Harper College selfies to land on Rolling Meadows, Des Plaines billboards

Ellen, remember your selfie stunt at the Oscars?

Just oozing with star power. There was Brad and Angie. Jared's eyeball.

OK, it crashed Twitter. And yes, it was the most retweeted photo ever.

But did your selfie appear on a billboard? In front of thousands of drivers? And carry an important message?

Harper College students, at least in this respect, are topping your selfie.

The Palatine-based community college is encouraging soon-to-be graduates to enter their self-portraits in a unique contest. The winners will see their selfies rotated on two digital billboards along major roadways during the week leading up to their big day.

While showing Harper's social media growth, the campaign celebrates student achievement with the community and prospective employers, officials say.

Some colleges are trying to suppress the selfie. The University of South Florida is urging students to refrain from taking selfies when they reach for their diploma, thank you very much.

Harper, though, knows there's no stopping the selfie. Candy bars are now circulating on campus, alerting students to the contest.

The rules are simple: Students should snap a selfie that speaks to their approaching graduation. They must post the photos to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag, #Harpergrad, and their full name by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 4. Or, they can email their selfies.

Harper will announce the winners on social media by noon Friday, May 9. Then, they will get their turn in the spotlight from May 12-17.

So Ellen, if you're ever in the neighborhood, drive by the billboards, one at Route 53 and Euclid Avenue, the other at I-90 and Elmhurst Road.

And here's a challenge: take a selfie next to those selfies, and try to make Twitter history again.