Brace yourselves: Moustache Mania has hit Shippensburg University. Call them what you will: lip doilies, cookie dusters, soup strainers, or simply ‘staches,’ these caterpillars will soon be crawling all over campus.

The craze started when SU students Todd Hayes, Ravone Cornish, David Stein and the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) hosted “Shave the Date” this past Wednesday, Oct. 26, in front of the CUB. “Shave the Date” kicked off this year’s Movember (Moustache-November) with some two dozen SU students taking baby-blue disposable razors to their faces, clearing the stubble for a month-long, team fundraising competition of “moustachery.” At the end of the month, mustaches will be judged and the man with the best mustache will receive a special prize. Ten competing teams, some representing campus fraternities, have already raised $230 in the first week. Hopefully, the buzz created by their “crumb tumblers” will translate into more cash being donated to Movember’s cause, which is raising awareness and funding research for testicular cancer, prostate cancer and men’s mental health.

In addition to fundraising, Movember seeks to educate men about the importance of checking themselves for signs of cancer. If caught early, testicular and prostate cancer is very treatable. Nonetheless, every year, a surprising number of men die from aggressive tumors that could have easily been prevented with a simple 15-minute examination. The rules of Movember require every participant to shave his entire face, no head starts allowed. One of the men at the kickoff shaved everything but his moustache. “I just wanted to see what it looked like first, before I paraded it around campus,” he said. He allegedly went back to his dorm to finish the job.

Not wanting to be left out, one of the girls in attendance decided to lather up with shaving cream and have a shave as well, but ended up nicking herself midway through. Nonetheless, her support and the support of women around the world are crucial to Movember’s success.

The coordinators of “Shave the Date” will also be hosting a flag football game Nov. 15 on SU’s recreational field. Teams can sign up at any of the Movember informational booths in the CUB.
Stein, one of the project leaders, was happy to see the event go over smoothly.

“Shave the Date was definitely a success. A lot of people showed up, and I think the mustaches will really raise awareness for these important issues. I think the football game happening in two weeks will also generate some publicity for Movember,” Stein said.

“Overall,” Stein continued, “the event was pretty cut and dry. People showed up, shaved their face, exchanged a few laughs in the process, split, and went on their merry ways, baby-faced.”

According to Movember.com, Movember was conceived over a pint of beer in an Australian bar by two men who were wondering what had happened to the mustache in popular fashion. The movement turned philanthropic, and has since gained international influence. Campaigning occurs in 21 countries on five continents.

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