With Homecoming quickly approaching, romance is the topic of the halls of Westfield High School. There’s a plague of questions lingering in the air: who likes who, how to confess crushes, dealing with rejection, and maintaining healthy relationships. Crushes can be a lot to deal with, and wondering if someone feels the same is excruciating, begging the question: is romance even worth all the stress? I interviewed various students around the campus to discover the general consensus on teen romance and if it’s worth it, and the results were shocking.

          Firstly, what can we do if we have a crush on someone? Are confessions the best thing to do? According to the student body, perhaps not.

          Meher Panser, 10, says rather pessimistically, “It’s not it, guys! Wait until college; it will end up in heartbreak”. 

          Anshika Bansal, 10, adds on, “Crushes are good, but why would you be in a relationship, like chill, we’re gonna live ‘till 80, why would you start right now?”.

          Aside from not engaging in romance at all, there were a few responses similar to Vini Mandavilla’s, 10, which were to be, quote, “anonymous with it”. She continued, “I would be like a secret admirer, ‘cuz it’s just more romantic and I don’t wanna give it away already. I don’t wanna be boring, you know?”. Apparently, old-fashioned confessions are going out of style.

          According to a study done in 2022 by the University of California, Davis, there was apparently little to no correlation between a crushee’s looks and their level of desirability. This means that, fascinatingly, looks are less important in a crush than other features, like their personality, their smarts, and how they treat others. Research done in Illinois State University also found that using humour when introducing oneself makes that person several times more likely to be liked, so take notes and make jokes!

          Now, y’all may be wondering, how can we tell if someone else likes us? In a video from the psychological exploration channel Psych2Go, Amanda Silvera reveals to us that when people like others, they tend to use more open body language and mirror actions. These, along with various other small actions, can often reveal what people aren’t saying, which can be a lot.

          Mary Kang, 10, lists some clear signs: “If they spend time with you, like if they’re not in your class and they walk with you in the hallways, or before school starts they walk with you around the hallways that’s cute … also if they listen to you and they let you talk, and they’re not as mean to you as everyone”.

          Vini adds bashfully, “Or they went out of their way, in their entire life, to talk to you”. She giggles, “that’s just called being delusional, but also, if they space out on your face, or compliment you, or if they ask for your phone number first and they don’t specify why”.

          Mary goes on, “Really, it’s quality time. I can have all the quality time I want with them, and that’s a sign. Also yeah … gift-giving”. Interestingly enough, according to a survey I did in the halls, one in five students I questioned enjoyed gift giving over every other language, so take note if you’re looking to show some love.

          How have successful relationships worked out? Leonila Santa Maria, 10, swoons, “I think it’s kind of beneficial in a way because it kinda keeps you motivated to come to school, you get like a break off of stress especially, and when you’re here you get someone to talk to about whatever. I guess there could be some distractions, but as you balance it out and you find a focus, your significant other can be like your muse or motivation.”

          Xavier Klinginsmith, 10, jokes, “One good thing about it is you have somebody to always help you with work, so it’s great cuz it can help you in classes!”. He adds, more seriously, “It’s also fun cuz you have a best friend constantly, you always hang out, so it’s a little bit of effort but the extra work does go a mile”. Upon asking about his girlfriend, he smiles, “Rebecca and I, we’re, she’s just so great”. I was unfortunately unable to get any more coherent statements out of him after that, but the wholesome energy was definitely alive and well.

          Are there downsides to this lovey-dovey lifestyle? Vini teases, “I do better when I’m not in a relationship because I think a relationship is gonna be distracting to your grades”. Mary adds quickly, “[I had a crush], it happened, it’s not like it was important or anything. You know what’s important? Your GPA: if those people are gonna bring you down, take them out of your life!”.

          Can these relationships affect friendships? Leonila ponders, “Focusing on a relationship can definitely pull you away from separate things, but as long as you kind of balance … relationships have ups and downs and you just have to be okay with it”.

          Vini frowns at Leonila, “He takes [Leonila], every morning, away from me. Those two are super cute together, but at first I hated him, poor guy. Now it’s interesting, like, I think they’re actually meant for each other. I’m just confused on how she found him so quickly, I want a boyfriend now. High school is not how it seems in the books. Dork Diaries, that was an absolute lie; I never found my Brandon”.

          Xavier says, “Teen romance is not the best of things because it does distract you from work, yeah it’s very distracting. Teen romances are BS, except for mine which is great”.

ٍ          Sean Larrazabal, 9, says pointedly into the mic, “It ruins friendships”, before dashing back to his Spanish class.

          Anshika displays her wisdom and insight by commenting that, “Highschoolers are dumb as… frick”.

          Mary adds dryly, “As long as you’re not eating each other’s faces in the classroom, or like in a group project, then I think it’s fine. Romance sucks, and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, they’re lying”.

          From admiration, to jealousy, to some pure hatred, there were many answers that followed those general guidelines. Friendships can be tough to navigate, and a serious relationship can get in the way, but like Leonila said, balance is key.

          So maybe you’ve asked the big question, and maybe things didn’t go so well. What do we do to handle rejection? Anshika sighs dramatically, “You should cry, alone, in your room”, followed by Meher’s giggled, “Talk to a councillor girl!”. Meher’s completely right; our wonderful school has a cast of supportive staff around for whatever’s on your mind, and friends and family can help you get through a lot.

          So, overall, is teen romance worth it according to the school? To most, apparently not, but I was able to find a few romantics. If you’ve been thinking about someone, don’t be shy! You never know where something could lead.

          Bloopers:

          Have the halls been more romantic in these weeks leading up to hoco? Vini says, wide-eyed, “I haven’t been seeing a lot more romance going on lately. It’s a lot different than the previous sophomores said, they used to say people would make out in the halls, and I haven’t seen any of that yet”.

          Mary asked, “What, like, does romance exist? There’s a lot of people dating so it definitely exists”.

          Xavier giggles, still swooning over his girlfriend, “Thoughts and opinions on teen romance during homecoming, like should I do it?”. I sarcastically tell him to go back to Spanish class.

          Upon asking if she has a date to hoco, Anya Vargese, 10, says “No”, then runs back to her classroom at top speed.

          Lastly, the best, most relevant and sage phrase given to me from Ian Eder, 10, was “Greetings” as he passed me in the hall. He walked away.