By Danielle Tarloff and C. Mae Waugh
The campus seems a little more crowded than usual.
There is an increase in parents, extra alumni milling about and even a Husky dog wandering all over the place. What’s the deal?
A quick glance at one of the many signs around campus says it’s homecoming time again. The usual festivities, like the homecoming parade and football game, will occur. The “Mayor of Huntington Avenue” competition and a homecoming carnival are also on the horizon.
Activities are scheduled to begin today and continue until Saturday night. A lot of planning has gone into making this year a success, Homecoming Executive Director Tom Kneafsey said.
Planning began in May and the committees have been meeting every week since to work out the details.
“It’s coming together well and it’s all going to wrap up nicely,” Kneafsey said.
Since Northeastern was originally a commuter school, there hasn’t always been a lot of Husky pride and it’s difficult to find what will engage the students, but this year the new activities have added life to Homecoming, he said.
“From my experience homecoming has been light in participation to begin with, so really this year we’re really trying to make a huge push,” Homecoming Promotions Director Scott Hultman said. “You know, this is Homecoming, it’s a tradition. Let’s make it as big as we can.”
However, freshman athletic training major Andrew Madero didn’t even know this week was homecoming.
“I’m a freshman, and it hasn’t been published a lot so I don’t even know what it will be like,” he said.
Plans have been in the works since the spring, he said, when different committees were put together to plan the specific events. From 11:45 a.m. to 1:25 p.m. the “Mayor of Huntington Avenue” will be chosen at Krentzman Quadrangle.
“It used to be an old tradition, and it kind of died out. In an attempt to restore homecoming as a tradition, we’re using it,” Hultman said.
Tomorrow evening will feature a pep rally and late-night tailgate party on the freshman quad.
“There’s always been a tailgate party. That’s usually over at Parsons, this year we’re bringing it into Stetson East, into Levine Marketplace. So we’re kind of bringing it closer to home to encourage participation,” Hultman said.
He added the Homecoming committee considered it very important for freshmen to become involved in this year’s activities.
“It’s not necessarily easier to target freshmen, but our thinking is target freshmen now, make it a staple for them now, and for the next five years while they’re here they’ll be excited about homecoming,” he said. “Whereas the juniors here, they’re not used to a huge homecoming, so they’re less likely to come. So get the freshmen now and show that them this is what homecoming is, this is what it’s going to be from now until you graduate and after.”
After the new basketball season is kicked off with a faculty/staff vs. Student Government Association game and slam dunk competition at Cabot Physical Education Center Friday at 10 p.m., homecoming jumps into high gear on Saturday.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Homecoming Carnival will take place in Centennial Commons. Students, friends, family and community members are welcome to partake in the event’s games, prizes and free food and view its floats, bands, clowns and cheerleaders.
“I’ll be there for the free food and stuff,” freshman nursing major Vanessa Gratta said.
At 11 a.m., the Homecoming Parade will begin its march through a new route this year that covers more of the campus, heading through St. Stephen Street.
There are about 20 groups participating, which is a jump from past years, Kneafsey said.
“I’ll be riding on my sorority Pike and Sigma’s float,” said freshman political science major Rachel McCloskey, boasting her group would win first place for best float.
The parade’s marshal will be the newly-crowned Mayor of Huntington Avenue, who will be joined by the university’s canine mascot.
This year, the planning committee has taken pity on the football fans who like to sleep by scheduling the Northeastern game against the College of William ‘ Mary for a 2 p.m. start. Buses will leave from Forsyth Circle and shuttle fans to Parsons Field beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing throughout the game. Student admission is free with a Husky ID, while tickets for adults are $12 and children $6. During the halftime show, the suspense will end and the royal court will be announced.
The events will wrap up with a comedian that Latin American Student Organization (LASO) President Sergio Marrero said can make just about anyone laugh.
“We chose Pablo (Francisco) because of his style and appeal to young audiences – he will appeal to the students,” Marrero said.
Francisco has performed on The Tonight Show and has been featured in his own thirty-minute spot on Comedy Central.
“Pablo’s jokes are not catered to a group; all can relate to his jokes. It’s like something you see on TV,” said junior accounting major and LASO member Jos
