NIU President Doug Baker said plans to continue to incorporate a cannon that sounds off at football games may take up to a year to complete.

Earlier this month, NIU Athletics announced a plan to replace the cannon with fireworks to celebrate Huskie touchdowns. Seating will replace where the cannon used to be during games.

Baker said this plan was put in place after complaints were made about the loud noise made near people sitting near the end zone when the cannon was shot off.

“There were a lot of complaints about the noise from fans, so if you’re sitting down at that end, it’s really loud,” Baker said.

Bria Ellis, sophomore psychology major, said she has a problem with the loud noise produced by the cannon, especially since she said it sounds off at random times.

“I don’t know, maybe fireworks would be better but I’m so used to the cannon, so another sound would probably freak me out,” Ellis said.

NIU Athletics is working with the National Guard, which operates the cannon, to find solutions to the noise problem, including using smaller shells or keeping the cannon outside of the stadium, Baker said.

While the future of the cannon is unknown, Amanda Shaffer, senior elementary education major, and almost 1,000 supporters are hoping to ensure the cannon stays put. Shaffer said she created a Change.org petition after being inspired by many Facebook posts sharing disapproval over the cannon’s removal.

“I thought I should facilitate the conversation because many voices are stronger than a lone voice,” Shaffer said.

Although signature accumulation has plateaued, Shaffer said the arrival of students on campus for the fall will reinvigorate the process.

“I think with the student body returning we can get it rolling again,” Shaffer said. “I think we can reach 2000 in a month.”

The next best thing from a cannon ball would be fireworks, said Vincent Rustile, senior corporate communications major. Rustile said he would like to see the cannon remain.

“If they’re good fireworks, I wouldn’t mind fireworks, but I think the cannon is a tradition so I think we maybe should do like a poll, some kind of poll, kind of see what students think about it and kind of go from there,” Rustle said.

Shaffer said she plans to continue efforts to keep the cannon regardless of where it is on Sept. 5, the date of the Huskies’ first home football game against UNLV.

“It’s definitely the squeaky wheel that gets the grease,” Shaffer said. “We can keep talking about it and try and get the cannon placed somewhere else. I am not against the new seating, but I am against them removing the tradition.”

Editor in Chief Keith Hernandez contributed to this report.