“Campus Crush” was a show born out of necessity.

“Dating here at USC is just a miserable task. You’re either on the apps, or you’re looking around campus,” said Kayden-Harmony, a freshman majoring in English. “You meet somebody at a party or something, you exchange Instagrams, and then what, it’s like you never see each other again? It just felt like such a difficult place to actually form a relationship.”

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A dating game show production where contestants test compatibility and bonds through games and challenges in rapid-fire fashion, “Campus Crush” aims to let no Trojan go home alone. Kayden-Harmony was an executive producer on the pilot last fall. Now, she is the showrunner.

“Campus Crush” is slated to return in March as the latest offering from USC’s student-run TV station Trojan Vision.

The new edition of the show comes with an additional emphasis on noncompetitive rounds and interactions. In one game, the main contestant of the show will start by seeing and judging various social media profiles and choosing their least favorite. The person behind that profile will then come in to defend themselves.

“Our first episode started with [the words], ‘Dating sucks,’ which is a theme I’d really like to keep through the show as we continue,” Kayden-Harmony said. “I really wanted it to be a supportive community environment … We actually want to help Trojans; it’s not just making a TV show for the hell of it.”

Aiming to subvert the traditional tropes of mainstream dating shows, “Campus Crush” digs beyond just appearances and glamour.

“If somebody comes up to you, just because of your personality and interest alone … it shows that they really want to be your friend, and I think that’s a beautiful way to meet somebody,” said Nash Rahman, the show’s pilot contestant and a freshman majoring in acting for stage and screen.

Rahman got involved in the pilot when Kayden-Harmony, her roommate, asked her if she would be interested in jumping in.

“I’d love to do it again. It was so fun,” Rahman said. “People still come up to me to this day, and they’re like, ‘Are you the girl from ‘Campus Crush?’”

Madeleine Curry, a senior majoring in theatre, will host the upcoming season. She hopes “Campus Crush” will be especially rewarding for spring admits and transfer students at USC.

“Whether or not you end up making it to the final round or winning the heart of the main contestant, it’s such a good opportunity to meet people, and it’s cool to think that I could have a part in facilitating that and bringing people together,” Curry said.

Curry is also a member of the USC mixed-form improv troupe The Merry Men, where she worked on bringing in her own unique comedic voice and style to the project. In alignment with the style of “Campus Crush,” Curry’s host will be more friendly and casual than most professional game show hosts.

“If anything, [watching older game shows] was just getting me into the habit of speaking in the cadence of a typical host,” Curry said. “A lot of what’s scripted is going to be not so scripted. It’s going to be more off-the-cuff and more personal.”

For Kayden-Harmony and Rahman, “Campus Crush” has been a crucial part of their professional journeys jumping into college.

“It has honestly been a life-changing experience,” Kayden-Harmony said. “It’s allowed me to work on so many more projects than I thought I would in my freshman year.”

The show fosters a sense of community for both its contestants and its crew.

“Just one little show that I did in the beginning of the fall semester has paved so many new opportunities for me,” Rahman said.

Student applications will be fielded through the show’s Instagram account. Interested participants should be ready to have lots of fun and expect the unexpected.

“Even if someone gets eliminated, maybe they meet somebody who’s gonna be a new best friend or a really good acquaintance,” Curry said. “You just never know.”