By Thompson Perry
Jason Godfrey doesn’t consider himself to be a “touchy-feely” kind of guy.
But even Godfrey, a sophomore psychology major, went against his instinct last week when he saw a student outside of the Student Activities Center waving a sign that read simply, “Free Hugs.”
“I saw [the Free Hugs campaign] last year on campus and just the thought of it made me a little uncomfortable,” said Godfrey. “But this year, I kind of just thought, ‘What the heck?’ It seemed harmless enough.”
According to Godfrey, the embrace was a nice addition to his day.
“It was cool to just hug a stranger,” said Godfrey. “I think something like this can only have positive effects if you approach it with an open mind.
The idea of “Free Hugs,” which originated in Australia four years ago, has grown in the years since and spread to U.S. colleges like the University of Louisville. According to those involved both locally and internationally, the responses to each event keep growing warmer and more welcoming.
“I gave free hugs to people at U of L last year,” said graduate
Robert DeWitt. “I think it had a positive influence on people and made their day a little brighter. That’s really all I was looking for, and it’s all you can hope for. In this time of war, politics and hate, it’s nice to just have a hug and forget about that stuff for a second.”
And even though Godfrey pushed his own limits and let someone into his personal space for a free hug, he does not quite consider himself ready to become a dispenser of free hugs in the future.
“That takes guts,” said Godfrey.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be bold enough to stand somewhere with a sign for free hugs. In a lot of ways, I admire those who can. It just seems a little awkward.”
According to DeWitt, though, the process wasn’t that painful for him and, furthermore, he claims that the benefits outweighed the small discomfort.
“It really wasn’t as bad as you might expect,” said DeWitt of the problems he endured. “I don’t embarrass easily. It’s not like I was treated badly or like a leper. Most people who didn’t take me up on the hugs did make eye contact, smile or say hello.”
And that, said DeWitt,” just proved the point of the “Free Hugs” campaign.
“The world,” he said, “is a much friendlier place than people realize, and people are better than they get credit for. Give each other a chance.””
