Although it’s only been a few days since the passing of October, you may be seeing a few new whiskers around campus. Consider them beards and mustaches in the making.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. No-shave November.

You’ve probably heard of it, whether from vocal supporters or equally vocal detractors.

But for all the fuss, the whole celebration revolves around a pretty simple concept.

In fact, there’s only one rule. When November comes around, men everywhere choose to proudly stop shaving their scruffy faces. The goal? To see just how manly they can get before the calendar flips to December.

But make no mistake, No-shave November is about more than just looking like a lumberjack for 30 days. It’s about standing in solidarity with other men — particularly men who aren’t blessed with the gift of beard.

You see, not all men have the ability to grow world-class facial hair. Instead, some — including members of the editorial board — get patchy chops and incomplete mustaches. We either look like giddy adolescents, proud to finally be hitting puberty at the age of 22, or hermits who don’t understand the basics of personal hygiene.

The plain truth is that it’s hard for a lot of us to make facial hair look good.

Thus, we can’t always exercise our beard-growing skills. Eleven months out of the year, we’re forced to wake up and scrape blades across our faces in order to avoid awkward glances that say, “That guy probably hasn’t showered in a week.”

No more.

It’s time to lose the lather and renounce the razor.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re experienced or a newbie. That’s the great thing about No-shave November: Regardless of whether or not your beard lives up to socially constructed standards of beauty, you’ll have millions of other fuzzy-faced friends standing beside you.

This is the time to appreciate all shapes, sizes and colors of facial hair — no matter how scraggly, patchy or unorthodox. Each beard, like each snowflake, is unique.

From handlebar to Fu Manchu, a chin strap to a soul patch, a good beard or mustache is like a topiary for the face.

And when you join the ranks of the unshaven, you join an elite group. Think about it. How many cultural icons have defined themselves through facial hair?

Chuck Norris. Those guys from ZZ Top. Sean Connery. Billy Mays. Joaquin Phoenix.

Where would they be without their beards?

Or think about famous movie characters with facial hair. Try to imagine a clean-shaven Captain Jack Sparrow, Gandalf the Grey or King Leonidas.

Would they be as awesome without beards and mustaches?

The answer is no.

So really, do you blame us for wanting to test-drive some scruff?

In the end, it’s just one month. So, to non-participants and significant others: Be supportive. You may not understand it, but you can respect it.

Don’t judge, and don’t try to make us change our bearded ways. Just accept us for the scruffy individuals we are.

And to half-bearded men everywhere: Be strong. Go the distance. Don’t be discouraged by naysayers.

Let that beautiful beard blossom.