We spoke to three undergraduates, Jack (Materials Science, 2022), Joaquin (PPE, 2022) and Bastie (Materials Science, 2022) who are leading the JCR Movember fundraising campaign at Queen’s.
What does a good day at Queen’s look like for you?
Wake up and go to breakfast in Hall – get myself some hash browns and have a catch-up with my pals. Head to lectures until lunch, then set up in the beautiful New Library. After lunch I would usually have a tutorial then go to JCR Tea for a Jaffa cake and a natter. Next thing I know it’s dinner.
Why did you decide to lead the JCR Movember effort this year?
Last year Queen’s did unprecedentedly well through the pledges and College-wide participation, raising nearly £5,000. It was massively cohesive for the College which was a bonus to benefiting such a great cause. This year we decided to take the reigns, with hope of building on last year, topping the leaderboards yet again, and entertaining the masses – all in the name of men’s health.
Can you tell us a bit about the work behind the Movember campaign and why it’s so important?
The Movember charity raises money for all things men’s health. This ranges from prostate and testicular cancer research and awareness, mental health, and suicide prevention. We believe that these are very worthy causes that are only becoming increasingly worrisome. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men, and across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69% of all suicides. Outside of the funding of these charities, the Movember campaign at Queen’s has brought these issues to the fore, raising awareness and starting important conversations.
What conversations do you hope the campaign sparks among students, beyond moustaches?
You don’t need to be able to grow a mo to support or get involved, the moustache is just a bonus! Movember is set up to remove the stigma around men’s health in a lot of contexts, where topics might usually not be spoken about. Testicular and prostate cancers, and also crucially mental health, where conversations between men can be few and far between, are brought to light. We hope that while we have a lot of fun in the process, it brings light to the reason why. Men have a tendency to suffer in silence, however, by removing the stigma, perhaps a friend might now be able to reach out – you might be the friend, but these conversations save lives.
What do people need to know to get involved in the campaign?
Other than growing moustaches and starting conversations, many members have made pledges including bleaching moustaches, marathons up and down Queen’s Lane, and cycling from Oxford to Paddington (and many, many more) – for full details, please see: https://uk.movember.com/team/2442322.
When you’re not campaigning, what’s your favourite study spot?
Joaquin: My favourite spot is definitely the Queen’s Library, especially the Upper Library because of all the centuries-old books. Outside of Queen’s, I like the Rad Cam and the Law Library because of how open they are.
Jack: I’m a big fan of any collaborative space. The College has a few including the Moffatt room etc., but if I need to really get in the zone, it’s the Radcam for sure.
