By Melissa Harlow
Lariat Reporter
A cold front may be moving in, but that's not stopping Cupid from firing Valentine arrows of passion.
Love is in the air and will crash land its way onto campus today in an explosion of cards, balloons, stuffed animals, candy and roses. But there's a lot more to love and romance than just flowers, chocolates and soft, cuddly dolls.
"Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to celebrate one's relationship, but it shouldn't be the only time to do it. I like someone who can say or show their love in simple ways, like a single rose on any day--besides Valentine's Day," said Jenn Marshall, a West sophomore.
One of the most fascinating questions in modern love research concerns the diversity of love styles--a phenomenon recognized by poets, philosophers and playwrights for more than two millennia.
Have you ever wondered why some people fall in love at the twinkle of an eye, while others require years of friendship before succumbing to a wooer's embrace? Why do some people selflessly devote themselves to a single partner, while others ration their passion among multiple lovers?
Many individuals often think about what it would be like to get answers to questions about understanding each other in the safe company of dozens of other befuddled and love-struck couples.
Dr. Martha Lou Scott, dean for student life, said, "Romance is still alive and doing well." Scott said she and her husband have a busy schedule today, so they will celebrate Valentine's Day this weekend. However, she said her husband sent her roses earlier this week.
Janet Holt, a marriage counselor at Family Counseling and Children's Services in Waco, said, "Romance is an attitude; it is a set of behaviors that develop over time. In the atmosphere of romance, love takes time and commitment. It is something couples must work at. Some are good at it, others suffer, but in any event, there is always room for change and improvement."
Gary Smalley, the famous and widely-respected marriage and family therapist, has a video series that could help. From 8 to 9 p.m. each Tuesday night during February, Gary Smalley's video series on Loving and Lasting Relationships will be shown in the CUB of the Bill Daniel Student Center. But he is not the only one with some insight to this thing called love.
The early Greeks, for instance, had at least six words for romantic love: Eros, Ludus, Storge, Pragma, Mania and a more popular word, Agape. The English also include dozens of words for describing love, including affection, attachment, fervor, devotion, fondness, caring and yearning. Although these terms share a common meaning, their diversity illustrates that love is not a "uniform phenomenon." After all, "passion" differs from "fondness." "Fervor" differs from "spiritual love."
Psychologists Clyde and Susan Hendrick at the University of California at Davis, have developed a love attitudes survey that charts an individual's position on the six Greek love styles. The survey's main purpose is to study differences in romantic styles among hundreds of college students. Their aim was to understand the relative importance of environmental and genetic influences on love styles.
University President Robert B. Sloan Jr. said that as a child he did not celebrate Valentine's Day, but his wife always did. He said that he now enjoys Valentine's Day and loves spending the day with his family.
"In our family we give little Valentine's gifts to one another," Sloan said.
This year he is giving his wife a heart-shaped pendant for a charm bracelet.
"I like Valentine's Day; it's a great idea," Sloan said. "We will never have too many special occasions to tell someone that you love them."
Studies reveal that genes determine about 50 percent of the variability among people in such personality traits as sociability, motivation to achievement, liberalism and anxiety. The remaining 50 percent of the variation arises from interactions with the environment, Hendrick said.
Unlike genetic influences, environmental influences are not necessarily shared among students.
"Few environmental influences are shared among common friends, teachers and parents, while others are unique to the individual," Hendrick wrote in an article published on the Internet. Shared environmental effects increase romantic similarities, while non-shared environmental effects increase differences in romantic styles.
These findings reveal that attitudes toward romantic love derive almost entirely from the environment and that hereditary factors play virtually no role.
"Romance isn't overrated, but people aren't born romantic," said Heather Ray, a Waco junior. "It's an art you have to cultivate. It's not something people expect anymore--it's a nice surprise."
With a male perspective, Joseph Mokher, a Miami sophomore, said, "When you are sharing a romantic moment with someone, it is as if nothing else matters. Romance is more than just roses and candy on Valentine's Day. It is two people who can simply share their love for each other."