ANNOUNCEMENT (10/26/24 @ 6:40 PM):

It is with great pain that I am announcing today that my Mohawk will not be returning next year after it is cut off. After having it during the last 3 football seasons, I have decided that it will not be making a return. Details are below. I also revised a poem that I originally wrote in 7th Grade (when I was saying goodbye to the Mohawk team at NPMS) to fit the current situation. Further details will be announced via the T-Cork site and my social media pages on Snapchat and Instagram (@tcork77).

Why?

Time is mostly to blame. I cannot maintain it properly myself. After my head is cut, shaved, and colored the first time (a 2-3 hour process), it has to be shaved as often as every week, colored every two weeks, and once or twice the top of my head has to be cut as well. My mom has taken care of it over the last three years. Shaving most of my scalp takes 15-30 minutes depending on how long it has been. Coloring is a 1 hour time commitment. I simply don't have time in my schedule to sit for these activities, and my mom cannot be available any longer to shave and color it for me. Since the beginning of the Mohawk Era, she has begun to work full time and now also goes to nursing school! Her busy schedule of working, studying, sleeping, learning, repeat simply does not allow for this to continue. This year, I've made adjustments to assist her. I've been styling my own hair every morning. That's five minutes daily that she is saving. I now also shave much of the sides of my head, but I can only get so close to the Mohawk without seeing it, so she still has to shave the part that is closest to the important hair. 

Growth has another part in this decision. At first it was really cool to see everyone's reactions to this unique hairstyle. But now, everyone expects it. Nobody is surprised or impressed anymore. In addition to that, the Mohawk was never really serious. As I go through high school, I see that it's time to leave behind my middle school immature hairstyle. I am greatly appreciative of my hair's ability to, in my opinion at least, look good in any style I decide to put it in. After having the Mohawk for about one year spread out over 3 years' football season, I don't appreciate this look as much. I miss my old hair, and I think now others will appreciate the beauty of my natural hair as much as I do. Plus, I have seen thanks to my brothers that girls tend to want control over a guy's looks, including hairstyle. 

When will it be cut?

I don't quite know yet. The first Mohawk lasted until two days before Christmas. The second was shaved off (when I went completely bald last year) before Thanksgiving. My goal is, honestly, to buzz it off sooner this year than before. That said, I want to have it for my birthday (November 16th). That leaves few options before Thanksgiving, and I may decide to keep it a little longer this year with it being the farewell tour. Ultimately, sometime between November 17 and December 23 for sure. The exact date depends on my mom's availability and my thoughts at a particular time. I will announce when I know on my website and social media. 

When it's cut, what exactly happens?

I plan to shave my last at the very end of this month (ideally Oct. 30th). After that, I will let the sides grow in during No Shave November. I will then have it buzzed off and my hair will grow back to normal. I'm not going bald.  Just in case you don't remember what my "normal hair" looks like, here's some examples that were on campaign posters of mine last year. 

Elegy Poem 

I wrote an elegy (slightly different from a eulogy) for my first Mohawk during Seventh Grade's Poetry Anthology project at the end of the year. The original version focused on my departure from the Mohawk team at NPMS, because I knew the hairstyle would come back. I revised that original poem to match the current situation. You can read it  below. Completely read the first column before starting the second column. 

Inspired by "Mohawks Will Be Missed" -Tanner Corkins, May 2023

“My Mohawk Made Its Mark” - Tanner Corkins, October 2024