While establishing a connection is the most important part of attracting a mate, many students wonder how to get over the first hurdle and get noticed.

But forget everything that’s been said about couples getting together, from ‘steely gazes across the room’ to ‘bumping into each other and dropping their books.’ Many students take advantage of their on-campus location and resort not to the romantic strategies of yesteryear, such as pick-up lines or amorous scents, but good old-fashioned booze. It seems the common bond from which springs many relationships comes from the bottom of a bottle.

Before making a connection and taking the initiative, many students must first be subjected to a little liquid courage. Claire Mendes, a senior linguistics major, knows this strategy all too well. Mendes was at a party when an inebriated individual interrupted her conversation and kept insisting she go home with him.

‘He was so hammered,’ Mendes said, ‘for all he knew, I could have been a couch.’

Mendes, who has a boyfriend, tried to make it clear she was not interested. After repeated propositions, she finally had to resort to drastic measures.

‘After he wouldn’t stop bothering me, I finally told him I was a lesbian.’ Mendes said.

After learning of Mendes’ supposed sexual preferences, the student’s eyes lit up and pulled Mendes onto his lap and asked her to go home with him. His response to her claims of homosexuality? It was OK, he way gay.

Many students reason that due to alcohol’s ability to lower inhibitions, those who normally would not take the initiative are more likely to make the leap, resulting in many alcohol fueled pick-ups. The greatest deterrent to making the first move is the fear of rejection, and alcohol has become the safety net that exists under the high wire of courtship. ‘It was the booze talking’ has become the company line when it comes to explaining away crash and burn sessions with those they are trying to attract.

‘I absolutely believe that people blame their actions on alcohol,’ said Jenny Winters, a senior public relations major. ‘If someone has a beer in their hand, it’s their excuse if they get rejected.’

However, the tactics of yore have not been entirely forgotten. Though they may seem a thing of the past, pick-up lines still come into play. They’ve now inherited a new stigma – desperation. As such, they are commonly erased from the social game plan.

‘They’re cheesy,’ Winters said. ‘If a guy needs a pick-up line he has serious issues.’

Winters knows all too well the horrors of trying to get picked up by various one-liners and phrases. The most notable of which, ‘You are so hot, I think I need to change my underwear,’ leads Winters to wonder why such devices are even employed.

Many students agree that the problem does not lie with the lines themselves; but what it says about the person who employs it. Resorting to such lines not only shows a wealth of information about its originator’s intentions, but also about the person’s capacity to hold a conversation – the most important part of attraction.

‘If a girl wants to have a conversation and all a guy can come up with is a one-liner, it makes you think he can’t have a decent conversation.’ said Erica Golub, a senior newspaper major.

Despite abounding stereotypes that pick-up lines are only employed by males, both sexes agree that their use can tell a lot about one’s personality.

‘I don’t use them,’ said Tom Davidson, a junior broadcast journalism major. ‘Any girl that is worth your time would see it coming a mile away.’

There are sociological reasons behind the use of such lines, despite their negative connotations. Initiation and confidence have historically been the recipe for success when it comes to attracting a mate, and one-liners serve both of these functions with a simple phrase.

‘Pick-up lines are used to create connection,’ said Amanda Tommell, a senior psychology major, and teaching assistant for CFS 388 Human Sexuality for five semesters. ‘It is a way to start conversations and from there one might be able to find a common reference point.’

Creating connections may be important for attraction, but with the exile of the pick-up line, students wonder what might fill the void. Horror stories thrive around dorms filled with tales of ill-fated students who try such techniques as applying pheromones, which can result in a urine stench, or Spanish fly, a extract with skin-burning acids. The answer lies in discovering the crux of what makes one attracted to another.

Some students are finding another way to attract a mate, not by reaching for a beer bottle but a perfume bottle. A majority of students cite a good scent as the first thing they notice about another individual. Smell is such a powerful tool that it can be used to either make or break one’s sex appeal. Bad smells and body odor were top turn-offs mentioned by students.

‘Smell is very important,’ said Suzanne Grassel, a freshman magazine major. ‘If someone smells really good that always helps.’

The sense of smell, which is active in eliciting emotions and memory, can create responses on an unconscious level. The use of cologne and perfumes serve this purpose, and are designed to invoke positive reactions biologically. Perfume manufacturers are aware of the role scent plays in this billion-dollar-a-year industry, and specifically push certain scents for certain times of the year. In addition, specific perfumes are aptly named for what the designer intends the product to be used for, including ‘Romance,’ ‘In Style’ and ‘Desire.’ Rosemary Campbell, a perfume clerk at Kaufmann’s in Carousel Mall, has been in the business for 15 years and has heard and smelled it all.

‘When a woman comes and says she has a date or needs to attract someone we know where to direct her,’ Campbell said. ”Vera Wang’ is among the most popular scents for that, no question.’

No matter what one uses as a mack strategy, these methods will only get a suitor to the front door. Students warn that what happens next is an entirely different game, one in which the art of conversation replaces the laws of attraction.

‘Initial attraction is important, but if you can’t have a five minute conversation with the person it can make things difficult,’ Davidson said. ‘It’s no fun talking to a brick wall.’

Published on February 16, 2005 at 12:00 pm