Adam DeGuire, junior, has been growing out his facial hair since freshman year, and has noticed some changes in how he’s perceived, Deguire said.

“A lot of people mistake me for mid-twenties now. So that’s a good thing most of the time,” Deguire said.
Deguire also perceives others with beards differently than those who are clean-shaven.

“Occasionally I’ll see some guy walking down the street with a beard 10 times the size of mine,” Deguire said. “I just kind of stare at him in admiration for a bit.”

Deguire probably won’t shave anytime soon, out of fear of a “baby face” as well as the fact that his beard is an integral part of who he is, Deguire said.

Garrett Zombo, junior, opts for the clean-shaven look because he is only able to grow a mustache and a little bit of chin hair.
“It really bums me out that I can not grow a beard,” Zombo said. “I wish I could be like Adam DeGuire with his nice, full-on beard.”

Zombo said that beards in general look cool and manly. Not being able to grow a full beard made Zombo feel feminized and intimidated, Zombo said.

Zombo’s advice to those who are able and considering growing out their facial hair is to go for it, Zombo said.
“You’ll get a lot of props [and] you’ll get less picked on,” Zombo said.

Similarly, Emil Mathai, sophomore, said facial hair makes him appear more masculine, even though he shaves it down to stubble twice a week. While he’s tried to experiment with a goatee and mustache, his mom always stops him from growing it out, Mathai said.

“It has to look decent. I don’t really like it when it’s grown out, but when it gives the face a nice cut, it looks nice,” Mathai said.
Mathai said he likes his facial stubble because it makes him more attractive, but Quincy Broadus, sophomore, said he doesn’t care whether his facial hair, which is sideburns, is attractive.

“[My sideburns are] just there for me,” Broadus said.

Broadus has had sideburns for as long as he can remember, so without them, Broadus said he would look really weird.
If a girl refused to date him until he shaved off his sideburns, Broadus said he would “shave her out” of his life.