“One challenge students face is finding time to get a haircut. So we’re bringing the barbershop to them,” Alex Nelson, a second-year student and the Resident Hall Association’s (RHA) vice president of residential experience, said, describing RHA’s new partnership with Jayson “Dub” Williams, a local entrepreneur and barber owner of Solar Mobile Studio.
The Campus Cuts initiative seeks to provide Case Western Reserve University students with affordable and accessible haircuts through this partnership. Campus Cuts are $30 for college students, reduced from the standard price of $45.
When asked how many students he gets, Williams reported that he sees about two or three students each day.
“[Williams] runs the only 100% solar-powered mobile barbershop in Cleveland. He’s got three fully equipped buses and works throughout the city, cutting hair for daycares, nursing homes, and other community spaces. He can cut all hair types,” Nelson said. “His exceptional work has landed him two interviews on local news channels in the past three years.”
Williams, who’s worked at campuses such as Oberlin College and has been mobile barbering for almost three years now, described what it is like cutting people’s hair on campus. “It’s the best experience,” he said. “[To] be able to cut anybody, everybody, and to be able to network and to just have everybody come here and get the experience.”
He definitely has turned it into an experience: a TV playing sports games, a PlayStation 5 and books are some of the plethora of diversions available for students who are waiting or getting a cut in his barber truck. “It’s not just about getting a haircut—it’s about making it an enjoyable break in your day,” Williams said.
Williams emphasized his ability to cut any hair type. He said, “I’m here to help anybody in school that if they want to, they need a haircut of a passionate barber who could be able to cut and give them the look they look for. They don’t have to worry about going far. And I love to be a barber … That’s what I’m here for.”
The cuts are not only high-quality, enjoyable and affordable, but also convenient for most students. They can have their hair done through Campus Cuts twice per week: Mondays and Thursdays from 4-7 p.m. On Mondays, the shop is located in Lot 52 behind The Den by Denny’s. On Thursdays, the shop is in Lot 47 near Fribley Commons. Students can sign up for a slot on CampusGroups or enter as a walk-in.
“[Students] could just simply walk down or walk to wherever lot I’m at and they could get their service from the hours [and] days I’m here,” Williams said. He added that his cutting services are wheelchair accessible.
Additionally, Nelson emphasised RHA’s aim of maintaining the presence of Campus Cuts as a service. “The big-picture goal is to establish Campus Cuts as a permanent service through University Auxiliary Services, so that even after I graduate, CWRU students can continue getting easy, affordable, and high-quality haircuts right on campus,” Nelson said.