Full beards, scraggly mustaches, bushy eyebrows, prickly legs, untrimmed hair, all grown in the support of cancer patients who are no longer able to grow their own hair.

No Shave November began in fall 2009 when two friends put their heads together and came up with a way that anyone, regardless of age, gender or income, could help support the fight against cancer. Whatever money an individual normally spent on grooming could be donated to foundations such as the American Cancer Society, whom NSN is partnered with.

Click here to learn more about No Shave November’s beginning

But, just a minute, there are no underdeveloped beards at SMCHS. There aren’t any coin drives or NSN bracelets being worn. Why is No Shave November not supported by the SMCHS administration?

Cancer in teens aged 12 – 19 is the fourth leading cause of death.

It is clear that something must be done to raise more awareness for teen cancer. As illustrated above, the male teenage population has a higher risk of death throughout their teens than females do.

Learn more about Teen Mortality from the CDC

Senior Aidan Robidoux  spoke out against the lack of awareness in teenagers.

“It’s so sad how common it is, but no one really notices it, which is the perfect reason for why this should be done.” Robidoux said, in reference to having SMCHS support NSN.

Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in teenage and young adult males, especially of the Caucasian race. Every hour of every day, some man hears, “You have testicular cancer.”

Read that again. Let it sink in.

Luckily, survival rates for testicular cancer are very high if it’s caught in its early stages. And therein lies the problem. Many teenagers are at risk of not knowing they have cancer.

The symptoms of this cancer are usually silent. A painless lump or some swelling, but that’s it. The lack of awareness in the teenage population is letting this cancer affect many more lives than it should.

“It needs attention so guys know to get a check-up,”  Robidoux  said.

The most common way men find out they have testicular cancer is from doing a self-examination and reporting to their doctor if something is amiss.

With the support for the fight against cancer and the awareness that comes with it, No Shave November is an efficient way to raise awareness amongst teens of cancer. Educating high school students about risk factors — like hereditary cancers and symptoms — is crucial.

In fact, NSN isn’t just an excuse to grow a beard or not shave your legs (how shocking!). No Shave November supports the battle against EVERY cancer.

What is No Shave November, anyway?

A petition to get NSN supported at SMCHS received over 200 signatures and the students at SMCHS were determined to get this cause recognized. However, Principal Ray Dunne released his verdict that it was too much to have a month-long fundraiser in honor of No Shave November because it could diminish the other fundraisers happening this month.

So the race to form a club, gather members and raise money and awareness is on. There are hopes of a fundraiser for No Shave November the week of Nov. 17, 2014. Coin buckets in classrooms and a bake sale at lunches will raise money and awareness for the fight against all cancers. The fight to cease facial-hair detentions for the month of November — or at least the week of fundraising — will prevail and updates on SMCHS student’s fight to show their support will be given.

If there are questions about the progress of the NSN movement or the formation of the club, email me at [email protected]