Muttonchops, Fu Manchu, goat patch, and soul patch, these are just some of the various facial styles that a man can have. Wantagh High School male faculty participated in a “No Shave November” contest. Each participant grew their hair starting on November 1 and couldn’t shave until the day before Thanksgiving. Guidance counselor and G.O. Club advisor Chris Nyberg along with the members of G.O. club spearheaded this fundraiser. Nyberg, being the man behind this entire operation, put together this fundraiser to raise money for SSARA which helps students in our community help pay for schooling financial needs. Nearly $300 was raised.

Although it was difficult to pick one competitor, students were able to donate money towards SSARA and vote for their favorite teacher in the running. Posted above the donation table were before and after pictures showing facial time lapses of the men throughout the month, (some growing noticeably faster than others).

In fact, some men enjoyed the freedom of letting their facial hair grow. “If it was up to me, and my wife had no say in the matter (which she does!), I would grow a beard like Gandalf,” says Mr. Hampson. Most of these men just struggled with having the OK from their wives, like Mr. Rafferty, who said, “Although my wife won’t kiss me and my daughter calls me half-beard, it is still worth it because it’s for the good of the people.”

In all honesty, if you enjoy facial hair or not, this contest brought a few good laughs and produced money for a good cause. Mr. Zagari says, “This was a fun experience. So many of the male staff participated and it was for a great cause. I actually enjoyed the beard portion of the month because it shaving can be a hassle and it was a great excuse to not have to. (Not to mention I was able to save a few bucks on razors). The final day was fun because we all looked absolutely ridiculous with our mustaches and mutton chops.”

These men took the risk of some laughable embarrassment to help fund for students in need, something truly noble. The results of this contest were the best part of the month. Watching all your favorite teachers walk in and teach with a comical design of facial hair on their face really brought some smiles into the classroom. Making this contest an annual event would really help students in need, and bring some comic relief to the everyday classroom