IU home to 'hottest' bachelor

IU junior Rahsaan Bahati is hot. At least, according to People magazine he is.People magazine recently chose Bahati as one of the top 25 hottest bachelors, placing him with prestigious company such as Prince William and Ashton Kutcher in an issue that came out Friday. Bahati is majoring in telecommunications and computer animation with a minor in African-American literature.\nBahati is not only a student, he is also a full-time bicyclist. He began riding at the age of 14 in his hometown of Los Angeles and now rides for the professional U.S. Saturn Cycling Team. He also coaches the cycling team Major Taylor, which competes in the Little 500. \nAlthough Bahati is a member of the team, because of his professional status he is not able to ride in the Little 500. Major Taylor Foundation Inc., president and coach Courtney Bishop has known Bahati for more than three years. \n"Bahati is very unique and has set a great example for his team both athletically and academically, as he has made the effort to attack both hurdles of school and professional cycling," Bishop said. \nThe team is named after the first African- American World Champion cyclist, and Bahati's personal hero, "Major" Taylor. Taylor broke multiple records at the turn of the 20th century, and Bahati is following the same path. In 2000, Bahati won three junior national championships, and in 2002 he placed first in the International Pursuit and in the Collegiate Points Race National Championship. \nBahati made it clear that his goal is not only to continue to put out his best efforts during races but also to make a difference in the lives of young African Americans, according to www.lemondbikes.com, the Web site for Lemond Racing Cycles. He is the first professional African American in a decade to belong to a professional cycling team and said he wants to set nothing more than a good example in order to help him to inspire others to take up cycling.\nIt was because of these qualities and his charm that Bahati was recently chosen by People after an interview process and photo shoot at Malibu Beach. \n"I think that they had good reasons to choose Bahati. He is not only well-known in Bloomington, but is a legend in California," Bishop said. \nAfter looking at his photo, some IU students said they think there are hotter guys out there than Bahati, though.\n"I think that Vin Diesel is definitely one of the 25 hottest bachelors," freshman Rachel Blake said. "If there is an IU student on the list, they obviously did not look very far"