For the second time this year, the Newcomb Hall patio came to life with the bi-annual Hoo Needs a Hug event, with crowds and music drawing crowds in. It’s impossible to pass these festivities without noticing the colorful signs and moms from the UVA community beckoning people over.
Most people have probably seen or heard about the idea of a “free hug booth,” especially on college campuses and other public spaces. In fact, the Free Hugs Campaign is a real movement that began in 2004. An Australian man named Juan Mann was inspired when a hug brought a smile to a woman’s face, noticing how this seemingly small gesture could impact someone so profoundly. The Free Hugs Campaign bridges people together “in this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact,” allowing people to pause and take a moment to appreciate community.
Since then, there have been iterations of the campaign, such as Free Mom Hugs that provide support (and hugs) at Pride events. The success is evident: Free Mom Hugs has chapters all over the nation, including one in Virginia. Other schools have similar versions of the Free Hugs Campaign—as this article written by students at Appalachian State University describes a “Free Moms” event that had volunteers, hugs, and snacks. Some students have even joined up and offered hugs themselves, as this article says about a Boston University student who did it as part of a club. Hoo Needs a Hug expands upon this and turns these pop-ups into something more.
The event itself was spread out across several tables laden with things that any student was welcome to take. There were piles of fun pens and stickers, along with various other knicknacks emblazoned with positive messages. Nearby, platters of bagels and donuts were spread out on platters, grab-and-go snacks like chips and pretzels, and even allergen-friendly offerings. As it got busy, students lined up and received a goody-bag to fill up to their heart’s content.
The Hoo Needs a Hug moms are typically stationed at three places: the aforementioned Newcomb Hall patio, Engineering Way, and South Lawn. The locations are very hard to miss— every student on their way to class is pretty much guaranteed to run into one. It was around 10:30 A.M when I came by, and the cheering and cowbells could be heard from across the Lawn. One of the moms offered me a hug as soon as I was within the vicinity and offered me a “pocket hug”:a mini wooden trinket carved with a heart, to be carried in a pocket. Some moms even brought furry accompaniments—dogs who greeted students with the same warming energy as their owners.
All of the moms who make this program possible are strictly volunteers. When I asked how this came to be, one of the moms said that she had seen a posting about it on Facebook and decided to join from there. A mom nearby echoed this sentiment, saying that they were glad to be a bright spot during midterm season, at a time when students need encouragement the most. For out-of-state and international students, Hoo Needs a Hug is particularly meaningful in the same way that the Free Hugs Campaign was so touching: in a world where everybody has their own struggles and happenings, a thing as simple as a hug can make a tangible difference.
At a university where life can feel impossibly fast and the academic pressure is high, events like Hoo Needs a Hug offers something incredibly valuable: a pause. As Juan Mann found out, a hug can be transformative. And, if you missed it this semester, be sure to have a look out for Hoo Needs a Hug next year—you won’t regret it.
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