Scholarly love is in the air

As the sparks and romance of Valentine's Day linger in the not-so-distant future, many students, including graduate students, are faced with doubt and uncertainty.\nIt is no wonder that the Indiana Memorial Union Grad Pad, Room 088, was buzzing with enthusiasm, laughter and even some scholarly love as single graduate students mixed and mingled amongst themselves Thursday night at a "speed dating" event for IU graduate students.\nThe dating activities began as companion-seeking students were shuffled into the front lounge on the ground floor of the Union, where they were paired with members of the opposite sex.\n"I would have to agree that this is more fun than serious dating -- it's nice to get out and be around people who share the same interests as you," said Jonah Chang, who participated in the event.\nThe "daters" moved in a counterclockwise motion as the men rotated seating every other minute. The participants were asked to write down the names of the five people they felt the most chemistry with, and the event coordinators then gave out the appropriate e-mail addresses. \n"This way, instead of going on a date with a complete stranger and realizing halfway through that you don't have anything in common, you can pick and choose who you would like to get to know better," said Jim Davis, IU Graduate and Professional Student Organization events coordinator.\nDavis said more than 80 graduate students came out for the event.\n"We do a mixture of academic and social events, but this year we seemed to have a lot more students attending social affairs," said Suzanne Ingalsbe, an active member of GPSO. \nIngalsbe said that recently, the turnout for Friday night happy hour has been more than 200 students.\nJohn Scott, GPSO events liaison, said the IU GPSO program is continually looking for new ideas and different ways to get graduate students involved.\n"It's difficult, when professional students spend so much time studying and teaching, to have a satisfying social life," Scott said. "It's our job to not only assist (graduate students) academically but socially."\nThe GPSO hosts a happy hour every Friday night and will be holding a Valentine's Day Dance Friday at the University Club in the IMU.