One day last year, I was in the office visiting my counselor. Out in the hall, I overheard the story of an elderly couple who had attended Wakefield, dated, and were still married to that day…classic high school sweethearts. They came back to walk through those old halls for the last time. With countless love stories such as this, why are solid relationships in high school so rare? Is young love not as valid today as it was when that couple went to Wakefield?

Rodrigo Balderrama ’14 is single and comments that relationships in high school are, “to have fun and get to know people”. Alexandra Dimas ’14, also single, states that a relationship in high school, “is just something people tend to want…because they want to be part of the trend”. While this may be true for some relationships, it can all depend on the strength of the bond that the couple forms.

Ana Claure ’14, who is in a very happy relationship, comments that relationships are, “not meaningless if that’s where you find your future husband. Every relationship will help form the person that you are and you learn more and more from it.” She also states that her relationship helps her to be “happy” and “relieves stress”. Some teachers look at couples in the hallway and may write those students off as irresponsible and distracted. People need to take into consideration the real feelings that those students may have for each other. Good, solid relationships help students to mature, to be strongly committed to something, and think and work toward the future.

Let’s face it – everyone wants love. High school relationships may be looked down upon because of their average length. According to Seventeen magazine, the average high school relationship is four weeks long. For some couples, clearly, the bond isn’t that strong, but all young relationships can’t be judged off of this statistic. There are always those select few who fall so deeply in love that it lasts a lifetime – like the elderly couple in the counseling office. Why write off dating all together? If you’re willing to give love a chance, someday, maybe you will be back at Wakefield 50 years from now, sitting in Town Hall with your high school sweetheart reminiscing about the good ol’ days at Wakefield High School.