diff --git a/Hermes/GUI.rkt b/Hermes/GUI.rkt
index 30d305b..d3ff29a 100644
--- a/Hermes/GUI.rkt
+++ b/Hermes/GUI.rkt
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
         (send input set-value "")
         )
 
+    ; retrieves a message user inputed to the text field
     (define (get-message)
       (define one-message 
         (if (not (null? messages))
@@ -191,13 +192,20 @@
                               ; specified
     (define height 15) ; height between messages drawn on the screen
 
+     ;; prompt user for username
+    ;; could randomly assign a user
+    (define (get-username)
+            (get-text-from-user "Username set-up" "Please enter a username"
+                      main-frame "user" (list 'disallow-invalid)
+                      #:validate string? ))
+
     ;;dispatch goes below that
     ;; TODO get username function maybe
     (define (dispatch command)
       ; show gui should return the users the name as well as its first message
       ; to be called
       (cond ((eq? command 'show) (lambda () (send main-frame show #t)))
-            ((eq? command 'gui-input-port))
+            ((eq? command 'get-username) get-username)
             ((eq? command 'send) send-message) ;; call to show a message in a gui
             ((eq? command 'set-name) (lambda (newname) (if (string? newname)
                                                   (set! name newname)
@@ -220,6 +228,7 @@
 
 
 
+
 ;Initilize scrolling
 
 ;Then we need to find out if we need them or not.
diff --git a/Hermes/client.rkt b/Hermes/client.rkt
index b2ca903..d94fc70 100644
--- a/Hermes/client.rkt
+++ b/Hermes/client.rkt
@@ -48,8 +48,9 @@
     ; create a gui object
     ; (define hermes-gui (make-gui))
     ; ((hermes-gui 'show))
-    (displayln "What's your name?")
-    (define username (read-line))
+    ;(displayln "What's your name?")
+    ;(define username (read-line))
+    (define username ((hermes-gui 'get-username)))
 
     ;send the username to the server (username in out)
     (displayln username out)
@@ -95,6 +96,8 @@
   ;; TODO read from GUI instead
   ;(define input (read-line))
   (define input ((hermes-gui 'get-message)))
+  ; TODO prompt for color as well
+  
   ; TODO /quit instead of quit
   (cond ((string=? input "quit")
              (displayln (string-append date-print username " signing out. See ya!") out)