On April 18, 2024, the Lecture Committee from the University of Iowa invited John Green. What follows is a quick how-to on preparing for such a visit, what to bring, and how many hours in advance to get to the venue to ensure prime seating. Raezel Valencia talks about what it means to be part of a University, and the many opportunities, no matter how hidden, it can provide.
Three and a half hours. That's how long you have to wait to get a good seat at a lecture headed by the Crash Course educator and author extraordinaire himself, John Green. That's as a non-graduate or non-senior, anyway. Those guys were lucky; they had reserved seats. Now, to prepare for such a wait make sure to include in your bags the following:
1. A laptop (or your phone)
2. A book
3. A list of things to do (Homework if you're smart. Videogames if you're not)
4. Snacks
5. A friend to hold your place in line when those snacks inevitably make you want to go to the bathroom
For their 2023-2024 lecture series, the University Lecture Committee at the University of Iowa invited John Green to their stage on the evening of April 18. I wasn't aware of its existence until maybe a few days before the event, and I was almost stuck working that evening. Even so, I managed to make time to take part in this opportunity because I felt it would be worth it. From fans of his books to even fans of Caitlin Clark (mostly as a joke), all of us anxiously awaited for the clock to strike 7:30 p.m.
And boy did we wait. My friend and I thought three and a half hours were good enough to be at the front of the line. In fact, my friend thought an hour was good enough, but I convinced her that it definitely wasn't. Turns out maybe about thirty or so people thought even earlier was a good idea because three and a half hours early was still an hour or so too late. Luckily, we didn't get stuck in the lines that crawled all the way up to the second floor of the Iowa Memorial Union, but for future reference, four hours might be a safer estimate.
For the next three and a half hours I managed to do some homework, play some video games, read a book, and even finish a piece of artwork while waiting. After preemptively standing at around hour three because the rest of the hallway began to do so, then sitting right back down for thirty more minutes because it was a mistake, we finally got into the ballroom to find our seats for the main event. My friend and I managed to snag a place right up at the front, John Green and the rest of the panel in clear view.
To keep it short, it was worth every minute and every Caitlin Clark joke (people are a bit salty that Indiana, John Green's home state, is stealing her from us).
Raezel Valencia, English
As students caught up in life in and outside of school, there are several opportunities the university may offer that we might miss. I didn't even know this event was occurring until my friend pointed it out on the events page of the IMU. I don't know how many events I've missed due to my own oversight, or because I was too busy with other things. However, I know the University organizes many beneficial, or just plain fun opportunities for students. Now, it's impossible to make it to every single one. Nevertheless, I feel it's important to know that being in University is more than just classes, finals, and their subsequent parties. Every now and then, pop onto your University's event page. There may be a John Green, or someone even more fun, waiting to speak to you.
The art I managed to finish while waiting in line.
Author Bio:
Raezel Valencia is a third-year student from Eldersburg, Maryland studying English and creative writing on the publishing track. She loves both reading and writing, and came to the University of Iowa in the hopes of polishing her writing skills as well as her publishing skills. She is eager to work as an editor or a book designer for her love of the book-making process.
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