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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1987)
Love at first sight: Is it myth or reality? Got a feel' inside (can't explain) A certain kind (can't explain) I feel hot-cold (can’t explain) Way down my soul yeah (can't explain) The Who 1965 Charlie Simpson was sitting in his sociology class, idly con templating the evalution of mankind. He glanced at the en trance where all his fellow students were rushing in to beat the bell. Suddenly, there she was. "I immediately dropped my pen,” Simpson recalled. “My heartbeat went up really fast. From that one moment, 1 wasn't aware of anything else but her.” According to some, what Simpson experienced was love at first sight (LAFS), a non contagious disease that seems to afflict those who are romantical ly inclined. Simpson himself believes this, saying "it was the first time I ever felt that way. She walked into class and sat down. TINO'S SPAGHETTI HOUSE PIZZA r r 342-8111 Introducing . . . FREE Delivery Service! * Tree delivery wllh a minimum order Also offering • Full dinner menu • White or whole wheat crust • Limited delivery area 15th and Willamette Hours: Open 11 am 7 days a week / and I just stared at her for 40 minutes. I feel funny inside whenever I’m around her.” Simpson is not an isolated victim of LAFS, nor is he alone in describing “funny” feelings Story by Eric Bottjer inside. “It feels like you’ve got a food processor turned on right here,” said 22-year-old Scott Beadle, pointing at his chest. OK, so now we know the disease and its symptoms. You see someone, and you feel “fun ny” inside, maybe like a food processor. You stare at this per son. Perhaps you even drool a little, or temporarily lose con trol of your motor functions. But doesn't this always hap pen when one sees an attractive member of the opposite sex? Isn’t love at first sight (LAFS) just your usual case of lust at first sight (SEX)? “No, it's different.’’ said VVende Bnimmett, 18, a music major. “It’s their personality, the way they carry themselves as well as their looks.” Brummet describes her first meeting with her boyfriend as and a special friend. YOGURT MILL 2001 Franklin (across Irom Food Valua/Hiron's) 1HI (-1 TIM A II I HO/IS \OOIHJ TREAT YOURSELF TO THE ULTIMATE IN FROZEN YOGURT. ?5 Toppings to choose from including fresh melons, strawberries and other fruits FROZEN YOGURT HAS LESS THAN ?7 CALORIES PER FL OZ " Serving Hot Soup and Froth Homemade Bread Daily SWEETHEART COUPON Bring in a friend and receive 1 free topping each with this coupon exp 2/28/87 2001 Franklin across from Food Value/Hirons “love at first conversation. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight, but it only took a few minutes.” Beadle said he has been smit ten twice by LAFS. “And both times 1 got the girl." he says. From this revelation, we con sider another possibility: LAFS can strike a person more than once. University psychology Pro fessor Norman Sundberg believes this is indeed possible. “As a person grows up. I think they unconsciously develop a set of values that attract them to another person. For men, there could be dozens of women who possess these values, and vice versa of course. Once in a while, they happen to meet.” More than a believer in LAFS, Sundberg recalls being a victim while attending the University of Minnesota in the mid-1940s. “It was a very important inci dent in my life,’’ he remembered. “I was waiting to go into my statistics class when 1 saw her. It was quite a look we exchanged, sort of like in the movies." Sundberg said he is still in fatuated with the same woman. “We've been married 38 years.” he smiled. A happy ending to be sure, but there is a dark side to LAP'S. The odds of meeting one of your dozen potential “perfect mates" are mind boggling, con sidering they are mixed in with 5 billion other, less desirable humans. Plus, even if you happen to meet your dream mate, odds are even longer he or she will go gaga over you. You may be like a contestant on Wheel of For tune eyeing Vanna White, Cat's Meow Jazz & Blues .Corner a DtUfS, KEqqAi & Gospil Riconds Tapes, CD's & Accessories Im tIii Fihhpuil Buitdi*c, FifrR & PiarI • Euqtwt . 686-8742 Bring In This Ad For $1.00 Off Offer expires 2 28-8? One coupon per customer "AT LAST, A STORE FOR THE TRUE COLLECTOR." damned to an existence of look but don’t touch Others doubt the wisdom of putting yourself through such mental and physical torture. They contend LAFS is a myth, a figment of the romantic’s imagination. “I liken it to the ‘10’ syn drome, where what’s-his-name was obsessed with Bo Derek,” said sixth-year senior Nick Beres. “It’s based solely on looks, which makes it a con tradiction of terms. Love at first sight is basically sex in disguise.” Psychology Professor Ray Hyman offers a more profes sional opinion. “Psychology professors don’t know anything about love,” he said. “You need to go down the hall and talk to Robert Mauro, who teaches social psychology.” “Sorry, don’t know a thing about it.” Mauro said. “You should go see Norm Sundberg.” Sundberg, seeing I had en countered a vicious circle, in vited me to his Survey of Psych Therapy class. “We’ll poll the students and see what they think,” he suggested. Sundberg asked his class, “How many of you believe in love at first sight?” Nineteen hands went up. “How many believe it’s a myth?” Thirty-two this time, with booing from the minority. One person declined to vote, saying. “It’s an am biguous question.” The “realists” had won, but only by a split decision. Having never experienced LAFS, I had a mild curiosity when starting the story. 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