by Gordon Winarick

Mainland Regional High School dedicates an entire month to facial hair. “No Shave November” is something students and staff have joined as a part of a nationwide effort to raise money and awareness of men's health
issues like prostate cancer. Mainlanders let their beards or mustaches grow out to become as long, patchy and ungroomed as they want for 30 days.

On Dec. 1, 2011 they shave it all off and expose their faces to the harsh winter air. “I look forward to No Shave November every year,” said Cole
Winarick, a former Mainland student. “My friends and I have made it a competition to see who can grow the
longest beard.”

Towards the end of the year people tend to get lazier. There is a lot of stress that comes with the holidays, exams and visiting family. Some men and teens use No Shave November as an excuse to avoid the trouble of grooming. While it may save some morning time, wives and girlfriends are less enthusiastic about this growing trend.

“It feels nice to not shave for an entire month," said Tom Bradway, a junior at MRHS. “I have even been taking pictures of my face every day to track my progress.”

MRHS boasts a variety of facial hair styles. There is everything from the “neard” (neck beard) to the full grown woolly mammoth. Phys. Ed. teacher Brian Booth, however, puts most beard bearers to shame with his Santa-Claus-inspired look. “When I was in high school not a lot of people grew beards,” said Mr. Booth. “The clean-cut look was big, but I like this new trend of letting yourself go.”

There is no question beards are now in. Not only do they provide warmth during the winter months, but they have become reflections of a person’s identity. For the year-around beard wearers, their facial-hair style perfectly suits their personality. Some notable Mainland beards include students and teachers.

Senior Cole Gasperini is a two-sport athlete getting varsity letters in both football and wrestling. Another proud achievement is his mustache. Although, Cole cannot grow a beard, he has one of the thickest and frothiest mustaches around. Next, Tom Bradway, another two-sport athlete and National Honors Society member, sports a manly beard that gets to run free during November. Tom prefers a shapely goatee that is quite luscious and soft the rest of the year. Rounding out the notable student beards is Kyle Sadreameli. Kyle is a senior at Mainland and plays baseball. His 18-year-old face looks like it could pass for a forty-year-old man's. Kyle's beard is thick and dark. It rivals even the heartiest of teacher beards.

The first teacher on the list is Mr. Steve Sokalski, history teacher and football coach . He has a sharply beard, which also happens to be the only hair on his head. Mr. Larry Lhulier, English teacher, takes pride in his equally well-groomed beard so much so that his twitter name is “fearthebeard98.” It is most certainly is something to fear. His face is covered by a thick forest, which also includes an impressive neard. Mr. John Fred Crane's face is swarmed by a mat of thick auburn. He grooms it often and puts a ton of time into it, which has paid off with a luscious glow that is as endearing as his helpful physics lectures.

However, the beard that stands out above all others is Mr. Booth's. This beard is called the “Salt and Pepper” by some at MRHS for its interesting ink-blot pattern. His beard reflects his personality and was the undisputed MRHS beard champion.