The last time the Chicago Cubs played in the World Series was 1945. The last time they won the World Series was in 1908. Tonight the Chicago Cubs will finally play in their first World Series in 71 years and are looking to end their 108-year World Series championship drought and break their fabled “curse.”

The Cubs will be facing off against the Cleveland Indians, and the first game is Tuesday night, October 25 at 7:00 pm central time.

According to Sports Illustrated, the “curse” was placed on the Cubs in this 1945 series that they lost to the Detroit Tigers. During this series, the Cubs, who were led by then league MVP Phil Cavarretta and a pitching staff that had the second best ERA in baseball of 2.98, had won 2 out of the first 3 games.

During game 4 at Wrigley Field, an owner of a Chicago bar called Billy Goat Tavern, Billy Sianis, was asked to leave the game because he had brought his pet billy goat, Murphy, with him. The smell from the goat was bothering other people around them. Sianis left, but before leaving said, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” Chicago would go on to lose the series, and the curse of the billy goat had begun.

The Cubs haven’t been back to the World Series since that season. Until tonight that is.

Many people in the Quincy area are very excited to see their Chicago Cubs get back to the World Series. It has caused a lot of excitement around the area, and especially on campus at Quincy University.

One of these people is Dr. Barbara Schleppenbach, Associate Professor of Communications at Quincy University. Schleppenbach has been a Cubs fan her whole life. Her daughter, Meg Bates, even lives 2 blocks away from Wrigley Field, where Schleppenbach loves to spend her summers away from school.

When asked how it will feel to see her Cubs win the World Series, Schleppenbach simply answered that statement with one word.

“Unreal.”

Schleppenbach believes this Cubs team has a good chance to actually win this series and end the curse.

“They look ready to move on,” Schleppenbach stated. “Beating the Dodgers, especially Clayton Kershaw in game 6, gave me a big boost in believing.”

One of these people is Quincy University student, Brandon VanCamp, who has been a Cubs fan for as long as he can remember.

“I have been a Cubs fan since I was able to walk and talk,” VanCamp said.

His love for Cubs is something that special to VanCamp It stated with both sets of his grandparents. He has lost three of them in the last 18 months and it will be very touching for him to know that they will be rooting for his Cubs in heaven. His Grandma Dixie loved buying him Cubs gear for his birthday and Christmas every year. His grandfather, Jerry Shank, who was actually a Cardinals fan, taught him a lot about the game of baseball, and even took him to roughly 100 Cubs and Cardinals games in his lifetime.

“I will be thinking about them and how they have shaped my life and my love of baseball,” VanCamp said.

A Cubs World Series victory is something that VanCamp thought may never be possible and isn’t sure how he will react if they win.

“I’m not really sure how I will celebrate. I’m a grown man, but I’m sure I will probably cry, laugh, yell, and high five everyone within my grasp,” VanCamp said. “I’m still in shock we are in the World Series, let alone have a chance to win it.”