Northern Star
• Horror films take shape through the decades. Read more on Page 7. •
Since 1899
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016
Volume 117
Superstitions call the shots Cubs fans dig out good luck charms
Game 5: 7:08 p.m. today
Tom Burton Assistant sports editor
Game 6: 7:08 p.m. Saturday
DeKALB | Art major Erik Carillo believes that superstitions influence the Cubs’ playoff performance, so he wears Cubs gear every game day. For baseball players and sports fanatics, superstitions play a big role in athlete performance. The last World Series win for the Cubs was 108 years ago in 1908. The Chicago Cubs are having success in this year’s postseason. After their win in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, the Cubs’ magic number for a World Series victory is six wins. “I want to say World Series, but I don’t want to jinx them,” said freshman pitcher William Anderson. “They have all the pieces to win the World Series, so I think they can do it.” During the Cubs game, it is difficult to stop watching. Engineering major David Hodges believes the Cubs are negatively affected when he takes any time away from watching. “I feel like if I don’t watch them [the entire time], they’re going to lose,” Hodges said. “I can’t even make myself a hotdog until it is a commercial.” In the long history of the franchise, the Cubs have had curses which have hung over their heads throughout the years, such as the Billy Goat in
Cubs vs. Dodgers
Game 7: 7:08 p.m. Sunday
Courtesy Chicago_History’s Twitter
Actor Bill Murray, who is from Illinois, wears a “I ain’t afraid of no goat” T-shirt during a Cubs game.
1945, the black cat in 1969 and the Steve Bartman incident in 2003. The Billy Goat curse began in the 1945 World Series when Billy Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis was asked to leave the game because the odor of his pet goat was bothering other fans. In outrage, Sianis famously said “them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.”
“Growing up, especially after 2003, I was young back then, so I believed in the Billy Goat superstition. Later on, I did not believe in the curse,” said junior pitcher Ryan Blanton. “My dad said since I was a little kid that [the Cubs] need to get a bunch of young guys out there and have them play and learn as they go. That is definitely what they
have going on now, so I’m hoping that will break [the curse].” Other baseball players agree with Blanton, saying any curse surrounding the Cubs does not apply to their World Series aspirations. “Billy Goat is long gone,” Infielder Tommy Hook said. “I mean, I just think it’s something that the fans can talk about, myself included.” Taking note of all the curses and superstitions, the Cubs are having success in the playoffs this year. NIU baseball players, along with many others, are optimistic about this team being the last team standing in October. “What [the Cubs] are doing is awesome,” Hook said. “Everyone talks about their offense, but they’re the best defensive team in baseball. There is no doubt that, with what they’re doing now, that they’re going to win it all.”
#NIUCubsSuperstitions Post or tweet your Cubs superstition on The Northern Star’s Facebook page or @NIUNorthernStar on Instagram or Twitter.
US Comptroller talks money at NIU Sam Malone Assistant news editor
DeKALB | Eugene Dodaro, comptroller general of the United States, spoke Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Barsema Hall about the country’s financial state and how it affects college students. The comptroller of the U.S. serves a 15-year term as the head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, often referred to as the U.S. congressional watchdog. It is his or her job to hold the federal government accountable for any unconstitutional actions it may be involved in and improve its overall spending efficiency. With the country’s financial deficit, predicted to be $616 billion for Fiscal Year 2016, Dodaro
said many higher education instiHis office is working to combat tutions are suffering. related issues such as the amount of debt students will graduate with. “We’ve been doing a lot of work We’ve been doing a lot of looking at the student loan prowork looking at the student grams, and we’re particularly conloan programs, and we’re cerned with the amount of debt particularly concerned students are having,” Dodaro said. with the amount of debt “We’ve looked at students are having.” Eugene Dodaro whether or not education U.S. Comptroller General the departments are NIU receives about 26 percent effectively comof its budget from state appropria- municating to tions. It has been two years since students their Eugene Dodaro NIU received a full allocation options about fi- U.S. Comptroller from the state, the last full bud- nancing. Right now, we’re looking at get being given in FY15 for $91.1 the accreditation process for higher million. This was cut to about $74 education institutions and whether million for FY17, according to a or not that can be improved.” July 11 Northern Star article. The office that Dodaro leads
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• The Truth Must Bear All Light •
.info
is a part of the U.S. Legislative Branch, and it is the office’s job to support Congress in its constitutional responsibilities. Dodaro said one way his office attempts to make the government more efficient is by eliminating duplicate and overlapping programs. He said there are many programs that do the same thing, and by eliminating duplicates, the government is able to save an incredible amount of money. “Our scope is anything that our government is involved in,” Dodaro said. “We issue about 700 reports a year, and last year, as a result of our recommendations being implemented, the benefits were over $60 billion.”
Read Comptroller | Page 3
Issue 19
Inside The Northern Star is the studentrun news organization serving NIU and its community. Classifieds Puzzles Crime
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Opinion Sports Scene
News See how millennials are voting this November on Page 2. News Students weigh in on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Read more on Page 3. News The United Faculty Alliance union looks form a negotiations bargaining team. Read more on Page 3. Scene Students running for homecoming royalty will be selected Friday. Read more about the candidates on Page 6. Opinion Columnist Brooklynn Harper urges students to be mindful this Halloween when picking costumes. Read more on Page 8. Sports Football takes on University at Buffalo Saturday. Read what Head Coach Rod Carey has to say about the game on Page 10.
Online Visit the Northern Star’s website to read news, take a weekly poll, view the Pet of the Week and more at NorthernStar.info. Calendar Submit an event to the community calendar at NorthernStar.info/Calendar/. Go to NorthernStar.info to see a list of upcoming events on and around campus on the calendar. Social Media For breaking news updates, follow the Northern Star @NIUNorthernStar on Twitter. For photos and news updates, like the Northern Star on Facebook at Facebook.com/NIUNorthernStar/. To see what’s happening on and around campus, add @NIUNorthernStar on Snapchat. For Northern Star multimedia, add NIUNorthernStar on Instagram. App The Northern Star app is available through the iTunes App Store and Google Play store.
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