Student Union
UPDATE: Why is Everyone in America Talking About Baseball?
The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years, beating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings.
The Cubs led 6-3 after the first six innings but Cleveland scored three runs in the bottom of the eight to tie it up. Neither team scored in the ninth, and after a brief rain delay the game went into extra innings.
Both teams hoped to end long droughts without a world title: the Cubs last won in 1908 while the Indians' last series win was in 1948.
Despite the Cubs being favored to win the series, Cleveland was a game away from claiming the title after winning the first, third and fourth games of the series. But Chicago won three straight – including the final two in Cleveland - to end the longest stretch without a World Series win by any team in baseball.
Original story starts here:
This Major League Baseball World Series has brought fans out of the woodwork because it matches up two teams who have the longest World Series droughts in baseball.
America loves underdogs, and this year's World Series has two of them: The Cleveland Indians have not won a pennant since 1948, and the Chicago Cubs have not won since 1908!
The Indians are in the American League. They won in the playoffs, or the games that decided who would go to the World Series. According to the Indians website, the team has been in existence since 1901, and have won only two World Series titles. Once in 1920, and once in 1948.
Carlos Santana's game-winning catch to advance the Indians to the World Series
This means that the last time the Indians won the World Series:- A man hadn’t landed on the moon
- Israel had just declared itself an independent state
- It was the year that President Truman defeated Dewey. (And not the other way around.)
The Cubs are a part of the National League. The last time the Cubs appeared in the World Series was 1945. But they lost. The Cubs only have one World Series title under their belt, the one they won in 1908.
The Cubs celebrate clinching a trip to the World Series
This means that the last time the Cubs won the World Series:- Neither World War had occurred
- Sliced bread wasn’t in existence
- The Ottoman Empire still existed
The World Series is played over seven games, going back and forth between the two stadiums of the participating baseball teams. Whoever wins four of seven wins the World Series title. The first two World Series games of 2016 will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. CNN Money reported that the average ticket price for the four possible games in Cleveland is $3,900.
In Chicago, Illinois at Wrigley Field, the ticket prices are even more steep. CNN Money reports that the average asking price for the three possible games is $7,200 a seat. Jesse Lawrence, the founder and CEO of TicketIQ told CNN that, "We've never seen anything like this before. ... We may never see it again,” as this series is even beating out previous Super Bowl ticket averages.
The World Series is a match-up played after the regular 162 game season, and the two to three rounds of playoffs after that point. The Wild Card game comes first and is a newer (and more confusing) feature of the World Series, and the New York Times has great background information on it. The Division Series, and the Championship Series follow afterward in that order. To get to the World Series, a team from each league of baseball must win both of these series. In the World Series, a team must win four of seven games to officially claim the championship title.
No matter which team claims the title, this World Series will be one for the history books. One title drought will be broken, and another will drag on. Game 2 of the series airs tonight at 7 PM on Fox, as the Indians lead the series 1-0. The full list of games is located here.
Please leave a comment and visit us on our Facebook page, thanks!
See all News Updates of the Day
Universities move away from DEI initiatives
Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have fallen out of favor in higher education recruiting and hiring in recent years, but even more colleges and universities are moving away from the programs now, Thea Felicity reports in University Herald.
In addition to political opposition to the programs, there are concerns that DEI initiatives hinder free speech, affect ideological balances and discourage academic freedom. (December 2024)
‘College Deserts’ leave many communities without higher education options
“College Deserts” – areas where high schools are located more than 30 miles away from the nearest community college – leave large groups of people unable to pursue higher education because of transportation problems, Lexi Lonas Cochran writes in The Hill.
Most college deserts are in the Southern U.S., with a recent study in Texas showing that long commuting distances discourage many potential students from attending college. (December 2024)
Analysts say rate of college closures likely to increase
If current trends continue, the rate of college closures is expected to increase, according to a new study reported in Forbes.
Closures are more likely to affect private institutions, and while the number of closures might seem small on a national level, it could cause serious problems for the smaller and mid-sized communities where those colleges are located. (December 2024)
Judge upholds racial considerations in US Naval Academy admissions
Although the U.S. Supreme Court last year decided that civilian colleges and universities could not consider race or ethnicity in admissions, a judge ruled that the U.S. Naval Academy had established a national security interest in a diverse officer corps.
That means the academy – and other military service academies – can continue to consider race. A similar policy at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has also been challenged, but that case has not yet gone to trial, according to a report in Navy Times. (December 2024)
Harvard recommends gap year as a strategic move
While some students and parents see the gap year as a waste of time, others see the break in academic studies as valuable for developing maturity, earning money or focusing goals.
MSN.com explains some of the reasons why Harvard – and other prestigious schools in the United States – are recommending that students take a gap year. (December 2024)
