Molly Barreca
Opinions Editor
For the first time in 30 days, the people around the globe who participated in No Shave November and Movember will be wiping the dust off of their shaving kits. Although No Shave November is simply for fun, Movember raises awareness to men’s health issues in great style: the mustache.
The teachers’ Movember efforts began with English teacher Jesse Bauks alone, and eventually grew to include Jonathan Shepro and Eamon Griffin not long after that. They started this month clean-shaven and nervously excited for the outcome of their adventures in facial hair.
Although it was funny and a great conversation starter, Shepro recognized the importance of the event, “it’s fun to grow a mustache, but in the end you’re trying to save lives,” Shepro said.
The group certainly contributed to the efforts of the worlwide Movember, raising over $1800 throughout the month, not including the donation box that has been circulating throughout various academic departments. The money that is raised will be donated to various charities aimed to promote greater awareness to men’s health issues. The Movember wesbite specifically notes encouraging men to have annual check ups and fundraising for prostate cancer as two of the goals for this month. The achievements of the Staples’ teachers can be tracked through their website at http://us.movember.com/mospace/2413198/.
When reflecting on this shaveless month, Bauks recalled students’ mixed reactions, “Students have been encouraging. I’ve heard everything from ‘the ‘stache growth is looking better’ to ‘that thing hasn’t grown at all,” Bauks said. “Regardless, it’s fun and we’re hoping other people will do it again with us next year.”
Many of Bauks’s students admired his courage and his ‘stache. “I feel like he made a lot of progress with his mustache…I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that intense before. I’m so proud of him,” said Grace Garrity ’13.
On Dec. 1 Shepro finally took the razor to his mustache, while Griffin and Bauks have chosen to wait a few more days before shaving. However, all three men plan on participating next Movember, and Bauks hopes that more students and faculty will join. “Next year we hope to plan in advance a little more, hopefully we can put up some posters or something and get more people to join” Bauks said.
Movember officially came to an end yesterday, and although their mustaches will stop growing, Bauks, Shepro, Griffin and other members of their Movember team hope the funds will grow to be greater than the ‘staches.
The worldwide Movember efforts have raised 99 million dollars during this month alone. To learn more or to make a donation to the worldwide effort visit http://us.movember.com/?home.
