At most parties, the guy-to-girl ratio is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, few people remember the importance of another ratio, one that may be even more crucial to a good time: the ratio of dudes to moustaches.

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend a party with an excellent man-over-moustache ratio. The staches were in full bloom, stretching nobly across the upper lips of most partygoers like the wings of flying eagles.

It was a whisker wonderland, a moustache mishmash ranging from a thin wisp above the lip to a thick bushy line backed up by a rugged beard (a mash-up of styles not dissimilar to the Punk Goes Crunk article on page 13). The follicle fest was the capstone to Moustache March, which is -- if you don't celebrate it -- a tribute to the enduring symbol of virility.

Though the spirit of the month is mostly jovial, it's also a time for some important heart-to-hearts with other men about what it means to wear the hair in today's society. As a young man growing his first real moustache, I have a lot of questions.

When my facial hair was described as everything from "like a child molester" to "dignified" and "sophisticated," I didn't know what to think. Thankfully, there was a community to turn to for help.

This week's cover story explores another community: Local music promoters bringing original music to a town that's reached its carrying capacity for barroom cover bands (so an underage kid hears).

Whether their relationships are symbiotic or otherwise, in a town this small, all the promoters are connected, and the moves they make ripple through the scene and affect each other.

Keep hustling, promoters, and we'll keep enjoying the ride.

Billy Wellock is a sophomore majoring in English and The Daily Collegian Venues chief. His e-mail is waw5010@psu.edu and his moustache idol is Salvador Dalí.