diff --git a/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Controllers/HomeController.cs b/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Controllers/HomeController.cs
index 9e0c2d8..f22aba8 100644
--- a/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Controllers/HomeController.cs
+++ b/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Controllers/HomeController.cs
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
-using System;
-using System.Configuration;
-using System.Net;
-using System.Web.Mvc;
-using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;
+using System.Web.Mvc;
+using TwitterPractice.Models;
 
 
 namespace TwitterPractice.Controllers
@@ -10,12 +7,13 @@ namespace TwitterPractice.Controllers
     public class HomeController : Controller
     {
         private static string title = "Twitter Practice!";
-        private static string requestTemplate;
+        private string requestTemplate;
+        private TwitterModels _twitterModels;
 
         public HomeController()
             : base()
         {
-            requestTemplate = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["TwitterRequestTemplate"];
+            _twitterModels = new TwitterModels();
         }
 
         public ActionResult Index()
@@ -26,18 +24,17 @@ namespace TwitterPractice.Controllers
             string username = Request.QueryString["username"];
             if (null == username)
             {
-                username = "meatballhat";
+                ViewBag.UserTimeline = null;
+                ViewBag.Username = null;
             }
-            ViewBag.UserTimeline = GetTwitterStream(username);
-            ViewBag.Username = username;
+            else
+            {
+                ViewBag.UserTimeline = _twitterModels.GetTwitterStream(username);
+                ViewBag.Username = username;
+            }    
             return View();
         }
 
-        private JArray GetTwitterStream(string username="meatballhat")
-        {
-            string requestUrl = String.Format(requestTemplate, username);
-            WebClient req = new WebClient();
-            return JArray.Parse(req.DownloadString(requestUrl));
-        }
+
     }
 }
diff --git a/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Models/TwitterModels.cs b/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Models/TwitterModels.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40e9b1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Models/TwitterModels.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+using System;
+using System.Configuration;
+using System.Net;
+using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;
+
+namespace TwitterPractice.Models
+{
+    public class TwitterModels
+    {
+        private string requestTemplate;
+        public TwitterModels()
+        {
+            requestTemplate = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["TwitterRequestTemplate"];
+        }
+            
+        public JArray GetTwitterStream(string username = "meatballhat")
+        {
+            string requestUrl = String.Format(requestTemplate, username);
+            WebClient req = new WebClient();
+            return JArray.Parse(req.DownloadString(requestUrl));
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice.csproj b/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice.csproj
index 47cbf53..0abfce7 100644
--- a/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice.csproj
+++ b/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice.csproj
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
       <DependentUpon>Global.asax</DependentUpon>
     </Compile>
     <Compile Include="Models\AccountModels.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Models\TwitterModels.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Views/Home/Index.cshtml b/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Views/Home/Index.cshtml
index 577d7bb..85e0a84 100644
--- a/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Views/Home/Index.cshtml
+++ b/TwitterPractice/TwitterPractice/Views/Home/Index.cshtml
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 @using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;
 @{ViewBag.Title = "Home Page";}
 
+<form action="" method="get">
+    <label for="username-input">username:</label>
+    <input type="text" id="username-input" name="username" />
+    <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit" />
+</form>
+
 <h2>@ViewBag.Message</h2>
 @if (ViewBag.HasQsVars)
 {
@@ -12,10 +18,13 @@
 }
 </ul>
 }
-    
+
+@if (null != ViewBag.Username)
+{    
 <div id="user-timeline">
 <h4>user timeline for @ViewBag.Username</h4>
 
+
 <ul id="timeline-entries">
 @foreach (JObject entry in ViewBag.UserTimeline)
 {
@@ -24,6 +33,5 @@
     </li>
 }
 </ul>
-    
-<!-- @ViewBag.UserTimeline -->
-</div>
\ No newline at end of file
+</div>
+}
\ No newline at end of file