On the second floor of The Union, Jazzie Ruff sits at a table, tapping her long manicured nails. “It’s expected that I’m nervous,” she said.
The 5-foot-9 model from Tupelo has been featured in hair commercials and fashion shows, and has played as an extra in Hollywood films. The black long-haired woman wears a gold blazer and gold pointed-toed shoes and waits for her upcoming audtion for UPN’s “America’s Next Top Model” hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks.
In The Union lounge area girls in sequins, satin and lace sat covering the walls and windows. Model-hopefuls sit on couches, fanning themselves with their brochures so their makeup won’t become pasty.
MSU student Wendy Peebles sits cross-legged in a lounge chair. and seems to be the only one in the room laughing. “I don’t even know why I’m here,” she says. “I’m just doing this for the fun of it; I’m just going to talk like I’m talking to anyone on the street.”
Inside the tryout room on the third floor, woman with olive skin and wiry hair walks in front of a gray backdrop where she talks to a camera-she has up to three minutes to make her point. This video will be sent to Tyra Banks and her co-judges to see.
Her short-hair is pulled up into a teased ponytail at the round of her head. As Nikki Brown from Memphis holds up her white sheet of paper for the camera operator, Jessica Blazel of the camera crew slides a small microphone around her collar. Standing back Blazel says, “Now drop the paper.”
“Hi Tyra,” Brown says into the camera lens before she explains Banks should select her because of her exotic looks. “I’m versatile; I can look Mexican, Indian and Arabic,” she says.
“I want to be on your show, because everyone already asks me if I am a model,” she adds.
Naquitta Bent says in her video-interview, “Hey girrrl … I think that “America’s Next Top Model” has good role models for young girls,” she says. “It would be a dream come true for me to be one of them.”
At the end of MUW student Aimee Atkins’ interview she says jokingly, “And I heard big teeth were in, so maybe I have a good chance.”
Tiffany Iney Jiles from Jackson finishes her interview. She says she was nervous. “I hope she likes it and sees my potential,” she adds.
For its fourth season the reality television series “America’s Next Top Model” asked the WCBI station of the UPN network to scout for models on campus. From 4 p.m. to late last Friday night, 79 girls tried out for the series.
Derek Rodgers, the director of UPN, said the auditions had “the largest turnout we’ve ever had for anything, including ‘Survivor.'”
To get publicize auditions, Kelly Nesbit and the students of Campus Activities Board circulated fliers on campus along with 92.1 FM and 96.1 FM as sponsors.
UPN employee Susan Bell said that she had seen a lot of beautiful girls, “But the selectors of this series view thousands upon thousands of pictures and videos.
“So we have a chance as good as anybody else,” she said.
Although the chances of someone getting selected aren’t definite, Rodgers offered other options.
“We’re going to pick two out of these 79 girls to be in some local commercials,” he said. “So if no one gets picked for the bigger show, two of them will still win something.”
Meanwhile, the fourth season of UPN’s America’s Next Top Model started earlier this month, with Tyra Banks, Janice Dickinson, Nigel Barker, Nol Marin and Jay Manuel as judges.
Viewers can catch the show on UPN every Wednesday at 7 p.m.