Dating Web site to choose 5 ‘Date Masters’ from Indiana universities

If you are the person your friends turn to for cheering them up when they are going through relationship or break-up troubles, you might be a good candidate to represent IU as its “Date Master.” \nYou could even be awarded a scholarship for your social skills. \nThe dating site \nwww.MyCampusDates.com announced last week that it will award up to $5,000 in scholarships to students from IU, Butler University, Purdue University, Ball State University and Indiana State University. A student from each university is eligible to receive a $1,000 scholarship.\n“We want to look for someone educated, of course, but also someone who pays attention to detail and is social,” said Terry Ballantini, director of MyCampusDates.com.\nAccording to a press release from the site, the “Date Master” will represent his or her university on MyCampuDates.com as the “go-to” person for advice on dating and social issues and the Web site itself, while creating buzz on campus for other students to join. \n“We want to get a perspective from college students to help with our marketing strategy,” said Erica Wanous of MyCampusDates.com. \nThe “go-to” person would be there to support college students after he or she received extensive training from MyCampusDates.com, Ballantini said. \n“We really exist for college students,” he said. “We are trying to create a multi-point program in Indiana which is both entertaining and educational. It is a process extending six months – we give a scholarship and then pass it onto someone else.”\nThe deadline for submitting applications is March 31, and several applications have already been received.\n“We think that the scholarship is unique and it’s fun and it’s totally different from anything that’s there,” Ballantini said. “We want that the “Date Master,” or the CEO for MyCampusDates.com (as the “Date Master” would be called), come back to us and tells us what we should do on the campus.”\nHearing about the “Date Master” scholarship for the first time, most students responded with a gasp at the idea.\n“It would be a great idea,” freshman Kasey Keller said. “A lot of students have relationship problems and they need somebody to go to.”\nKeller insisted that he would make a very good “Date Master.”\n“The ‘Date Master’ needs to be open-minded, which I am,” he said. “And I have been in many relationships and I’d know what to do.”\nFreshman Mike Lang, however, felt indifferent toward the idea. \n“A majority of the college relationship problems are no different from the ones found in Cosmo or other pop-culture magazines,” Lang said. “A majority of the problems stem from communication difficulties, time-management issues and a lack of prioritization.”