Students embrace month of stubble for charity
Don’t touch that razor. In fact, don’t touch it all month. No Shave November is here.
For guys, that means growing the gnarliest mountain-man beard possible. For ladies, that means saying goodbye to smooth legs and armpits for a while.
But instead of simply channeling your inner lumberjack just for fun, Students Advocating a Greener Environment (SAGE) is offering a way for students to turn their hairy interest into a fundraising opportunity.
On Wednesday, SAGE kicked off No Shave November on Greene Street by taking “before pictures” and asking students to make pledges not to shave for the entire month and asking others to sponsor those who make the commitment.
Donors can either make a set donation or give money every day of the month a person goes without shaving. All of the money will then go toward buying books for Cocky’s Reading Express, a USC literary outreach program in which volunteers visit schools and read to children.
“Anyone can sponsor anyone,” said James Armstrong, a second-year political science student and event coordinator for SAGE.
Armstrong participated in No Shave November last year but continued to grow his hair and beard long after the end of the month, partly he said, to commemorate the death of his uncle, a man with a fondness for wild, overgrown hair.
“I didn’t want to shave unless it was for a good cause,” said Armstrong, who appeared clean-shaven on Greene Street in order to restart the hair growth process. He also organized the fundraising aspect of No Shave November and chose Cocky’s Reading Express as the recipient.
Armstrong says he hopes the money goes to purchase books on sustainability because “educating youth ties into sustainability education.”
Tegan Plock, fifth-year international studies and French student and member of the SAGE executive board, couldn’t agree more.
“People with higher education are more able to think critically about issues and issues of sustainability,” Plock said. “And reading is cool.”
No Shave November’s goal isn’t just to raise money for kids; it also aims to educate college students.
SAGE members say they hope to make students realize that whenever they shave with a disposable razor, those razors end up in landfills or in the ocean where they could harm animals. Electric razors use electricity, and using water to shave also uses up a huge resource.
For girls, not shaving might appear to be a challenge, but Plock said November weather is the perfect excuse to cover unshaven legs.
As for armpits, Plock was a bit more lenient.
“We’ll see how long I can last,” she said.
An extra incentive for girls: A community member heavily involved in West (Green) Quad, a woman who goes by the name “Breedlove,” has agreed to sponsor one cent for every girl for every day she goes without shaving.
In addition, SAGE will take “after pictures” for both girls and guys at the end of the month and award prizes for the most impressive transformations.
Students can get more information about No Shave November and sign up to be a participant or donor by visiting the event’s Facebook page, “USC’s No Shave November (SAGE)” or following it on Twitter @StayHairy_USC.