A petition has been floating around social media recently asking that the administration allow students to participate in ‘No Shave November’, a web-based, non-profit organization devoted to growing cancer awareness. In the past, the high school has been against students growing any facial hair. Excusing the need for students to shave during the month of November would be a great step to increase cancer awareness—which often inhibits victims from growing hair—as well as raise money that can be donated back to the foundation.

In 2014 alone, approximately 1,665,540 people were diagnosed with cancer and an estimated 585,720 of those people will die from the disease. Allowing the high school students to participate in this movement will create dozens of walking billboards raising awareness about a terrible disease that has affected many tens of millions of people. Although their impact may start small, it could easily snowball into a full-out movement

A viable solution to the ‘No Shave November’ debate would be to allow students to grow out facial hair as long as they purchase the ability to do so from the school—much like teachers do when they purchase tickets to wear jeans for the week. The proceeds from this effort would then go back to the ‘No Shave November’ campaign. By donating the proceeds to the aforementioned organization and allowing students to let their facial hair grow, the high school would not only be raising awareness, but they would also assist the movement by raising cold, hard cash.

Although the effectiveness of the grooming policy is an argument for another day, ‘No Shave November’ would be a very welcome change of pace for the high school. With respect to the grooming code, allowing the students to participate in ‘No Shave November’ would neither diminish the administration’s ability to “teach hygiene”, nor would a month of scruff—in which an entire week students would be out of session for Thanksgiving—create a “disruption to the learning process”.

Cancer is a widespread disease that has affected someone in almost everyone’s life. ‘No Shave November’ is a great campaign geared towards raising awareness for this terrible disease. Like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, ‘No Shave November’ is spread virally through social media. Although the science behind viral social media campaigns is not exact, giving students the opportunity to buy a razor-free November is much more exact. The proceeds from this effort could easily be tracked, and would go directly back to the ‘No Shave November’ organization. Austin Bergstrom, the creator of the online petition, has a meeting scheduled with Principal Jeff Butts tomorrow. Be sure to voice your opinions to the principal, and if you haven’t already, be sure to sign the petition here and support the ‘No Shave November’ movement. Also, spread the word on social media and help us make November hairy.