All eyes were on Woodstock Willy, waiting in anticipation for the grand reveal: will Willy see his shadow or not? Seniors Jerry Tubikanec, Frank Tubikanec, James Tranas, Evan Borys, and Evan Martinez made the exciting trip to Woodstock, Illinois to personally experience this Groundhog Day celebration live in action.

Groundhog Day is a yearly tradition, started in 1877, according to the Library of Congress Blogs. If the groundhog can spot its shadow as it appears from its burrow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If not, then an early spring is yet to come. When this group of seniors heard that Groundhog Day would be taking place, from their math teacher, they drove up to the festival to participate in the event themselves, senior Frank Tubikanec said.

“It was an experience”, Tubikanic said. “There was a band going, they were playing polka, a bunch of dads was having beer at 6:45 in the morning, everyone was with their kids, going there before school,”

The seniors felt pleased with the turnout of the event, as it was a hugely packed festival and the energy was to the limit, Tranas said.

“[The event ] was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Tranas said. “ What other time at five o’clock in the morning, on a day you have school, [can you]  drive an hour away to go see a groundhog?”