All around the nation, men (and some women) on college campuses are choosing a more natural approach when it comes to dealing with body hair.
“No-shave November” is a time when the razors are temporarily cast aside and the true beast of a man is revealed.
The rules are simple:
1. Shave at the beginning of the month and post a picture.
2. Do not shave in November.
3. If you shave, you are out.
4. Take a picture at the end of the month to show off your setup.
Junior Leland Wetzel participates because he likes to test his manliness and let loose for a while.
“ I think its fun to see how crazy my beard will get.
I also like to cut my beard and just leave a mustache at the end,” Wetzel said.
Sophomore Joseph Garza lets his facial hair grow for the simple reason of staying warm in the winter.
“I want a permanent sweater for December to keep my face warm and toasty,” Garza said.
Sophomore Kole Weldon is a football player at MSU and has stopped shaving his legs and face this month to group up with the guys.
He hopes it doesn’t slow him down but is willing to take the risk.
According to Senior Casey Burt, facial hair is the physical thing that separates a boy from a man.
“I participate in No-shave November to show what a man should look like outwardly. My beard will never leave my face,” Burt said.
As men see “No-shave November” as a way to proclaim their masculinity and show just how rugged they can be, women beg to differ.
Senior Lindsey Haygood finds facial hair unattractive and thinks not shaving doesn’t prove a point.
“If a guy is participating because he wants to raise awareness about something, great. If he is involved just to see if he is capable of growing a beard, I see it as kind of pathetic,” Haygood said.
Junior Malory Ammerman decided that she wasn’t going to shave her armpits for the entire month because her boyfriend was participating in “No-Shave November” even though she was highly against a scruffy face.
Some men participate in this tradition to come together as a community and see who can grow the best beard, while others use it as a way to raise awareness about certain cancers affecting men worldwide, such as prostate cancer.
“No-shave November” originated in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 to try to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.
While women are constantly trying to fight breast cancer, men decided that the cancers affecting them needed attention as well.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is also letting it grow by having a competition and fundraising while participating in the event.
Men can enter the contest for $30 and at the end of the month, pictures will be sent in and the man with the best goods will be crowned.
With a new month rushing in, the grizzly in most guys is ready to be released to take over their formerly clean-shaven faces.
Whether they get involved to prove a point or just to have fun and be goofy with the guys, one thing is clear: Hair is going to be everywhere.