Two colleges, St Anne’s and St Catz, are in fierce competition in the upcoming ‘Movember’ to raise the most funds for charity and promote awareness for men’s health. The captains and JCR Charity Reps, Ben Rosenbaum (St Anne’s) and Danny Smith (St Catz), are encouraging their colleges to don the mo through November. The losing Charities Rep has to forfeit by keeping his moustache till Christmas. Rosenbaum added: “I’m hoping that my team aren’t going to jump at the chance to make me look stupid for two months instead of one, but if all of them start donating to the Catz team I only have myself to blame.”
The St Anne’s team currently stands at 27 members. Ben said, “Lots of people have been pretty keen to sign up, partly because plenty of St Anners think with their stomachs and everyone who raises £25 or more gets a free burger each day between 7th-20th November at Byron. I’m hoping to see a lot of moustachioed Magdalen students – they couldn’t have timed their Hall boycott any better!”
Matt Waller, second year PPEist, said, “Despite only being co-educational since 1979, I believe Anne’s has saved up enough testosterone to grow some pretty flamboyant lip hair. Surely enough to brush St Catz aside.” Joe Collin, fellow competitor and second year History student, added, “The moment I grew sideburns I thought the bullying about a lack of facial hair was no more. That wasn’t the case but I’m prepared for a month of ridicule for a good cause.”
St Anne’s are looking to get everyone involved: Rosenbaum claimed, “Girls have been signing up too as Mo Sistas, and I think a few of the porters and the kitchen staff are keen to get involved as well.”
However, Danny Smith of St Catz believes they will be tough competition. He said, “In Catz we currently have around 30 people signed up, and are still very much on the recruitment drive, hoping to have around double that participating in total. I am currently pushing for a ‘Movember’- themed Entz [bop] in fifth week, and other than that I believe that people in college will get and are getting into the spirit – it’s a good community builder as well as a great cause!” He predicts a win for Catz: “I personally have had to start already – despite being 21 years of age my facial hair growth is pretty pathetic – all the more incentive not to lose out to Ben and Anne’s!”
“It is very much a friendly rivalry and we are looking to perhaps have some joint celebration towards the end of term. The charity raises awareness and understanding about men’s health. It is crucial, and has some way to go to match comparative initiatives, such as Race for Life has done for breast cancer. Movember’s funds are strategically distributed amongst partner organisations undertaking an important and wide range of functions from direct research to improving awareness.”
Last year , Movember raised £79.3million around the world, which has been put into scientific research and into education and awareness-raising programmes. Lincoln, Brasenose, Corpus, Somerville and LMH are also joining the inter-collegiate Mo-Off.
