UPDATE (Monday, 12:40 p.m.): @TheEllenShow tweeted on Monday at 12:17 p.m. “Alright Illinoisters. I can’t wait to see you on the quad! Dress up as your favorite movie character, and you could win big. #Ellenois”
We also know from an email sent to students that this will be a LIVE remote.
This does sound familiar to the events of January 2011 on the campus of the University of Oregon, when Ellen tweeted that students should show up at the student union “dressed for a fiesta.” At that event, tickets were given away to the Fiesta Bowl.
More recently, Boston University students were summoned by Ellen to win tickets to the World Series. They were asked to “dress up like a green monster with red socks.”
Ellen DeGeneres will host the Oscars on Sunday. Perhaps she is giving away a trip to L.A., thus the movie tie-in? Stay tuned, curious friends.
(Original story below)
It was the tweet heard ’round Champaign-Urbana on Sunday:
It appears that The Ellen Show, in some form, will be on the University of Illinois campus on Monday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. Specifically, the show will be on the Quad. It just so happens that The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs locally at 3 p.m. on WCIA, though no word if there will be a live broadcast. In fact, we know very little about this at all.
(If you plan to go, go early. And walk, bike or take the CUMTD if you can, parking is already EXTREMELY tight in that area.)
It doesn’t appear as if Ellen DeGeneres herself will be in town. Jeannie Klisiewicz, one of the show’s “roving reporters”, is a University of Illinois alumna. There is speculation that Klisiewicz will be in town for the event, which remains under a shroud of mystery.
When contacted via email Sunday, University of Illinois spokeswoman Robin Kaler said: “I can’t talk about anything until they do. Sorry!”
Even Champaign Mayor Don Gerard got into the spirit.
“I have only seen the tweet and that is enough to make me excited about arranging my schedule to see what it is all about. As many others feel the same – from students to the community – it really speaks to the impact Ellen has made in our modern society. Plus, I love those who have a lot of fun in life and she certainly does that,” said Gerard.
This isn’t the first time rumors of an Ellen sighting have created a frenzy in the state of Illinois. In November 2012, ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ popped into the Best Buy in Orland Park on Thanksgiving. One South Side family received a shopping spree and thousands of dollars in Best Buy goodies—and the Show handed out $50,000 in gift cards to others.
Jeannie Klisiewicz was there, representing DeGeneres. You can follow Klisiewicz on Twitter as well (@jeannieeeee).
Do you have an idea why The Ellen Show is going to be on the University of Illinois campus? Leave it in the comments below!