Like the 45-mile-an-hour winds and rain hitting campus last Friday, comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and her film crew blew into campus to visit freshman Milly Venezia, who won a “Wish You Were Here” contest sponsored by the show.
The segment airs at 3 p.m. today, Dec. 12, on Ellen, and can be seen on KNAZ Channel 2 and KPNX Channel 12. The show is viewed by 12 million people.
The talk show host’s tomfoolery touched down in Venezia’s Philosophy 101 class with Peter Kosso, at a Hot Spot brunch with Venezia and her second-floor Sechrist friends, and in Venezia’s room at Sechrist.
DeGeneres and crew continued to brave the blustery afternoon by hitting some sites in downtown Flagstaff.
DeGeneres enjoyed her visit and Venezia so much, the student was flown to appear on the show, and producers were back on campus Tuesday to run a live feed into Venezia’s room so the segment could include her friends watching the show from a new big-screen television—a gift from DeGeneres.
“It was a blast,” Venezia said. “It was the most fun thing that ever happened to me.”