Great bodies, big thrills: Students ready to break loose
Roller coasters provide joy ride for romantic couples

By LISA HAARLANDER
and SETH WILBERDING
Collegian Staff Writers

Although riding a roller coaster may not sound romantic, stimulating activities and exotic vacations can bring couples closer together and allow singles to mingle, according to a six-month study by clinical psychologist and sex therapist Judy Kuriansky.

Stimulating experiences, such as amusement park rides, increase the level of arousing chemicals, she said.

"When you are in a state of arousal, you find the person next to you more attractive," Kuriansky said.

Chemicals, such as endorphins that are released during sex and other activities, produce a natural high that relieves stress, she said.

But Rochelle Weintraub, a travel consultant for Accent on Travel, 444 E. College Ave., does not know of any students going to theme parks for spring break.

Weintraub said most students who scheduled trips through her agency are going to Cancun next week.

Tropical vacations and cruises can create more intimacy but also more problems because couples are with each other constantly, Kuriansky said.

"There's nothing like a vacation and being away from your normal environment for falling in love," she said. "But you have to be wary of vacation goggles."

Vacation goggles are seeing someone through the excitement of a vacation or in an exotic location, she said.

"There's more gain and more risk when you are on vacation," Kuriansky said. "Besides, it's more expensive."

As well as having the same chemical levels, amusement park rides give couples the chance to physically interact, Kuriansky said.

"You don't have to worry about touching each other because the ride gives you permission for physical contact, and it's a non-threatening experience," she said.

Going on rides gives people a chance to meet, Kuriansky said, because people can talk about park attractions they have experienced.

And even if two people know each other, such as Mandy Frederick (freshman-advertising) and her former boyfriend, a trip to an amusement park may bring them closer together.

"Being together all day in long lines gives you the opportunity to talk to each other," she said. "You feel close to the person you're with, especially when you're on a roller coaster and it whips around a bend. You're bound to run into each other."

But going on a ride does not guarantee physical contact, Ramsey Baerga (senior-political science) said.

"If she's your girlfriend, she'll grab you. If not, she'll grab the ride," he said.