Monday mornings are lonely in the Brown Computer Science labs. At these times past the witching hour, its just the purists and freshman hacks like me. It thought you might be interested to know that we had Barak Obama ( Democrat Senator from Illinois) to Brown this past week. I waited in the line on the Green for four hours, and still did not manage to get in (more on this later).

In anger, I teamed up with a certain St. George's alum and my roomate to lead a brief, but glorious riot on the steps of the auditorium. We had about two hundred angry disappointed Brunonians chanting in unison. About 1500 more students who also were waiting in line hurried to join or to watch the simulcast in Sayles Hall next door.

They sent the police in, and tried to calm things down. When they dispersed the crowd, the nameless St. George's alum managed to get in on the last handpicked ten students for the last row. Disappointed, I walked around the building with two friends, and tried to appropriate a new way in.

We got our chance when an elderly VIP made her way in one of the "EXIT ONLY" doors on the far side of the building. It lead to the front row and to the RESERVED seating section. Catching the door just before it slammed, I made my way into the reserved seating. My friends and I busted out pens and notebooks, and began explaining to whoever asked that we were with the Brown Daily Herald. A couple friends of mine starting yelling my name across the auditorium and asked how I had got reserved seats. I tried to ignore them, and pretend I didn't know them but it was no use. An informed usher checked our names against the press list and escorted us to the foyer.

We were supposed to be kicked out completely, but thanks to some clever new excuses, a ten-minute hideout in the bathroom, and some solid acting, we managed to convince the ushers that three students who "snuck in the front of the auditorium" had taken our seats. The ushers took pity, and let us stand in the back of the auditorium when Obama finally arrived to talk.

The next morning (friday 13th) the George's student came by with the ProJo. Our riot was a central component of the article on Obama.