February 7, 2001
Meredith Herald
Campus News
Take it away,
Punxsutawney
Phil
Christina Holder
Associate Ediior
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa.-
Amid falling snow and a
crowd of over 20,000 people,
Punxsutawney Phii, the
nation’s official weather fore
caster, was pulled from his
heated burrow at 7:25 a.m. on
Feb. 2,2001 to give his predic
tion.
When he ruled that 6 more
weeks of winter weather were
on the way, visitors were
already scrambling to the shut
tle buses that had brought them
to see him.
Groundhog Day came upon
the town of Punxsutawney and
neighboring community Gob
bler’s Knob with a chill. With
the temperature not rising
above 26 degrees F, Phil was
more likely wishing he was
back in the warm confines of
the town library where he lives
every day except Feb. 2.
Each year he climbs into his
white stretch limosine, and his
devoted fans follow him in
making the annual trek to Gob
bler’s Knob, an open field
tucked into a forest only ten
minutes from Punxsutawney.
Often tiot widely publicized.
Groundhog Day is taken seri
ously in Pennsylvania country.
The town even has its own offi
cial radio station that provides
commentary on the events of
the day. Groundhog Day is, by
the way, a national holiday.
Every year thousands of
people flock to the town from
across the country.
The main street in Punx
sutawney is dotted with
groundhog souvenir shops,
restaurants and bars that stay
open all night to accomodate
the surge of visitors.
Beginning at 3 a.m., visitors
can catch a shuttle-a yellow
bus borrowed from the school
system—to Gobbler’s Knob,
where the official Groundhog
Day festival is set-up.
Donna and Greg Broomall
of Pittsburgh stand t^gether on
the open field at Gobbler’s
Knob at 4:35 a.m. In front of
them is large stage overrun
with dancing college students
and a performer who eerily
resembles Elvis. Polka music
blares from the speakers set up
around the stage. A hot choco
late and doughnut cart is still
within their eye's view,
They came to Gobbler’s
Knob because they always
wondered what Groundhog
Day would be like in the offi
cial weather capital of the Unit
ed States.
Yet it was not but soon after
they stepped off the bus that
they realized they could have
gotten to Gobbler’s Knob at 6
a.m. and seen about the same
thing.
From 3 a.m. until 7:30 a.m.
when Phil’s ceremony takes
place, the field at Gobbler’s
Knob is overrun with people
dancing, talking, scrambling to
the bonfire to warm their toes
and taking in the music and
fireworks.
Bill Cooper, president of the
Inner Circle, a non-profit orga
nization that formed to “perpet
uate and protect the honor of
the groundhog”sifts through
the crowd, answering questions
about Phil.
He vows Phil is one-hundred
and fifteen years old who gets
his youthful looks from drink
ing a special groundhog pwtion
every seven years.
Nevertheless, Cooper raps
on Phil’s burrow door every
year around 7:30 a.m., and Phil
tells hitn the forecast. Cooper,
is of course, the only person
who can speak Phil’s language.
Surely. Groundhog Day at
the Knob is more ceremony
than reality, but for every visi
tor ft-om the Broomalls to the
local kids who begin filing in
just before 7 a.m.. it’s a step
into a charming yet surreal
world that one can only under
stand and believe in here. And
if one cannot trust Phil, then
there is always dancing to good
Polka.
Grad studies director has
high hopes for school
HI
Lincsey McAdams
Statt Writer
The John E. Weems Gradu
ate School, though small,
grows in size with each year.
To continue that
trend, Meredith
has hired a new
director of gradu- —-■■■■ —
ate studies. Last
Thursday, Feb. I.
marked Deborah
Horvitz's first day
as director of grad
uate studies.
Horvitz said that
as director, she
wants to “continue
to grow and
strengthen the four
graduate programs
and look at other
areas where it
would make sense
to start a graduate program.”
She will be responsible for
overseeing the administration
of graduate programs
The school presently offers
three Master’s Degree pro
grams and one internship.
These programs are the Mas
ter's in Business Administra
tion (MBA), Master’s in Edu
cation (M. Ed), and Master’s in
Music (M. Mus.). The school
also offers a Dietetic Intern
ship, contingent on the student
having completed a program in
dietetics approved by the
American Dietary Association.
Horvitz came to Meredith
from Duke University, where
she was the director of human
relations, communications and
planning. Before that position,
she was the director of the
I’m very fortunate
be here.”
—Deborah Horvitz,
director of
graduate studies
to
executive Master’s Degree in
Business Administration pro
gram for five years at Duke.
She attended Boston Univer
sity in Boston, Massachusetts
as an undergraduate. She
received her degree in Early
Elementary Education and
Special Education from
Wellesley.
Though she’s worked for the
past several years at Duke, this
isn't the first time Horvitz has
been to Meredith. A few years
ago a professor invited her to
speak to a class, and she recalls
that she was “impressed with
the caliber of the students and
their level of engagement."
That experience gave her a
chance to see what Meredith is
all about. When she saw the ad
for the position at the
Graduate school, she
knew Meredith was
the place for her.
Horvitz noted that
Meredith’s community
seems “happy to
embrace change and is
looking for better
ways to do things.
This is unusual for any
organization.” She
noted that her biggest
challenge as director
of graduate studies
will ^be to keep the
graduate programs
growing at a competi
tive rate.
Horvitz said, “Meredith is a
wonderful place, and i’m very
fortunate to be here.”
WANTED:
Boys and Giris ages 4>12
WILD, WILD, MEREDITH
Lil* Friends Weekend
March 2-3,2001
Registration: Wed. 8-Wed. 14
L^inch and Dinner -sBDfl
Fri(9). Mon(12),Wed(14)
Cate Center 10-11
Scavcng^ Hiint, Arts and. Crafts,
Games and Swimming!!!!!!!!!*!
Contact; AJison Siiber m60)
April Presselj (2997) ^ .
Student Activities: Kellv Conklin?