It’s that time of the year again when the annual month-long moustache growing marathon begins. The idea of Movember is for men to grow moustaches to raise awareness toward men’s health issues.
“Movember helps men to be more vigilant about their health,” said Moorpark College Health Educator Allison Barton. “Movember suggests that men get screening tests for testicular and prostate cancers.”
Moorpark College guys can take action by signing up with the Movember Foundation, shaving down their face and growing a moustache during the month of November. As they grow and groom, friends and family can help by donating to their efforts.
The Movember Foundation is an international society devoted to changing the face of men’s health. The foundation was formed to raise awareness for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and a variety of other important men’s health related issues.
According to Charlie Patch of the Movember Foundation, no-shave November began in Australia back in 2003. Men who participated in Movember took action to change the face of men’s health by starting clean-shaven on Nov. 1 and growing a moustache for the entire month.
Movember is more than just an excuse to grow a moustache and be different. It is responsible for the uprising of millions of moustaches around the world raising money and awareness to important men’s health issues.
Students who decide to grow out their moustache can become walking billboards for these important issues. However, Movember is not just for men. Women can support the drive by signing up or perhaps throwing away their razors for a month and donning hairy legs, underarms, or even facial hair.
Moorpark College Theatre Arts Professor Haleh Risdana and her class showed their support for Movember by applying moustaches in theatre make-up class.
“We had a blast doing the moustaches,” said 18-year-old Moorpark College student Alyssa Saldivar. “The fact that it brought awareness to an important cause, made it that much more gratifying.”
Movember provides a visual reminder for everyone, especially students, to support men’s health and reminding everyone to get involved.
