Frank Rollins walked into the Ohio Point out College or university of Barber Styling in Whitehall just one recent Friday and produced his way to Jasmine Craig, who assisted the 75-calendar year-outdated into a chair.
She wrapped a black barber cape in excess of the Jefferson Township resident’s dresses and started out combing his shorter, grey hair.
It was time for his every month haircut.
“I want it near down on the sides,” he claimed make any difference-of-factly. “I want it to be flat on the top rated in the shape that it truly is in now.”
Craig, 27, an advanced student at the non-public barber college, pulled out her clippers and received to do the job. The Whitehall resident first commenced attending the university final calendar year and is established to graduate in May.
Craig said her first adore is artwork, but a good friend suggested that she ought to develop into a barber immediately after she returned to Greater Columbus from Virginia past yr.
“‘With me becoming an artist, I can variety of collaborate the two,” she claimed. “I quite substantially just signed up, and it’s been functioning out ever because. I truly observed a passion I failed to even know existed.”
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The art of chopping hair
Started in 1958, the Ohio Point out College or university of Barber Styling was originally located on South High Avenue in Downtown Columbus. The school moved to its existing place at 4614 E. Broad St. in 1993 and has been serving the Whitehall local community ever considering that, according to its website. It currently is owned by Executive Administrative Director Carrie Welbaum and Executive Fiscal Director Darlene Maziarz.
Welbaum said the barber system is a combine of classroom instruction, tests and lots of follow for pupils to find out how to style men’s and women’s hair — from haircuts and color to shaving facial hair.
College students hone their skills by working towards on shoppers from the community. Haircuts range in value from $4.50 to $7.50, dependent on the skill stage of the university student. A razor shave expenditures $10, when “the is effective” (a shave, facial, shampoo and haircut) fees $20.
“We are glad to be in a position to provide this support to the group,” Welbaum stated.
She stated students ought to total 1,800 credit score hours to graduate, with tuition costing all-around $18,775. Students like Craig can full the system in a yr if they go to at the very least five days a week, but all students are permitted to go at their very own pace.
For Craig, the decision to enroll in barber school compared to cosmetology college is that women’s hair would be a “hassle” to style each individual day, she said. Instead, she likes to concentrate on men’s grooming and facials.
While the greater part of the learners at Ohio State College or university of Barber Styling are guys, Craig claimed there are a several females barbers in her class. Welbaum claimed females make up about 25{05995459f63506108ab777298873a64e11d6b9d8e449f5580a59254103ec4a63} of the student population.
“When I started off, I just assumed it would be a good deal of males,” Craig explained. “I was stunned to see there were more gals than I assumed, so that unquestionably built me sense more comfy.”
After graduation, Craig needs to get the job done in at an recognized barbershop so she can construct clientele. But she hopes sooner or later to open an upscale store, finish with complimentary wine for clientele.
“I want to master the recreation, ideal the video game,” Craig claimed. “But I absolutely want to be in a position to get into a suite and have my individual house, so it can be much more intimate.”
‘Barbering is a calling’
Two individuals who assistance teach at the barber college are George Harrison and Andre Wallace. They train 15 various units, ranging from the record of barbering, standard anatomy, women’s and men’s hair, and barbershop management, Harrison reported.
Students take their very first examination immediately after they’ve completed 200 credits and then go on to entire five more checks for the relaxation of the program.
“Then when they go by means of all of that, that entire curriculum and all people examinations guide them up to getting ready for the state board examination,” Harrison explained.
But for Harrison and Wallace, who are both alumni of the university, classes are significantly much more than just understanding how to slash hair — they instruct existence classes to college students as nicely.
“We become psychologists, counselors,” Harrison reported. “At the finish of the day, all the things that I have been by in life has led us up to this chance.”
“Barbering is a contacting due to the fact you can not phony this,” Wallace said. “You gotta have a appreciate for this, a enthusiasm … simply because you happen to be gonna deal with men and women from all factors of daily life, backgrounds, upbringings, and they are heading to convey their ordeals to the store. So, it normally takes good character and self-discipline to navigate through this market.”
The instructors get to know their frequent clientele, these kinds of as Gregory Kinney, 62, who comes in each individual two weeks. The Northland resident reported he enjoys the ambiance and the corporation at the store.
“I arrive listed here due to the fact they’re the finest barbers you can find,” he claimed.
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