Andy Kastler said he thinks everyone should have a mustache at some point.
Kastler, a senior from Waverly, Iowa, studying radio television, and six of his friends are growing mustaches to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer.
As part of an organization called Movember, which originated in Australia, Kastler and his peers are now part of a worldwide society. Mo is the Australian word for mustache.
To raise money for the organization, members of www.movember.com, the official Web site of the group, are encouraged to get people to sponsor their mustaches. The sponsorship money is donated to Movember to help fund research for prostate cancer.
Kastler said so far he has stuck to friends and family but intends to ask local businesses for support this week.
Kastler said according to www.movember.com, one in seven men is affected by prostate cancer.
Kastler said this statistic hits very close to home for him and his peers because there are seven of them, therefore, statistically one of them will end up with prostate cancer at some point in his life.
However, this is not something they need to worry about this early.
Charles Clemens, medical chief of staff at the Student Health Center, said the American Cancer Society recommends men begin being tested annually around age 50.
Clemens said men should be tested annually to prevent overlooking the disease.
"There is definitely treatment for prostate cancer. Several different methods of treating it depending on the severity of the disease and some of its characteristics," Clemens said.
Tom Lareau, a sophomore from Watseka studying radio television, is also growing a mustache.
Lareau said keeping the hair on his face is a daily struggle.
"Everyday when I shave the rest of my face I raise my razor and have to make myself not shave it off," he said.
He also said it is hard because everyone he knows makes fun of him for having a mustache.
Kastler said he found Movember while searching for information about a man in New Jersey who wants to bring mustaches back into mainstream fashion.
While searching for this information, Kastler found the Web site and decided it would be a good idea to grow a mustache while doing charity.
Students wanting to become involved in Movember can visit movember.com or contact Kastler.
Christian Holt can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 268 or cholt@siu.edu.
