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Despite the inches of snow on the ground, the consistently single digit temperatures and the ever-present permacloud this time of year, we are currently in the “spring” semester here at Notre Dame. Spring semester has many meanings. For seniors, it’s time to celebrate your final months of college while simultaneously panicking over the looming reality of adulthood. It’s time for football season nostalgia, JPW, formals and Pigtostal. And, at Notre Dame, spring is time for another rite of passage.

Boys, it’s time to put a ring on it. 

Spring is famed as the season of love in classic literature, the symbolic time of new romantic beginnings. Notre Dame is no stranger to this phenomenon. Come spring semester, new couples start popping up like daisies around here. 

To support the romantic tendencies of our campus this spring, NDTV will soon be airing a new season of its hit show, “The Irish Bachelor,” set to release just after spring break.

“The Irish Bachelor” follows the format of ABC’s popular show “The Bachelor.” One lucky guy will be presented with 12 prospective ND girls to date simultaneously. As he courts them at the many romantic destinations South Bend has to offer (Talk about that mood lighting in Chipotle, am I right?), he narrows down the pool. The girls must outwit, outplay and outlast one another to receive the title of sole survivor.

And you get to witness every awkward dating moment up close and personal from the comfort of your futon. 

My friends and I follow the ABC program. You could say we get a little into it. While the girls wait with baited breath to see if they will be getting a rose to continue on, we’re adjusting our “Bachelor Brackets,” placing bets on who is the weakest link and rolling our eyes anytime someone talks about how this show will help them find “real love.”

The thought of finding real love on “The Irish Bachelor” is so unsettling that it’s pretty damn funny. The odds are 12-1. Eleven of those girls will be dumped on television. Not my first choice, but hey, better than over text, right?

The show has so many cringe-worthily awkward moments (see cringe-worthily awkward synonym, “group date”). Imagine how much that hilarity is magnified when you recognize everyone on “The Irish Bachelor.” Pajamas on and popcorn in hand, you can watch the girl in your chemistry tutorial try to flirt with that guy from your freshman year badminton team. 

I feel 40 percent creepy for watching this show (seeing how I can now state the name, age, dorm, favorite song and dog or cat preference of twelve previously unknown classmates by memory). But I’d say I’m 60 percent hysterically amused by it, so I just keep watching and working on my brackets.

On Feb. 7, NDTV revealed the identity of this season’s Irish Bachelor, Dawson Robinson, an oh-so-suave junior political science major from Indianapolis. 

Though initially hesitant to audition, Dawson decided to take on this opportunity for growth.

Initially, I didn’t see how a contrived and frequently disingenuous dating competition provided much room for emotional growth, but Dawson did shed some light on the potential for progress the show had to offer. Not only is he looking to grow, but he calls the student body to do so as well.

“In St. Edward’s Hall, we like to say chivalry ain’t dead. But I think chivalry is definitely in trouble on campus. There is a lot more about Notre Dame girls than you can learn at Feve, and I hope this show can help spark a dating culture at Notre Dame, because right now we don’t really have one,” Dawson explained.

I find a lot of truth in Dawson’s words. While many people here are hastily altar bound, others seem like they’ll be happy til the day they die with a “Flirt” Bucket in one hand and a nameless Feve-goer in the other. There is not much middle ground to stand on.

Beyond the rose ceremony eliminations and painfully strained group dates, there may be a lesson to be learned from “The Irish Bachelor.” Don’t feel pressure to put a ring on it this spring, but also don’t be afraid to start something new and meaningful. 

Either way, if you’re looking for some inspiration on how to turn that Claddagh around or a guaranteed comedic source of procrastination, get in the spirit of spring and tune in for the upcoming premier of “The Irish Bachelor.”