Some people may think Valentine’s Day is the most sickening day of the year. And as if an endless blur of roses and sappy cards wasn’t enough, it seems almost impossible to walk down a hallway without spotting a lovesick couple wrapped in a Public Display of Affection (PDA) before the late bell. Though PDAs may be nauseating, they’re not a big deal.

Dating is a part of high school. As freshmen, we have to make new friends. Many students try out new styles of clothing, hair-dos and—in extreme cases—personalities. This experimentation usually leads to new friends, and new friends often lead to new crushes. Stuyvesant is a nerdy science high school. It’s like a Petri dish—a Petri dish of love. Romance a part of our life cycle. Who are we to stop it?

Imagine you’re embracing your lover in the hallway. You have a never-ending stream of tests, projects and homework—not to mention a packed after-school schedule. You barely have time to sleep, let alone date. Dating or even just hanging out, takes up as much time as an extra-curricular activity, but you can’t put it your college application. So those minute-long hallway “encounters” may be the only physical contact you have with your special friend all day.

Bystanders shouldn’t be so judgmental. It’s easy for us stereotype couples as eyesores or annoyances, or as large, living, breathing obstructions on the way to English class. They seem to be everywhere, flaunting their happiness before us.

Honestly, I don’t mind avoiding the Hudson staircase—there are other ways to get to class. If you think these couples are pathetic, lovesick losers, then let them be losers. But at some point, we need to realize that we can’t avoid these people. So there’s only one thing we can do. Close our eyes, and keep on walking.