RESEDA : Students Prove Educators’ Bald Assertion Incorrect

They were like doomed men in an old gangster movie just before the long walk to the electric chair, wisecracking to hide their fear over what lay ahead.

“What, your cameraman’s not here yet?” one cracked to a reporter, as the appointed hour drew near. “OK, we’ll wait. We can do it tomorrow.”

But the die had been cast, and at 10 a.m. Thursday, the two men learned the hard way that if you bet big, make sure you don’t lose--especially when the ante is your own hair.

A few weeks ago, Aliso High School Principal Jay Kessler and lead teacher Paul Trapani bet their students they couldn’t raise more than $2,500 for the school. The students proved them wrong.

“They said, ‘You’re not going to do it. You’re not going to do it,’ ” said Deanna Levy, a senior, who raised about $400. “That made me want to do it more.”

People were eager to give, she said. “Everyone was like, ‘Oh, you’re going to shave your principal’s head? Good.’ ”

John Phillips, a ninth-grader, raised $410, more than any other student. His motivation, he said, was simple: “I wanted to have the most money, so when they had their heads shaved, they would know it was me” who was responsible.

The students raised more than $3,100 for Aliso High, a continuation school in Reseda for students considered at risk. In previous fund-raisers, school officials said, students never came close to raising that much.

It was time to collect on the bet, and the students were showing no mercy as they watched the show, cheering on the two hair stylists with chants of “Shorter! Shorter! Shorter!”

“I want bald!” one girl jeered.

“Just a little off the sides,” begged Trapani.

“We’re just doing one side, right?” asked Kessler, who also had to shave off his beard as part of the bet.

After it was over, the students presented the two men with gifts, including hats to hide their shaved heads, shampoo and hair conditioner.

“I can use this [conditioner] on my legs,” said Trapani.

“Wait until my wife sees this,” said Kessler, rubbing the stubble on his head.