Movember under way at NSU

(Tahlequah, Okla.)--The mustache may be more maligned than manly in the world of todays fashions. But the facial hair throwback could be making a comeback thanks to Movember.

Students at Northeastern State University are celebrating Movember with a best mustache competition. Ladies can compete in the best fauxstache contest.

The competitions are open to anybody and there will be an entry table in the lobby, said Jared Rusk, foundation officer. There also will be other prize giveaways and a silent auction of items.

Movember activities culminate with the womens basketball game vs. Emporia State at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6 at Jack Dobbins Field House. The contest winners will be announced and awarded prizes.

This was an idea brought to us by Dr. John Yeutter, one of the Student Foundations faculty advisers, Rusk said. This sounded like a good option as a sister event to our breast cancer awareness event, Pack the House Pink. Our goal is to make this another tradition on campus that everyone looks forward to every year.

Yeutters interest in a cause involving mustaches will surprise few at NSU he sports a legendary handlebar.

Its a nice way to celebrate the mustache, Yeutter said. But more importantly it raises awareness about mens health issues such as prostate and testicular cancers and depression.

As with the Pack the House Pink events, proceeds from Movember will support the new Survivors 2 Scholars scholarship. This scholarship was established in September 2011 by the Student Foundation. Funds will be used to grow the endowment.

Survivors 2 Scholars will be an annually funded scholarship awarded to one female and one male student starting in fall 2012, Rusk said. It will go to those who have been affected by cancer. A recipient might be a cancer survivor, or have an immediate family member who survived or was a victim of cancer.

Movember was begun in 1999 in Australia as an annual month-long event involving the growing of mustaches during the month of November for charity. A mo is Australian slang for a mustache. The event went international in 2007 when the Movember Foundation launched events in Ireland, Canada, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa and the U.S.

To learn more about Movember visit http://us.movember.com/.

For more information about Movember at NSU contact the NSU Student Foundation at 918-458-2143 or visit www.nsugiving.com/studentfoundation.