Feature

by Joy Huff

"Just because you are a poor college student doesn't mean you can't have cool hair."

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Resident Rock 'n' Roll
Hairstylist Creates Hair Art

Jeremy Buchholz has cut hair at Leaping Lizards Salon for the past four years.
--Joy Huff, photo

A ministry, an artistic release and a lifestyle. Not many can describe their job as all three. Multnomah Bible College student Jeremy Buchholz, 30, spends his Saturdays in a purple and blue rock 'n' roll-style salon, Leaping Lizards, in the Pearl District.

"Just because you are a poor college student doesn't mean you can't have cool hair," Buchholz said. He considers his "Multnomah discount" an opportunity that costs him little but makes MBC students feel and look good. He normally charges $40 for a haircut but only charges $15 to MBC students, spouses, and staff. "It's my ministry to Multnomah," he said.

Debbie Sheldon, wife of MBC student Mike Sheldon, takes advantage of the Multnomah discount and said the low price keeps her going to Buchholz for haircuts. "I trust him, and he does exactly what I ask for," she said.

Buchholz, a junior, is majoring in speech communication. He plans to move into public speaking or consultant work, but has no intention of giving up hairstyling after graduation.

Growing up, Buchholz loved art. "I was fascinated with the fashion aspect of hairstyling," he said, "that a person could get into fashion, sitcoms or photo shoots and be able to use it anywhere around the country." He said a hairstylist mentored him and told him to view the head as a blank canvas.

"Once you are in the fashion industry it becomes a lifestyle," Buccholz remarked. "It is all I see and think about -- constantly. I jones about it if I haven't done it in a while, and then I have to call up a buddy and ask if I can cut his hair." Buchholz never goes three months without changing his own hairstyle. He said he changes it often because he gets bored with it easily.

Buchholz did not want boring names for his two children either. His wife, Ruth Buchholz, picked the name "Tiger Lily" for their daughter, now eight years old, because the tiger lily flower is delicate, precious and unique. "So, when we were going to have a boy, we couldn't just name him something like 'Sam' because it had to live up to the name 'Tiger Lily.' Otherwise he would feel ripped off [because] he didn't get a cool name too," Buchholz explained. "So I decided to make up a name. I started with 'Zion,' and after a while it ended up being 'Xias.' Since I made up the name, I made up a meaning for it, too: 'sent from God.'"

Other people appreciate his creativity as well. MBC student Mike Sheldon said he gets his haircut by Buchholz without a specific style in mind because "whatever Jeremy does looks good."

Buchholz said: "A good share of clients have come to trust me and are open to changing their style. They want something cool but not something they are going to walk out the door and see on 10 other people."

Buchholz uses his profession as a ministry by building a level of trust with clients through conversation while cutting their hair. He said, "Normally, people think that Christianity and the fashion industry don't mix, but I develop friendships with clients, and a lot of the time they are really open to sharing; it opens doors."

Buchholz said that in beauty school he heard of Leaping Lizards salon -- a punk rock salon since the '80s with an independent, artsy flair. However, Leaping Lizards was the type of salon that rented workstations to hairstylists. Each new stylist has to come in with a full clientele, a loyal following of customers already used to having a certain person cut their hair, Buchholz said. He worked elsewhere for five years to build up his clientele before taking a station at Leaping Lizards. "It is off-the-wall; hairstylists that don't fit in anywhere else fit here. There are no egos, no competition at Leaping Lizards; there's just people doing what they love."

Mrs. Sheldon said, "Everyone should get their hair cut by Jeremy. They won't be disappointed, and they'll be helping out a married student."

"When you get a haircut, it's like an instant pick-me-up," Buchholz said. "You just feel more confident with a good style."

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