Warren junior Kira Busch said she could connect with Mark L. Knapp’s presentation Monday.

“It was very relative to my relationships,” Busch said.

Knapp presented “Lies and Truths in Close Relationships” on Monday in the Bovee University Center Auditorium. Most attendees of this lecture were from Communication and Dramatic Arts associate professor Leslie Withers’ COM 523: Dark Side of Communication course.

The College of Communication and Fine Arts and the department of communication and dramatic arts sponsored this event.

Knapp’s presentation consisted of reasons as to why there are lies within serious and “close” relationships. He referred to it as “the dark side of a relationship.” Knapp addressed the path to lies and deceptions in a relationship, which ranged from vulnerability to the influence a significant other might have.

“Most of the time when people tell lies, they’re thinking about themselves,” Knapp said. “The truth can be used to hurt people.”

In previous years, the CCFA and the CDA schedule various speakers in two to three days, but they decided to try something different, Withers said. Rather than bunching up speakers in a shorter amount of time, speakers will be brought throughout the year for all to attend. Knapp happened to be the first of this year’s speakers

“He’s such a well-known scholar internationally and nationally,” Withers said.

Knapp has done various presentations on many subjects, ranging from “Lies and Truths in Close Relationships” to “Observation of Nonverbal Behavior: Skills and Problems.” He has also authored several books.

Mary Ann Renz a communication and dramatic arts professor who organized the event, said the event went well.

“I thought it was a good presentation,” she said.

Knapp’s presentation also included a few videos, one of which portrayed a typical young adult as a compulsive liar. It showed that typical adults average three lies every 10 minutes.

This was a complete shock to the audience.

“It was really interesting,” said Dani Lauer, a Cedar Springs senior.

Germany freshman Marco Ehrl is currently in a long-distance relationship, and said this was something definitely worth listening to.

“It was motivating and inspiring,” Ehrl said.

Knapp said he feels strongly about honesty in close relationships.

“I’ve been in close relationships,” he said. “Because it really is at the core of what keeps people together, and when I say that, I’m talking about the things that count.”

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E-mail the author: Amelia Eramya