Ditching the razors

No Shave November supports fight against cancer by embracing facial hair

au naturel — Many men allow their beards to grow out during No Shave November. Photo credit: Rachael Graf

Au Naturel — Many men allow their beards to grow out during No Shave November. Photo credit: Rachael Graf

There comes a time every year when leaves turn brilliant hues of red, orange and gold, fluttering softly to the ground, leaving brown trees stripped bare.

The time of year when foliage falls off trees, but facial hair certainly does not fall off the faces of many men at Liberty.

It is No Shave November: the month of bushy beards, glorious goatees and manly mustaches.

“I think it’s a good idea if people are doing it for the reason why it was started, but I’m pretty sure a lot of people don’t know why it was started, and are doing it just because,” Brooke Schreiber, a freshman at Liberty, said. “If you want to, go for it. But I feel like it doesn’t really make sense doing it if you aren’t doing it for the reasons why it was first started.”

The organization No Shave November was created in 2009 by Rebecca Hill and Brett Ringdahl as a way to raise funds to fight against cancer, according to the organization’s website.

Four years later, in 2013, No Shave November partnered with the American Cancer Society to continue its mission: fighting against cancer and fighting for those who are battling the disease.

“No Shave November is a great time of year for men to embrace their manliness and let their true potential in facial hair shine,” Cameron Frye, a sophomore at Liberty, said. “Of the 11 other months of the year, men try to tone down their manliness. No Shave November is a time of year for men to fully grasp what their true potential is.”

Men have been growing facial hair since the dawn of time, and trends have changed over the years. Recently, beard-growing has become a sport — bearding. The World Beard and Moustache Championships were hosted in Portland, Oregon, earlier this month, with men competing for prizes in moustache, partial beard and full beard categories.

“A beard is a man’s face canvas,” Tim Hannon, a senior at Liberty, said. “It’s a form of expression. It’s a form of individuality. You can be crazy with it, and it’s OK.

A man with a beard shows a man of patience.”

For many, No Shave November signifies 30 days of facial hair freedom, a welcoming retreat from the monotonous world of shaving.

“I think more so than anything, No Shave November is something we do for fun,” Cale Baker, a sophomore at Liberty, said. “(It is) not anything we’re committed to on our lives, but it’s a thing bros do. Just to say, ‘Yeah, we’re all bros. We’re all growing out our beards.’”

Some men feel that No Shave November holds a deeper meaning, more than just growing facial hair.

“It’s an experience,” Josiah Holmes, a sophomore at Liberty, said. “Some people think of it as a right of passage. Specifically, in America, guys grow for different things. Growing your beard for No Shave November can basically symbolize that (you) are a man. It’s like the Super Bowl of facial hair.”

Not all men feel the same way, however.

“It is fun to just do it and to not shave at all,” Boone Benson, a junior at Liberty, said. “(But) just because you can grow a beard doesn’t mean you’re any more of a man. Your manhood isn’t defined by your facial hair. It’s defined by a lot more than that.”

Among Liberty students, facial hair — in all of its various forms — has become quite popular. The LU Beards Facebook page has more than 900 likes.

Recently, LU Beards issued a No Shave November challenge to the men of the Liberty University community via Facebook: “LU beards would like to invite all the men (sorry, not sorry, ladies) to grow and document their month and progress of their beard by posting a picture a week to this page, with a special prize at the end of the month to the individual with the most manly beard on campus.”

However, LU Beards is not open to just any man. In order to join the group, there is one requirement that must be met.

“It’s like a secret fraternity, I guess, that people can’t join unless they have (a beard),” T.J. Stump, a senior at Liberty, said. “It’s a privilege to have this.”

Men grow and groom (or do not groom) their facial hair for certain reasons. For some, it is something fun to do, or a means of self-expression. For others, a beard carries a sense of wisdom and maturity.

“People really respect you with a bigger beard,” Stump said. “I can’t wait ’til I’m old and have a super long, white beard and people think I’m super smart and wise about everything and listen to me about all that I have to say.”

And, believe it or not, even ladies can get in on the No Shave November action, either by choosing not to shave their legs for a month or supporting the men around them.

“I was super opposed to beards ’til my boyfriend grew one for No Shave November two years ago. I’m now a believer,” Adrianna Scalazo, a junior at Liberty, said. “Every man should participate in this annual celebration of the suburbs of the chin.”

No Shave November is a time for many guys and girls to sport the “au naturel” look.

“I love No Shave November,” Maria Kometer, a junior at Liberty, said. “… I think it’s fun. I normally like clean-shaven guys, but I think it is a fun way to relax and not take yourself too seriously. For girls it is a little more gross, but the same thing — it makes you take yourself less seriously and not obsess over the less serious things. And a good-looking, outdoorsy guy in flannel with a great beard is always a good thing.”

GRAF is a feature reporter.

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