Groundhog Day: SusCom meeting schedule
Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog says: early spring and come to Sustainability Meetings and feel forever rejuvenated.
The American origins of Groundhog day are part of a deeply rooted tradition. German settlers chose the groundhog to predict the weather. The origin of the holiday reputedly dates back even further to the Christian tradition of Candlemas Day, when candles were distributed by the clergy for the long, hard, cold winter. It is a date that is half way between winter solstice and vernal equinox as well, so its significance is believed to go back even further for some societies.
Why February for the burrowing creatures? Well it seems that the male groundhogs’ minds turn to thoughts of romance after a long winter hibernation, so they exit their dens in search of females. Presumably if the weather has begun to warm up the snow will be melting and hence all of that extra moisture in the sky would make for a cloudy day, thus the groundhog would not see its shadow. If it were still cold then the snow would not have melted and little moisture would be in the air, presenting the groundhog with a clear, sunny, but cold day, where he would cast a shadow.
The granddaddy of all celebrations happens in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where Phil lives in an enclosure in front of the library. The tradition started back in 1887. Phil is summarily brought out in February to proclaim the end, or continuation of winter. Many other groundhogs are being used around the country, and it must be admitted that they do no better, or no worse than the National Weather Service with their predictions. Considering the winter, or lack thereof, that we have been having so far, it is not surprising that he predicted an early spring.
We would like to forecast a bigger turnout at Sustainability meetings, all are welcome. The schedule for the rest of the semester is as follows:
Feb. 17 – 12:20 p.m.
March 1 – 12:40 p.m.
March 16 – 12:20 p.m.
April 5 – 12:40 p.m.
April 20 – 12:20 p.m.
May 3 – 12:40 p.m.
May 18 – 12:20 p.m.
Sustainably yours, Dr. Mark Gallo and Dan McMann, SusCom co-chairs