Brandi Applebaum is baking her friend cookies in exchange for waiting in line and snagging an extra ticket to see actor and activist George Takei speak at UF on Tuesday evening.
About 850 tickets were sold out within three hours, said Accent Speaker’s Bureau chairman Corey Flayman, for the 8 p.m. event today in the University Auditorium. The event is sponsored by Accent, Pride Student Union and the Asian American Student Union.
The event will be streamed live on a projector screen outside of the University Auditorium.
Flayman said he was not surprised tickets sold out.
“We expected to have a large turnout and positive response,” he said. “He’s a popular and exciting figure, and a lot of students can relate to him.”
He said projector seating is first-come, first-served, and it will be a great way for students who weren’t able to get tickets to hear Takei’s message.
Applebaum, a 21-year-old UF advertising senior, said she became interested in Takei through her dad, who grew up watching Star Trek.
“He’s so excited – he wants me to tell him all about it,” Applebaum said. “(Takei is) socially and politically active, and my dad wants to hear what he has to say.”
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 10/7/2014]
Riley Cutler, a 19-year-old UF business sophomore, distributes free George Takei tickets Monday afternoon. Takei will speak at the University Auditorium today at 8 p.m.
