From the hippie culture to the AIDS epidemic to the Internet revolution, love has gone from "free" to fraught to Facebbok. What is love now, in this age of 24/7 communication, blurred gender roles and new attitudes about sex and dating?

The New York Times and mtvU invite college students nationwide to submit a personal essay of between 1,500 and 2,000 words that illustrates the current state of love and relationships.


The winning author will receive:

* $1,000 cash

* His or her essay published in a special "Modern Love" column in The New York Times and on nytimes.com

* His or her essay also featured on mtvU and mtvU.com


Several runner-up essays may also be published in print, on nytimes.com, or on mtvU.com


Click here for full contest details and an online archive of Modern Love columns.


Submission deadline is March 31, 2008