Arianna Griffiths, Editor-in-Chief–

The Denison Hilltoppers traveled to Punxutawney, PA on Feb. 2 for Groundhog Day. But they weren’t only there to see the famous furry creature predict the upcoming weather; they were also there to make history by performing on national television. 

The Hilltoppers, Denison’s oldest a cappella group, were originally scheduled to perform at Groundhog Day in 2015, but a blizzard prevented them from traveling to Punxsutawney. Nick Ingam ‘15, a Hilltopper alum, was contacted by Dave Gigliotti, a member of the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle who is responsible for coordinating much of the entertainment to reschedule their performance. 

“The experience was incredibly surreal,” said Gabe Donnelly ‘25.  “The crowd had such an insane energy to it, [and it was] comprised of people who had been up since three in the morning to see the event.”  

The Denison Hilltoppers pose together in front of the entrance sign for Gobbler’s Knob, the home of Punxsutawney Phil.

Before their 5:30am performance, the Hilltoppers took in the wide-reaching crowd and groundhog-inspired attire. 

“It was wild to be among so many people, especially before we sang, thinking ‘I’m about to sing for all of these people.’ It was both exciting and terrifying,” said Liam Kaznelson ‘26.

Moments before the Hilltoppers stepped on the same stage that Punxutawney Phil would soon be on to tell the country of the beginning of spring weather, they gathered together to share words of encouragement. 

 “We huddled together and connected ourselves with the unifying thought that we were going to go out there and do what we love while having as much fun as possible, and that’s what we did,” said Kaznelson.

Emmet Anderson ‘25 takes a selfie with fellow Hilltoppers in Pittsburgh, where the group spent the days following their performance.

The Hilltoppers performed for a crowd of 40,000 people, which included the major news outlets NBC, ABC, CNN, FOX, and USA Today and the event was televised to the entire country. They sang some of their best hits, including “Sh’boom,” “House of Blue Lights,” “Come go,” ‘Change,” “Africa,” and “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which was accompanied by a fireworks show.   

“It was a little overwhelming because you literally couldn’t see where the crowd ended. While we were performing I completely forgot that it was being televised until I looked down and saw like 20 cameras for news stations all pointed up at us,” said Donnelly. 

“I think our best song was ‘Africa’, because we could see a bunch of people in the crowd singing along with us,” said Emmet Anderson ‘25, the president of the Hilltoppers. “It was such an honor to be part of such a cool and unique ceremony like that and something we’ll never forget.”

Gabe Donnelly ‘25 leads the Hilltoppers in a group huddle shortly before taking the stage.
Gabe Donnely ‘25, Mason Allen ‘25, Fletch Royal ‘25, Gray Jackson ‘26, Colin Thomas ‘26, Max McQuistion ‘25, Liam Kaznelson ‘26, Clay Ryan ‘24, Arth Patel ‘24, Suveer Singh ‘25, Owen Baker ‘25, Antonia Baylor ‘26, Winthrop Abeles ‘25 and Emmet Anderson ‘25 look out at a crowd of over 40,000 spectators at Gobbler’s Knob.
Gabe Donnelly ‘25, Mason Allen ‘25, Fletch Royal ‘25, Gray Jackson ‘26, Colin Thomas ‘26, Max McQuistion ‘25, Liam Kaznelson ‘26, Clay Ryan ‘24, Arth Patel ‘24, Suveer Singh‘25, Owen Baker ‘25, Antonia Baylor ‘26, Winthrop Abeles ‘25 and Emmet Anderson ‘25 look out at a crowd of over 40,000 spectators at Gobbler’s Knob.