Walking into Campus Cuts Barber Shop is not the same experience many would equate with going to get their hair trimmed. There is no sign-in sheet, no sterile doctor's office waiting room chairs, no blown speakers blasting pop-culture radio hits and no cheesy 1980s-era hairstyle magazines.
Instead, Campus Cuts welcomes customers with muted orange and green leather chairs, a full stereo system oozing everything from John Coltrane to Jack Johnson, and a slight, inviting smile from shop owner and barber Algier Williamson.
An Indianapolis native, Williamson moved to Muncie originally to experience a change of scenery. His shop started behind T.I.S. Bookstore in the Village, where Williamson enjoyed a slow, but steady, stream of clients.
His business, and his clientele list, have recently taken off in light of a relocation to a more prominent location in the Village next to Jimmy John's Sandwich Shop at the corner of Martin and University avenues.
Often starting at 7 a.m. and ending well past 9 p.m., Williamson is working harder than ever.
"I was doing alright, but nobody could see me in the other shop," he said. "Now that I'm here, people can see me. They look in my windows and wave as they go by. People drop in all the time now."
But cutting hair isn't just a job to Williamson. It is a lifestyle.
"I laugh all day," he said. "I get to hear my favorite songs, I have some good conversations with some good people. Hopefully, God is using me in a way that I can do some good by people and spread some good words."
Williamson's love for cutting hair is partially fueled by his desire to achieve greater things. He works around the clock with the hope of saving enough money to enroll in the Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning.
"I love design, and I love color," he said. "The opportunity to turn nothing into something, to do something with my hands."
In addition to personal growth, Williamson aspires to grow his business in the coming months.
"Hopefully by either Christmas Break, or Summer Break, I'll be able to have a dart board, or an air hockey table, and I'm going to knock the wall down to really open this place up," he said.
Williamson looks at his shop as not merely a place to have your hair cut, but also a place to escape from responsibility and stress.
"People today have so much they have to worry about: school, their relationships," he said. "This is just a place to kick it and relax. Somewhere that's always positive, always uplifting."
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