Beards are increasingly more common among students and teachers for varying reasons, ranging from a perception of sharp style to pure laziness.

“I think face foliage is noble and the look of the intellectual,” English teacher Seth Czarnecki said. “If you look at all of the greatest writers and thinkers- Hemingway, Dickens and beyond- they all have beards. If you think of the workplace typically you have to be clean shaven and now I’m glad that it is acceptable to even have a beard [while at work]. I am encouraged by it [the growing bearded population],”
Czarnecki added that he loves having a beard.

“I think it’s because we’re too busy to shave,” physics teacher Nathan Largesse said. “I’ve got nothing against beards, being a bearded man myself.”

Beards have other purposes, according to some other teachers.

“The beard is a nice means of warmth during the wintertime especially when I’m snowblowing the driveway on a snowy day, that’s partially the reason for my beard,” health and fitness teacher Andrew McGowan said. “I’m indifferent to anyone else’s facial hair.”

“My son has a beard, he’s twenty six, and he says he uses it to look older,” chemistry teacher Gerald Cushing said. “I bet that’s a driving force with a lot of young guys. They don’t want to be thought as looking too young or immature.”

“I just hope that one day they just don’t turn into those old ‘70s weird mustaches when we look back and see it as an accident,” senior Henry Fournier, who has a beard, said. “I think it [the new bearded population] is great and that everyone should have one.”

Hairstyle and facial hair trends change drastically over time, noted staff member Dick Walsh, who has seen 61 years of changing trends at ARHS.

“When I coached way back, all of the kids used to all have to have haircuts but things are different now,” Walsh said. “The year we went to the Super Bowl the kids all had long hair, so times have changed even in the time I’ve been here.”

Walsh added that beards don’t bother him at all.

“If that’s what you want, that’s what you want…[Beards are] fine as long as it doesn’t affect what you’re doing,” Walsh said.

Most faculty seem to agree.

“I think beards are good and can look real sharp and I think it’s a good look,” Cushing said. “If people want to grow them, by all means.”

“I’m fine with [beards] as long as it’s kept within reason and as long as it is not out of control,” math teacher Ellen Marieni said.

Having a beard is one thing, but maintaining a beard is a completely different story.

“The key to growing a proper facial mane is to just let it go and just don’t touch it,” Czarnecki said.

As for maintenance, Czarnecki recommends “staying away from most over the counter shampoos because they will sort of dry your beard out and just keep using typical bar soaps…. So number one find a shampoo without sulfates in it and shampoo it everyday and comb it and make sure it’s not all wild.”

“The more you grow it you have to figure out things like, where do I want my neckline? What do I want the shape of my beard [to be]? You want to choose a shape that kind of complements your face,” Czarnecki advised. “Maintenance is key so number one is to just let it go and then once it leaves your face you’re going to want to think about shaping and all of that fun stuff.”

Answers:

1. C     2. F    3. E    4. B    5. D    6. A