The Campus Progress Free Food-a-Thon has created a monster. A Kate Monster, if you will (see Avenue Q character, "Kate Monster"). This morning I happily walked into the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute's Future Leaders' Conference in the hopes of enjoying a deliciously free continental breakfast. As soon as I walked up to registration, however, I realized I clearly did not belong--being neither Hispanic, nor there to "Advance the Hispanic Community's Diversity of Thought." Not that I don't care about those issues, I just happened to have come for the food. In the hopes of disguising myself, I did what any normal person would do...I developed an Australian accent. Clearly, my desire to defeat Tricky Tony in today's competition temporarily eclipsed any shred of moral decency or common sense that I might have had. 

I felt especially guilty after the nice man at the registration table handed me a free t-shirt and a tote bag full of exciting goodies (including but not limited to a Freddie Mac calculator and a CHLI pen). I also chatted with a few older looking gentlemen who asked many embarrassing questions about my "home country" of Australia."Bringing people together, that's what this conference is all about," they said. Oh, I was so ashamed.

I spent the next 20 minutes of my time at the Conference sneaking croissants into my purse and drinking coffee alone in a corner. When I finally opted to leave with my stolen goods and made some excuse about an "emergency" to the man at the registration table. I then ran out of the (appropriately-named) Enrique Iglesias Conference Center to the comfort of Campus Progress. 

 I only hope I can make it up to CHLI by linking to their website: here