Beards of St. Andrew’s

Jackson Van Meter, Social Media Editor

St. Andrew’s is full of unique styles and people, and with the fall weather starting to cool down the campus it seems like a good time to highlight some of the great examples of facial hair around the school. From students to teachers, the campus is covered in great hair-growing talent.

English Teacher Matt Luter

When and what convinced you to grow out your facial hair?
I started growing it my senior year of college, which would be like 15 years ago. The length of the sideburns has changed a lot over those last 15 years. For a while in grad school I kind of reigned them in, but for the last 4 or 5 years they were how they are now. Why is harder to answer. I realized a few years back that it became a trademark, which is fine, why not? I have also always said that one day I’m going to decide it has run its course, and it’ll be gone, and I don’t know when that’ll be.

What inspired your style?
I can’t really think of anything, it just happened.

Name one thing you like about it.
I get amusing comments about it. A few times a year someone makes a wolverine reference and they always think they are the first one. I never know what to say to that, because I’ve heard it before.

Latin Teacher Thomas Reisenberger

When and what convinced you to grow out your facial hair?
The beard is a protest beard. So, I started when I was 17 for protesty reasons. My parents did something that I thought was over the top, and they grounded me for 4 months, but it was wrong. I was falsely accused for the crimes for which I supposedly committed, and even to this day I still can’t believe they did that. After that I just liked it, so I kept it.
What inspired your style?
I like a full beard. I don’t really like to have the beard line or anything, so it’s really just however it grows. I try and trim it so that it looks nice in the shape it grows, but I don’t trim it in any special shape or anything.
Name one thing you like about it.
I honestly just like the way it looks. I’ve had it for so long now I honestly can’t imagine my face without it, like I don’t know what I look like. So, I’m a little scared to check. I did about five years ago when I was trimming it, I accidentally shaved out a chunk of it. I didn’t end up shaving it all off, but I took it down really, really low and that was pretty weird. I think it is a part of my look more than even my haircut; the beard is me. I would have a much easier time changing my haircut than shaving my beard.

Chaplain Father Luther Ott

When and what convinced you to grow out your facial hair?
I started my life as a bearded person in 1976 because, as a young lawyer playing in the big leagues, I didn’t want to look so boyish.
What inspired your style?
I never thought about style. I just worked with the whiskers God gave me.

Name one thing you like about it.
Without my beard my grandchildren (or children, for that matter) wouldn’t recognize me. So, I guess I like that best.

Sneior Sacheen Tipnis

When and what convinced you to grow out your facial hair?
I first decided to grow out my beard because I didn’t really like how I looked without it, especially after how it looked when it got pretty full.

What inspired your style?
My uncle really influenced the style of it. For example, when I did a goatee it was because he had one for a while and I thought it would look good.

Name one thing you like about it.
I think my favorite thing is that you can potentially style whatever way you like. Also, it is just another way I can express myself. (Whether it is a goatee or a full beard.)