By Matt Collette

The first Mayor of Huntington Avenue was elected in 1955 to serve as an unofficial representative of Northeastern at major social events. In the ’80s, the tradition fizzled out, but it was revived in 2005 by the Student Alumni Association and the Alumni Relations Department. Since then, the mayor has worked with the university, bridging the student body to alumni.

Current mayor Chris Marshall, a senior athletic training major and captain of the club swim team, is running for a second term as mayor.

He said he has been active in his duties all year long, going to alumni events, sporting events and class reunions.

“Alumni love it,” Marshall said.

The tradition still keeps many of its original roots: the mayor has a top hat and cane, which are worn during the Homecoming Parade and during other official events.

The other six candidates are Jordan Clark; Brian Daly, a junior civil and environmental engineering major and runner on the track team; a sophomore political science major; Mark Epstein, a middler industrial engineering and business administration major and RSA president; Benjamin Golkin, a sophomore accounting major and brother in the Northeastern Chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity; Josh Minney, a middle international affairs major active in the Resident Student Association (RSA); and Loyd Stephen, a senior finance and marketing major and Northeastern tour guide.

Last year, Marshall said he didn’t know what his responsibilities as mayor would be, though he learned quickly.

“I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” Marshall said, who said he goes to many games and spends much of his time talking to alumni who have returned to campus for athletic events.

This year’s candidates said they seem to understand their responsibilities as mayor, and the need to find ways to connect students and alumni.

“Pretty much over the years there’s been this gap between the students and the alumni,” Stephen said. “Obviously it’s going to be hard, but I feel there’s been this gap [and being] Mayor of Huntington Avenue is a great opportunity to do it.”

The candidates also said personality is important for the next mayor.

“I’m very extroverted and outgoing and can represent Northeastern to the fullest,” Minney said.

Clark said he’s ready to be able to connect with alumni and students about the university, because of his experience as an Orientation Leader (OL) during the summer.

“I know so much about this school it’s not even funny,” Clark said.

But some are not as prepared. Golkin said he wasn’t sure how he would have to work with the Alumni Relations office while serving as mayor.

“I haven’t really thought about that yet,” Golkin said. “Though there is a lot of potential with the alumni.”

The Mayor of Huntington Avenue receives 150 Husky Dollars, complimentary tickets to alumni and athletic events and an assortment of Northeastern clothing, according to a Facebook event created by the Alumni Relations office and the Student Alumni Association.

“You get much more involved on campus,” Marshall said.

The seven candidates are promoting themselves through Facebook groups, flyers and word-of-mouth discussions, each hoping to get the chance to represent Northeastern for the next year as mayor.

The candidates will campaign all next week, and will also debate Oct. 24 at the Mayor’s Debate. This event, hosted by the Student Alumni Association, will feature Rob Dolan, a 1998 graduate and current mayor of Melrose as the moderator and will be the final opportunity for students to hear from the candidates before voting ends at midnight, said Sara Pope, associate director of student-alumni connections and one of the organizers behind Mayor of Huntington Avenue.

The Mayor of Huntington Avenue will be elected by the student body during Homecoming using online balloting. Voting begins on myNEU Monday, Oct. 22, and ends Wednesday, Oct. 24 at midnight. The results will be announced Oct. 25 at the Homecoming Pep Rally.