The Rocket

Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: Focus

Thirty years ago, to find a person with tattoos, piercings and unnatural hair color was a rarity. But in recent years, self-expression has been at its peak, and people are no longer afraid to express themselves through their hair, dress and body.

For many people, hair may just be something to wash, brush and take care of every morning. For others at SRU, like Zabrina Rodgers, hair is a way for students to express themselves without words.

Rodgers, a freshman communication major, has been dying her currently black hair with a bleach-blonde streak in the front since she was 14 years old.

"I like having my hair dyed (and) I feel weird if I don't have it this way," Rodgers said. "I have dyed my streaks and tips red, purple, pink, orange and yellow, but I have never dyed my whole head those colors. I'm not that brave!"

Though she believes it's a part of self-expression, she also sees limitations with dying her hair.

"I think that unnatural hairstyles are becoming more accepted in society," Rodgers said. "Although, once I get old I will (probably) stop dying my hair even though I will always like it. (I mean), nobody wants to introduce their grandma with green hair."

Although Rodgers has dyed her hair nearly every color of the rainbow, she doesn't have any tattoos or piercings because she said she hates needles.

On the other hand, freshman exploratory major Faras Sayles, who also hates needles, has six different piercings including his nipples and tongue, as well as multiple tattoos.

But not only does Faras have tattoos and piercings, he also has a blonde stripe running down the middle of his natural deep-brown hair.

"In high school I always had ridiculous hair," Sayles said. "My high school had a policy that we weren't allowed to dye our hair unnatural colors, so I put a blonde stripe in my hair, which is actually unnatural for me since I am African American."

But high school was just the beginning of Sayles' unorthodox hairstyles.

"The weirdest thing I have ever done with my hair is writing my name in the back," Sayles said. "Another time I cut my hair like an old man, with bald patches everywhere."

While there are plenty of students at SRU who take their self-expression to extremes, others have ways of subtly expressing themselves.

Duane Crooks, a 23-year-old senior management major has been growing dreadlocks for the past seven years.

"I don't really have a reason why I did it," Crooks said. "It kind of just happened."

To maintain his hairstyle, he said he must wash it for an hour and a half, let it dry for another hour and a half, then twist it with beeswax. He does this process about once a month.

While some think that people are always trying to make a certain statement with their hairstyle, Crooks said, "It's just part of me."

Junior Mike Williams, a political science major, chose to tame his once wild side when he decided to shave off his mohawk.

"Having a mohawk was a lot of fun, but it can be looked down upon by employers," Williams said. "I (also) like being able to look professional and clean-cut." Yet college students aren't the only people who have let hairstyles become a way of expressing themselves.

Non-traditional hairstyles have also found their ways into the lives of some celebrities.

One of the most publicized hairstyles (or lack thereof) in Hollywood deals with Britney Spears. On Feb. 16 in Los Angeles, Spears walked into a hair salon and shaved all of her hair off.

According to MSNBC, her removing all her hair was "a sign she may be having trouble reconciling her superstar persona and her own damaged self-image."

In the end, it all comes down to personal preference and self-expression. While some keep their hair and body conservative, others choose to live a little on the edge. "I will never stop dying my hair," Sayles said. "I will do it my whole life."

Liz Glazier contributed to this story.

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