For PDA:

These days, despising romance seems like the cool thing to do. You hear the phrase “Romance is dead,” whispered by your friends behind their significant others’ backs, and you have to think: is it really? Valentine’s Day is coming up and, being the holiday of romance, you should start thinking about how you want to treat your S.O. Do you want to shower them with chocolates and kisses? Or would you prefer to completely blow them off and treat the Couples’ Holiday like the Bubonic Plague? I, for one, think a shower — a waterfall, if you will — of love, candy, and bears is far more preferable than complete indifference.

What’s the point of having someone special in your life if you don’t have even one day where everyone knows that that person is special to you? Nothing screams “I love you and I want the whole darn WORLD to know!” like making a boy carry around pink roses and a giant carnival prize teddy bear for the entire school day or, for the more direct, literally screaming “I love you and I want the whole darn WORLD to know!” The second one usually gets the job done very well.

So many people out there hate Valentine’s Day because they don’t have someone to share it with. They choose to make others feel bad about enjoying the holiday by practically writing “Blargh, this holiday is so stupid and everyone who likes it is also stupid,” on their forehead. You don’t have to be in a full-on relationship to celebrate the holiday. Don’t think for a second that you’re being forced to hate yourself and everyone around you just because you’re alone at the moment. Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean people who are in a relationship shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy the holiday.

I advocate romance, but I don’t mean the kind of romance that shouldn’t be shown in public. Please bring someone some flowers, but please don’t also maul their face with yours in the hallway, or at dinner, or even in the car. People can see into the windshields even if your windows are tinted, buddy. Keep it cool at school and then let the lovey-dovey out where you don’t run the risk of annoying people…no one wants to see that.

So, to really spread the holiday spirit, you should bring a special someone some flowers– if they’re into that– and a nice big box of their favorite candy. You should tell them they mean a lot to you, and you should make the day all about the romance– clean romance.

Romance isn’t dead, and deep, deep down, all of us know we love love it at least a little bit. Valentine’s Day may be cliché, but don’t throw the romance away.

Against PDA:

Valentine’s Day is approaching and love is in the air. With the spirit of the holiday comes unwanted public displays of affection, aka PDAs. They fill the hallways with people sucking up the clean air and taking away our vital oxygen. A couple seems to always be locked in a soul staring gaze in front of my locker for the five minute passing period awkwardly caressing each other. Either get out of my way or relocate your make out session. I get it. You’re in “love” and you want your significant other and everyone else to know it. Sure, people will have boyfriends and girlfriends in high school, but I think some people need to go to health class and learn about their hormones and how to control them. There is a time and place and neither of those are at school or in front of my locker. I’m not saying that having a “serious” relationship is bad, but everyone in the entire world doesn’t need a visual of how serious it is, especially at school. Nobody wants or needs to see that.

One of the most annoying things in the entire world is when you’re in a hurry to get to class and a couple is moseying along, swinging their hands back and forth just enjoying each other’s company. Cute right? WRONG. Like seriously, move! I’m going to be late to class. I guess I’d rather see you holding hands than making out, but honestly school isn’t the place for either of those. Come on, respect the people around you. Nobody wants to turn the corner heading to English and accidently run into a couple who can’t seem to get enough of each other.  I know it’s Valentine’s Day and romance is in the air, but let it stay in the air. Outside. I don’t want your toxic love fumes, which accumulate during the passing period, to cloud my thinking and my learning ability the next class period. Eww!

Public displays of affection not only interrupt the school day. They can be pretty much be found everywhere you go. I personally have witnessed couples displaying their affection on school campus after the school day has ended. No…just no. I shouldn’t have to close my eyes when I walk outdoors and have to shield my eyes in order to keep my innocence in tact and my lunch in my stomach. I just want to leave school in peace. I’m already exhausted from the day. Your makeout session definitely doesn’t help the cause. Just be respectful of the people around you. Let’s face it, most high school relationships don’t make it forever anyway. #justsaying