News editor bares it all for art class

I have had several campus jobs over my college career. One paid me $10 an hour, which to a college student is like gold. Not only was the pay great, but no physical work was involved. In fact, I spent most of my time sitting down doing nothing.

Back in 2000, my first year at Central Michigan University, I wrote for the student newspaper. While interviewing someone in the art department, I noticed some charcoal drawings of people without clothing. I found out they were students who posed for a class and were paid $10 an hour.

I found out they were looking for more models and it was easy work.

So there I was, a reporter moonlighting as a nude model. Life was good.

One bit of advice I got was that the ceiling would be my best friend. What that means is some women in the class would try to distract the male models and get them “off their game.” One student stared at me and proceeded to stick a magic marker inside her mouth. Startled, I just stared at the ceiling and all was well.

These type of things went on for an entire semester. It was the most interesting semester I ever had, to say the least.

If you don’t believe me, find out yourself. Delta College has openings for nude models in the art department.

According to Andrew Rieder, Art Instructor and Coordinator of Art Discipline Under Humanities Division, there are four to six models employed each semester and he tries to get half women and half men. The job pays between $15-$17 an hour and each student works about eight hours a month.

Rieder said that nude modeling isn’t limited to just students.

“Anybody may be a nude model,” Rieder said. “The nude model may or may not be a student. Being a student isn’t a requirement. The only requirement is the model must be at least 18 years of age. I have the final say on who gets the job and who doesn’t. One thing that helps is if the model has done it before. Experience does help.”

Rieder is always concerned about students making fun of the models while trying to embarrass them and disrupt the class.

“So far nothing like that has happened, but if it should I would have no problem expelling the student or students from the class,” Rieder said. “The models deserve respect. Nobody should disrupt the class just because a model is nude.”

Just like at CMU the models will pose anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes to start out, then eventually will sit for longer periods.

“It is harder than people think,” Rieder said. “It can be very difficult to hold still for that long. That’s why they get a break during class.”

According to Rieder, there is a huge difference between people posing nude in an art class and pornography. The main difference is his class is a study in fundamentals and the drawings are tastefully done.

“A nude figure does not necessarily elicit a sexual response,” Rieder said. “The nude model is used as a study of the human form and is not automatically designated to any specific artistic content outside of the exercise of visual study.”

If anyone is interested in or knows someone who is interested in becoming a nude model at Delta College, contact the Human Resources Department for further details at 989-686-9107 or stop in at J-101.