WHY MEN GROW BEARDS

Men grow beards for a variety of reasons. Research revealed that men show them off to assert their masculinity to other men, even if many women do not necessarily think a beard makes them more attractive. Primatologists found out that among 154 primate species, the more common conflict was, the more primates liked to grow facial hair. Christopher Oldstone-Moore, author of “Of Beards and Men”, explained that the beard has come and gone throughout history as a cultural marker. Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD grew a beard to display his authority. A Stoic, he believed that following the laws of nature made him a wise emperor. Centuries before that, a clean-shaven man was the standard of masculinity. Alexander the Great was not a fan of the beard and ordered his soldiers to shave them off. Earlier civilizations like the Egyptians and Mesopotamians associated shaving both hair and beard with virtues of holiness. In contrast, Judaism and Islam promoted growing the beard for the same reason. Facial hair, or the lack thereof, is also a political signal. Strongmen like Adolf Hitler, Fidel Castro, and Joseph Stalin had facial hair. But presidents in the United States since William Howard Taft have dropped the beard or the moustache. To Americans, a clean-shaven politician appears trustworthy. Career politicians follow American norms in the Philip- pines. None of our male presidents sported a beard. According to Oldstone-Moore, a “smooth face is still very much the norm.” But in the 21st century, beards are making a comeback, particularly among the hipsters and millennials. The fight is happening within campus grounds. Students at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah protested against the university’s longstanding honor code that required students to shave off their beards. In 1971, Dallin Oaks, then BYU’s president, associated beards and long hair with “protest, revolution, and rebellion against authority” and considered them as symbols of “hippie and drug culture.” However, the beard’s symbolism is not only counter-cultural. It’s also religious. Muslims grow beards because they follow the hadith or the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings. Sikhs don’t cut their hair because it is a gift from God. Since the protest, the university has relaxed the guidelines by allowing students with legitimate “medical, theatrical or religious needs” to grow their beards. Tensions between school policy and the students’ right to freely express themselves remain contentious in the Philippines. Many student political parties fight over votes during election season, chanting that they will defend their rights. Almost a de- cade since I left university, the fight has yet ended. The University of San Carlos (USC), a private Catholic university and my alma mater, has an honor code similar to BYU’s for undergraduate students: proper haircut and clean-shaven faces for men and well-combed hair and below-the-knee skirts for women. A discussion erupted in social media after school guards stopped several law students from entering the campus. Among them was Rashid Pandi. Hailing from Marawi City, Rashid is the only senior law student from his batch who landed on the dean’s list. He has participated in and won many national and international debate and mooting competitions for USC. Like many Muslim men, Rashid grows a beard. While he was attempting to enter campus, the school guards told Rashid to trim off his beard. Embarrassed, he decided not to enter the campus. The following day, the guards allowed Rashid to enter the campus but asked him to list his name in a logbook that will be reported to the university’s student affairs office. Since the incident, the student affairs office clarified that law and graduate students are exempt from the grooming policy. As a private university, USC has legitimate authority to en- force its grooming policies. But it must recognize that social norms are changing fast. The clean-shaven man can be a Neo-Nazi fascist fanatic or the bearded man can be a Muslim who wins for the university in international competitions. How you look or what you wear matters in today’s identity politics. The rise of nationalist populism, which has fueled concerns on immigration and national security around the West, has magnified negative racial or religious stereotypes. We have an ongoing fight over transgender bathrooms in the United States. Donald Trump’s election to the White House has brought anxiety among women and LGBTQ communities, fearing that he may roll back on healthcare and equal marriage rights. Universities like USC, which have attracted students like Rashid, could do more good in these turbulent times by serving as progressive havens for diversity and openness. Perhaps they should follow the lead of one of USC’s patron saints, St. Joseph Freinademetz, on embracing social change. A missionary to China, Freinademetz loved the Chinese culture so much he wanted to die bald with a beard, the way the typical Chinese man looked in the 1800s. So he did.