November 30, 2012

The News

5B

Features Editor: Anna Taylor Assistant Features Editor: Savannah Sawyer Phone: 809-5871 Twitter: MSUNewsFeatures

Features

To shave or not to shave

Photos by Beamer Barron/The News

Men ditch razors, honor No Shave November

Hunter Harrell || Staff writer
hharrell@murraystate.edu

We get why you do it...

You save time.
All those minutes you spend shaving can now be spent doing other things like maybe homework ... or being on Facebook.

In recent years, No Shave November or Movember has become a national phenomenon. As tradition goes, men vow to discard their razors, fight the urge and itch to shave and grow out their facial hair for the entire month. Though many men have taken part in this phenomenon, rarely do they know the history or significance behind the beards of glory. Movember began in 2003 when two men from Melbourne, Australia, decided the mustache should make a comeback. They formed a group of individuals who, for 30 days, vowed not to shave their mustaches. The movement took off the next year when the group raised $40,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia with only 450 participants. According to the official website of Movember, us.movember.com, more than 854,000 people registered as participants and raised $126.3 million. Now, almost a decade after the first No Shave November, it has grown to not only include mustaches, but also beards. The movement has sparked conversations about facial hair and mens health. Men on Murray States campus are no exception. Looking around campus this month, beards were not scarce. But why do men participate in No Shave November? Tyler Webb, freshman from Springville, Ind., said this year was his first No Shave November. Its the first time I could participate because (I play) sports, so I thought it would be cool to see how long I could grow a beard, Webb said. No Shave November was a good excuse. Most men, however, participate for the sheer purpose of friendly competition. My roommate and I participated in No Shave November, said John Smothers, freshman from Hickman, Ky. We wanted to see who would cave first and shave it all off.

Another way men compete is by seeing who can grow the longest beard. My buddies all participate to see who is the alpha male and can accumulate the most facial scruff. said Jacob Whitehall, freshman from Lebanon Junction, Ky. While competing with friends can be fun, there are some negative aspects of not shaving for an entire month. It was difficult not to shave my neck, Webb said. It drove me nuts. But my friends were surprised at how long my beard got and thought it was really cool. Overall, the men of Murray showed their best beards this month, but are ready to get rid of the unruly hair on Saturday. Come December first, this is all getting chopped off, Smothers said. No Shave November isnt that cool because its itchy and causes ingrown hairs. The beards and staches are a reminder of No Shave November, but the aim of the tradition is to have an impact on the face of mens health, no pun intended. Most women, however, have a different take on the beards than the men who sport them. My boyfriend participated in No Shave November, said Shannon Smith, freshman from Hopewell, N.J. He looks like a ridiculous lumberjack. Although some women despise the excessive amounts of facial hair during the month, some women actually get involved. Those women who support the cause are known to some as Mo Sistas. They often only encourage men to speak up about mens health problems to support the cause. Though it is more rare, some go as far as to not shave their legs all month, similar to that of a mans facial hair. No matter whether it is the face or legs as the canvas for the art known as No Shave November, most agree by the end of the month, they are ready to lather in shaving cream and break out a brand new razor.

You save money.

Razors and shaving cream can get sooo expensive. Without having to buy them, you can save up some extra dollars for Christmas next month.

Your beard will be awfully warm in the chilly November weather.

Dont you just hate it when you are walking to class and your face gets cold?

You get money.

Assuming you placed a bet with someone, you could get some extra dough for gas, groceries or rent you pick your spending.

You prove your masculinity.

Everyone knows that only real men can grow beards for a whole month, or longer.

but...
It makes your face itch.
In Features, we really wouldnt know but we can imagine those things can get pretty itchy after a while.

Most ladies dont dig for the Grizzly Adams look.

Unless you are Ryan Gosling, its true. Chicks dig it when a man has total control of his facial hair.

The Rules
1. Shave clean Oct. 31 as close to midnight as possible 2. On Oct. 31, take a photo of face after clean shave 3. No shaving from Nov. 130 4. On Dec. 1, take a photo of face before shaving Optional extra: Take a photo of face every day in November for photo album or blog
Rules provided by no-shavenovember.org

There is a chance youll get some ingrown hair.

... and nobody likes ingrown hair.

You will have to worry about beard odor.

Eww. Beard odor.

You look younger and professional without the beard.

With a clean shave, you appear more professional. You look younger, too, if youre into that.
by Anna Taylor, Features Editor