Clown University brought in a large freshman class ... but also the year of what I’m calling the “dating clownery meme.” Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image ...

The meme had marched into Georgia ... Here's how it begins: On Monday evening the university and Auburn Police Division received a few reports of people dressed in clown costumes on campus.

EAST LANSING — The creepy clown craze hit Michigan State University early Wednesday morning, after a photo of a clown holding balloons outside a dormitory surfaced on social media.