By Bessie King and Meagan Walker

Hurricane Katrina has left thousands in despair and people across the country are donating food, clothes, money or anything that can help alleviate the losses. For one Northeastern student from Memphis, Tenn., the profits from a calendar full of scantily-clad college girls is the way to contribute.

“I want it to be pretty hot and sexy,” said Millicent Coins, manager of the 2006 “Husky Hotties” calendar.

Coins said she was motivated by a lack of donations on campus.

“I saw a little raggedy box at the Curry Student Center with a paper on it asking for donations and a water bottle in it … and I just feel that as a school we could do so much more. I mean, a box?” Coins, a senior economics major, said.

Three years ago, Rubens Amedee, a friend of Coins, published a male calendar featuring students from Boston area colleges and donated some of the profits to charity. Coins felt that an all-female calendar would attract more customers.

With the help of friends Nubia Newsome and Trisha Johnson, Coins is dedicating time and money to this cause. As a student on co-op with a part-time job, she is using her own money to fund the project. From photographer expenses and graphic design fees to printing and supplies, all the funds come straight from the pockets of Coins and volunteers.

“People are going to volunteer because they realize that we are not keeping the money and that they have a chance to get involved and make a difference within NU and for the hurricane victims,” said Newsome, a junior nursing major helping Coins with creative ideas.

More financial help is coming from Victoria’s Secret, where Coins once worked, from the New England Art Institute, with a student volunteer working on graphic design, and from business sponsors Coins is trying to obtain. However, she encountered problems while advertising and finding audition space.

Coins said she posted flyers around campus and residence halls, but they were torn down because they did not have the required approvals. Also, when trying to find a room on campus to hold meetings and auditions, she was not allowed to get one since she is not associated with a student group.

“It was so frustrating because what am I paying my student fees for? The attitudes were so disturbing and no one was willing to help me [find a meeting room],” Coins said.

She was able to obtain a place to hold auditions on Sunday with about 25 participants. The models were “spotted,” as Coins explained, on www.facebook.com, while walking around campus and from football players who suggested girls. All who auditioned for the calendar will appear on the front cover. Models will wear their own clothing and hair and makeup help will be provided.

“I’m not going to ask anyone for thongs … I will ask the ladies to only show what they feel comfortable showing,” Coins said.

A contract of privacy and consent must be signed by each photographer and model. Everyone was welcome to audition, and the advertisement claimed, “If you’re fine as wine… there’s no such thing as too thick or too small, too dark or too tall, we are looking for it all.”

“I think it will be interesting to see how many girls think they’re ‘fine as wine,’ but it is for a really good cause,” said Ashley Stempel, a freshman journalism major.

Calendars will be sold around Northeastern, with a release date and price still undisclosed. Each model will also have calendars to sell, and a release party is being considered by Coins to raise even more funds.

“It makes me feel like I am doing so much more than just watching the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina on TV,” said Massiel Cordero, a junior nursing major who will model. “Some might say why a ‘Husky Hotties’ calendar? I say Millicent was just thinking outside the box.”

Coins is thinking about launching a male calendar but is concerned with releasing the female version first and raising as much money for the relief efforts as possible.

“I think it will be successful because when I thought of what I could do to help I could have just given money, but by having college students coming together we could give so much more,” Coins said. “[It is a] terrible situation and if you want to contribute, just do something personal. This is what interests me.”