Doha, Qatar – Carnegie Mellon students aren’t known for slacking off. Last month, though, a group of men on campus did nothing — at least to the area above their upper lips.
About 30 students, along with faculty and staff, participated in Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar’s Movember initiative. A combination of the words “mo” for moustache and November, Movember is a charity event that raises money and awareness for men’s health issues. Men begin the month of November clean-shaven and spend the next 30 days cultivating their moustaches. Much like the pink ribbon campaign for breast cancer awareness, the moustache becomes a symbol that is used as a conversation-starter about prostate cancer — as well as a personal reminder to get a health check.
Carnegie Mellon’s Movember initiative was co-organized by the Office of Health and Wellness and the Active Women’s Club. Women help the cause by recruiting men and coordinating fundraising events.
“In the past, we’ve done things for breast cancer awareness, but this year we wanted to get everyone involved,” said Reham Shaikh, a business administration student and member of the Active Women’s Club.
Carnegie Mellon’s campaign — one of the first in Qatar — raised money to support research, education and patient services at the Qatar National Cancer Society. More importantly, it got the campus talking about an often-taboo subject: their health.
“When you don’t usually grow a moustache and then people see you with one, they ask about it — and then you can tell them why you’re growing it, said Kenrick Fernandes, a sophomore studying computer science.
At a celebration event last week, men with the most creative moustaches won prizes, and women who had recruited the most men were recognized. Students also lit lanterns commemorating people who have survived cancer, people who are suffering, and those who have died from the disease.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, with a person’s risk increasing with age, according to the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency recommends men talk with their doctors about their risks, and discuss the potential benefits of screening.
Eight years ago, a group of Australian men started Movember as a lighthearted way to call attention to a serious disease. Today, a million participants worldwide have raised more than $80 million USD for charities supporting prostate cancer and others cancers that affect men.
