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his three-day stay in the city and the competition. LP:What was your reaction to being chosen as one of Cosmo’s hottest bachelors?
JG: I actually received an email informing me that I had been chosen while I was studying abroad in France. When I read the subject line “Cosmo Bachelors Information,” I started laughing and thought it was a hoax. But as you would expect, I was really excited about being chosen, as the honor carried several once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, such as appearing in a magazine read by millions of women, appearing on national television, and having a chance to win $10,000. LP:What were the other bachelors like?
JG: Although some of the bachelors kept to themselves, I enjoyed the company of the other nominees and learning about their lives. For example, Mr. Virginia is a Navy fighter pilot, Mr. Massachusetts is the brother of a former Miss Massachusetts, and Mr. Montana works as a ski guide in Big Sky, Mont. He told me all about the dangers of the moose. LP:Tell me about all the media attention and the seemingly endless photo shoots.
JG: We were featured on television shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Extra, and several others. I had the opportunity to walk the red carpet outside of the club where the bachelor party was held, which was really exciting. There was a large, pink Cosmopolitan screen in the backdrop, and there were dozens of photographers taking an endless barrage of photos and constantly yelling for us to look at their cameras. Although I grew tired of smiling so much, it was a very enjoyable experience. LP: How was your experience as a guest on Today?
JG: The Today visit was by far the highlight of the trip. Upon arriving at the NBC studios, I had the opportunity to see Reese Witherspoon, who was interviewing with
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Matt Lauer at the time. We were also invited into the show’s green room, where all the guests wait to make their appearances. While in the green room, I saw Candace Cameron, best known for portraying D.J. Tanner on the television show Full House, which was really exciting. We were all taken outside into the courtyard, where they had set up risers for all the bachelors to stand on. I was fortunate to be placed on the front row of the risers, so that I was in full view of the cameras. We were probably outside for a total of 30 minutes and were included in small segments throughout the show. While we were outside waiting, hosts Matt Lauer, Ann Curry, and Natalie Morales came up to meet us, introduce themselves, and talk for a few minutes. For big television stars, they were very congenial and unassuming. Eventually they ran the main segment including the bachelors, interviewing a selected group of guys in the front. Although I didn’t get interviewed, my mom and sisters were in the courtyard, holding up big signs with my name and picture on them. They started yelling, “Hey, Mr. Mississippi!” Ann Curry walked over and started talking to them while on the air. While she was talking with my family, the cameraman put the camera directly in my face, giving me about a five-second close-up shot. LP:What are your future plans as a premed major?
JG: I will be entering medical school next year. As of now, I have been accepted into the University of Mississippi Medical Center, I have interviewed at the University of Colorado–Denver, and I’m awaiting decisions from a couple of other schools. Though I don’t know what specialty I will enter, I hope to become involved in global health, maybe spending time with a relief organization such as Doctors Without Borders. LP: Any temptation to model after your stint as a hottie?
JG: Well, funny that you mention that! Yes, actually there is a big temptation to do
some modeling in the future. Most of the Cosmo bachelors who pursue modeling careers are signed by an agency, and several have appeared in large runway shows and magazines. Modeling would offer the opportunity to make some money while pursuing my medical degree, and it would be really nice to avoid taking out large loans typically associated with medical school. And it’s just simply exciting; you never know where it will take you. I plan to return to New York in the near future and interview at some of the major modeling agencies. There are no guarantees, but who knows what will happen. I certainly never expected to be one of Cosmopolitan magazine’s 50 Hottest Bachelors of the Year. LP: Cosmo’s editor in chief predicts that you bachelors won’t keep that single status very long. A ny comment?
JG: Besides the obvious positives of appearing in a magazine, the best thing about the contest was that it helped introduce me to my girlfriend, Millsaps freshman Mary Kate Rees, whom I met at the Rosary a few weeks before the Cosmopolitan thing went public. She saw me in the magazine, watched my video on the website, and put two and two together that I was the guy from the Rosary. One thing led to another, and we started dating. In that sense, Cosmopolitan achieved its goal of clearing my bachelor status!
—Lisa Purdie
MBS names Millsaps their College of the Year for 2007 Millsaps College was named Mississippi Blood Services’ 2007 College of the Year at an awards ceremony on January 24 for raising 80 units of blood. “Millsaps was consistent and a great group to work with,” said Tammy Walters, a donor services representative with MBS. Dr. Janis Booth, director of counseling