February has one of my favorite holidays of the year. It is a holiday that is, in my opinion, criminally underrated. No, I’m not talking about the lovey dovey Valentine’s Day – I’m talking about Groundhog Day. I grew up in, and still live in, Western Pennsylvania, just a stone’s throw away from the town of Punxsutawney where Punxsutawney Phil makes his weather prognostication every year. For those unfamiliar with the tradition, early in the morning on February 2nd every year a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil is awoken from his slumber to predict how much longer we’ll have winter weather. According to the lore, if Phil sees his shadow, we’re in for six more weeks of Winter. If he does not see his shadow, we’re due for an early Spring.
Oh, and we know his findings because he shares his declaration in his native Groundhogese language to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club president. This president is able to translate Phil’s message to English, and announces it in a public celebration. And anywhere from 10,000 – 40,000 people attend this celebration every year. Also Punxsutawney Phil is immortal. He’s been making predictions since 1887, and drinks a magic “groundhog punch” every year that gives him eternal life. Did I also mention that Phil has a wife, Phyllis, and two kids?
Typing all of that out makes me realize how insane this holiday is, but also affirms why it warms my heart.
Beyond the quirky tradition, this holiday also serves as the basis for the 1993 Harold Ramis film Groundhog Day. The film tells the story of a reporter covering GroundHog Day who is forced to relive the same day over and over again. Through the film, the main character experiences the challenge of enduring the same day on repeat, ultimately coming to realize that every day is important, and how to cultivate meaning in every day (classic Hollywood). The film helped the holiday grow in popularity, and added the term “Groundhog Day” to the public lexicon to describe the feeling of doing something again and again. It’s also just a great movie, I would highly recommend seeing it if you haven’t watched it before.
In my professional career, I used to feel that Groundhog Day experience during RA interviews, which coincidentally always happen in February at my institution. We have all of our new RA interviews in the span of one week, which calls for all of our staff to hold RA interviews back to back all day long. The days are long, and at times, can feel monotonous. With the sheer volume of interviews, and repetitive nature of asking the same questions over and over again, it becomes easy to lose the significance of these interviews, and the importance they carry to the applicants, and our department.
In my professional career, I used to feel that Groundhog Day experience during RA interviews, which coincidentally always happen…just kidding.
In honor of Groundhog Day, I wanted to present some grounding (groundhog?) topics to keep in mind if you find yourself in your own time loop with RA interviews:
Many applicants don’t have a lot of experience to pull from.
- If you find that some questions are getting the same answers for a lot of applicants, or answers of a similar flavor, remember that a lot of candidates may have limited professional experience up to this point. A lot of students will likely pull experiences from high school organizations or part-time retail jobs. Even if you hear the same set-up over and over again, remind yourself of where they are coming from, really hone in to see how the student handled the situation and what their reflections are – that’s where we will gleam a lot from.
Interviewing is a developed skill.
- Similar to the above point, a lot of students may be limited in their interviewing experience. Interviewing is a skill that takes practice and repetition to work on. A lot of these students may not have had many opportunities to develop this skill, so it’s important that we really listen to the words they are conveying, even if the presentation of those ideas could use a bit of development.
For some students, this interview will be the most important interview of their lives to this point.
- As we know, becoming an RA is a huge undertaking, and it is a big role at any college or university. The financial implications of getting the position or not could also have a large impact on a student’s collegiate career, and how they are paying for college. For some of our students, this could be the most substantial interview they are engaging with up to this point. With that could come nerves and anxious feelings. All of that is to say, there’s a lot riding on these interviews for these students, and we should really honor and respect that, and not lose sight of that during these long days.
Don’t be afraid to offer some gentle coaching.
- At the start of every RA interview, I like to offer a little bit of advice and light coaching. I remind applicants that they can take their time when thinking over a question, that it’s okay to have a question be repeated, and to seek clarification if they don’t understand the question. In the interview, if a candidate is stumped by a question, I try to reframe it if possible, too. Doing things like this can help the candidate feel a bit more ease, and help them put their best foot forward.
Have fun with the interview!
- Every interview offers us an opportunity to hear a bit about someone’s life journey to this point – that’s cool and can be pretty interesting! I’ve learned a lot through hearing candidates’ experiences and some of the things they have done. Being curious, and having fun listening to the stories we’re being told, can help elevate the experience.
So, if you’re in RA interviews and feel yourself living in a Res Life Groundhog Day loop, remember how important these interviews are to the candidates, and to your Res Life Office who is looking for the next generation of RAs. The days can be long, but they are so important.
Oh, and if you’re curious, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow at this year’s (2026) Groundhog Day celebration, meaning six more weeks of Winter!
