Fuzzy, scruffy and hairy are “in” right now for young men on college campuses nationwide, and the fad will remain trendy throughout November, as beards grow and mustaches flourish in an effort to boycott shaving.
The cultural phenomenon, affectionately coined “No-Shave November,” encourages young men to put the razor down, testing their will power to resist shaving. Women are also welcome to participate in the month-long movement.
For University junior Tom Hallberg, it’s an excuse to have a big beard. Although he failed two years ago in his attempt, this year he’s determined to rise to the occasion.
“My freshman year I tried and did it for two weeks, but I realized it was really itchy,” Hallberg said. “This year is kind of like redemption.”
Hallberg stopped shaving the last week in October. He’s remained committed because he enjoys waking up in the morning and not worrying about shaving. He added that the group experience makes it more fun.
“Most of my friends are doing it,” Hallberg said. “It’s a big phenomenon. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but people get so into it.”
The University’s No-Shave November Facebook group, which boasts 64 members, shows the event has gained popularity since last year. The 2008 global No-Shave November group reached record-high membership with 6,566 members, while last year’s group had 2,121.
Nicolas Enriori-Garcia, a recent University graduate, started the University’s Facebook group three years ago with his roommates. Enriori-Garcia said he never liked shaving.
“People ask why, and for me it was always the notion of ‘Why not?’” Enriori-Garcia said. “Why should it be something weird or unnatural when really it’s the most natural thing in the world to have hair on your face? Society forces you to shave.”
In many other cultures, society does not view excess facial hair as a bad thing, Enriori-Garcia said. But on the West Coast, it’s perceived as lazy, unhygienic and unattractive to sport a manly mustache or big beard, he said.
Tom Bradley, a University sophomore from Hillsboro, Ore., took a different approach to his experience with No-Shave November. Instead of taking a stand against society’s disapproval, Bradley participates each November as a way to conserve water. Men each year abstain from shaving to raise awareness for one particular cause, and according to Noshavenovember.org, this year’s cause is the Save Darfur campaign.
However, Hallberg, Enriori-Garcia and Bradley were not aware of the movement’s history or its efforts to raise awareness for certain philanthropic causes. The Web site reports that Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Skidmore College, the
University of New Hampshire and Williams College are participating in this year’s No-Shave November pledge to raise money for the Save Darfur Coalition.
“Oddly enough, water conservation is the only reason I’ve heard that people do it,” Bradley said.
Bradley first heard about the phenomenon in high school when a friend of his came to class looking “scraggly.”
This month, Bradley is not only participating in the movement, he’s also chronicling it on Facebook. Each Sunday, Bradley will upload a photo of his facial hair progress, allowing his friends to stay updated on his no-shave journey.
“It’s a way for me to hold myself accountable, and people get to see it,” Bradley said. “I’ve definitely gotten some good responses. Most people use the word ‘beast’.”
At the end of the month, Bradley will poll his residence hall friends to see if he should leave the beard intact before he returns to his job in mid-December.
Bradley said No-Shave November always becomes a competition, whether or not men admit it. “You want to see if you can outbeat someone,” Bradley said. “In the end, you want to be the one with the sweet beard.”
For others, such as University senior David Zavertnik, it’s the participation and effort that matter above all else. Zavertnik joined the trend his freshman year in the residence halls when his entire floor participated.
“I fail miserably every single time,” Zavertnik said, only half-jokingly. Zavertnik said he still likes to listen to “gross facial hair” stories with his friends during November. Last year, while he studied abroad in Australia, Zavertnik even brought the cultural phenomenon down under.
“They had heard of it, too,” Zavertnik said, “which says a lot that it’s global.”
Although his face remains hairless during the dreary days of this November, Zavertnik hasn’t given up on his goal of growing a beard. He continues to stay strong, encouraging his friends to abstain from shaving to contribute to the growing phenomenon.
“It’s bigger than most people think it is,” Zavertnik said. “People think it’s not a big deal. But it’s a community event.”
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