(Continued from page 15)

believers who simply do not like facial hair.
But the advantages, according to club members, far outweigh any drawbacks. A thick beard can also offer insulation on cold winter nights, and--if your beard is bristly enough--you can sand furniture with your stubble.

Although OAFH members unanimously agree that facial hair is cool, they each have their own opinions when it comes to the ideal sort of facial hair. Vice President Jeremiah Ragadio prefers a goatee because it's "easier to maintain and is very stylish.: And an added bonus, says Ragadio, is the "power trip identity thing" that a goatee provides. Ryan Friedman, however, stated that the ideal arrangement is to be beardless, and to have a "curly, well-oiled French mustache."

It is clear that OAFH has opened up a whole new realm of possibility for interested students. It could even be said that they are following in the footsteps of their ancestors. Just as the men of the 1800s wore beards as a symbol of status, believing it added to their dignity, so do OAFH members recognize the potential behind a snazzy goatee or a pair of bristly sideburns. With such a widespread and rapidly growing interest in facial hair here at SMHS, life for the bearded may never be the same again.

Robin Dunn is currently a high school senior at San Mateo High School.