It's one of those days. You're rushing off to class, head down, hands in pockets and thoughts of midterms dancing in your head.
Suddenly a vaguely familiar tune interrupts your rhythm.
"Stop, collaborate and listen." Is that Vanilla Ice?
Jolting you back to a time when layered scrunch socks were "totally radical" and Michael J. Fox was going "Back to the Future,"you look around for the sourceof the music.
Much to your surprise, the tunes seem to be coming from the coolly collected guy strolling across the Lawn wearing wooden beads around his neck, a tilted hat on his head and a boom box on his shoulder.
"The first time I saw [the boom box guy] was right before Spring Break when everyone was so stressed out about work," second-year College student Jen Bernhards said. "It was so nice to see someone who looked so carefree and happy when everyone else was rushing off to study for midterms."
Bernhards also said it was refreshing to see such a laid-back person amid the University's usually conservative setting.
It allstarted this past Valentine's Day when second-year College student Edwardo James wanted to do something a little different to celebrate.
"I wanted to do something special for Valentine's Day because it's my favorite holiday," James said. "I like it so much because it's a day when people tell others their feelings, and I think they should have the guts to do that more often."
Inspired by an idea from his 16-year-old sister, James dressed in red from head to toe and wore a Skeletormask to disguise himself. With his boom box in hand, he gave flowers to random people on the Lawn.
James' friends didn't seem to believe he would go through with his bizarre Valentine's Day plan.
"I always knew Eddie was a character," said second-year College student Quan Trinh, a friend of James. "But I never thought he would follow through."
James said his "crazy" side comes from "his closest friend in the universe," Jackeline Ward, who attends Rutgers University.
"Since I couldn't be with her on Valentine's Day, I gave myself to the entire academic village instead," James said.
After receiving such positive feedback from people on Valentine's Day, James said he did not want to be anywhere without his boom box and its music.
"It brightens my day to make other people happy," he said. "The only reason I do it is because people bob their heads and smile."
James laughingly added that he is not playing the music because he's pledging a fraternity.
"People always ask me if I'm pledging," he said. "And, no, I'm not - I'm already a brother in Alpha Phi Omega, the co-ed service fraternity."
So far, James appears to have attracted quite a diverse group of listeners.
"The other day in the cafeteria, I was playing a CD of oldies but goodies from the 50s, and a lunch lady started doing the twist with my friend," he said.
James also said his cafeteria tunes have attracted a lunch break group.
"There's a whole clique of people who I eat lunch with now," he said. "People just started coming and sitting with me."
Since James plays a variety of genres, the musical selection on any given day seems to determine what types of people will respond.
"When I play Bob Marley, more people talk to me," James said. "He's the universal music man because he talks about love and spirituality."
James said that girls seem to prefer oldies and he plays hip-hop for his "dawgs."
"I try to switch it up, so everyone can have a piece of the pie," he said. "And the music kind of brings the bourgeoisie and the rebel together."
Although the boom box craze still is fairly new for James, his music listening days are not.
"I used to listen to oldies with my mom in the car," he said. "And my dad was in a funk band so I liked that kind of music, too."
James added he's always been a spiritual type of listener.
"I've been a spiritual listener my whole life," he said. "Music doesn't have a color or face, just a beat and rhythm, but there are feelings and emotions behind it that I listen for."
And it doesn't look as if many people disagree with James' philosophy.
"Ninety-nine percent of the time, people's reactions are positive," James said. "There was one guy in his thirties who asked me if I knew how rude I was, though."
When James told the man how many people appeared to enjoy his music, the man said, "Well, you need to give people a choice."
"I'm not judging, but it seems like the few people who do ask me to turn down my music are bitter and unhappy," James said. "And I'm just trying to spread some love with the music."
James also tries to spread a message with the smile that he puts on his face.
"I always walk around with a smile because the face is a representation to the world of your soul," he said. "And trying to be a happy person is a good way to start the cycle."
In addition to love and happiness, James claims his music is "spreading God's wisdom."
"God is number one in my life, and he put us on this earth for fellowship," he said. "It's a miracle of God when people I don't know come up to me."
James added that playing music with truth in it "helps in the search for truth" that people should engage in at the University.
"We're only here for four years, so we need to make the most of it," he said. "We should read with our hearts and strive to gain knowledge, not just As."
Judging from the response James receives as he walks around Grounds, it appears he has accomplished part of his goals.
"When I walk with him, I see lots of people walking and smiling," Trinh said. "I'm guessing that he's accomplished what he wanted to do."
Trinh also admitted, however, that she could not see herself in James' shoes.
"It takes a lot of guts to do what he does," she said. "So many people seem to conform here, but Eddy has taken the unbeaten path and is doing something not typical on Grounds"
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