The free hugs thang

[NoUseForAName]

I just want a few people to say thank you to me for starting the free hugs craze in atlanta last year cause soooooooooooooooooo many people started doing it.

[Michael Leicht]

I just want a few people to say thank you to me for starting the free hugs craze in atlanta last year cause soooooooooooooooooo many people started doing it.

i would like to thank you personally for that hug that you or someone gave me a hug i really need that hug that day. so i would like to thank you for that hug.

[jgannon]

I just want a few people to say thank you to me for starting the free hugs craze in atlanta last year cause soooooooooooooooooo many people started doing it.
Um, no, you didn't. Eugenia Gabrielov holds prior art.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27384

That picture is from regionals, and I know she probably started again the minute she got to Atlanta. Nice try, though. ;)

[Ali Ahmed]

Thats very true, the free hug thing got preety big last year. I remember doing it in Houston in 2003 in the Homer head but it wasn't as big back then.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

I don't even hold claim to hugs. Free Hugs were around wayyyy wayyy before me. I just continued the tradition with renewed exburance, and of course...the Short Person touch. :)

Welcome to the free hugs thang NoUseForANAme. :) We look forward to you joining us in a frolic beyond belief.

Love,
Genia

[Katie Reynolds]

Free Hugs

"Aaaaa"/"Ehhhh"/"Heeeey"/<insert other variation here>

No matter how many people lay claim to these FIRST trends, we'll never know who "really" started them :p

PS: When I was a freshman (2001) there were people giving out 'free hugs' at competitions. ;)

[Winged Wonder]

i cant really claim i was the first to do it at a robotics competition, since this is only my second year on a robotics team, but i remember at middle school grad nite a bunch of my friends and i ran around sea world asking people for hugs and trying to keep a tally of who could get the most hugs in one night...

but yeah, as always, i offer free hugs, not just at competitions, but anywhere really. you've just gotta ask :)

[Shu Song]

I guess this must be a nationals 'thang' cuz for the last three years and 5 regionals, I haven't seen anyone offering free hugs. I feel left out...

[AndrewMorrison]

Last year a teammate and I both had the free hugs signs at the regionals. (thats actually how i met Genia!). I also know that i had the sign at IRI 2003. and I am pretty sure that my team was doing it all throughout 2003 and 2002. (and you know were not gonna stop now!)
andrew-I look forward to hugging you- morrison

[dubious elise]

Um, no, you didn't. Eugenia Gabrielov holds prior art.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27384

That picture is from regionals, and I know she probably started again the minute she got to Atlanta. Nice try, though. ;)

and brian rojas, the guy next to her! ;)

[AndrewMorrison]

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27384


I was there with a free hugs sign too! I had stayed up all night making it ;)

Heres my one of my signs.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29536&highlight=free+hugs

[Amanda M]

Well, I personally don't think ANYONE should claim free hugs.

Hugs make the world go round! And if people didn't hug one another, then there would be a lot of sad people. I've read in books that in order for someone to be completely happy, they have to recieve at least 12 hugs a day.

So thank you, free hug givers (esp. Paul), for making the world a brighter and healthier place!

[Mike Schroeder]

hugs are cool, but this should probobly be in chit chat

[Squeje250]

what happend in regionals last year?????

[evulish]

Man, I remember free hugs from 6 years ago. I don't remember HEEEEY until 3 years after that. I remember starting that HEEEY thing amongst my team (not taking credit from all of FIRST, but I was the first to do it on my team, I'm pretty sure :)) Those were good times. Going around the lazy river with everyone yelling HEEEEY and a bunch of old people looking at you a bit funny. Wait. 6 years ago? Holy crap. Personally, I don't think anyone actually 'started' these things. There were lots of contributors.. but free hugs and HEEEY is only around because a whole bunch of people started the effort. It's a tradition that can't die :)

[Watashi_wa_Kame]

wow... I've never been to a First comp but i've been to anime conventions where people have had "free hug" signs O.o that could be where it's from.

[MikeyP]

Yeah we did free hugs in 2003 at all the regionals. It wasn't a huge hit, but we did it anyways. 2002 IRI is where it really kicked in. After that, everybody started doing it. When we saw people doing it in Atlanta, we knew we did it waaaaaay before you guys (NoUseForAName). And yet, I heard stories from like 2001 of people doing free hugs, so we are merely walking in the footsteps of our forefathers. :-)

P.S. Thanks forefathers!

[Ryan Dognaux]

I remember "Heyyyy" going on back at Nationals in 2002, my freshman year. After that it kind of died out and I haven't really noticed it since.

[Kyle]

Heyyyyyy has not died yet, in 03 at the team party that was all you could hear all night, I remember the heyyyy thread, it only lasted about 5 posts. I wont let heyyyy die.

[evulish]

I think 2002 was the biggest HEEEY year for Nats. I know my entire group of friends would just yell HEEEY at the sight of anything that even looked like a fellow firster :) I'm not sure if my team got into it that big any other year.

[MissInformation]

In 2003, team 686, Bovine Intervention (http://www.invisiblerobot.com/robotics/robot_a58h/index/p3153744.html) had someone out in a cow suit offering hugs for moos... but I suppose since you had to moo for a hug they weren't free...

Heidi

[Alex Pelan]

It seems that free hugs have been around for long before we got here, and will be here long after we're gone.

It appears wikipedia has no information on the origin of free hugs either :D .

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Thank her (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_Amritanandamayi) for the free hugs.

[rocknthehawk]

:( i never get free hugs...i always have to pay for them....

hahaha jk :D

[CourtneyB]

Yeah this year im thinkin of makin those signs saying free hugs. yeah free..no charge. lol

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

You will see me in the following hug attire this competition season:

GLR March 12 (only saturday I'll be there)
"Better Free Hugs" tshirt, no need for a sign

BMR March 17-19 and MWR March 24-26
Free Hugs Signs

Nationals April 21-23
Signs during comp, sometimes tshirts at hotel. Depends.

[Andrew Y.]

i never got a hug....... :( :(

[NoUseForAName]

so yea all of u say it started way back when but u just say that cause YOU did not start it......do get me started on how i dislike u people

[NoUseForAName]

u guys can make the signs but you'll just be taking MY great idea

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

This has already been discussed, NoUseforaName :) I'll reference you to the first few posts in the thread regarding hug history throughout the seasons.

These traditions are in good spirit, just like this thread is. I encourage you to take things with humor, and see that it really isn't that important who started or who claims to start it, but rather that hugs are a tradition in this program. :)

A question to be posed: what is the best way to get lots of hugs, besides just a sign?

[David Kelly]

u guys can make the signs but you'll just be taking MY great idea

Where did you learn your grammar? Please try to express your thoughts in clear and concise sentences. Thanks.

[IMDWalrus]

It seems that free hugs have been around for long before we got here, and will be here long after we're gone.

It appears wikipedia has no information on the origin of free hugs either :D .
Not anymore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_hugs). ;)

[CourtneyB]

yes throughout the years many people made signs and everything saying free hugs. even when my sister was in the program it was still a tradition and that was like 1998 lol

[NoUseForAName]

by the way im kidding i dont dislike any of you...just a joke