Movember: A month for men’s health

BY CAROLINE CRAIN

News Editor

Moustaches aren’t rare in the Cowboy Capital.

They curl above lips in quiet confidence, sweep along cheeks with Texan flair and pepper the Tarleton State University campus like little threads in the fabric of daily life.

In November, those threads take on a new meaning. They become symbols of a global movement called Movember, a campaign dedicated to men’s health. On Tarleton’s campus, a moustache can do more than mark a cowboy; it can spark conversation, raise awareness and inspire students to take action.

Movember began in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, when two friends, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, challenged a group of men to grow moustaches for a month. What started as an experiment in facial hair quickly became a movement. By 2006, the campaign became a formal charity, spreading internationally to Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and beyond. Today, the Movember Foundation has funded more than 1,300 projects supporting men’s health worldwide. The moustache, once just a statement of personality, now represents global solidarity for a cause.

The issues behind the movement are serious. Men die, on average, six years earlier than women and are less likely to seek medical attention. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States, and testicular cancer affects men ages 15 to 34 more than any other cancer in their age group. Mental health concerns also weigh heavily. Men are disproportionately affected by suicide and often avoid seeking help. Awareness, early check-ups and open dialogue can make the crucial difference between life and death.

So, each November on Tarleton’s campus, the whiskers that trace above lips, curl along cheeks or frame a smile invite conversation. Participating in Movember doesn’t require large events or formal teams. Students can grow a moustache and use it as a conversation starter with friends, classmates or roommates. Even small actions matter, such as sharing facts about men’s health on social media, checking in with male friends about mental well-being or making personal health appointments like physicals or screenings.

Simply being aware, talking about health and encouraging peers to do the same can make a meaningful impact.

Students who want to support the official Movember Foundation can do so directly at us.movember.com, where individuals or groups can create fundraising pages, join global teams or contribute directly to men’s health initiatives. Funds raised support research and programs focused on prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Even small donations help expand access to health services and community outreach.

Students who prefer not to donate can still contribute by using the site’s educational resources to learn about warning signs, share verified health information or start discussions online and across campus.

The moustache threads its way through campus life like a quiet signal. It signals that health matters, that conversations are worth having and that awareness can start with something as small as a curl above a lip. Movember connects students to a global movement, funding research, programs and outreach while encouraging men to take ownership of their health.

This November, every whisker grown and every conversation started helps weave a stronger culture of care and awareness. The moustache, a staple of the Cowboy Capital, has become a symbol of life, health and connection: one thread in a worldwide effort to improve men’s well-being.