Seniors say no to relationships
Some students begin new relationships their senior year of high school while preparing for college. Are maintaing these relationships worth the stress after high school?
Students standing at their lockers watch as two newly-dating seniors walk down the hallway hand in hand. Some stare in jealous awe, while others think, “What did they get themselves into?”
According to a survey conducted by The Patriot, 53 percent of seniors say that starting a new relationship during senior year is not worth the stress. Most agree that long distance relationships never work, and that distractions in college will make both people involved grow apart.
“There’s too much space for people to make mistakes,” senior Luke Schultz said. “I think when there’s time apart that you’ll feel connections with somebody else and then create a stronger relationship.”
Some seniors said that a new relationship isn’t a great idea because it will hold people back from fulfilling their goals. “College is about going in your own direction, and being committed to someone can make things difficult when choosing where to go,” senior Beth Sapitowicz said.
Other people have experienced the birth of serious high school relationships. Seniors Jevan Leyh and Giana Liberatore spoke to the Patriot about their new relationship and their opinions of relationships where the partners involved refer to each other as “the one.”
“I think a lot of people in high school mix up ‘love’ and ‘puppy love,’” Liberatore said. “I’ve definitely heard stories of people marrying their high school sweethearts, but I think a lot of times, people just get caught up in the moment.”
“If you truly mean it. you truly mean it, but you’re not going to get married right out of highschool,” Leyh said. “You could still say it and still have that meaning, but it’s not as broad as saying ‘I’m going to marry this girl.”
While many seniors agree that a new senior year relationship is not worth the stress, others say that starting one is worth it.
“I think anything is possible,” Leyh said. “You can work it out. It just depends on the situation.”
The survey revealed that, of the students who said a new relationship is worth starting, 59 percent believe that you can’t help falling in love, and that hard work is required in any relationship.
“Honestly, if you guys like each other that much and you can still hold that relationship, no matter being away from each other, you can make it work,” Leyh said.
Zachary Miller is a Media Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.