November has never really been my favorite month. It’s a limbo period between beautiful fall weather in October and the holiday festivities in December. November usually brings cold, dreary weather, along with No Shave November and Movember.

Until this year, I had always hated the idea of No Shave November, and I thought it was purposeless. The thought of all guys walking around for a month with hairy faces kind of made me cringe, mostly because I have never really been a fan of excessive facial hair. 

Most of my friends who have participated in No Shave November only mentioned their happiness in throwing away the razor for a month, so I didn’t know that there are others who participated for deeper reasons. 

This year, however, I learned exactly what No Shave November and Movember are intended to stand for. I learned why and how the craze came to be, and after much research, my opinions are forever changed.

No Shave November and Movember occur in November when males can choose not to shave their faces. Women can participate, too, but it seems less common, and I haven’t heard of many such cases. Despite what many might think, the month can have purposes other than just relieving people of their grooming duties. 

According to the No Shave November website, the hair growth is a way to raise awareness for cancer and research by embracing our ability to grow hair, something that, unfortunately, many lose when on chemotherapy for cancer treatment. 

Movember is another movement that addresses men’s health — social, physical, mental, etc. Movember is not mainly focused on cancer, like No Shave November, rather it encompasses all forms of men’s health. 

In addition, men who participate in these movements can choose to donate the money they might use on grooming and shaving products to philanthropies of their choice. 

Men can join No Shave November teams online or decide to take the challenge on their own. Regardless of their choice, many men choose to document their progress online and ask for donations, all of which go to the American Cancer Society. Things are similar with Movember.

Upon learning more about the different reasons behind these movements, it became clear to me that many men abandon shaving for reasons other than pure laziness. While I am sure many men still don’t shave in November just as an excuse to be lazy and not deal with shaving, it shocked me that some men do this to raise awareness. 

If you read my column a few weeks back, you would know that I have a love for philanthropy and raising awareness for causes. In particular, I am a big advocate for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, something that often targets women. The way I see it, No Shave November is similar in the sense that it raises awareness for men’s health issues.

No Shave November is a way for men to stand together and fight against cancer and promote men’s health issues. 

I fully respect anybody who wants to fight against cancer, and I will support men, and even women, who decide to take on this challenge. But if you’re choosing to grow your hair during November for no reason, you should consider learning more about the origins of the movements.  

No Shave November and Movember remind us, as students, that little things can make a huge difference, but only if you know and support the reasons behind them. 

We do not need to commit several weeks and thousands of dollars to make a significant contribution to a cause we feel passionate about. Something as easy as abstaining from shaving and donating any amount of money to the American Cancer Society is something every college student is capable of.

Moving forward, I will no longer think about the men on this campus who are growing their beards out this month as merely lazy, although some might be. While I am still not a facial hair person, I respect what some men on this campus are dedicating themselves to this November.

Thank you to those gentleman who are reminding us that even the little things can make a huge difference.

Rebecca is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].