Beards of St. Andrew’s
November 13, 2019
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.)