The Student Center barber shop is, arguably, one of the most constant establishments in the history of the Student Center, according to bsu.edu. It opened simultaneously with the Student Center in 1952, a working reminder of Ball State history.
After 50 years of service as the barber for Ball State University, Benny Benefiel has retired, and now a new crew is taking over the L.A. Pittenger Student Center’s barber shop.
Muncie’s Hot Heads Hair Design will be moving in and opening Hot Heads On Campus on August 1.
After Benefiel’s retirement was announced, the university contacted local salons in search for new stylists.
When Tena Rees, a Ball State alumna and Hot Heads owner and master designer, got the email, she was eager to check it out and get her salon involved.
“I received an email that the space was opening up and we would be invited to tour the space,” Rees said. “When we got there, there were five other interested parties. After touring we had to say if we were interested or not, and since we were, we received this email containing a 27-page document we had to comply with. Ball State pretty much knew what they wanted, which [was] a full-service salon.”
After all the paper work and discussions, the university chose Hot Heads to take over.
Voted as Ball State’s favorite salon in 2016, the Hot Heads Hair Design team will feature four stylists and one barber on location in the lower level of the Student Center.
The team will offer cuts, colors, highlighting, keratin treatments, formal styling, blow outs, waxing and brow tinting and shaping.
The new stylists know they have big shoes to fill with Benny the Barber’s legacy, Rees said.
“We have a lot of respect for Benny,” she said. “I have gone and talked to him a lot of times, and I just asked him about himself and how he liked working there. … There was this one time I asked him, ‘Benny, how many cuts can you do on a busy day?’ because it’s just him by himself, and he said, ‘Oh, 20 or 30’ — that’s a lot of haircuts.”
Though Benny will be gone, the new team plans on keeping his red barber chairs for the future reception area, as well as pictures of Benefiel to be hung up around the salon.
The company has already started painting, redesigning and moving tools and products into the salon in hopes that everything will be ready before students begin to move in.
“We are really excited to get on campus,” Rees said.
She said she thinks the new location will be perfect for all students to check out and see if they'll want to use it for themselves.
“The students of Ball State will really like our work,” Rees said. “We have a lot of young, really talented rising-star professionals; these kids are keeping really busy in Muncie doing a lot of really cool cuts and colors that you don’t see every where, so I think students will be pretty impressed with our work.”
The salon will be working hard the first semester of school to attract students.
“We will be at the Ball State Welcome Fair for new incoming freshmen in August,” Rees said. “We will be handing out $5 gift certificates students can use on any cut or style, as well as free eyebrow shaping coupons, which have a $15 value.”
Rees said the team will also be participating in every Late Nite event the first semester of school with open houses “to get to know people and open the doors to the students, inviting them in to see what the salon is all about.”
Hot Heads On Campus will have competitive prices with barber style cuts, ranging from $20 up to $25, and ladies' cuts anywhere from $25 to $30, depending on the level of stylist.
Though hours are not yet finalized, Rees is hoping to have the salon open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
Until the new salon opens, clients can still check out the Hot Heads Hair Design team at their salon on 1300 W McGalliard Rd.
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