Last month, I learned that “Smooth’s”, a black-Yale haircutting staple notorious for its cheap cuts, dim lighting, and regularly high barbers, had closed its doors for the final time. What may have seemed like a minor causality in the volatile world of local New Haven enterprise, was a devastating blow for many of us here on campus. Though its cuts poor and its barbers unreliable, “Smooth’s” was one of the few remaining black barbershops in the immediate downtown area.

In the world of black male hair-upkeep, the barber-client relationship is something akin to a cosmetological marriage; one in which there are ups and downs, occasional misunderstandings, and a hairline who’s integrity is constantly hanging in the balance.
As you can imagine, the closing of “Smooth’s” shook our world. It’s like you’re a 75-year-old in a 40-year marriage, and suddenly your wife up and leaves you for her younger, more exciting shuffleboard partner down at the Y. Now you’re on Tinder, swiping right like your life depends on it! (I’m sure you’ll find someone, Grandpa Joe!)

Luckily, Trevorn “Trev” Lewis, or “@supertrev711dibarber”, has emerged as black Yale’s last hope. The Jamaican born hair artist and crown jewel of “Allure Beauty & Barber Concepts: Hair Salon” on State Street has single-handedly picked up the slack of the defunct “Smooth’s” and turned cross campus into a display of his portfolio. Nowadays, one can’t traverse Beinecke Plaza without spotting a “Trev”.
So what if our cuts look a little similar? What does it matter if we literally all have the same haircut? Who cares if my English professor continues to confuse me with the other black kid in my seminar? At least now I can go to bed knowing I have hair security.

It’s on you, Trev! The fate of black Yale’s well kempt “line-ups” rest in your hands! Good luck and God speed.