Every morning before his 9 A.M. Spanish class, Alistair Thomas III tells his roommate that he’s going on a run. Then, he walks to Burleith to take a picture of Duke Ellington from afar, purposefully cropping out the giant letters that say DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. Why, you may ask? Well, after his application for a Hillternship was denied, the freshman was scared to inform his father, Alistair Thomas II, of his failure. The elder Thomas would be massively disappointed that his son had botched his attempt to secure a path into the ivory tower of D.C. politics. So, Alistair Thomas III decided to take matters into his own hands. 

One day as he walked home from a party that he wasn’t invited to in Burleith, a plan formed in his mind. His drunk friend looked up in awe at the white columns of “The Duke” and exclaimed, “how’d we get all the way to the White House!?” Thus, the seed was planted. Instead of telling his parents about his failure, he began to trick them into thinking that he’s an intern at the White House by sending them daily pictures of Duke Ellington. Sometimes he brings loafers to change into so he can send close-ups of the white columns with his loafers just at the bottom of the frame. Other times, he has someone take a picture of him in a suit on the lawn. Needless to say, Alistair Thomas II is deeply impressed with his son, who is hopeful that he can retain his father’s pride even after he finds out that his son was accepted into Georgetown College in Kentucky, not Georgetown University.