Well, it is officially November. Yep, I know… time flies. This month is of course associated with the major holiday of Thanksgiving, but there’s also something else special that comes with this time of year. For many men, it is time to celebrate “Movember,” or more commonly known in America as “No Shave November.” While it may not involve a feast of food, it is all for the support a good cause, believe it or not.

Having heard about this month-long event in the past, but never really knowing much about it, I decided to do some research. Most people think that No Shave November is just a fun thing for guys to do, but by putting down that razor for 4 weeks, any man can make a difference.

Movember (a combination of moustache and November) is a month-long movement in which male participants do not shave for the 30 days of November. Men who want to support the Movember Foundation charity grow moustaches to raise awareness for men’s health issues, including prostate and testicular cancer. By going to the organization’s website, you can register as either a team, team captain, or individual, and have sponsors. The cooler the moustache/the more significant the reason for growing it naturally means more sponsors and more funds collected for important medical initiatives. People can also make donation online, without having to sacrifice a clean-shaven face.

Mo bros, those who are involved in Movember, have several “rules” to abide by during the month given by the charity’s website.

1. Once registered at movember.com each mo bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face.
2. For the entire month of November each mo bro must grow and groom a moustache.
3. There is to be no joining of the mo to your sideburns. (That’s considered a beard.)
4. There is to be no joining of the handlebars to your chin. (That’s considered a goatee.)
5. Each mo bro must conduct himself like a true country gentleman.

The worldwide popularity of Movember is what led to No Shave November: letting your facial hair take its natural course for the entire month. Many of those who take part in the the more cultural occasion are unaware of its origins, or would rather grow a beard or other variety of facial hair, as opposed to a moustache.

Sophomore Andrew Samson is participating in No Shave November for the second year, but says he is “getting sick of the beard” so far. So why does he do it? “It’s a tradition, beard pride,” he says. That’s what I like to call dedication. Maybe we have a future mo bro on our hands.