Public displays of affection are distracting, disgusting and rude

Even Cupid would be disgusted at the shameless displays of public affection all over campus.
Beyond handholding and tender kisses on the cheek in between classes, more than the public proclamation of lust between partners, public display of affection is a blatant disregard for those surrounding who can witness the groping and tongue wars.
There is something in the air this time of year that causes an eruption to everyday routine. Suddenly almost everyone is in love and not afraid to show it. Julie Albright, Ph.D., lecturer in the department of sociology at the USC college of letters, arts and sciences, blames it on the weather.
“Humans are wired to respond to sexual signals, such as the curve of a woman’s body or the musculature of a man,” she said. “In the winter, it’s cold, rainy, and many states are snowy, so people simply don’t go out as much and, when they do, they’re bundled up.”
But all the extra testosterone and high libido does not make for an excuse to throw self-respect and dignity out the window. The line is thin between cuteness and “Get a room!”
A young couple crossing campus hand-in-hand is not the issue. It is the couple on top of one another groping and kissing lost in the midst of inappropriately displaced heat of passion. Couples sitting on the laps of one another on the cement blocks in front of the Cesar Chavez Center, laying on the grass behind the bookstore or cuddling while hungry students try to finish their lunch are enough to cause reflexive regurgitation. Keep in mind axiom: it is not nice to eat in front of the hungry.
Danielle McAneney, professor of social sciences and humanities, teaches human sexuality at SWC. She said some couples in lust may enjoy the attention and thrive on the audience.
“It is sort of making a statement,” says McAneney. “It’s an attention-seeking behavior.”
Some are much more discreet, but still disrespectful to fellow students. Hiding under the shade of a tree nuzzled against one another does not make the jean rub-down any less inappropriate, just a tad easier to miss. Knowing someone nearby is feeling a pleasure tabooed in society that causes passersby to feel uncomfortable and awkward, not a moment that needs to be shared with students hustling to class.
New love is hard to hide as endorphins flood the body releasing a soothing, peaceful and pleasurable feeling throughout. It becomes addictive and the only way to satisfy the urge is to be with the person that causes the natural painkiller to be released.
“It may just be genuine affection and people have a hard time keeping their hands off of each other because that’s what happens in a new relationship,” said McAneney.
Life at SWC should be kept to a professional manner with the respectful demeanor toward peers. If the tension becomes to thick to maintain self-control, resort to digital communication to satisfy momentary weakness. With the sexual desires channeled through mobile devices, couples can get private in a public place without infringing on the comfort of those nearby.