Editor's note: This story has been updated from its original version to remove an erroneous statement.
On the eve of Nov. 1, Paul Shupe and his friends put away their razors. They joined countless others in a campaign to show off their manliness, but for these guys, the stakes are higher.
They're honoring No Shave November, with a "slap bet," an idea they borrowed from the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." Whoever shaves first earns a slap in the face. As the end of the month draws near, it's getting down to the wire, and faces are scraggly.
"My neck is gross," Shupe said. "I'd really be OK if I could shave my mustache."
But that would be breaking the rules.
"No trimming, no maintenance. Got to let it grow wild," he said, laughing.
He works at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, and he said he's just glad his bosses haven't told him to shave yet.
RAISING AWARENESS
Without exactly realizing it, Shupe is helping raise awareness for prostate and other male cancers. Movember, or Mustache November, is a campaign to raise awareness for men's health. According to its website, the movement began in Melbourne, Australia. It also partners with the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Men from Alpha Tau Omega are joining the cause too, adorning handlebars and other groomed mustaches. They've been uploading pictures to the Movember website throughout the month to help raise money.
Sophomore Mike Leffler, public relations officer for the fraternity, said they're also raising awareness on campus.
"We're really aiming throughout the month to make sure we tell people why we're doing it," he said. "We recognize the cause behind it. We want to ... raise awareness for the cause."
Alpha Tau Omega will make a final bid for prostate cancer awareness with a cornhole tournament at 11 a.m. on Dec. 11 at Gym 2 in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The entry fee is $16 per team, and all proceeds will go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
MEN'S CANCER STATS
Besides skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type among American men. The American Cancer Society estimated about 250,000 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed this year and about 33,720 men died from it. About 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in a lifetime.
Prostate cancer can develop from the growth of abnormal cell in the prostate, according to ACS.
About 8,290 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year in the United States and 350 men die from it, according to the organization.
The chances of getting testicular cancer are 1 in 270. It's considered among the most curable forms of cancer, and the risk of dying from it is 1 in 5,000.
There are three main types of testicular tumors that can lead to cancer, according to ACS.
- Germ cell tumors are the most common. They grow in the cells that make sperm.
- Stromal tumors grow in other parts of the testicles like the cells that make hormones.
- Secondary testicular tumors come from cancer that has spread to the testicles from other parts of the body.
AVOIDING THE ‘SLAP BET'
Drew Farrington, a junior telecommunications major who is participating in the bet, said he's glad to support men's cancer awareness. It's another incentive, besides a slap in the face, to continue not to shave.
As for his beard, it's a little patchy.
"And it's a different color than my head," he said. "I have brown hair, and my beard is really, really red. I have a ginger beard."
Last year, Shupe said it was ultimately his mom who convinced him to shave, what with Thanksgiving pictures and the holidays coming up.
Sometimes you just have to give in. Jordan Habayeb, president of University Program Board and a resident assistant at Woody/Shales in LaFollette Complex, said he caved after a week. He tried to get his residents to participate in the no-shave tradition to build camaraderie.
While his bright, red beard didn't last long, he said about 10 of his residents are still in the game, and they'll earn "Shwoody bucks" and a DVD at the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Shupe and his friends are getting a lot of grief for their patchy facial hair. But they hope to stick it out.
"There's been some sabotage on all parts," Shupe said with a laugh. "We've been trying to scheme friends into telling the other guys they look awful."
Cornhole tournament
What: Alpha Tau Omega is sponsoring the event for prostate cancer awareness
When: 11 a.m. on Dec. 11
Where: Gym 2 at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center
Cost: $16 per team
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