14
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
JULY 13 - JULY 19,2005
Beauty schools offer cheap styles for students looking to cut costs
Angela Harris, Lawrence resident, gets her hair cut and styled by cosmetology student Jessica Melton, Olathe. Harris is a frequent customer at Z Cosmetology Academy because of the low prices and good service. All services are provided by students and supervised by licensed instructors.
BY ASHLEY MICHAELS amichaels@kansan.com KANSAN STAFF WRITER
In a college town like Lawrence, with thousands of college students wanting to save money, there is a never-ending demand for cheap haircuts.
Both Lawrence Beauty Academy, 2211 Silicon Dr., and Z Cosmetology Academy, 2429 Iowa, offer such services.
These establishments are places for cosmetology students to gain experience in their field, whether it be nails, hair or aesthetics. Cosmetology schools can benefit the pocketbook and give you the same service you would receive at a salon.
A school can charge whatever it wants, but because they are schools and the students aren't licensed, schools don't charge as much, said Ron McKenzie, instructor at Z Cosmetology Academy.
"Lawrence is primarily a student city and people can't afford the high-price salons," McKenzie said. "Students also enjoy coming to students because they can relate to each other."
"I assumed they are younger and up on the latest styles, plus I'm a poor college student," Horton said.
Carly Horton, Houston senior, said she went for the low cost and the student atmosphere.
A common myth about going to a cosmetology school is that students do not provide the same quality as a licensed professional, McKenzie said.
The fact of the matter is that the students have been well prepared to work in a salon-
style setting and, more often than not, provide the customer with a high level of professionalism, said Susan Quinn, manager of JCPenney Styling Salon.
"If I feel like they're not ready, I make them go back through the basics," McKenzie said. "It is our goal to make our students salon-quality."
The state requires that students complete 320 hours before they can actually go out on the floor, McKenzie said.
Cosmetology students are still students, so there is always an instructor available to make sure the job is done right. Cosmetology instructors have to maintain a continuing education, attending conferences and workshops to keep their license and to stay current on the latest styles for their students.
McKenzie said that customers often came into the academy to have them correct something that another salon had done.
"People know that we are still teaching our students the basic rules and that instructors are present," McKenzie said. "Our students go through an interview process and a harder curriculum so that when they are done they are ready to be a beautician."
Not everyone is quite so optimistic about putting their beauty needs in the hands of student stylists.
Molly Buehler, Kansas City, Mo., high school senior, said that by going to a beauty school you would be taking a large risk because you may not have time to correct something they've messed up, especially if you were on a tight schedule like before a big event.
McKenzie said when you go
to a beauty school, you should get background information on the instructors.
"Picking out a cosmetology school is no different than picking out a salon," McKenzie said. "There are some schools that might not put as much effort into their education and then not put out a good product. Just because a job costs $150 doesn't mean it's better than a $40 job."
The students respect and appreciate the customers because if not for the customers, the students would be working on mannequins, McKenzie said.
"We aren't doing it for profit," said Denni Stout, Lawrence Beauty Academy student. "We are doing it to gain the experience."
—Edited by Erin M. Droste