IOWA CITY, Iowa ÷ University of Iowa freshman Benjamin "Benjy" Schirm not only talks to strangers, he hugs them, too ÷ up to 100 in a day.

Spinning slowly behind the Pappajohn Business Building on Thursday afternoon, decked out in a blue jumpsuit painted with the words "Hug Me," eyes wide and smiling, Schirm opened his arms as students rushed up and hugged him.

In his first half-hour, the Plymouth, Minn., native gave/received approximately 20 hugs, ending the day with 40 after 45 minutes outside.

"So many people walking around aren't smiling and don't look happy, so as long as I can make someone smile, it's all worth it," said Schirm, who also sported a Santa hat Thursday in light of the holidays.

What started as a rhetoric assignment has netted the theater and dance major more than 200 hugs since he first began doling out love four weeks ago. The assignment that brought on the hugging frenzy called for students to find the best medium for conveying a message.

Schirm's message? All you need is love.

He won the class contest among the guys for the best idea and received a light up yo-yo and an A.

The past three Thursdays, Schirm has posted himself on campus and offered hugs to the public from 10:30 a.m. until noon.

While some passers-by Thursday shied away confused, others dropped their bags and scurried into his arms. Some bewildered onlookers cautiously approached Schirm and asked for permission before embracing.

"The first time I saw him, I asked myself where the hidden camera was, but when I walked past him later on the opposite side, I realized there wasn't one," said UI graduate student Nick Jakob, who has squeezed Schirm a couple of times to break up his daily routine.

Schirm's idea originated from a "Hug Me Day" at his high school and the "Everyday" music video by the Dave Matthews Band.