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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1999)
»£ Battalion Aggielife Page 3 • Tuesday, February 9, 1999 for Humanity a I meeting in Hi , m. ^at Issues:Tie i on on the Of:. 5 kiss lead y Professor of* a. in 212MSI ^&IVI Compute EEE-CS):W □ductoryUNItJ in 209 Brif. please sign f hi Omega «: ponsoringanw lood drive all J t locations onlI iformation pieJ ' Troy at 862I:| Mens P, : ield by thep;:f e Zachrype^ udents wete necessary. C«| 89 for more r nHe Story by Kiffin Collins Photo Illustration by Mike Fuentes vf/Horu ofiliemp l>e,ka.U'ior c ai / go t Health Se’ ^ on: A comrr;B ship program ia Marshall c I lion will behest n. in Ruddero'i | iffith at 847-921 c Business Sim : There will tri g at 7:30 p.ir| all Chris ati formation. | Corredii Monday's issuf the article proposes es" stated a proposal was impus Access;' : orce. The lis" 3s was createc: Office of the Vic? 1 ministration an: and Transport! t’s the end of the first date and as he is walking her jo the door, the only thing on both their minds is Ivhat happens next. It is either dreaded or antici pated, depending on the person, but one thing is for pertain — it is what keeps a relationship together or ends it forever. I The kiss is the universal display of affection shared between couples. It can represent a sign of romance, love, eroticism or even innocence. [ Megan Kloppenburg, a freshman business major, said kissing is the best way to measure the sub stantial outcome of a relationship. [ “Kissing tells a person whether the relationship \h worth pursuing,” she said. “A good kiss will usu ally lead to more romance, but a Liad kiss will allow for good stories to share with friends.” | There are several theories as to how the kiss orig inated and about the roots of kissing. According to the Washington State University tebsite, the most popular theory of the kiss was hy- othesized by anthropologists several years ago. Kissing evolved from an ancient practice called ‘premastication,’ which is when a mother chews iood and then transfers it into the mouth of their child. While most societies now manufacture baby food, this was probably a common practice in earli er times. It is not difficult to see how this activity ipould have eventually evolved into the modern kiss. Another theory suggests kissing dates back as early as 2000 B.C. This hypothesis is of a more reli gious nature. The Website said,“Individuals would bring their faces together in gestures of spiritual union and fu sion.” This suggestion can also be related to the Eskimo nose rub, a sign of affection and acceptance in Alaskan society. Cultural interpretations and meanings of kisses also exist. For example, there are certain types of kissing in American culture most people would un derstand and recognize. In an Internet article titled “Different Types of Kisses,” found on the “Art of Kissing” Website, three of the most common types of kisses are listed. The social kiss is one shared between family members and friends. The article said, “This kiss is probably the most varied between people, as it can occur most often or not at all. However, a quick kiss on the cheek or lips between family and friends is an easily recognized cultural sign, which conveys love and affection.” A second kiss easily recognized is the ceremoni al kiss, common in most European countries as well as the United States. The article describes this kiss as “an act of greet ing among heads of state or other dignitaries upon meeting. This type of kiss, usually applied to each side of the face, goes beyond social symbolism to political symbolism — it signifies goodwill on the part of both parties.” The third kiss is the most widely practiced form of intimate behavior — the romantic kiss. “The romantic kiss was first adopted by the Ro mans and continues to be performed as a gesture of love and affection between couples,” the Internet ar ticle said. No two people kiss alike, and that is simply be cause every person has their own technique. Kiss ing is a learned behavior and therefore requires prac tice. However, sometimes practicing in public is not always appreciated. Brian Blankenship, a junior business major, said public displays of affection (PDA) can often times be viewed as offensive or rude. “I think there is a time and place for that (PDA) elsewhere,” he said. “Kissing in public is tacky and rude and should be avoided in all public areas.” There are also other social ramifications associ ated with kissing. Infectious diseases can be con tracted through saliva exchange. Along with the common cold and fever blisters, herpes is easily contracted through kissing. A virus marked by blisters on the mouth and lips, herpes can be treated with antibiotics and medica tion. According to the Website “Health Answers,” the most severe infectious disease contracted through kissing is mononucleosis. Mononucleosis is de scribed as an “acute viral infection causing high tem perature, sore throat and swollen lymph glands, es pecially in the neck.” Mononucleosis is very contagious, and can be contracted easily from close contact. Kissing should definitely be avoided. Kissing has long been a favorite topic for maga zines and tabloids. Tips and hints on how to give the perfect kiss and what to do circulate frequently. Brenda Byers, a psychology professor at Texas A&M, said kissing does have some natural basis. “Although there are biological and evolutionary explanations for the phenomenon of kissing, in our society, kissing is a part of our script for what love should be like,” she said. “Scripts tell us how to act in specific situations. For example, our script for Valentine’s Day includes flowers and candy. Kissing is one of the behaviors that occurs [when people] enact their scripts for loving.” R. J. Sternburg, a noted psychologist, said, “Love may involve various combinations of passion, inti macy and commitment. Although kissing may oc cur with several types of love, the more passion peo ple experience in a relationship, the more erotic the behavior.” 'N RE\ tuld pre coub vl auV f-<7 .'.Ij V-w t- . * /. ■> \, «V-'. - •."i TETAArmAjs: ■ A | j 1099 -1 PnncelonRmenisnoUfe-:' /y -ft lion I SiM UNIVERSITY l lief mtes, Photo Edito Parekh, Opinion Eif er, City Editor irone, Aggielife E# rown, Web Editor Pariani, Radio F nik, David Lee, CalebMcC#' rd Paddack, Russell Page/ .Christian Robbins, Luke fc'; n Starch. Stempien, Sallie Turner/ f: Iobehson & Eric Nm. rsistant: JP Beato; MartF ; |ener. Gabriel Ruenes, Vicloit* 1 e Norfeldt,. : Cariho Casas, HondaC/ lanya Day, Bobbie EftekH 1 ns, Merrisa SonnieiSA*' RS- Lisa Kreick, Roucliyii' £?■ a Wegener & Kyle Wiat® in the Division otStudert#: sroom phone: 84 5-3313; f* Jj- u v.'/v-T'-A.' V/' - \ v C r % i V' ' v I f A - AA.:,' & 00-2>i2>-2920 * V - TC a m a m&m * kv- > -l & I ! A-v / - iji If 111 m M l^rde? 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