Hairstyles on Campus Challenge Honor Code

    1123

    By Megan Carleton

    Mullets, Mohawks and faux-hawks. Oh my.

    Many BYU students are sporting the latest hairstyles, some of which can get result in a hairy situation. However, the need to consider the honor code keeps some student”s hair slightly edged-down, in shape and in style.

    When it comes to male hairstyles, the trend appears to be more retro and more euro.

    “Mullets made a comeback for awhile,” said Brittney Wiseman, a hair stylist at Lunatic Fringe in Salt Lake City.

    Never mind the hillbilly and trucker stereotypes associated with the hairdo, the mullet became one of those styles men sported not for the good looks, but just to do the do.

    “Men have more options for their hair than they had five or 10 years ago,” Wiseman said. “They”re stepping more outside the box … becoming more conscious of their looks.”

    In keeping with the trend, many male students on campus are growing their hair long during school breaks, and then trimming down to shape up before returning to classes.

    “I cut my hair into a mullet because it was getting long,” said Stanton Jones, a communications student from Park City. “So I just trimmed the top, cut the sides short and left the back to fly free. Then I put in steps to make it look more ”80s and less white trash.”

    Jones said his hair met the honor code policy, since he kept the length just short of his collar. His only concern was that his jagged steps shaved above the ears might get categorized as “extreme,” but no one ever said anything.

    Regarding hair, the honor code says, “Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extreme styles or colors, and trimmed above the collar leaving the ear uncovered.”

    However, within the text of the grooming standards, some students encounter styles they just aren”t quite sure about.

    “There isn”t a way to list out extreme styles,” said Steven Baker, director of the Honor Code Office. “But most of the students do make appropriate calls on style.”

    For students with questions about their grooming, Baker said they could visit the office and check their style there to ensure they maintain BYU standards.

    Despite the standards, many guys have been spotted with the shaggy hairdo around campus, tucking hair behind their ears when using student services.

    Philip Smallwood said he was surprised earlier this week to hear his ecclesiastical endorsement would not count until after he trimmed his sleeker, shaggy locks.

    “I got my hair cut like two weeks ago,” said Smallwood, a senior from Lanett, Ala. “My hair wasn”t covering my ear, just touching.”

    When looking around campus, Smallwood said he notices quite a few guys with longer hair than his, and even his friends sported three to four inches of rattails for a few weeks, until their bishop said something.

    While the Mohawk hairstyle made its appearances in less extreme variations, like the toned down faux-hawk style seen on The Killers lead singers Brandon Flowers, some students, like Jessica Hatch, dared to do the more extreme spiking.

    “I just always wanted to do a Mohawk,” said Hatch, a sophomore from North Yarmouth, Maine. “But I had a hall advisor at the Morris Center tell me I had to leave because it was too radical.”

    Despite the campus policy on extreme hairstyles, most students said they find they can sport the most recent hairstyles while staying within the Honor Code”s guidelines.

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email