By Around lunchtime every Monday he wanders the Central Quad at Cal State University Long Beach and strikes friendly conversations with his fellow peers.
A masked superhero, The Listener, is a junior psychology major with the ability to talk and listen to just about anyone who has time.
He said he has a job on campus and is involved in several clubs, but he was uncomfortable disclosing more specific information because it could possibly reveal his secret identity.
The Listener said he got the idea from a documentary called “Superheroes,” which centers on real life superheroes.
“[The film] was about people who go around and try to make the word a better place by doing what they can,” The Listener said. “I always wanted to be a superhero, so I chose a skill that suits my personality.”
With a notebook and pen in hand, The Listener asks students to sign or write about the experience and conversation as a memento. He said the notebook helps when he feels discouraged.
“I look back at [the notebook] and see that I have talked to people and affected people in different ways,” The Listener said. “It’s the thing that keeps me going.”
He said he enjoys going around campus and talking to people because he feels sometimes people just need someone to talk to.
The Listener said he enjoys when he catches people snapping pictures of him in action. He encourages pictures, but hopes that people are willing to talk as well.
He said he will often walk around the quad for 20 to 30 minutes in hopes of making eye contact and receiving a smile. This is what he calls an ideal situation to start a conversation, as he doesn’t like to intrude personal space.
Most of the conversations begin as small talk, but he said he has experienced some deeper conversations with a few students.
Often, people ask him for help finding certain things on campus.
“If I’m talking to freshman, they assume I have more information about the campus. I can then refer them to places that will solve their problems,” The Listener said.
He bought a blue morph suit on amazon, and it covers his body. The blue costume is paired with grey Nikes high tops, grey Nike compression shorts and a grey mask that covers most of his “cranium.”
He said the costume is modeled after Marvel comic book character Iron Fist.
However, his favorite superhero, “hands down,” is the Green Lantern; of the four Green Lanterns in the series, The Listener’s favorite is Kyle Rayner.
Some of his other favorites heroes include Batman, Superman, X-Men and characters from Dragon Ball Z, all of which he said have inspired him to become a hero himself.
He said that in a school with over 35,000 students it’s easy to become isolated.
“I’m trying to build a community with students on campus,” The Listener said. “Having a conversation with someone can make [their] day, it could even change people’s lives.”
