NY- While NYU students are known for their innovative fundraisers, one CAS senior is besting the benefit rock concerts and even affirmative-action bake sales, with a plan to photograph classmates for a provocative 2006 charity calendar.

In a bid to raise a large donation for the American Cancer Society’s annual NYU Relay for Life events, student photographer Gary He will raise money with a bevy of NYU beauties to adorn each of the 12 calendar months.

He’s project has been raising eyebrows around campus since its inception in August, which culminated in an all-out residence-hall ban last week against He, a Brooklyn commuter.

He and two of his photographer friends, Johns Hopkins University senior Vadim Gretchouchkin and Columbia University alumnus Ang Cui, came up with the idea of an NYU calendar early last month. The ban has since been raised.

During his time at Columbia, Cui attempted to make a “Miss Columbia” calendar, but Columbia shut the project down, citing legal issues.

Though the photos Cui took before production shut down were of barely-clothed or nude women in very provocative poses, He insisted that the trio’s NYU version of the calendar would be less scandalous.

“The girls are still clothed – this is more than some girls wear out on a Saturday night,” He said. “There’s no nudity. It’s PG, or PG-13.”

To find his calendar girls, He announced his idea to the student body via the Facebook.com networking website. He invited potential students and other interested girls simply opted to join the group.

“My friends and I sat down and looked for girls who would look good in certain scenarios we had in mind,” He said.

While many commend He’s charitable intention, controversy arose over the content of the photos among students and the NYU administration, which enacted the ban after finding out about a proposed risque photo shoot in the Water Street residence hall.

Administrators banned He from all residence halls after gossip spread about He’s vision to translate NYU students’ anxiety over soaring tuition into a photo depicting one student model splayed across a dorm room bed sporting nothing but $32,000 cash and a come-hither stare.

He had sent an e-mail to all of his friends asking them to loan him as much cash as they could spare for the hour-long photo shoot. He said that while using the money during the shoot, those who fronted him the cash could relax at a local bar, on He’s tab, and await his return with the cash in hand.

When administrators caught wind of his plan the night before the shoot, Water Street Community Development Educator Stewart Robinette wrote in an e-mail to He: “This activity is not sanctioned by NYU and it should not take place in a residence hall. This e-mail is to inform you that you are a persona non grata and you should not try to enter Water Street for any reason.”

As part of the ban, all NYU public- safety officials stationed in residence halls use an image of He obtained through his profile on Facebook.com to ensure his prohibition.

He also came under fire from administrators over his plan to name the calendar “Miss NYU ’05-’06.” When he contacted NYU officials for permission to use its name, the university turned him down and He has since opted to leave the calendar untitled.

“NYU’s name is tied to NYU’s reputation, which the faculty, students and staff have built since its founding in 1831,” university spokesman John Beckman wrote in an e-mail. “For that reason, we are careful about providing permission for the use of our name. While we generally admire an entrepreneurial spirit, particularly with regard to charitable work, we could not evaluate every project or idea that is presented.”

Administrators are not the only ones worried that He’s calendar may tarnish their reputation.

Members of feminist organizations at NYU said that He’s calendar is sexist and objectifies women.

After hearing of He’s calendar, GSP sophomore Mieko Beyer started a Facebook.com group called “Anti,” which already has 35 members, to spark a dialogue about the sexism and objectivity she said she feels the calendar promotes.

“This sets a really bad precedent for the way that girls in college are resurrecting the idea that women are sex objects,” Beyer said. “They’re saying that being sexy and beautiful is more important than being smart and educated.”

In one photo, a woman in front of a backdrop of bumper stickers, campaign posters, buttons and other political paraphernalia in the background will wear a shirt that says, “This is what a feminist looks like,” a shot He said will speak to the student body’s “activist spirit.”

Kate Goldwater, co-president of NYU’s nonpartisan pro-choice group Voices for Choice, says this shot is a positive one for the image of feminism.

“You don’t just have to be an unshaven, militant, protesting, man-hating dike,” Goldwater says. “You can still drink your Starbucks, read your Cosmo, wear a thong and be a feminist.”

The models agreed that there is nothing inherently sexist about He’s photographs.

“I don’t think it’s anything to be taken too seriously,” Tisch sophomore Camy Becker said. “It’s all in good fun, and it’s for charity. It wasn’t inappropriate. It’s a fun idea and people will enjoy it.”

He plans for the calendar to be available during the holiday season for $10 to $15 and said he anticipates it will earn “tens of thousands” of dollars, all of which he will donate after paying for production costs. •