Tens of thousands of people tuned in Nov. 2 to watch Game 7 of the World Series – a historic matchup between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians. No matter the result of the game, it would be the end of a dry spell for one team.
The Cubs pulled through, and greek houses, dorm hall lounges and garage viewing parties erupted to celebrate the 8-7 victory over Cleveland.
“I was watching in a room with a bunch of [residence advisors], and there were definitely a few die-hard Cubs fans who were freaking out,” Taylor Dorman, a junior marketing major, said. “It was really funny. One person got picked up and [was] spun around in a circle when [the Cubs] won.”
A sea of students rushed to Fredonia Avenue to sing “Go Cubs Go” and “We are the Champions” after the game, parading around with white “W” flags.
“[People say], ‘You always remember where you were during 9/11 or when John F. Kennedy was assassinated;’ this is what our generation will [remember],” Dorman said. “Where were you and what were you doing when [the Cubs] won the World Series? I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what mine is, because [I was six for 9/11], I don’t remember that.’ This is [our generation’s] ‘Where were you when this happened?’”
The victory – which ended a 108-year drought – is especially meaningful for fans who were raised in Cubs-loving families.
“We’re all a big Cubs family,” Dining Services employee Rodney Douglas said. “We have stuck with them all this time. I was telling people at the barber shop who asked, ‘Why are you a Cubs fan, why are you a Cubs fan?’ Because I love them.”
Douglas couldn’t hide his delight Nov. 3 while at work in the Michel Student Center – a bright blue Cubs cap was perched atop his head, and he had a Cubs T-shirt on under his Bradley polo.
“Yeah, they’ve been struggling,” he said. “But it’s like your wife … are you going to leave her if she gains some weight?”
For Douglas and countless others, this victory will live on longer than the 108 years it took the Cubs to break the curse.
“[After the win, I felt] warm and fuzzy, and I still feel that way right now,” Douglas said. “Warm and fuzzy, like you have a bowl of oatmeal on a cold day.”
