Calvin Steves, a prominent figure on Campus Corner and newspaper salesman, has an important message to deliver: Please do not hit his helmet.
Steves has recently encountered problems with people smacking his helmet, the way football players sometimes greet each other on the field, he said.
“Please do not hit the helmet because I do not like people hitting me on top the head,” Steves said. “It kind of hurts when people hit me on top of the head.”
This fall, he said, he was smacked in front of The Deli, had a seizure and was taken to the hospital by an ambulance.
Steves said he believes most of the people he encounters have good intentions; however, harmful things can be done with the very best intentions.
Steves wears the helmet for protection.
In high school, Steves was riding his bike down Boyd Street when he was run off the road and suffered a head injury that resulted in epilepsy, a nervous system disorder. Since the incident, he has suffered from seizures his entire life, he said.
While his seizures usually occur at random, Steves said, they can be brought on by any kind of impact to the head, including being smacked on the head.
Steves said he believes newer, younger residents who come to Campus Corner do not understand the purpose of the helmet.
Marty Chilcote, manager of Louie’s on Campus Corner, said Steves comes into the restaurant a couple of times a day to sell papers.
“He knows a lot of people in our bar so he’ll kind of sit down and talk to people in a friendly manner,” Chilcote said.
Chilcote said Steves is a nice guy who has been selling newspapers for years.
Jessica Stewart, an employee at Othello’s Italian Restaurant, said Steves comes in multiple times a day to sell papers.
“He is very respectful to the customers,” Stewart said. “He just walks around and asks them ‘Do you want to buy a paper?’ and if they don’t want to, he says thank you and keeps going.”
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lovebradford 2 years, 5 months ago
Poor Calvin :(
ronwallace 2 years, 5 months ago
If you want to do Calvin a favor, buy a paper every time you see him. He adds character to our wonderful community, and he is trying to make his own way rather than living off of the government dole. People need to respect his intent. Go Sooners! Go Calvin!