Groundhog Day is a celebration celebrated on Feb. 2 every year. The celebration’s main focus is on a wise, ancient groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil.
Every year, they drag Phil out a of deep winter’s slumber to predict the coming weather.
If the he sees his shadow, there are six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, spring is around the corner.
This year at Gobbler’s Knob, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow. According to legend, this means we should expect an early spring.
We asked our editorial staff about what they thought of Phil’s 2024 prediction.
Our Editor-in-Chief Rob Le Cates found it to be preposterous to believe a silly groundhog has the knowledge and foresight to determine if we will have a few more weeks of colder or warmer air.
I highly doubt Phil is pulling the largest con of all time and is actually a meteorological scholar, if he is I will eat my shorts. Until I see some numbers and scientific data, I won’t believe it.
Our News Editor Cam’ron did some research and is not impressed.
After reading an article that said that the entire groundhog family has only been about 40% correct, I would say that the groundhog is incorrect, once again. That entire family are unreliable little freaks who have disappointed this country on numerous occasions. It’s cool to see a guy with a top hat pick him up each year though.
Our Assistant News Editor Audra was the first of three on our Editorial Board to agree with Phil.
I agree with Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of early spring. Although the last month or so have felt brutally cold, winter in the Midwest was overall pretty mild.
We’ve had relatively little snow this year and the temperature has been consistently rising within the past few weeks. I believe temperature’s will continue to rise, as Phil predicted.
Our Photo Editor Sia loves the thought of early spring but does not find Phil to be trustworthy.
Though spring is an amazing time, when flowers pop up and bright colors are in the air, trusting a groundhog on whether spring comes early is not trustworthy. Only 40% of the time is the groundhog correct in his findings so what about the other 60%. Weather is more accurate than a groundhog, going day by day is better than trusting a furry animal.
Our Sports Editor Zaria was the second one to agree with Phil.
I agree with Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of early spring. Although the last month or so have felt brutally cold, winter in the Midwest was overall pretty mild.
We’ve had relatively little snow this year and the temperature has been consistently rising within the past few weeks. I believe temperature’s will continue to rise, as Phil predicted.
Our Opinions Editor Ellen did not trust the large rodent who predicts the change of the seasons.
As much as I would really enjoy an early spring, I do not see Phil’s prediction becoming true. It is the Midwest. The weather changes on the hour.
As I write this, it is a nice sunny 50 degree day, but I have a sinking feeling that this lying rodent will jinx us and we will have a blizzard mid-March. If someone drug me out of my tree stump in the middle of hibernation, I would say anything for them to be happy and put me down so I could go back to sleep.
Our Design Editor Harper was skeptical about whether Phil is giving us fact or a reason to party.
I do not believe a random groundhog can predict when spring will come for an entire country. After over one hundred years, Groundhog Day is just a tradition celebrated each year in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and it seems to be more of an excuse to party rather than a way to give us scientific facts.
Our Copy Chief Alli was the third Phil believer.
Stats aside, I love that little man, and I want to see him succeed. Team Punxsutawney forever.
A majority of our board was not pleased with the psychic rodent. But there is one thing for sure, we all only had one Friday unlike Billy Murray.
The Editorial Board can be reached at 217-581-2812.
