By Kiran Sidhu STAFF WRITER
Some might be perplexed at the notion of a Beard and Mustache Society and even more baffled as to what it does. Is it a cult devoted to the hipster persona? A secret society that uses facial hair as a status symbol? I was prepared to go through any journalistic endeavors in order to find out the truth, and so I emailed their president Scott Lakeram. I was surprised when I got an email back immediately, telling me to stop on by.
As I looked into the room on Thursday, I found an easygoing guy with a scruffy beard typing away at his laptop. No other members had arrived yet and it was only him and me. In the course of our short meeting, however, he managed to defeat all my preconceptions.
Finding myself slightly disappointed at the mundaneness, I sat down across from him, unable to look away from his beard. He seemed unperturbed by this as he tells me the club had become official only two weeks ago and this was only their second meeting.
My first question was why he decided to start a beard and mustache society. He bluntly said, “Because there is none.” When questioned further he said, “Well, a lot of guys grow beards and they don’t have any guidance [for] growing beards.” I wondered how hard it was to let hair grow from your face and why you needed someone to guide you through it.
“It’s a motivational club almost, like socializing,” Lakeram said. Their weapons of choice: beard oil and mustache wax. In fact, they are planning on selling these products in order to fundraise for charity. The society is also planning to have a beard and mustache competition on campus in November of next year, something Lakeram has experience in. He is planning on entering the national competition in Brooklyn on November 7th. “We want to represent the Hofstra community in beard competitions,” Lakeram said.
His own reasons for growing a beard are similar to those of starting the club. “Before I started growing a beard, I used to shave. I got tired of shaving.”
He said that he plans on growing it to his stomach. “I want a majestic beard. It will feel good when it blows in the wind and everything like that,” Lakeram said.
With only 11 members so far, they are aiming to expand and they are focusing on recruiting in the coming weeks. I asked him, is there any room for those who don’t have beards or mustaches? For women?
If you have a beard, don’t have a beard, or just like beards the society meets every Thursday at 5 PM in Student Center Room 219. It’s a new club, but I promise it will answer all your questions and defeat all your preconceptions.