By Brian Rosenthal

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

Most Northwestern students associate November with Thanksgiving, but certain students know it for something else: No Shave November.

The annual event, in its third official year at NU, is part of the international “tradition” of not shaving throughout the month. At NU, participating students shave on Oct. 31 and then compete to see who can grow the “best” facial hair by Nov. 30.

Winners are determined based on two components, said Weinberg senior Max Fitzgerald, one of the competition’s judges.

“You have to analyze the thickness of beard – and that’s a touch thing, not just a look thing, because some people have darker facial hair than others,” he said. “And then coverage of beard, the lack of patchiness and whatnot.”

This year there are about 35 participants in the competition, which is split into four “divisions,” said Weinberg senior Nick Spear, the competition’s organizer. Many of the participants are members of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, but the competition has grown in popularity across campus over its three-year history. Contestants are divided into separate divisions based on projected facial hair growing ability, organizers said.

At the end of the competition the participants shave their facial hair into an unusual shape, and one student is honored with the Creativity Award for the “goofiest” design, Spear said.

Spear initiated the event at NU in 2005.

“It started with the idea that during Finals Week and Reading Week you shouldn’t have to shave because you’re too busy,” he said. “It just kind of expanded from that. Since I love beards and facial hair in all its forms, it became just a fun contest to get us through the last month (of Fall Quarter).”

In previous years, the competition had only run up to Thanksgiving Break. This year, organizers said the competition will last for the entire month, meaning family members will have the pleasure of seeing their unshaven NU students at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Also new this year is a formal judging panel, Spear said.

Medill senior Frank Bauch won the inaugural competition, when only eight students participated. Bauch said the competition is a unique opportunity for college students.

“It’s hard to say that there’s a point,” he said. “I think mostly it’s enjoying something that you can only do in college. You can only do this once, or in our case a few times.”

Sometimes participants’ career aspirations and academic obligations get in the way of No Shave November. Bauch said job interviews can be one obstacle to participating, especially for seniors.

Fitzgerald is not participating this year because of interviews for medical school. Fitzgerald said another obstacle is girlfriends, who typically don’t want their significant others to participate in the contest.

“One of the guys isn’t participating because his girlfriend threatened him with No (Love) November if he participated,” Fitzgerald said.

Weinberg senior Cristy Davenport, who joked she is participating in the contest, said she’s an exception – she said she loves the contest.

“All of the girlfriends hate No Shave November,” Davenport said. “That’s always a big problem with the month, and I think it leads to a lot of fights and breakups. But I don’t have a problem with it: Facial hair is sweet.”

Davenport joked she is the only woman to ever participate.

“I try every year to grow a sweet mustache for No Shave November, but it never works out – so usually I grow out my leg hair,” she said. “All the guys shaved their faces on Oct. 31, I shaved my legs. (Every week) we do updates, so the guys take pictures of their faces and I take pictures of my legs.”

Spear said regardless of participants’ gender or facial hair growing ability, the competition is a bonding activity.

“It’s good bonding,” he said. “Some guys can’t grow anything and you make fun of them and they make fun of you back.”

Reach Brian Rosenthal at [email protected].