Members of Men of Excellence and Clipper Workz barbers after Barbershop Talk event on November 13th, 2023. | Photo Credit/Marques Rice
Transitioning from high school to college is a huge step for many people, but it’s also a huge step in a man’s life. For many men, this is their transition into adulthood, moving out of your parents’ house and becoming responsible for your own basic necessities. This is where the Men of Excellence organization steps in; they were founded in order to help men have better control of this transition. They want to form a sense of brotherhood within the school and give everyone access to connections with people who have been through the same struggles and processes in their college careers.
Recently, Men of Excellence (MOX) hosted an event called ‘Barbershop Talks’ where the organization bought barbers from local Martin barbershop, Clipperworkz Barbershop. They offered free lineups to everyone who attended, but more importantly attendees were given a space to speak in. The topics ranged from the usual sports talk to more pressing issues about what it’s like being a man within the atmosphere of a college. The importance of community in college is very apparent, but the connections being built within the organization are something that will be with each member for a lifetime.
Finding people who you can relate with in such a new place is very important and by being able to express the ‘growing pains’ that one is experiencing brings immeasurable amounts of value to the college experience. MOX is open to all men within the UT Martin community and are more than willing to meet with any male student interested in joining. One of the founding members, Jadarius Bell, wants everyone to know that, ”We are just wanting to create an open and empowering atmosphere for men on this campus where they feel more comfortable speaking about the issues they face day to day, whether that is on campus or just in their daily lives.”
