In an episode some called frightening, others exciting and most just hysterical, false rumors shot around campus Monday night that child superstars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen would become Wildcats next fall.
“For a good five or 10 minutes, I believed,” said Communication sophomore Matt Hall, who, like others across campus, received an e-mail linking to a spoofed CNN.com news story with the announcement.
Similar stories about the Olsen twins were sent around Miami University (Ohio) and Ohio University. The articles were created using The Fake CNN.com News Generator at 66.111.43.11/reports.
A little research revealed the twins aren’t even of college age.
“None of it’s true,” said Michael Pagnotta, a public relations representative for Dualstar Entertainment Group, which manages the twins famous for their joint portrayal of the adorable Michelle Tanner in the sitcom “Full House.”
The Olsens, 16, have starred in such direct-to-video releases as “You’re Invited to Mary-Kate and Ashley’s Birthday Party,” “You’re Invited to Mary-Kate and Ashley’s Christmas Party” and “You’re Invited to Mary-Kate and Ashley’s Mall of America Party.”
“They are looking at schools mostly on the East Coast,” Pagnotta said of the high school juniors. “Right now they’re prepping for the SATs.”
Still, the NU article at [email protected]/reports/2003/WORLD/0194/6358957.html has the NU campus talking. Hall immediately posted a printed version on his dorm room door in Public Affairs Residential College, only to have it stolen.
“Somebody ripped it down and took it, the bastards,” he said. “It was stolen and I want it back!”
A link also was sent over the Willard Residential College listserv, where Abigail Bains and Marisa Ketzler read it.
“We were like, ‘Oh, dang it. That sucks,'” said Bains, a Medill sophomore.
Ketzler, a Weinberg sophomore, said she became angry when she discovered the site was merely a hoax.
“Not that I wanted them here,” she said. “It would just be cool.”
One place the rumor hadn’t spread to was the Office of Undergraduate Admission.
“I haven’t heard anybody giggling about it,” said Rebecca Dixon, associate provost for university enrollment, who added that if a celebrity were applying, NU wouldn’t announce it.
Would the Olsen twins even consider NU? Pagnotta didn’t rule out the possibility.
“It’s way too early to know what they’ll do,” he said. “But they are planning to go to college.”
