Square, Sweet Square

Harvard Square may just seem like another commercial paradise to you, but to other people, it's home. There is, for instance, the infamous Radio Man, who has staked out an alcove between College House Pharmacy and Harvard Square Theater. Radio Man is about 6 ft. 4 in., weighs close to 300 lbs., and looks like he should be playing a sadistic murderer in some pornographic movie. He doesn't do too much--mostly he just stands around with a portable radio glued to his ear. Recently, he seems to have gotten into sunbathing. Occasionally Radio Man will wander over to Holyoke Center, but he is pretty much a stationary object.

There is a sharp aesthetic contrast between Radio Man and The Sheik, who hands out in front of Harvard Book Store. Radio Man is huge. The Sheik is short; Radio Man is hairless. The Sheik's beard hangs down to his knees; Radio Man is into music, The Sheik is primarily verbal. In fact, it is rumored that The Sheik was a candidate for tenure at the University at one time, and never fully recovered from being turned down.

Ellen McCormick received a lot of attention in the media this year with her right-to-life campaign, but there's a guy in the Square who has been on the case for years. He works in the subway station and Out-of-Town-News, pacing back and forth with his "Abortion is Murder" sandwich board sign. The best times to catch him are lunch and rush hours--apparently he's called in a time-management group to figure out the times he's likely to get the best exposure from his message.

There's a real split caucus in the Cambridge community about the jugglers who give street shows on the island on Brattle Street on weekend nights. They must be doing something right, because the crowds they attract are huge and enthusiastic--on the other hand, some Cantabridgeans object to the congestion in pedestrian traffic that results. Some others also resent the bullshit involved in this pale imitation of New Left "street entertainment for the people."

While the jugglers are the biggest draw among the street entertainers, there are plenty of others. Harvard Square is a living testament to the fact that the '60s are not quite behind us. While ex-flower children do not exactly abound, they are not difficult to find. Most depressing of all are the gang of hari krishna people who hang out in front of The Coop. All together now--ohmmmmmmm....