The political novice came from nowhere to be elected president of the Otago University Students Association last month, on the back of an unashamedly populist and self-promoting platform, which, in his own words, was "all about me and winning".
• Ideology divides politicians debating voluntary student membership
A landslide election victory, in which he secured more votes than all the other candidates combined, has perhaps (dare it be said) even jolted students out of their usual apathy about university politics.
A second-year bachelor of commerce student, majoring in - you guessed it - marketing, Mr Edgar's successful tilt at the OUSA presidency has been backed by his knack for self-promotion.
A 48-hour stint behind bars - prison bars, that is - is planned as part of an ongoing OUSA publicity campaign against voluntary student membership.
Mr Edgar plans to lock himself inside a cage on the University Union lawn on Monday. He will spend two days behind bars, exposed to the elements.
"It's big enough to lie down, but yeah, there's not much room inside," he said.
Mr Edgar has already organised a television current affairs show to be on hand when he begins his self-imposed period of imprisonment at 7pm on Monday, and there is a host of other OUSA activities planned alongside.
"We need to get the message out there that VSM (voluntary student membership) is a bad thing. I've taken it upon myself to fight for the cause. We've got to get out the message out there - students' voices need to be heard."
Mr Edgar told student magazine Critic recently that he was "a bit mad", but his antics had the support of the OUSA executive, who were"right behind me".
"I like to ... keep everyone's morale up, as I know that has been an issue in the past," Mr Edgar said.
It had been a challenge learning the ropes at OUSA since he was elected and, with the start of the second semester, it was time to take the campaign against voluntary student membership nationwide, he said.
The cage stunt was also about highlighting the matter in a cheeky manner.
"We're going to hold OUSA executive meetings while I'm caged and I'll also be dressing up as a clown and making balloon animals for children," he said.
To ward off the cold, Mr Edgar said he would get "some mates to bring some dumbbells down and I'll crank out a gym session".
Chess games with spectators were also an option, "as long as they teach me how to play".
The publicity stunt bears all the hallmarks of a typical student prank. With Mr Edgar, it can be hard to tell if he is actually serious about politics, or just going along for the ride.
If it is the latter, then university students may feel reassured to know their OUSA president is well used to being along for a ride. He is a former New Zealand secondary school road cycling representative.
It's an achievement his mother and father are quite proud of, as they told the Otago Daily Times, as they watched their son act as a master of ceremonies at a OUSA Reorientation gig yesterday.
His father, Grant Edgar, said his son had always been a showman, while mother Jan Edgar said he liked being the centre of attention and was deputy head boy at high school.
They were both "quite impressed" by how quickly he had taken to student politics.
His discipline, built up through almost daily cycle rides of up to 150km around Fiordland's roads "even in the snow", was one of his best attributes.
"He's certainly in it for the long haul," Mrs Edgar said.
The long cold cycle rides of his schoolboy days may be just the preparation he needs to spend two days with only iron bars between him and the elements.
