Each November, students and teachers across Benjamin start to look a little scruffier than usual, and it’s not because they’ve forgotten to shave. It’s Movember.
The movement originated in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003 and has since evolved into a global campaign. It raises millions of dollars each year for men’s health research, specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health challenges. Now, it’s become a Benjamin tradition.
Throughout the month, male students and faculty members who choose to participate are required to donate a turkey to the front office, which is then distributed to those in need.
“At Benjamin, we participate in the Movember tradition to make people aware of the meaning behind it. I’ve done Movember at my previous schools, which were all male schools, to raise awareness for health issues that men face, and it’s always been very successful,” Upper School Dean of Students Mr. Jacobsen said.
This year, only five seniors are participating in the tradition. Seniors Erik Nutter, Sebastian Scapperato, Dev Maharaj, Terrion Ivy-Akins, and Jake Ivancevic are the only students with facial hair on campus.
For Nutter, the decision to join Movember was simple.
“I wanted to do something meaningful since it’s a fun tradition, but I wanted to remind guys to take care of their health,” Nutter explained.
Scapperato joined for similar reasons.
“I learned about what Movember really is before I took part in the tradition, and I didn’t know it gives us guys a chance to talk about stuff we don’t usually talk about,” Scaperatto noted. “People always joke about the mustaches, but that’s what starts the conversation.
Growing a mustache for an entire month isn’t easy, especially when it’s still in the awkward phase for Maharaj.
“Mine looks absolutely terrible right now,” Maharaj laughed. “But that’s part of the fun. It’s about committing to something and sticking with it.”
Ivy-Akins said his goal is to show school spirit while supporting this meaningful cause.
“I like growing out my beard, but when I learned about the tradition, I didn’t know what it was really about,” Ivy-Akins noted. “Not a lot of people know what Movember is about, so I wanted to help spread the word about it.”
While the facial hair receives attention, the meaning behind Movember is what truly matters to Ivancevic.
“I think a lot of people underestimate how important it is to check in on your mental health,” Ivancevic remarked. “Growing a mustache is funny, sure. But if it gets people to open up, then it’s doing the job.”
The small group of people hopes to inspire more participation throughout the month into a larger Benjamin tradition.
“I want more people to participate in it,” Scapperato said. “It’s really cool to see students have fun with it.”
Even though only five students are officially participating, their effort has sparked numerous discussions around campus and numerous mustache-related jokes.
“Every time someone comments on how bad mine looks, it’s another chance to tell people and speak about what Movember is,” Maharaj declared. “So in a weird way, the bad mustache helps.”
While a few people took on the Movember challenge, most others chose to sit out.
“I thought about doing it,” sophomore Mac Johnson said,” but I honestly can’t grow that much facial hair. I know my brother can, so I might try next year when it actually shows up.”
Adding to Johnson, senior Maurice Hoben agrees.
“I just don’t think facial hair looks good on me,” Hoben joked.
As November continues, the group plans to keep raising awareness and grow facial hair along the way.
