As soon as Playboy puts out its "College Girls Special Edition," male students across the nation rush to newsstands everywhere in search of finding out what bombshell will represent their school.
Not that ASU participants have ever let their student body down, but this year, we have a special treat; our bombshell is on the cover.
Jaime Hammer, a communications senior, took on the task of baring it all in the name of ASU, and we couldn't be prouder.
I first met Hammer at the Playboy auditions in Scottsdale. Yeah, that's right; I picked out the cover girl without even seeing her naked. Maybe I should reconsider my field of work.
Hammer sat alone at a table and appeared to be the most "real" girl around. It paid off. In November, photographers made their way to Arizona for a three-day photo shoot with Hammer.
From mansions to farmland, our pride and joy of a playmate strutted her stuff around Arizona and will strut her stuff onto newsstands March 30.
Hammer, dressed casually and hardly wearing any makeup, met with SPM last week to dish about the trials and tribulations of being a sex icon and the pressure of representing Playboy's no. 1 party school ... oh, yeah, that's us!
SPM: Don't I know you?
Hammer: Yeah, you met me at the casting call for Playboy Special Editions.
SPM: I'd like to say congrats. This is quite the accomplishment. But let's get down to it. What's it like doing a Playboy shoot?
Hammer: It sounds like it wouldn't be hard. But after doing "this" (sticks chest out) all day, you get pretty sore. They say, "bend this way, curve this way." [And I did it] all in stilt (Stiletto) shoes. The next morning, I felt like I ran a marathon.
SPM: Was it weird walking around "nakey" in front of strangers? I don't even like walking past the mirror naked.
Hammer: You forget that you're nude. On the third day, I had Uggs on, and I was walking around naked. I didn't even notice. It helps to be comfortable with the photographer and the staff.
SPM: Where did you shoot at? Was it in public? On your cover, it looks like you're outside.
Hammer: Yeah, all of the other covers are all in studio with white backdrops. Mine looks cool with the sky. They went for an Arizona look. The first day, we were at some mansion. It was like an "MTV Cribs" house. If I lived there, I'd never leave.
SPM: Sounds fairly private, but what about the outside shots?
Hammer: We went to Bert's Barn. I was like, "What!?"
SPM: Hmmm ... sounds kind of kinky.
Hammer: It was cold outside to say the least. When you have nothing on, it doesn't help either. It would take the photographer between 30 to 45 minutes just to find the right spot with the right light. It was so beautiful. Then right behind us, there were dumpsters and trash.
SPM: You must have been there forever then. No wonder you became comfortable being naked.
Hammer: My call was at 8 a.m., and I'd be there 'til around 6 p.m.
SPM: What about classes? Did you have to miss them?
Hammer: The first day of shooting, I had a test at 2:30 p.m. We shot for a while, and I had to rush to school in full make up-eyelashes and everything. Usually, I dress down for class-minimal makeup if any. I told them I was at an interview. I got an A on the test though.
SPM: So you didn't make up some lame excuse to get out of taking the test?
Hammer: I couldn't be like, "By the way, can I take the test a different day? I have a Playboy shoot."
SPM: So do you get any perks? Free clothes? Anything?
Hammer: I'd like to go back to the (Playboy) mansion, but that's another day.
SPM: BACK to the mansion????
Hammer: In high school, when I was a senior, my friend's dad who was an old actor knew him [Hugh Hefner] and couldn't go to the party, so he gave the tickets to us. It was for the Midsummer Night's Dream party.
SPM: Man! I just saw that on TV the other night. Wild stuff, huh?
Hammer: We knew we had to wear lingerie, but I didn't know we had to wear underwear and a bra. I was so overdressed.
SPM: Did you meet any A-lists?
Hammer: I was like, "Oh, hello, Leonardo DiCaprio." Mini Me was there too. I took the approach that I wasn't going to act like a groupie. The mansion is where those people go to get away from that.
SPM: So that's where it started, huh? Do you think it's going to be strange walking around campus knowing people have seen you naked?
Hammer: I thought about that. I wonder if people are going to tell me they bought the mag and have seen me naked. I could end up like the dorky people who were on "American Idol" for two seconds and now everyone knows them.
SPM: Let's hope that your career goes a little farther than the beloved American Idol reject William Hung. See you on the 30th ... and so will everyone else! Good luck!
Reach the reporter at erika.wurst@asu.edu.
