After the Elite Eight loss, I noticed several devoted fans shedding tears. Was it out of true dedication or intense emotional attachment?

My personal attachment to several celebrities, fictional characters, and athletes has allowed me to understand the emotional link that many, if not all, of us UA students feel. Experiencing feelings for fictional situations is normal when being emotionally attached to a character. For example, bawling hysterically after Marissa’s death on season three of “”The O.C.,”” helping friends cope through the emotional times of “”Twilight,”” and having to take yoga classes after LeBron James was traded to Miami are all completely normal experiences that result from being emotionally attached.

This type of attachment is not unhealthy, weird or creepy. As humans, we have psychological needs that sometimes are not met through our own lives, hence we become attached to fictional characters. It is kind of like a more mature version of the one stuffed animal we could not go a night without back in the day.

If you find yourself still cuddled up with the teddy bear you have had since you were 4 years old, you may have a problem and I would suggest finding a character to fill the emotional needs you desire.

— Caroline Nachazel is a sophomore studying communication and journalism. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.