Anna and I decided to watch a game of Women’s basketball, seeing as the student tickets were only $5 for one. Seems really cheap for something everyone is going to. It was the first game of the season, Iowa against Drake. And surprisingly? We did exceptionally.

First, we had trouble actually getting the tickets. It didn’t let me buy student tickets for whatever reason, and we had to troubleshoot that for like an hour at the library. Eventually, we figured it out when Anna called the help number to see what they could do. It would have been really sad if I couldn’t go.

I’ve seen basketball before, I’ve played it in my time, and I’ve watched it on TV. But I’ve never been to a basketball game in person, and for Anna, this was her first college basketball game. We got there late, so the front student section was all taken, but we sat next to the band. That was more of a mistake, because we couldn’t hear anything whenever they were playing. It was like our eardrums were constantly being attacked.

I decided to get some ice cream like we always do at any game, and so I went to get some cones. Bought a twist for Anna and vanilla for me. Except when I got to the stairs, a kid ran past me and bumped my arm. My ice cream? On the ground. But I did save Anna’s. So she still got something, and I cleaned up my mess, even if I didn’t have to. I felt obligated.

From what I was actually seeing in the game, Drake played really well on offense. They passed incredibly well and were really quick, but we outmatched them. 100-58, a massive win for us.

Seeing a game in person for the first time really is a new experience. I’ve never really seen a basketball game that wasn’t on TV, or I wasn’t playing in. So being at Iowa with the cheap tickets and plenty of opportunities, really is something else. I’m taking the full benefit of the perks that come with being a student.