Priscilla Tonman IV

Behind Enemy Lines

Midnight came around faster than I thought. I showered and sent out some emails, and before I knew it, it was 11:45pm. I tied my half dried hair into a high ponytail, secured a flower headband I got from my favorite online vintage retailer, Modcloth, and headed out to the Firestone library. It always surprised me how many people were still out and about, carrying books, in the middle of the night. Ivy Leaguers always claim to work hard and play hard, and it’s true. Even the Princeton athletes will be seen carrying Advanced Mathematics or some obscure English text at this time of night, walking to and back to the library.

When I reached the library, it was deserted. Firestone Library wasn’t one of the open libraries at night, which is why I suppose Cottage chose it. I waited for about two minutes, and checked CNN on my iPhone. I hated being unproductive, and waiting was one of my pet peeves. I was deciding whether to leave or not when a thin, pale man with glasses and a business suit walked out through the door and said, “Proceed in to the room on your right.”

I entered the library and turned to my right. It was very dark, and there was only one light shining down on one seat in the entire room. As my eyes adjusted, I could see there were about ten people sitting in the back of the room. I couldn’t see their faces in this very dim light, but they could definitely see me. The light was positioned so that only I would be seen. This was an interrogation.

I sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair. The moment my skirt touched the chair, a voice came from the side of the room.

“Introduce yourself.” Straight to the point.

“My name is Priscilla Tonman. I am a sophomore , majoring in Biology. I grew up in Wichita, Kansas. Uhm… I have one sister.” I didn’t know what else to say. My voice was starting to quiver.

“You still have 40 seconds.” A shrill and cold voice whispered from my left.

“I, er, love writing, despite being a Biology major. I am a columnist at the Daily Princetonian, and if I wasn’t set on curing cancer, I’d become a journalist. My time is usually split between meetings for the Entrepreneurship Club and my part time job at the Admissions office. I love eating and reading about food blogs, which is why I guess I’m here.” I added some humor, hoping to ease the tension.

No laughter. You know that situation where the protagonist in the book says they want to “dig a hole in the ground and just hide there”? That feeling hit me like a wave.

“You think Cottage is merely about food?” someone around my right sneered.

“Of course not. I know Cottage is about family and true friendship. That’s, of course, the reason people join. I want a community to er, I mean, a community that I can rely on. No other university offers such a unique opportunity. I know that I can contribute to Cottage if…” I was cut off before I finished.

“And what is the difference between an eating club and a student club?” A low voice said deliberately.

“A student club offers the professional experience one wants from an interest club, be it to become a better writer, singer or athlete. An eating club is about building a professional network that is also your family; it makes you not just better at something, it makes you a better person.” I answered back, keeping my eyes focused on the area where the voice came from. I thought that was a pretty legit answer. I knew they would ask me that question. My elder sister, Patricia, went to Columbia, and she told me secrets on mastering interviews for social clubs, no matter how scary they seemed.

“Why Cottage?” A girl’s voice, who sounded a little like Aliana’s, asked quietly.

Honestly, my answer was what I told Tommy. I went to Cottage because of Laura. But hell no was I ever going to admit that to them. Ever. I took a breath and pretended I could see Aliana in the darkness.

“I tried to ask myself why not Cottage, and honestly, I couldn’t think of a reason why not. Everyone I met was funny, motivated and loyal. Traits I believe are the most important, and traits that I see in myself. I don’t think; I know I will be able to contribute to this organization, and also learn from all the history and wisdom Cottage has as a whole. Of course, I am also aware that this is an eating club. So really, I fell even more in love with Cottage after I tried your foie gras sushi,” I smiled a humble smile.

I could have sworn I head two or three people chuckle softly, and someone hushing them equally as softly.

“Thank you for your time, Ms. Tonman. You will know if you have been accepted.” A British, male voice rumbled quite near me.

“Thank you for your time!” I murmured and slipped out the door. It took all my concentration not to trip on my Forever21 Oxford heels. Thank God. My heart rate slowed a bit and started to return to the normal pace. I walked briskly back to my dorm and shook off my shoes. It was 12:35am. The interview must had been less than 20 minutes. Which meant I did terribly well, or just terrible. Definitely the latter. My sense of humor usually sounded ingratiating and lame when I got nervous, so I probably messed it up.

Oh well, I thought. Maybe next year I’ll try Tiger Inn. Or maybe I’ll just stick to student government. Less mysterious and definitely less stressful.

My first interrogation ever. And hopefully my last.