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Students were able to RSVP for priority seating on Zotspot<\/a> over two separate days, with 125 seats available each day. The first day\u2019s seats sold out within seconds, according to Reddit users<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first 450 students to enter received free ZotTalks merchandise, which included an exclusive \u201cZotorious\u201d-themed tote bag<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Third-year psychological science and education double major and ASUCI Speakers Commissioner Sophia Nguyen oversees a team of six interns to plan two ZotTalks events throughout the school year. Nguyen and her team began planning for the event in July, when she started her role as Speakers Commissioner.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up watching Nickelodeon, you already know [Victoria\u2019s] name, she\u2019s such an iconic character and just an iconic person really,\u201d Nguyen told New University. \u201cSo, immediately when I saw her name, I was like, okay, well, here we are. Here we have our winter speaker.\u201d<\/p>\n Justice is best known for her roles on Nickelodeon shows such as \u201cVictorious<\/a>\u201d and \u201cZoey 101<\/a>.\u201d She began her independent music career in 2020 with the release of \u201cTreat Myself,\u201d then \u201cStay\u201d in 2021 and finally \u201cLove Zombie\u201d in 2025.<\/p>\n Fourth-year East Asian cultures major Kayli Iwamoto showed up to the event dressed up as Officer Padesco from \u201cVictorious\u201d season one, episode 19 called \u201cSleepover at Sikowitz\u2019s\u201d and was very excited to hear Justice speak.<\/p>\n \u201cVictoria has been such a big part of my childhood growing up, and I\u2019ve really loved Victoria Justice\u2019s work all through Nickelodeon,\u201d Iwamoto told New University. \u201cSo when I heard she was coming to UCI for ZotTalks, I feel like I seriously couldn\u2019t miss this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Justice was welcomed by excited students chanting her name as she walked into the Pacific Ballrooms. During the on-stage conversation, she discussed her experiences of being on \u201cVictorious,\u201d launching her music career and her other recent projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people\u2019s jobs who are sitting there waiting for you and counting on you to do your job and to do it well,\u201d Justice told the audience. \u201cSo yeah, I think [acting] just taught me that no matter what is going on: work hard, show up, do your best, be kind to everyone, try to make everyone feel included.\u201d<\/p>\n Justice also reflected on finding her own voice throughout her music career from her time on \u201cVictorious\u201d to the present.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, what people are going to respond and resonate to is your authenticity, you know, like your truth and your own voice,\u201d Justice said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to have a crazy, amazing voice to be a good singer.\u201d<\/p>\n After the conversation, Justice judged a \u201cFreak the Freak Out\u201d costume contest<\/a> hosted by ASUCI, where 10 students were chosen to get on stage and show off their Justice-themed outfits.\u00a0<\/p>\n Justice chose one winner in three categories: funniest, most accurate and most creative costume. Each winner received a $25 Amazon gift card. Before leaving the stage, Justice was taught how to \u201cZot\u201d by joining her middle and ring fingers with her thumb and sliding her thumb back, with the audience joining in as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nguyen said she hopes students are happy to get to listen to someone in person that they only saw on TV.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like that\u2019s amazing to me, to be able to go to an event and be behind the scenes to events where people are seeing someone that they watched growing up,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n The next edition of ZotTalks will take place in the spring.<\/p>\n Ennes Kahf is a Features Staff Writer. He can be reached at <\/em><\/strong>ekahf@uci.edu<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Edited by Avery Rosas, Tracy Sandoval<\/em><\/strong>\n<\/div>\n