(U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES – Huddled in a hotel suite just off the University of Southern California campus, Kim Mizuno and two assistants are scrambling to make the room look right.

There are two USC pennants hanging above a king-size bed, a USC throw blanket draped over a rail and a large Playboy banner on the wall.

Meanwhile, Linda Kenney sits patiently by the phone. It’s been a long day. The two Playboy photographers are waiting for a 5 p.m. appointment, just the second – and last -appointment on Monday.

It’s a few minutes after five when the phone rings.

“Playboy suite,” Kenney answered.

“We’re in Room 112,” Kenney said before hanging up. “Yay, we have a girl.”

Mizuno and Kenney are disappointed. They didn’t expect such a sparse turnout of girls from USC. But the two have no interviews lined up for today and just one on Wednesday for Playboy magazine’s annual college issue. This September, the magazine is featuring “Girls of the Pac-10.”

“I think we got more of a response at the Bible-belt schools,” Mizuno said.

Klarissa walks in looking casual in a white tank top and jeans.

A few minutes after filling out an application and handing over her driver’s license and school ID, Klarissa comes out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. Mizuno has her stand in front of a wall in just her bathing suit. He takes a handful of pictures. She then removes her top, and Mizuno takes another handful. The shoot is over within five minutes.

“I probably wouldn’t do it again,” the 22-year-old English major said after the shoot. “I’m doing it for my own reasons, not to be recognized.”

Klarissa said she read online that the magazine was coming to USC.

Considering the lack of response, Playboy is still hoping to get the word out via fliers and local radio plugs. But you won’t see Mizuno and staff on campus.

“We stay off campus,” he said, alluding to the fact that Playboy was not allowed to advertise in the Daily Trojan.

– Adam Maya

This year marks Playboy’s 28th college issue and its first featuring the Pac-10 since 1999. Mizuno, who has been with Playboy as a freelance contributing photographer for 22 years, worked on last fall’s “Girls of the ACC” issue.

In addition to being featured in the regular September issue, he said the women will appear in six special editions of the magazine featuring only college women.

Mizuno said he has received a few noteworthy photo submissions online.

While there is no maximum number of women Playboy will publish from a given school, Mizuno said he is hoping to find at least four from USC.

But that might prove to be a tougher task than expected. Mizuno and Kenney had planned to finish interviewing by Wednesday and conduct their full photo shoots through the weekend.

Next week’s stop is UCLA, where Playboy has already bought an advertisement in the Daily Bruin. But now they expect they will have to interview more girls from USC while they’re in town over the next three weeks.

“We’ll find someone,” Kenney said optimistically.

Kenney has been with Playboy for 26 years as a photo editor and makeup artist.

She is also responsible for arranging interviews with the women. Kenney said the college issue is always one of the most popular issues each year.

In fact, she said she is used to having hundreds of women lined up to be interviewed for Playboy. But USC’s response has been nothing short of silent.

“Los Angeles is too competitive,” she said.

Marie walks away from her photo shoot in a light blue tank top and a mini skirt.

“I don’t do things like this everyday,” she said.

But today she figured why not. She found a flier by her mailbox outside of her sorority house a few days ago and decided to interview.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind,” the 20-year-old communication major said of photographing nude.

Marie said she was expecting a line when she arrived at the hotel, but when she found that she had an individual appointment in a private suite, she was pleased by the comfortable environment.

Before arriving at the hotel, she told no one but her roommate, but she said she would tell her friends and family if she were chosen.

“(My mother) would be shocked, but not angry. (My father) — he wouldn’t kill me,” she said sheepishly.

But what would her sorority house think?

“I have no idea, but I don’t really care what they think,” she said. “People judge you no matter what you do. The only people whose opinions matter are my really close friends and family.”

Now Marie is just waiting for a response. And so is Playboy.