A UNM student is one of 51 men, representing each state and the District of Columbia, featured in the 2001 Stud Showcase in the November issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.
Matthew Baron, a senior business major at UNM, represents New Mexico in the magazine's 69-page "All About Men Issue" article. The November issue is already on the stands.
Close friends Valerie Jarocki and Max Heyman, Mr. New Mexico 2000, nominated Baron for the issue.
"Mathew's gorgeous eyes make heads turn, and he's one of the kindest people I know," Jarocki said in the article.
After being selected, Baron was flown out to Los Angeles in July for three days of interviews and photo shoots for the article, during which each nominee answered questions about themselves. Baron was asked to describe himself in three words and for his first date turn-ons and turn-offs. He described himself as adventurous, confident, athletic. Regarding dating, he said a turn-on is a girl with a fun, outgoing attitude and a turn-off is someone who is obsessed with her looks.
Baron said he got the star treatment while in California.
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"We had to meet at this hotel at about 8 a.m., then they drove us down to this house out in Malibu - it was like a million-dollar house; it was all '50s style and retro," Baron said.
Baron said the trip to Los Angeles was a great experience, but having to wait since the July interviews for the for the actual article to come out in the November issue was very nerve-wracking.
"I was really anticipating it, I knew that a lot of people would read it," he said.
Baron's e-mail address is included with his photo in the issue. He said he receives about 15 e-mails a day from readers.
"I get two types of letters - one from the seductive older lady, and then there is the younger girl who wants to just write and say she hopes that I write back," Baron said.
Baron said he tries to write back to each letter and even lets his girlfriend read them.
Yes, sorry ladies, Baron has a girlfriend.
"My girlfriend is really cool about it too," he said. "I let her read my e-mail too, whenever she signs on to my AOL she gets like 10 instant messages from all these girls."
This was Baron's first modeling job and he says has never modeled before.
"I would love to do it again - who wouldn't?" he said.
Baron said he is glad that he got this opportunity, especially for the trip to Los Angeles. He hopes to graduate from law school and eventually take over his father's immigration law office. Besides his studies at UNM, Baron works at Sandia National Laboratories and at clothing retailer Abercrombie and Fitch. He also is the rush chair for Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity.
"I had a lot of fun," he said. "I think it was a good experience all around, just to get up, go somewhere and take a chance."
