Bantam Fades Nears Deal to Acquire Tripod Office as First Brick-and-Mortar Location

Angelica Gajewski ’26

Executive Bits & Pieces Editor

Bantam pride, line-ups and an entrepreneurial spirit. A mysterious business venture, “Bantam Fades,” emerged in early September. While many of the details surrounding its operation still remain shrouded in mystery, the Trinity student body has theorized that the group may be part of a homogenization initiative led by new Trinity faculty member Adam Kissel. Others believe the group to be an elaborate art project and a last-ditch effort for attention by the College’s theater and dance department. In our commitment to serving the Trinity community, we sent the Tripod’s own executive politics appreciator undercover to investigate the Bantam Fades operation.

“It was really something,” said our staff member with a fresh line-up. “They had refreshments, a makeshift lobby, even a reference binder, granted they were all AI-generated pictures of David Beckham with different cuts.” 

Providing the service was a student who remained anonymous, only going by “Mr. Fade” around the barber shop/communal kitchen. The entire process took about thirty minutes, including a moment when Mr. Fade reportedly stopped mid-cut to make a TikTok transition. With most of Bantam Fades’ services being free or low-cost, it perplexed many community members when rumors began circulating of the business’s plan to “buy out” the Trinity Tripod from Jackson Hall. Speculation only continued as Bantam Fades garnered increased attention among students and soon, college officials.

On Thursday, Trinity College’s Office of Financial Aid came out in support of Bantam Fades, naming the small business as the recipient of a Community Service and General Vibes Grant gifted in support of the expansion. When asked about this decision, the office commented, “Ultimately, our office is committed to the well-being of students and the facilitation of a sick campus. The Bantam Fades operation is in alignment with these values in ways the Trinity Tripod has struggled with. When you walk on campus, you want to see good-looking young men with fresh cuts, and print journalism just doesn’t have that same ‘common good’ quality.”

Trinity College’s Masculinity Project organization supported this message by citing a 2024 study that cited men as experiencing an 86% increase in aura after a good haircut and a subsequent link to decreased crime rates. Bantam Fades further outlined their future plans via a series of Instagram stories consisting of one singular angle of a dorm ceiling with text laid over. In addition to acquiring the basement of Jackson Hall, the local business also cites future collaborations with academic departments specifically known for their rigorous curriculum in an attempt at “chopped student prevention. “The Tripod remains committed to following this developing story from anywhere.