Business student named Indiana's most eligible

Daniel Cohen doesn’t consider himself sexy.

Typical life for the self-described “late bloomer” is spent within the confines of the Kelley School of Business, striving toward a master’s degree in information systems.

Mornings start early, and getting ready is a quick, painless process. With the exception of clasping a small, silver star of David necklace around his neck, Cohen doesn’t spend much time grooming in the mirror.

Then one day, a call from New York injected glamour into normalcy.

“I was at work when I got the phone call,” he said. “This nice voice comes on and says, ‘Hi, this is Nikki from Cosmo.’”

Cohen was shocked to learn he’d been selected as Cosmopolitan’s featured “Indiana Bachelor” after his brother’s girlfriend nominated him last spring.

“I was definitely flattered,” he said. “After the initial surprise wore off, I was excited about what was happening next.”

Following notification of his date-worthy title, Cohen and 50 other eligible bachelors flew to New York for a Hamptons photo shoot. Smiling and shirtless, 25-year-old Cohen represented Indiana in front of what photographers hoped would resemble a cornfield.

“They did a good job taking the stereotype of where everyone came from,” he said. “The pictures were taken at private homes. I know it looks like I’m standing by corn on the Web site, but it was really tall stalks covering a shower for privacy.”

After hours of flexing behind camera lenses, the bachelors answered a series of provocative questions. Cohen said Cosmo reporters sought revealing details of his personal life, including “Where’s the best place you’ve gotten it on?” and “Do the ladies back home have any nicknames for you?”

“I was kind of embarrassed with the quotes they published, especially with my grandparents seeing it,” he said. “I guess my chances for running for public office have been minimized.”

Perks for the bachelors didn’t stop there.

The group was sent back to New York in October to celebrate the “Cosmo Bachelors 2009” issue hitting stands nationwide. Cohen and fellow bachelors followed Cosmo reporters from Times Square to modeling agencies to television shows, removing their black Cosmo T-shirts upon hearing the command: “Cosmo, tops off!”

“I’ve been to New York several times, but it’s not every time you get to be featured on the Today Show,” he said.

Despite having tired eyes from flashing lights, Cohen stayed up that night dancing, mingling and strutting down the Cosmo runway at a celebratory bash.

He returned to Bloomington for class the next morning, slightly disoriented.
But the spotlight continued.

“The magazine posted an e-mail address for me,” he said. “I’ve gotten e-mails and friend requests from across the country. Prisoners have contacted me. One woman invited me to a school dance at Butler. Another told me, ‘I want to tackle you in that cornfield.’”

Cohen said he usually finds humor in the messages. “I’ll respond if they’re sincere or make me laugh,” he said.

But sometimes, the joke’s on him.

“One of my professors blew up a huge picture of me and put it on the projection screen,” he said. “I was so embarrassed.”

Dark-eyed and equipped with a pearly, boyish grin, Cohen is not the only one attracting attention from his Cosmo fame.

“It’s funny how my family has gotten more out of this than I have,” he said. “My mom got free desserts when celebrating with her girlfriends. My dad told me that I can thank him for the good looks.”

Sophomore Alex Cohen, Daniel’s sister, said girls continuously ask about her brother’s new celebrity status.

“I’ve been getting calls and texts from my friends around the country telling me, ‘I saw your brother,’” she said. “I actually saw the magazine a couple of days ago, and it just hit me that my brother is in Cosmopolitan. I got a pretty hard time about it at first. Daniel says I get more attention over it than he does.”

Though his physical features were described in Cosmopolitans’s November issue as “smokin’ hot,” the single Cohen said he’s not looking for a supermodel woman.
“I like a girl who’s comfortable being herself, someone who I could have serious conversations with,” he said.

Cohen, who spent a year in the Israeli military after graduating from IU in 2007, said he’d like to meet someone more concerned with overseas happenings than happening new fashions. And when he finds her, intimate evenings of sushi and light drinks will ensue.

“It’s hard to categorize my type because every girl is different,” he said. “I just want someone who makes me laugh, and maybe laughs at my stupid jokes.”