Assistant arts and entertainment editor Bethany Kohoutek recently chatted with Julie, from MTV’s “The Real World New Orleans.”

Julie, along with Justin from “The Real World Hawaii,” will be coming to Stephens Auditorium to speak Thursday at 8 p.m.

Daily: In addition to doing some public speaking since you left “The Real World” cast, what kinds of other things have you been doing?

Julie::: Like you said, a lot of lectures. I’m a national advocate for abstinence and I’ve been working with the “Electric Playground.”

Daily: And what’s that about?

Julie:: It’s basically a technology show. We review video games and different new technologies coming out on computers. And along with the computer thing, I also have a Web site. It’s called planetJulie.com. That Web site is pretty much up and running; I’m updating it all the time, so it’s going to be really kickin’ in the next little while.

Daily: Now I have some questions about “The Real World.” What attracted you to audition for the show in the first place?

Julie:: Actually, I didn’t even audition. What happened was they came to my school and my friend was going to audition and I was just going to pick her up. I just started talking to the casting lady, and she was like, `Well, why don’t you audition?’ I had never seen the show; it kind of freaked me out a little. I didn’t know what it was all about.

But they kept calling me and calling me and they asked me to make a tape and do these interviews and all this application stuff and they ended up picking me. So it was kind of weird, because I wasn’t really anticipating being on.

Daily: What did your family think?

Julie:: They were a little apprehensive at first but you know, they get used to whatever I do. I’m the kind of person that I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do, and they have to get used to that.

Daily: Do you still keep in touch with your fellow “Real World” cast members?

Julie:: For the most part, yeah. We don’t get to talk on the phone a ton; we don’t get to see each other that often because we all live in different parts of the world.

Daily: A lot of viewers really looked up to the moral standards you managed to keep throughout the show. And with the abstinence campaign you mentioned, you’re still planning on saving yourself until marriage?

Julie:: Uh huh. [Yes.]

Daily: Did you ever find yourself tempted during the show?

Julie:: Never during the show. Nobody on that show was worth it. I had a boyfriend after the show. His name is Josh. We actually just took a break a couple of days ago, but I still love him. That’s the only time it’s a little bit hard – when you love somebody.

But the cool thing about Josh is he’s got the same standards I do so we completely love each other and we completely understand that we both want to wait. So it” not hard. It’s never been hard for me. It’s like you make that decision during the daylight hours and it’s not hard when the time comes. I don’t know. I’ve never felt pressured.

But definitely not in that house. Are you crazy? Nobody in that house.

Daily: While you were on the show, did you feel at all accountable for your audience? Did you feel that people may watch you, just like any TV personality, and imitate both the positive and negative things you may have done?

Julie:: I tried not to think that way. I know probably I should have more than I did, but honestly, I would have gone crazy if I tried to do that.

It’s not like this a role on a TV show or in a movie. This is your daily life. And for four months I could not consume myself with trying to be a role model for the whole world any more than I do in my daily life. In my daily life I try to be a good example, but if I do something wrong, I’m not gonna beat myself up over it. On the show I beat myself up over it a little too much. I’d get upset.

For example, like me getting upset about my dad. I wasn’t mad about my dad, I was afraid that was going to look bad on television. And that’s awful. That will ruin your experience there. So I tried to do it as little as possible. Unfortunately, you can’t help it. When you’re on television you feel that pressure and it’s a big responsibility.

Daily: How did you deal with that pressure?

Julie:: Not real well. I cried a lot. I didn’t really enjoy the show. That’s why I didn’t audition for it in the first place because I didn’t think that.

There’s something about reality television that doesn’t bode well with me and I had a hard time being on the show. I even have a hard time now being in the supermarket and having people recognize me. I honestly don’t take attention too well.

That’s why I enjoy talking on topics like diversity, as I’m going to do at Iowa, or abstinence, or something that I believe in, because that’s not me just talking about `Hey, guys, I was on `The Real World.’ Because I’m not that interested in being the MTV girl.

Daily: If you could do it all over again, would you still do it?

Julie:: Right now, I wouldn’t do it again because I’m 21 and needing to move on with life. If I was 19 again and had the opportunity to do it, then I’d do it.

Daily: What kinds of doors has being on the show opened up for you?

Julie:: You know, not much different than anything beforehand, except that it’s given me the courage to pursue what I want in life a little more. It’s a lot easier to make connections and have opportunities come up when people know you.

For example, moving to California. I now have the funds and the courage to do that. I had the guts and the funds to do that, where as I’m not sure I did before. You know the coolest opportunities are just getting to meet people and getting to travel around the country and talk to kids at schools. That’s a cool opportunity. My show on the Discovery Channel, that’s just for fun. That’s not something I’d do for the rest of my life. It’s just for fun and I just roll with life.

