Adolescence causes many changes in teenagers, including the influx of hormones. As a result, many high school students begin to explore dating and relationships.

Students want to express their love to each other, which leads to PDA being present throughout the student body.  PDA, also known as public display of affection, is commonly used when a couple expresses their love for each other in various ways such as hand holding, kissing and in many other ways.

The West High School student body shows a great amount of PDA, as the students have huge amounts of love to show and give.  Due to their love being expressed in sometimes intimate ways, the staff of West works hard to keep the school environment more professional than a romantic getaway.

West Security Guard, Stacey Lawrence, has caught many students showing PDA around campus. “You’re not here to hook up, you’re here to get an education,” Lawrence said when commenting on why PDA shouldn’t be shown in school.

Antonio Wyche, also a security guard, has had many encounters with students misbehaving on school grounds through his years at West. “Generally if it’s a daughter I call the dad… and dad’s never like [that],” said Antonio.

PDA doesn’t just bother the staff at West, but also a majority of the students.  Reagan Holland is a junior at West. To him PDA shouldn’t be expressed at school simply because some of his peers tend to go overboard when expressing their feelings to each other. “The reason PDA grosses me out is just because some people don’t know how to stop,” he explained. As a student himself, Holland feels as if he sees more students showing love towards each other during passing periods, before class and during lunch. PDA is displayed in many ways, but Holland’s strangest encounter was a meowing couple.  “I’ve seen kids meowing at each other in the hallways, and that was really uncomfortable… They were looking at each other and just meowing. ‘Meow, meow, meow, meow.’ It grosses me out,” Holland said.

Inappropriate and excessive PDA is not tolerated at West, and can lead to punishment from security, ranging anywhere from detention to expulsion, depending on the severity of the act. Wyche said, “If it’s not something you would do in front of your grandmother it’s not something you should do in front of your peers at school.”

School officials understand that students may have strong feelings toward each other, but Lawrence said that, “[PDA] can lead to harassment. It can lead to bullying… It’s a crime of passion.” Instead of engaging in excessive behavior, he recommends that students participate in alternative activities to express their feelings. “A handshake works wonders, and that’s full contact,” He joked.