When a young lover is asked out by their crush, their heart flutters. Many girls dream of being asked to the school formal and a daring young guy desires a girl to put his arm around.

“There are no downs with my girl (referring to his girlfriend, Lisa Bolduc, ’03),” Seth Fisher, ’04, said. “She is special to me. I get a warm, fuzzy feeling when she hugs me; I don’t get that feeling with any other girl. I have just as much fun with her as I do with my guy friends.”

Modern day dating, with new morals and principles, is vastly different than what other generations experienced. Courtship, or courting, began in the early 1200s, and previous to that all marriages were parent arranged. Teens had little or no say in their life’s course and even if they did, parents rarely took it into consideration.

“My brother is dating an African-American, and he is Armenian,” Angela Kutnerian, ’06, said. “That didn’t go over well with my parents because they want him to marry an Armenian, but they have learned to understand that my brother and his girlfriend really love each other.”

A majority of teens consider dating to be a fun activity, not a prolonged commitment to each other. They often “”date”” with the intent of becoming boyfriend and girlfriend and such relationships are usually short lived, primarily because of immaturity on both sides.

“Successful relationships are hard enough, without adding the growing up process in the mix,” Molly Sargent, dean of women, said. “Good relationships require compromise and the ability to do that increases with maturity.”

To others with more serious intentions, dating is designed to locate a lifetime partner, or to find the qualities that are preferable in a future mate. However, some teens use dating as a way to peculate money or other possessions.

“Quality relationships are based on the personalities involved in them,” Danae Cook, ’05, said. “I was recently in a relationship with a guy who wanted more than I was willing to give so I broke up with him. ”

According to Scott Falk, campus pastor, teens who are considering dating need to remember that God should be at the center of their relationships.

“God created relationships so that mankind could grow closer to him, with the help of someone they love,” Falk said. “As long as the relationship is based on Christ, and not sexually oriented behavior, it will last a lifetime.”

To learn more about the history of dating, or get expert opinions, go online at www.intersurf.com/dbranton/ch1.html.