Daily: What are your future aspirations?

Julie:: You know, honestly, my whole life I was a business major. My whole life I wanted to click my heels down the corporate hallway with a briefcase and all that. And I don’t know what happened lately. Maybe it’s me having a boyfriend for the first time. Josh was my first real boyfriend in my whole life. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m growing up and the maternal instincts are kicking in, but all I want now is to marry a good man, to support him in his job and I want to have kids and be a mom. That’s what I want to be when I grow up.

So I know that sounds really old-fashioned, but that’s what I want, so hopefully that comes along. Not necessarily with Josh, I mean, I still love him and I don’t know, we’ll see where that goes, but just in general I think it would be cool to be a mom. It’s like the greatest job there is.

Daily: Do you think that “The Real World” really does reflect the real world? Does it really portray the typical lives of teen-to-twenty-somethings, or do they edit everything out to get the exciting stuff?

Julie:: I think they definitely edit it to be exciting. I don’t think anyone’s life is nearly that dramatic. My life isn’t that dramatic. Seriously, my life living there was just very boring, but then when you put it in this episodic, Kid-Rock-in-the-background and all this other dramatic stuff going on with these other dramatic people, of course it’s going to look really big deal.

Think of the last four months of your life. What if they took the five big events that happened in the last four months of your life and made those into episodes, one after another. People would be like, `This girl’s dramatic. This girl’s crazy, always doing something.’ No. It’s just that I had lived there so long that they got a couple glimpses of stuff happening. So it really isn’t that dramatic. Nobody on that show is that dramatic. I don’t think anyone’s typical life is that dramatic. And if it is, they need help.

Daily: You talked earlier about how you find it difficult to live a normal life now that your face has been seen on millions of TV sets all over the world. What’s it like to go from being a regular college student to someone who gets asked for autographs and that sort of thing?

Julie:: I’m really sad, actually. I really don’t like not being in college; I don’t like not being your normal college kid. I go to these schools – and I’ll probably do it at yours, too – I always am looking for someone that can be my single-serving friend for the day, because that’s all I have right now. I meet somebody for a day and leave them again. And it’s sad, but it’s the best I can do.

I’m just really looking forward to that time when I can go back to school. And it’s hard. Ever since leaving “The Real World,” I really appreciate anonymity now. Everyone needs to appreciate their private life. I know what it’s like to be without and I wish I could get it back sometimes. But for the most part, so much good came out of my life that if one of the bad parts is that it’s a little harder to make friends, that’s something I have to deal with.

Daily: Do you still plan on going back to Brigham Young University? I know there were some problems with your re-admittance.

Julie:: I don’t know. I could reapply and try to go back, but I think I might want to go to school on the beach in California. I’m not sure.

Daily: Do you think that there’s a shortage of positive female role models for today’s young women in TV, music and entertainment?

Julie:: Definitely. And I’m not saying that I am one. I think that, myself included, there are a lot of bad role models on television. And I don’t think it’s the girl’s fault as much – well, maybe Britney Spears, `cause she wears all that skanky stuff – but for the most part, I think most women don’t try to be bad role models. It’s just that television is such an awful industry.

Take “The Real World,” for example. All the girls in my house are very good girls. Melissa, she’s not a crazy girl. Kelly is a nice person. I think I’m a nice person. But they edit it in such a way that maybe we’re not the best role models. They edit it taking the bad things in our lives. They could edit it in a way to make us very positive role models for kids, and I think that maybe they don’t do the best job that they could.

Same thing with anything in the entertainment industry. It’s like these women could be made out to be more positive role models, but it’s the whole sex sells thing to promote things that aren’t as positive, unfortunately. It’s not the woman’s fault as much as it is the industry’s.

Daily: What kinds of things are you planning on talking about at Iowa State this Thursday?

Julie:: Well, in Iowa we’re going to try and focus on diversity, but I hate lecturing. I know what it’s like to be in a lecture hall, so I’m going to try to make it an open forum. I’m going to be like, `Hey, what do you guys want to talk about? I’m here for you.’

I’m going to ask them questions. I’m going them about their school. I’m going to ask them where we can go out and party at night. I’m hoping that there’s questions about diversity. Not that I’m the end-all-be-all on diversity, but I would love to have a discussion. Open it up and let the kids talk to each other or if there’s questions about my `Real World’ experiences. I love talking about that, too, because it was a big part of my life. Pretty much you guys make the show. I mean whatever you want it to be, it will be.

Daily: Final question – do you watch the new Real World New York?

Julie:: I don’t.