Sweet, Southern Samantha eliminated after her attempt to depict a high school wild child

On the phone, Samantha Francis didn’t sound like much of a slut. Her soft, sweet voice with its thick southern accent reminded me of sweet tea and church sermons – certainly not the kind of girl whose name is scrawled all over the bathroom stalls.\nHowever, on the second episode of the eighth cycle of America’s Next Top Model, Samantha was told to don a cropped top and garter belt and strike a pose on the bleachers of a high school football stadium – those which so often hid those tete-a-tetes of the good ol’ days. I talked to Samantha recently about her experience on the show. \nThe Birmingham, Ala., native who describes herself as “sheltered” and her parents as “somewhat protective” struggled with the shoot and also with the runway competition earlier in the show. The girls had to model some rather risque prom dresses. Samantha described one of her dresses as a little more than a shirt and said that she was uncomfortable because she would have been thrown out of her high school prom for wearing such a thing.\nI wondered why such a southern belle with her high moral standards would be going into modeling. Women often must pose nearly or completely nude for high fashion magazines (Has this girl seen the scintillating advertisements in French and Italian Vogue?) and wear whatever designers dream up on the runway. But Samantha told me that she is aware of all of these challenges. “I have to get used to the fact that I can’t choose what I wear,” she said. “(The show) helped me get over that.”\nSamantha auditioned for the show in Atlanta after watching the first seven cycles with her boyfriend. He encouraged her to try out and before she could say, “Wanna be on top?” she was in L.A., living in a house with 11 other supermodel wannabes. When I asked her what the atmosphere in the house was like, she explained that there was a certain amount of drama and cattiness, but “it wasn’t that bad,” she said. “I have a big family, so I am used to everyone yelling at once.”\nShe enjoyed the experience, though she was pushed out of her comfort zone. At only 19, she said it was a little weird to return to high school for a photo shoot. She explained that the contestants were all reliving high school memories. “We thought we would never come back,” she said\nAs for the rest of the season, Samantha said to watch out for contestants Renee and Brittany who, according to her, photograph very beautifully. Indeed, Brittany’s shot as “the valedictorian,” which was my personal favorite and her win at the runway competition set her up as the early favorite. Renee’s attitude may become tiring, but she has a strong desire to succeed and the face and poise to do so.\nAnd so I say goodbye and good luck to Samantha who left me with one last comment: “I am not as shy as they made me seem. I do have a fun side, a wild side, but not that wild.”\nWatch next week’s episode at 8 p.m. on The CW network.