Mary Ellen Mack and Sophie Furlow Living in Chicago means more than the Bean or Lake Shore Drive or Navy Pier; it means being a fan of the Bulls, the Blackhawks, and perhaps most importantly this October, a fan of the Cubs. The Cubs went 103 and 58 in the 2016 regular season, a whopping 17.5 games better than the next best team in their division. Though Cubs fans have remained especially loyal to Chicago over a one-hundred-year-long drought, Wrigley gained a certain electricity from its fans this season. The emergence of the famed blue “W” during the postseason last year became an icon of the Chicago Cubs in 2016 as a result of these fans’ enthusiasm. Cubs fans now #flythew in every skyscraper window and on every porchfront in support of their beloved team. Every day, a fraction of students come to school dressed head to toe in Cubs gear. Various locations, from the senior hallway to the cafeteria, were flooded in red and blue. Jerseys range from Schwarber to Bryant to Arietta, but every fan has one thing in common: a love for the team and World Series W on their mind. When asked to comment on her well known love of the Cubs, sophomore Bianca Voss stated matter of factly, “The Cubs are the best team in the entire world.” On the other end of the spectrum, on the topic of the Cubs, John Phillips responded, “Go sox.” In fact, beyond the Cubs absorbing all of Chicago’s attention, many White Sox fans are infuriated that articles and columns all over the internet are praising Chicago’s resurgence from a one hundred year World Series drought as the Chicago White Sox won the Fall Classic last in 2005. Nights of games include numerous snapchats from Latin students at Wrigley Field and various Chicago hotspots. Wins during the National League Division Series (NLDS)  and the National League Championship Series (NLCS) were seen as an opportunity to showcase their Cubbies pride and the various ways to fly the “W” on numerous social media outlets.  Facebook feeds became flooded with stories of nonsensical predictions of the Cubs World Series appearance. Michael Lee’s senior quote from his 1993 yearbook simply stated, “Chicago Cubs. 2016 Champions. You heard it here first.” Other heartwarming stories of elders who were present at the 1945 World Series, the last Fall Classic that the Cubs earned a spot to, went viral. Whether you advertise your Cubs mania with Snapchat stories of your television or artistic Instagrams of Wrigley Field, there’s nothing like the euphoria that has encased Latin and the entire Chicagoland area these days. Excitement has spread among many students at the possibility of the Commissioner’s Trophy coming back to Chicago for the first time since 1908. No matter what team you root for, you have to admit that this IS the year for the Chicago Cubs.  ]]>