Caitlin Wiffler ‘27
WPBH-TV9 Reporter
Punxsutawney Phil at Gobbler’s Knob in 1985. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) (Image courtesy of CNN)
On Feb. 2, the iconic forecaster Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. The Eggplant team traveled seven and a half hours to the little land of Punxsutawney, Penn. to interview the weather visionary.
Wiffler: Good morning, Phil! How are you?
Phil: Doing just fine, thank you. (Aside to another reporter) What’s up, Chase? What’s going on?
Phil took a moment to sign a headshot from a young girl. It read: LYFE IZ LIMITLISS – Phil.
Wiffler: Congratulations on another successful year, sir! Let me ask you, what’s your process in preparing for this national event?
Phil: Wow, thank you for that question. You know, growing up as a groundhog from a small burrow in Pennsylvania, I knew I had a level of privilege compared to the other rodents in the United States. I have a cousin from Kansas and, like, she busts her tail to prognosticate. She works at it, but, let me tell you something else, I’ve been doing this since the late 1800s. I know my way around a shadow. My process is simple: I believe. I believe in myself. I believe in America. I believe in my shadow.
Wiffler: If you don’t mind me asking, Phil, what makes you, this small groundhog from Pennsylvania, the best? In other words, what makes you the most reputable clairvoyant?
Phil: I’m going to be honest with you, I wouldn’t be able to do this without my support system. My wife, Phyllis, is a poet herself. She inspires me day after day. I wake up every morning, and I’m like, this is my chance to give it my all. Thinking back from when I started in 1887, I was a timid rodent just trying his best. My manager, Clymer H. Freas, believed in me. He gave me this platform as the official weather-forecasting groundhog, and that’s a title I don’t joke about. This is my life’s work. I’ve been doing this for 139 years, and I assure you, I’m not selling out anytime soon.
Wiffler: Beautifully said, Phil. So, what are your plans for the next six weeks of winter?
Phil: I’m always preparing for the year ahead, but with that being said, my wife has been pushing me to pursue my other areas of expertise. I haven’t acted since 1993, but I’m proud to announce I’ve joined the cast of an unnamed Richard Linklater project that’s set for a 2048 release.
Wiffler: Congratulations, sir! Well, I think that’s a great place to end it. Thank you for your time and see you next year.
Phil: Give your folks my best. Peace. Love one another. Stay grounded, stay humble.
The Eggplant team thanks Punxsutawney Phil and the town of Punxsutawney for their dedication to the weather. Punxsutawney Phil’s weather predictions have been accurate about 35% of the time in the last twenty years.
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