From an alum’s World Series victory to how Redbirds celebrated Halloween more than a hundred years ago, historian Tom Emery explores this month in Illinois State University history.

October 15

Today is the final day of Latinx Heritage Month, a time to celebrate Latinx history, culture, and contributions. One of the leading Mexican actresses in recent years is Cecilia Suarez, a 1995 graduate of Illinois State. Suarez has appeared in countless television and movie roles in Mexico, the United States, and Spain. In 2018, she was the first woman to earn the Premio Cuervo Tradicional, the Mexican lifetime achievement award for film and television. That same year, she also received a lifetime achievement award in Spain.

Originally, Suarez planned to be an attorney, but decided to pursue acting in high school. She arrived at Illinois State in 1991 and was later awarded the Jean Scharfenberg Scholarship for a graduating acting major with “extraordinary potential.”

In addition, Suarez received the Steppenwolf Theatre Acting Fellowship Award and was part of the Steppenwolf Company during their 20th anniversary season. During her final summer in Bloomington-Normal, she was part of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.

A breakout role for Suarez was the 1999 Mexican movie Sex, Shame, and Tears. She recalled that the experience helped her become “a part of the story of the cinema in my country.”

Another early major role was Alicia Olmedo in the Mexican telenovela La casa del Naranjo in 1998. Suarez appeared in all 75 episodes of the series. From 2000-01, Suarez played in 260 episodes of the popular telenovela Todo por amor, which aired on TV Azteca.

More recently, she appeared in 25 episodes of Locas de amor on Mexican television in 2010 as well as 26 episodes of Capadocia, a highly acclaimed series on HBO Latin America that depicts the story of women imprisoned in an experimental penal facility in Mexico City.

Because of Suarez’ skilled portrayal of Aurelia Sosa, she became the first Spanish-speaking actress to be nominated for an International Emmy for Best Actress. While she was on Capadocia from 2008-12, she also played in 63 episodes of the Mexican television series El Sexo Debil.

In 2018, Suarez began a starring role in the dark Netflix comedy The House of Flowers, which takes on multiple diversity issues with a non-stereotypical emphasis. Suarez, and her depiction of Paulina de la Mora, have been lauded by critics for her remarkable acting ability.

Top roles in the United States include 16 episodes of the Lifetime legal drama For the People in 2002. Suarez has also appeared in American movies like Spanglish, The Air I Breathe, and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

Just as important as her critical acting praise is Suarez’ activism, as she has used her celebrity and acting ability to promote safe childbirth while speaking out against sexism and femicide, among other human-rights issues. She has also worked on behalf of the protection of Mexican crop production.

On October 29, 2012, Suarez returned to Illinois State to attend the Latino Cultural Dinner. She is one of many successful alumni who have remained active, and interested, in the School of Theatre, Dance, and Film at Illinois State.

October 17

On this date in 1959, film critic Richard Roeper ’82, was born. Roeper was a contributor for the Chicago Sun-Times for 39 years, from 1987 to March 2025, and he is a regular on television both in Chicago and nationwide.

Roeper was the co-host of the film review show Ebert and Roeper from 2000-08, taking the place of Roger Ebert’s late partner, Gene Siskel. Roeper also replaced Ebert as the top film critic for the Sun-Times after Ebert’s death in 2013.

The author of seven books, Roeper’s columns for the Sun-Times cover a wide variety of topics including politics, media, and entertainment. He has won multiple awards from the Associated Press as the best columnist in Illinois. He has hosted shows on three Chicago radio stations, including The Roe & Roeper Show on WLS from 2010-14.

A national television celebrity, Roeper has appeared on The Tonight Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, The Daily Show, The O’Reilly Factor, Howard Stern on Demand, and countless others.

Of the thousands of films he has seen, Roeper lists The Maltese Falcon, The Godfather series, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as his favorites of all time.

October 23

On this date 20 years ago, in 2005, Illinois State alum Neal Cotts ’20 picked up the win in relief for the Chicago White Sox in game two of the World Series.

A first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection for the Redbirds, Cotts appeared in all four games of the 2005 Series, as the White Sox won in a sweep for their first championship since 1917.

The 2005 season was a breakout year for Cotts, a left-handed middle reliever who was 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 69 appearances.

Drafted in the second round by Oakland in 2001, Cotts appeared in 483 games over 10 years in Major League Baseball, including four seasons with the White Sox and three with the Cubs.

Cotts pitched in two postseason games with the Cubs in 2008. In eight career playoff appearances, Cotts never allowed an earned run.

A native of Lebanon, Illinois, Cotts left Illinois State after three years to pursue a career in pro baseball. Years later, he returned to complete his degree, graduating in 2020.

Another notable Illinois State alum who played in a World Series was Dave Bergman, who batted .365 with the Redbirds from 1972-74. Bergman appeared in 120 games with Detroit during the 1984 season, when the Tigers went 104-58 and won the world championship.

The 1984 Series title was a highlight in a 17-year major-league career for Bergman, who died in 2015.

October 26

On this date in 1952, Rondi Reed ’77 was born. An accomplished actress on both stage and screen, Reed earned a Tony Award in 2008 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play.

Reed won the Tony for her portrayal of Mattie Fae Aiken in the original Broadway production of August: Osage County.

A longtime member of Chicago’s famous Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Reed also appeared on Broadway in the 1990 stage adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath and the 1994 production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.

In addition, Reed is known for her recurring role as Peggy in the hit CBS sitcom Mike & Molly from 2010-16, appearing in 62 episodes. She has been seen in such TV favorites as L.A. Law, Grace Under Fire, Seinfeld, and Home Improvement.

In 1992, she appeared on the ABC hit Roseanne as a therapist for Jackie, whose character was played by another Illinois State alum, Laurie Metcalf ’76.

Also on this date in 1888, Clyde Hudelson, who taught agriculture at Illinois State from 1920-57, was born. The mayor of Normal from 1944-46, he is the namesake of the Hudelson Building, which opened in 1955 and now houses the English Language Institute.

October 31

On this date in 1907, the junior class at Illinois State held its annual Halloween party, a rite of fall at the university for decades.

Each Halloween, the Illinois State juniors threw a bash for hundreds of fellow students, usually in Cook Hall (the former gymnasium), with remarkably ornate decorations and entertainment. The 1907 event was a carnival theme that featured “living skeletons,” a snake charmer, a “Wild West Show” with exhibits, and a pipe organ.

The Vidette reported that a favorite Halloween activity in 1907 had a twist, as partygoers had to “try to pick apples out of a tub of water which was charged with electric current.” Most students came dressed in masks and costumes, and “after the booths were closed, popcorn and apples were served.”

There were similar goodies in 1913, as The Vidette reported “the refreshments consisted of pumpkin pie, doughnuts, sweet cider, and pears.”

That year, the atmosphere also included the “dim flickering light of candles in pumpkin faces and … the subdued glow of electric lights hidden here and there among the decorations.” It was all part of a cherished tradition a century ago at Illinois State.

Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher who, in collaboration with Carl Kasten ’66, co-authored the 2020 book Abraham Lincoln and the Heritage of Illinois State University.