RACHEL JOHNSON
News Assistant
Cutting through fears or apathy, students gave a piece of themself Monday and Tuesday at the HAWC.
They donated 10-inchesof hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit group that provides hairpieces and wigs for children and teenagers who have lost their hair due to cancer and other medical conditions.
Student Programming Board and Housing and Community Living worked together to support the event. Senior Carolyn Simpson, Weekend Events Coordinator for SPB, has served Locks of Love since her freshman year. Her freshman RA, Tara Emerson, brought the event to Pepperdine’s campus and encouraged Simpson to participate.
After going overseas, Simpson returned to campus and took charge of the event. Along with seniors Kristin Paulson and Janessa Povey, Simpson continued encouraging the student body to participate by holding the event in 2006 and again this year.
Simpson collaborated with Stacy Rothberg, associate dean of students for HCL. Rothberg, who has worked with Locks of Love all five years it has been on campus, got involved to for more than just the student body; for her, it is personal.
“I’m a cancer survivor,” Rothberg said. “This is a tangible way of giving back. It’s a sacrifice but it’s very worthwhile.”
Hairstylists from the Salon at Malibu Creek were enlisted to cut students’ hair. Michael Ahmeti, a hairstylist at the salon, has volunteered for the event for all five years. This year, he brought two other stylists with him, including Brit Hebner. Like Rothberg, it’s personal to Hebner, whose friend died of cancer in high school.
“She always wanted long hair after her chemotherapy,” Hebner said of her friend. “Hair is like a security blanket.”
Liz Austin is a first-year participant in aiding in the organization of the event. She was enlisted to the group by Rothberg, who sent an e-mail to all of the current RAs to see if anyone would be interested in helping. Austin, who heard of the event when she was a freshman, thought it would be exciting to participate. Because of her involvement this year, she will take over the event after Simpson graduates.
“I’m excited and ready to take it on,” Austin said. “It’s a good cause based on service and giving of yourself.”
Freshman Becky Gallardo was encouraged to attend by Austin, her RA. She wanted to donate her hair because unlike some who will receive hairpieces, her hair will grow back.
“When you’re going through a condition where you lose your hair, you don’t feel normal,” Gallardo said. “I don’t feel like young girls should have to go through that.”
Pepperdine faculty and staff even got involved with the event. Finance professor Marilyn Misch donated her hair, as did Linda Hood, who works in the cashier’s office.
This year more than 40 people participated and donated their hair during the two-day event, surpassing the average 30 hairpieces per event that have been collected in past years.
Simpson says she thinks the event is making history on Pepperdine’s campus.
“Pepperdine lacks tradition, and I believe Locks of Love is contributing to creating a tradition of service on campus,” Simpson said. “I’m happy to be a part of it.”
03-29-2007