You do not want to be one of those couples.
The pair that those unassuming passers-by squirm at, while leaning at hall pillars making kissy faces at each other or even worse, the couple that compels the harried viewer to have to cover their eyes for the sake of erasing the memory of the impassioned display.
Holding hands, and a slight peck here and there are highly acceptable on educational grounds, but intense groping and full-on lip-locking may be bit too intense for eyes that have just been buried in books to come by. Here are some pointers for averting a PDA crisis:
These Public Displays of Affection are fine for a sunny day on the campus:
Holding-hands-while-walking
In the early pre-school age, children form two lines and clasp the fingers of their partner, and march in pure merriment. Couples who stroll around the campus enraptured in bliss are nothing that will cause sore eyes. This is considered love at its most innocent.
I ______ You
It can be quite touching for couples to whisper “I love you” or “I miss you” to one another during a casual conversation as if it’s out of a romantic comedy, as long as we don’t hear it. Although it can be quite sweet, these couples should keep things PG-13 and refrain from going off to saying, “I want to _____ you” in front of their class.
A peck here and there
Spotted around the Ateneo: couples giving pecks (a brief or casual kiss) on the cheek, forehead or lips. These little bullets of love are nothing to cry home about unless it is performed on a body part that is in dire need of clothing coverage or shouldn’t be for anyone’s eyes but their partner’s.
Please don’t do this in front of everyone:
Keep your hands IN your own pockets
Young love is rapturous; sometimes the two lovers cannot seem to get enough of each other. Eventually, they become one entity, straddling and groping each other in public. Try and limit your public physical affection to arms and hands; don’t grab a handful of something else.
Eat Each Other’s Faces
Even if your class is watching a film in a dark room where everyone is spread out in a huge space, do not make out. It can be incredulously distracting to see and even hear the pair in their crime of passion; save it for somewhere more discreet or private.
“On Campus”
Playing footsy or holding hands under the table may be considered playful and harmless, but don’t assume that doing an act a bit kinkier in an abandoned classroom or dark corner is decent, because you never know when an unsuspecting student might pop in. In a forum about PDA, one comment stated “School is for education; after school is for fun,” so be considerate and hold your libido until you’re out of the campus.
