50p
Manuary
What do Confucius, Abraham Lincoln, Poseidon, and Vincent Van Gogh all have in common? Brilliance? Power? Legacy? Yes AND they were all men with spectacular beards. These were not the only men to sport facial hair proudly: in Greco-Roman antiquity, beards were seen as a defining characteristic of a philosopher. Stories exist of many ancient minds that would rather face death than shave their beards. In Judaism, shaving with a razor is seen by some as a breach of Jewish law, and some Jewish mystics consider facial hair a symbol of holy energy. The importance of beards runs through history and religion, and they are sported upon the cheecks of politicians, generals, scientists and poets.
January is an important month. It is full of people setting out with bright hopes to complete New Year’s resolutions, men and women who start to run more regularly, who hope to have more fun, or maybe be more charitable. It is a time of burgeoning personal growth. At Brentwood, the month of January means more than just that. At Brentwood, the month of January means bringing out the beards. Bringing out the wispy side burns, bringing out the dreaded neck beards or bringing out the peach fuzz, because at Brentwood, January is Manuary.
Manuary is a Brentwood College School tradition that began last year, when the Head Prefect, Daniel Hilhorst, petitioned the administration to participate in the more famous Movember. Movember, of course, promotes itself as the “change of men’s health,” and the organization behind it has raised awareness and funds for men’s health issues since 2004. Daniel wished to see Brentwood also raise awareness for prostate cancer, an illness that affects one in seven Canadian men. While the original bid for Brentwood’s participation in Movember was rejected, from the ashes rose Manuary, Brentwood’s own man month, a time where the male students of the school are encouraged to grow what facial hair they can, without fear of repercussions from the normal dress code.
In any other month, Mr. Felix, while casually idling on the plaza, would send a boy back to his house to shave immediately before going to class. On Manuary mornings, however, he compliments those with burgeoning beards or teases them on their lack thereof. Mrs. Reynolds, in any other month, would cringe and bemoan any sort of facial hair. She now sees it as a wisker wonderland.
Manuary guarantees freedom, of a sort. This year, Head Prefect, Ian M., took up the torch passed down from his predecessor, and led the charge for Manuary 2012. With the ability to grow quite an impressively well-shaped beard, Ian took to the Bunch stage and spread the word to the student populace. Pack up your razors and stow the clippers, because Manuary is more than just raising awareness. Manuary is also a competition to determine which house, and which Brentwood student, is the manliest.
Last year, Jon H., of Rogers, took over the competition in a single week at the end of the month, while many struggled to grow something resembling a full beard for the entire thirty days. Unfortunately for Rogers, Ellis boys had a greater showing in the competition, with several house members growing decent beards, and with that, Ellis won the overall competition of manliest house. The award, a sculpted statue of a male torso, now rests upon the Ellis mantle, daring the other houses to prove their worth. Who will win King of Manuary this year? And which house will truly be the manliest? Only time will tell. Jonathan B-E
January is an important month. It is full of people setting out with bright hopes to complete New Year’s resolutions, men and women who start to run more regularly, who hope to have more fun, or maybe be more charitable. It is a time of burgeoning personal growth. At Brentwood, the month of January means more than just that. At Brentwood, the month of January means bringing out the beards. Bringing out the wispy side burns, bringing out the dreaded neck beards or bringing out the peach fuzz, because at Brentwood, January is Manuary.
Manuary is a Brentwood College School tradition that began last year, when the Head Prefect, Daniel Hilhorst, petitioned the administration to participate in the more famous Movember. Movember, of course, promotes itself as the “change of men’s health,” and the organization behind it has raised awareness and funds for men’s health issues since 2004. Daniel wished to see Brentwood also raise awareness for prostate cancer, an illness that affects one in seven Canadian men. While the original bid for Brentwood’s participation in Movember was rejected, from the ashes rose Manuary, Brentwood’s own man month, a time where the male students of the school are encouraged to grow what facial hair they can, without fear of repercussions from the normal dress code.
In any other month, Mr. Felix, while casually idling on the plaza, would send a boy back to his house to shave immediately before going to class. On Manuary mornings, however, he compliments those with burgeoning beards or teases them on their lack thereof. Mrs. Reynolds, in any other month, would cringe and bemoan any sort of facial hair. She now sees it as a wisker wonderland.
Manuary guarantees freedom, of a sort. This year, Head Prefect, Ian M., took up the torch passed down from his predecessor, and led the charge for Manuary 2012. With the ability to grow quite an impressively well-shaped beard, Ian took to the Bunch stage and spread the word to the student populace. Pack up your razors and stow the clippers, because Manuary is more than just raising awareness. Manuary is also a competition to determine which house, and which Brentwood student, is the manliest.
Last year, Jon H., of Rogers, took over the competition in a single week at the end of the month, while many struggled to grow something resembling a full beard for the entire thirty days. Unfortunately for Rogers, Ellis boys had a greater showing in the competition, with several house members growing decent beards, and with that, Ellis won the overall competition of manliest house. The award, a sculpted statue of a male torso, now rests upon the Ellis mantle, daring the other houses to prove their worth. Who will win King of Manuary this year? And which house will truly be the manliest? Only time will tell. Jonathan B-E
75p
