The 26-year-old Michigan State University alumnus has nearly 8 million subscribers on YouTube, with more than 500 million channel views. Oakley is also a prominent LGBTQ and social rights advocate.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” IMU night building manager Eric Childress said.
Childress began his shift at 11 p.m. and said he estimates 25 people were in line at the time. By 6 a.m. he needed to call his supervisor to decide where to put the additional people who had arrived during the last seven hours.
“They said we wouldn’t need this center section, but now we only have room for maybe five more people,” he said. “I’m not really sure what to do.”
Leading the line was Abigail Miller, a senior at Bloomington High School North. Since slightly after 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon, she and her mother, Rebecca Miller, had been waiting in line for the chance to meet Oakley.
“I was so happy when he said he was coming to Bloomington,” Abigail said. “He’s not a singer, you know? It’s not like you can go to his concert or anything. He’s normally just in Los Angeles or New York so I’m happy to have the chance to meet him.”
She said since she was 12 years old, she has watched Oakley’s videos on YouTube. Abigail said she likes the way he talks about issues for young teens.
However, Miller didn’t know who Oakley was prior to the event.
“I’ve since watched some of his videos and he’s a great advocate for loving people,” she said. “She’s 18, so she could wait by herself, but I wanted to sit with her to be her cheerleader.”
An employee from Sugar and Spice walked through the line to take coffee and pastry orders. Baja Fresh Express turned on its lights as workers began the preparatory work for the day. The sun had not yet begun to rise.
At 7 a.m., an employee of the bookstore announced he would begin passing out tickets with numbers to determine if the 500-person cap has been reached.
“We didn’t know what to expect when we got here this morning and didn’t have anything ready,” said Joseph Bender, general manager of IU Bookstore. “It’s a little overwhelming.”
The line began to move at 7:30 a.m. as the bookstore opened early. Guests were quickly ushered into the store to purchase their books and receive their wristbands to meet Oakley in a few short hours.
“If I can wait in line for seven hours to get a wristband, I can wait until five to meet him,” said Michael Tang, a junior majoring in computer science.
As of 2:55 p.m., 10 wristbands remained.
An hour before the event was due to start, the line wrapped from the back entrance of the IU Bookstore by Owen Hall down the path almost to Sample Gates.
“I can’t believe he’s so close,” Henry Johnson, 10, said. “He’s in there, oh my gosh!”
Middle school students Lindsey Mason, 13, and Karsen Trendelman, 13, said they have been waiting for this moment since Oakley announced the stop in Bloomington.
“I started watching his videos when he was still in college,” Trendelman said. “I like all the question and answer videos and the challenges he does with his friends.”
Mason said she was inspired by Oakley’s signature coiffed hair.
“I would do that to my hair,” she said. “I would even dye it that color.”
As the bell tower struck 5 p.m., a scream erupted from the crowd. It was time.
Those with bracelets went upstairs in the IU Bookstore to meet Oakley, have a picture taken with him and receive a signed copy of “Binge.”
Oakley greeted every guest with a hug and asked for his or her name before taking a photo.
“I’m still in shock, like, did that just happen?” Amber Williams, 14, said after meeting Oakley. She had tears in her eyes.
After the picture, a box of tissues sat next to a stack of signed copies of “Binge.”
“I can’t wait to start reading,” Mason said.
