Case closed.
After an agonizing week during which no leads or suspects arose surrounding the disappearance of Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome on campus, employees at Northwestern’s Transportation Center, located at 600 Foster St., can breathe a little easier: The Roaming Gnome was found late last Friday. The “spokesgnome,” a two-foot tall figurine and star of Travelocity’s ad campaigns, had been missing since Oct. 12.
Transportation Center intern Diamond James discovered the Roaming Gnome at around 5 p.m. Friday. James, a Medill senior and former Daily staffer, was looking for shopping bags in the center’s lower level kitchen when she happened upon the Roaming Gnome shoved next to an industrial refrigerator.
Upon her discovery, other staff members were summoned into the kitchen to remove the gnome from his temporary dwelling.
“It didn’t really hit until I saw him,” said Jennifer Crosby, a Transportation Center employee. “When I saw him, I erupted in joyous expression. I grabbed him and swung him around.”
Many of the center’s employees shared Crosby’s excitement.
“Everybody was like, ‘our gnome is back!'” said Diana Marek, the center’s assistant director.
According to Marek, although the Roaming Gnome “isn’t talking so much just yet,” judging by his wide grin and still-starched robe, it seems as though he was not seriously harmed.
After the Transportation Center employees reunited with their inanimate friend, they placed the gnome in a “secure and undisclosed” location deep within the building.
The center’s employees are still trying to get to the bottom of the gnome’s reappearance. Marek said she has several theories regarding the Roaming Gnome’s return.
“At the time of the disappearance, someone stashed the gnome behind the fridge to retrieve it at a later time,” she said, explaining the first theory.
Alternatively, the “gnomenapper” might have been overcome by remorse and placed the figurine back in the building, she said.
“Someone took it, but when the story hit, with all the press and everything, they felt guilty and wanted to return it, not wanting to be public about it,” Marek said.
However, Marek believes her third theory is the most accurate.
“I think the gnome did not want to return to (his home in) Texas,” Marek said. “He wanted to stay here at Northwestern and perhaps take a few classes or something. He probably just got stuck in the corner while he was hiding out.”
Marek said the fate of the Roaming Gnome remains in the hands of his original owners. Sabre Holdings, the company that operates Travelocity and was responsible for the Roaming Gnome’s arrival on campus almost two weeks ago, will make the final decision regarding the Roaming Gnome’s final residence.
Regardless of the decision, the center’s employees said they are happy the gnome is safe.
“There is definitely a feeling of euphoria up on the third floor (of the center),” Crosby said. “I can definitely say the gnome is happy to be back.”
Reach Jonathan Rosenblatt at [email protected].
