UT’s Interfraternity Council urged men on campus to get a clean shave to kick off Movember before they grow a mustache for the rest of the month.

For the rest of November, 12 teams from 23 fraternities will compete to raise the most money to fight prostate cancer by growing mustaches. The Movember Foundation dedicates the entire month to promoting the growth of mustaches to draw attention to and educate the general public about the dangers of cancer in men.

The Interfraternity Council started Movember by handing out information sheets and shaving packets to students on campus. Students had the option to register to grow mustaches or raise money for the rest of the month.

Interfraternity Council President Kyle Harlan said many students mistook Movember for No Shave November, a separate event that does not restrict the type of facial hair and is not associated with charity. He said the misconception actually made passersby more interested in learning about Movember and the cause it supports.

“We urged as many people as we could to grow just mustaches instead of full beards,” Harlan said. “Even for girls or for guys who can’t grow a mustache, we still want them to register just to raise awareness.”

Harlan said the kickoff was a success in terms of the number of people who stopped by to learn more about the dangers of undetected prostate cancer.
Interfraternity Council director of communications Nick Isbell said most of the students who took information sheets or talked to members of IFC at the kickoff didn’t previously think of Movember as philanthropy, but rather as a fashion statement for men. He said there seems to be a growing interest among students in the reasons prostate cancer is so dangerous.

“In a week and a half, there are going to be tons of people walking around campus with mustaches,” Isbell said. “Even if people don’t know about Movember now, they’re going to see all these crazy mustaches and ask questions.”

Isbell said the council has worked for the past three years to focus its philanthropy work on Movember and on highlighting the dangerous health risks men face.

Computer science sophomore Matt Ebeweber said his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, is excited to compete alongside the other 22 fraternities to raise the most money this Movember.

“Even though a lot of our guys won’t be growing real mustaches, the point is to grab people’s attention, and it’s already working,” Ebeweber said. 

Printed on Friday, November 2, 2012 as: Frats fund men's health, hold mustache contest