Brigham Young University has long had a policy of requiring men to be clean-shaven. The BYU Dress and Grooming Standards state that “men are expected to be clean-shaven; beards are not acceptable.” Recently, however, some students have been attempting to side step this rule in a creative new way.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone on campus is required to wear a mask while indoors and in some outdoor settings. Some students have begun finding ways to express their personalities with their masks, while others have been seizing the opportunity to openly defy the Honor Code Office. These students have begun wearing masks with beards printed on them, which they thought was okay because they were “technically still clean shaven”.

The Honor Code Office formally announced their position on this issue yesterday. “Our dress and grooming standards outline that men are to be clean-shaven,” said the statement. “We have not changed those guidelines, and we must also avoid the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Masks with images of beards on them are not acceptable and will be confiscated if seen on campus.”

Despite significant student backlash, the Honor Code Office is not backing down. Hats off to them for valiantly protecting BYU’s values of faith, integrity, and clean shaven-ness.