By Hailey Heinz

This year’s homecoming celebrations have been marked by the return of old traditions. For the first time since the 1970s, Northeastern has a live husky mascot, and now the homecoming committee looks to bring back another tradition from Northeastern’s past: The Mayor of Huntington Avenue competition.

The competition was an integral part of homecoming at Northeastern from the mid-1950s until 1989, when it disappeared from Northeastern tradition for reasons that remain unclear.

“No one can tell me why in 1989 it went the way of the dinosaur and just kind of ended,” said Ed Klotzbier, vice president for student affairs.

The premise of the competition is simple. Students who want to be elected Mayor of Huntington Avenue can apply online and will try to win the hearts and votes of the student body on Oct. 12, during homecoming week.

The event, which will be held during activities period, will include live music, a raffle and prizes. Each candidate will give a speech and try to win over the crowd. Unlike the homecoming royalty, being mayor is not based on past contributions to campus or involvement with other activities. It’s all just about getting the crowd excited about Northeastern.

“We’re basically putting it out there as who can get the school the most pumped up and get people excited,” said Matthew Reed, president of Student Ambassadors, Northeastern’s student alumni relations organization.

Student Ambassadors is sponsoring the event in conjunction with the homecoming committee. Reed said the event was a good fit for Student Ambassadors because alumni often ask about the competition.

“As student ambassadors we go to a lot of alumni events, and they always ask us about it, and we just kind of look at them,” said Jen Dowd, secretary of Student Ambassadors and co-chair of the competition planning, along with Reed. She explained that when Klotzbier, an alumnus, suggested reviving the competition, the Student Ambassadors had already heard about it from alumni who had remembered it fondly and wondered why the tradition ended.

Being Mayor of Huntington Avenue has its perks, and the responsibilities are light. The mayor gets a $500 cash prize, and for the rest of homecoming is a visible presence at Homecoming events, rallying spirit and getting students excited. The mayor will also lead the Homecoming parade and attend home football games for the rest of the season.

Reed said the mayor will probably have a top hat and cane and might walk King Husky, the new mascot, around at games.

“It sounds cool … it’s a good skill to have, being able to get people together, public relations,” said Doug Grainger, a freshman business major.

The mayor will be chosen by an online vote, which will be opened up right after the speeches are given. The winner will be announced at the homecoming pep rally.

The organizers said their main hope is to bring Northeastern students together and foster a sense of Husky pride.

This may be easier said than done, however, at a school some students perceive as lacking in spirit.

“It’s tough, because there’s not much spirit at this school to begin with,” said Jordan Albala, a freshman business major. “If [the competition] became a big thing, I guess it would be cool.”

Klotzbier said the tradition is worth bringing back to Northeastern.

“When I was a student, I was actually a [Resident Assistant] and someone in my building ran for mayor of Huntington Ave., and the whole residence hall was really excited about it,” Klotzbier said. “You can’t have a tradition and just end it.”