This was not the case for the students who lined up outside John R. Emens Auditorium for the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis tickets that went on sale at 7 a.m. Oct. 16. With blankets laid across the concrete, hammocks tied to poles and even a PlayStation, they came prepared to wait in line.
While other students were busy preparing for their classes the morning of Oct. 15, Samantha Ralston, a junior communications major, was the first in line for the tickets, arriving promptly at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 15, 24 hours before the tickets would actually go on sale.
“I’m the biggest Macklemore fan," Ralston said. "I had heard rumors that he was going to come, and then when they announced it all of my friends were texting and tweeting at me.”
Ralston said she prepared for the campout by gathering a group of friends and blankets to keep warm. The group worked in shifts where some sat in line while others attended their classes or meetings.
Check out the Macklemore campout gallery
Students made the most of the wait, with different groups chatting and sharing their food. Some played volleyball and other yard games, while others played cards in their tents.
At the end of the line at 10 p.m. Oct. 15 night, Sage Schmitmeyer, a junior sociology major, and Audrey Milligan, a sophomore and child life and child development major, prepared for their wait with McDonald’s and coffee for the night. People were still lining up behind them when they arrived. Schmitmeyer said she was more invested in the actual experience of camping out than attending the concert.
“We’re not necessarily the biggest fans of Macklemore. It’s more about the experience of seeing a concert on campus,” Schmitmeyer said. “Hopefully we [get tickets], but if we don’t, just sitting out in line was fun.”
As each hour went by, Ralston said she was reminded of the reason she was sitting out in the cold.
“Every now and then you’ll hear a Macklemore song be played and everyone kind of cheers," Ralston said.
Even after students waited outside all night, tickets were still available for purchase around 9 a.m., once all those who had slept over had bought their tickets and gone home.
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