The itch, the discomfort, that sexy hippy appearance. It's that time of year again. The time for gangly faces and prickly legs. Ladies and gentlemen: bid farewell to your razors, and say hello to No Shave November.
No Shave November is alleged to have begun as Movember, a month-long Australian observance, beginning in the year 1999. Men would grow out their facial hair, for the purpose of spreading the word about men's health issues such as prostate cancer.
Today, men and women who choose to grow out whatever body hair they have, are supposed to ask for donations to keep their long hair alive and then donate the proceeds to an organization such as The American Cancer Society. Given the number of men participating in it, it's safe to say that we have a pretty proactive bunch of men! But do most people actually know what the event is really about? Our polls suggest otherwise.
"It's a month where every man is pressed not to shave and let his beard grow out, so that they can learn how they can customize it in the end," said junior Mark Marquez. Sophomore Tolani Verissimo believes that the trend was created to celebrate their manhood.
"I think [No Shave November] is just something men invented for men to be men and to embrace their testosterone", said Vermissimo.
Sophomore Joe Haynes also admits to participating in this unspoken competition amongst guys in order to prove himself as a strong male.
"I've always just done it to prove my manliness. It just separates the men from the boys, at the end of the day," Haynes said. "I know I don't need to prove my manliness, but this is an extra stamp on the top."
This arms race is one of the main reasons men undergo the hairy transformation.
Although some males are unfamiliar with the real intent behind No Shave November, there are others that are aware and are looking forward to contributing to the cancer-fighting agenda.
"I usually don't [participate], but I'm doing it this year," said junior Jeff Schulte. "It's for prostate cancer, and a buddy of mine asked me to do it."
Junior Alex Hankins adheres to the observation because of a personal connection to another kind of cancer.
"We had a girl at my church back home with cancer, and we actually grew out our beards as a church to raise money," Hankins said. "I like to do that every year around November."
Before committing to a month long event, one of the first things to consider is what prostate cancer is and the how serious the cancer can be.
According to the American Cancer Society, one in six men in their lifetime could be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The society reported, "There are 238,590 new cases of prostate cancer in a year in the United States."
With this scary number overhead, another fact that is alarming is that the risk of prostate cancer increases with age, and it affects American men more than any other type of cancer.
Prostate cancer is a serious condition, but most men with it do not die from it. For people who are passionate about raising money for the cause they are able to contact the American Cancer Society and send their donations specifically to prostate cancer for research and other initiatives. You can also visit noshavenovember.com for more information.
Aside from participating in a helpful cause, men say that both peer-pressure and the way the event is advertised as a fad has something to do with their commitment.
"A couple of my friends explained to me what [No Shave November] is, without explaining to me the origin, but just what they do and how they do it," said Verissimo. "After four years of them constantly telling me to do it, I decided to join because I don't want to shave this month."
Sophomore Ben Davis has also seen the fad showcased beyond the walls of DePauw's campus.
"I know a couple guys who are participating," said sophomore Ben Davis. "It's kind of a thing that gets advertised online a lot on websites and memes. It has become a thing beyond its original thing."
Unfortunately not everyone is willing to take the challenge. Some women allow legs and armpits to blossom into beautiful blades of grain, but most women, like senior Kate Harris, say they would rather not. And many men do not feel too comfortable with the idea of growing out their facial hair for an entire month. For Hankins, it is the need to look well-kept preventing him participating this year.
"I've got a couple things going on, formals I'm going to, so I'm probably going to shave for those," he said.
Davis, and other sophomores including Christopher Yount and Adam May said it is because of a lack of the ability to produce a sufficient beard by society's standards that they have chosen to abstain this year.
But as the old saying goes: It is not the size that matters; it's the performance through the effort of garnering donations and spreading awareness.
Whether to raise awareness or funds, to reveal the strength behind your chromosomes, or to just have fun, No Shave November can be an event for the whole group. As a tip for a beard with maximum comfort, these men suggested combing and washing it regularly. Haynes encouraged modifying one's clothing choice to accent the facial hair.
"I start of with the clean-shaven church choir-boy look and then by the end, I look like a mountain-man wearing nothing but flannels and boots," said Hankins. "My whole look changes throughout the month to accommodate the beard."
Schulte suggests just allowing nature to run its course and let go. "Just let it happen."