Twice during a lecture on boredom, Chico State University's "Outstanding Professor" of the year slumped to the floor in a near faint, but he ultimately returned to the lectern and finished his talk.

Laird Easton, a professor in the history department, was speaking on "The Great Ennui: Boredom and Culture," Thursday in the campus Performing Arts Center. The opportunity to give a lecture on any chosen topic is part of the honor associated with being named "Outstanding Professor."

When he announces he is preparing a book on the history of boredom, the professor explained, he is met with "wild enthusiasm" from people who usually have "their teeth dyed mauve," and from others he gets "why not," there are already histories about paper-clips and cod fish after all.

Easton said the concept of boredom never entered the language until after mere survival had ceased to be the all-consuming pursuit of the human animal.

He explained when a "life of arduous labor for survival" had been overcome by a percentage of the population and a "leisure class" had developed, boredom soon followed.

The professor had just begun to explain that medieval monks, who were expected to devote their lives to isolated prayer and contemplation, "suffered agonies of boredom" and church officials responded to those concerns by naming boredom one of the cardinal sins.

However, as he spoke Easton seemed to become disoriented and he slumped to the floor in front of Chico State President Paul J. Zingg, who immediately came to the professor's aid.

Easton's wife and daughter, who were attending the lecture, also came to his side. After a couple of moments the professor rose from the floor and returned to the lectern to resume his speech.

However, he almost immediately slumped back to the floor.

Despite calls from some in the crowd, which included students, campus administrators and academic colleagues, that the speech to be postponed, Easton again went back to the stand.

Seated in a chair that had been brought forward for him, Easton continued his talk. He later stood and continued his talk at the stand.

The professor traced his history of boredom through the 18th and 19th centuries, claiming the burgeoning of the novel, particularly the 19th century romance novel; the eruption of revolutions, creation of the vast British Empire, and even international wars, were to a greater or lesser degrees, reactions to and antidotes for the boredom among the aristocracy and growing middle class in Europe.

He also said the growth in sports is a reaction to boredom.

"There is, at the core of sports, conflict, and to make conflict interesting there is unpredictability," he claimed.

Play, he concluded, in all of its aspects and ramifications, is the ultimate antidote for boredom.

The professor completed his talk without further incident, and was met by a standing ovation from the audience.

President Zingg presented Easton with a framed copy of the "Outstanding Professor" announcement and a check for $1,200.