCPS Code of Conduct, the Student Rights and Responsibility section clearly states, “Individual rights do not include infringing upon the rights of others in the school community,” so as a student in an SCPS, it’s puzzling as to why these guidelines which have been set into place are continued to be disregarded. 

Some argue that ‘all schools have teenage PDA’, but travel students from other Stafford schools have been acknowledging and ridiculing SHS for our infamous aisles of affection. A trip down an average Stafford High hallway includes a handful of hugs, a sprinkle of smooches, and other actions that will remain unnamed. “Brooke Point couples are gross too, but most of them have the decency to not stand in the middle of the hall or at least watch out for people who actually need to be getting places,” said senior Brooke Point CGS travel student Noor Gilani. 

As for now, couples are continuing to congest the halls and there’s not much we can do but look away and avoid shadowed areas.