Most students spend their first week of class signing receipts at the book store. Junior nursing student Summer Ackerman is spending her first week signing autographs.

Ackerman is among forty students featured in the ten-page “Big 12” pictorial in Playboy magazine. She is the only Iowa State student in the October issue, which was released yesterday.

“It seems kind of goofy,” Ackerman said. “I’m really excited about it, though. I had no idea it was going to go this far.”

Ackerman first heard about Playboy coming to Ames from an ad in the paper. She never thought about it until her parents convinced her to try out.

“It went like this,” she said. “I was on the phone with my parents and I asked if they had heard who was coming to Iowa State. My mother says ‘you’re going to try out for it aren’t you.’ It was a parental influence. They thought I should try it, just for fun.”

Veteran Playboy photographers David Chan and David Mecey held the interviews in Ames last spring. According to Ackerman, she answered questions pertaining to her personality on paper.

“We wrote about our interests, if we’re outgoing, our measurements, things like that. We wore swimsuits and they took a few pictures after we turned the sheets in.”

Ackerman received a phone call later that night from Playboy, requesting a photo session the next day.

“It was very exciting,” Ackerman said. “They were great people. It was a lot of fun. It was kind of like a prelim, I guess.”

Ackerman and two other students were taken to an area near the design center for the photo shoot. Wearing Iowa State sweatshirts and shorts, they were photographed on a Corvette and a Harley.

“The next day they took just me to Zylastra’s, the Harley store here, and spent five hours shooting,” she said. “Those people were really nice also. They picked out the clothing and boots and stuff.”

One of Ackerman’s pictures from Zylastra’s is featured in the”Big 12″ issue. She is shown on a motorcycle with matching lingerie and biker gear. Ackerman made the decision to pose semi-nude.

“I restrained myself,” Ackerman joked. “I do have grandparents.”

She claimed the excitement was enough to ease any nervousness. “It was all such a new experience, you get caught up in the moment. They weren’t pushy at all, they were great.”

Ackerman has never modeled in the past and does not have any plans to do so in the future. The autograph session tomorrow is the last event she’ll do with Playboy.

“It was fun, but I’m focusing on school now,” she said. “I’m not looking for a career in it. I have more fun in school and with my major.”

According to Ackerman, her family is very excited for her. She said she knew of the controversy with the university when she did it, but it did not effect her decision.

“When you do anything like this, you have to expect some controversy.”she said. “I didn’t do it for anyone but myself and I had fun so that’s what matters.”

Playboy began publishing its college pictorial in 1977. Big Eight coeds were featured in the September 1982 and April 1992 issues.

“We’ve always done really well with the issues,” Lee Waedekin, Newsstand Operations Director for Playboy said. “The Girls are the real winners, though. We’ve been having a fun time with it.”

Tami Unger, University of Nebraska’s only pictured student, will appear along with Ackerman at the Kwik Shop on 2700 Lincoln Way.

They will be signing autographs from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

“Of course we try to get on campus when we can, but that all lies upon the administration,” Waedekin said. “We’re happy with the locations chosen. We’ve always had good luck with them as far as retail goes.”

Ackerman and Unger will also appear in Des Moines at the Get ‘N Go on University Avenue from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. and The Funnybone, 8529 Hickman Rd. from 6:30 to 9 a.m.