On Thursday, Sept. 26, the May Room, known for hosting a city of theater productions and banquets, was transformed into a makeshift professional barber shop. 12 professional salon chairs lined the room, behind which stood six stylists and six barbers, each equipped with their own professional equipment.
“Students, Look Your Best!” was an event hosted for Meliora Weekend by the Office of Alumni Relations & Constituent Engagement from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Undergraduate students were able to relax and enjoy a snack offered by the Office of Alumni Relations before sitting down and getting a free haircut from a professional stylist.
Over 132 slots were offered throughout the day. Pre-registration was required, but that didn’t stop students from stopping in throughout the event to check if walk-ins were still being taken.
This event was a product of ClipDart, a nonprofit created by UR alumnus Kyle Parker that offers free, on-site hair care for individuals who might lack access to the service.
“We’re in 26 states now, with over 100 partners, and obviously we wanted to partner with Rochester, because that was my alumni here, and there’s a lot of low-income students, a lot of students who don’t have a lot of time, or LGBTQIA+ students who don’t feel comfortable going to cities,” said Parker.
ClipDart previously partnered with the University in the spring to offer free haircuts to seniors before graduation.
“It was well-received and so we decided to make the event open to all undergraduate students during Meliora Weekend as part of our professional development offerings to the UR community,” explained Senior Associate Director of Office of Alumni Relations & Constituent Engagement, Michelle Cavalcanti.
The event was meant to pair with the Complimentary Professional Headshots being offered throughout Meliora Weekend, which had over 450 registered students.
“I came out because free haircut’s really tempting. It’s great having a professional versus just like trimming my hair on the sink in the bathroom,” said sophomore Micah McCollough. “I’m really happy with it.”
Now that ClipDart is so large, Parker can’t make it to every event, but he made sure to attend this one.
Parker explained, “I usually don’t come to the events, but I really wanted to come to this one. It’s a full circle. I was one of these students who could never get a haircut here, and I just wish I could’ve had something like this.”
