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Slice of Life: Pancake pandemonium

By Elizabeth Hansen, Assistant Culture Editor

The aroma of fresh pancakes and hash browns swirls in the family room of the Armstrong Student Center.

But it is not just the scent of potatoes and batter -- it's the scent of free food.

Students line up for pancakes, grumbling that the strawberries are gone but still excited about the chocolate chips.

High school seniors participating in the Miami Bridges Program whisper to each other, wondering if free college food is just a legend, or if they are actually witnessing the phenomenon.

They decide it must be true as they scurry up, grab a plate of pancakes and then sneak into an alcove to blend in with the rest of the college students.

Two students stand at a table next to the food.

"Can I have just one of your hash browns?" a girl asks her friend.

"Dude, there's a whole tray over there. Get your own!"

She sighs and walks over, filling up her plate with the tasty fried potatoes.

The two friends chat with another friend. It appears they have not seen her in awhile. Their laughter echoes off the walls of the family room while other students quietly study.

"Oooh pancakes!" says another student as she walks up to the food.

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The chatty friends pack up their books and begin to leave Armstrong.

The hash brown girl looks to her friend:

"I ate way too many potatoes, and now my stomach hurts."