As the clippers round across her hair, stress seems to mound. As each snips echoes and sight of hair falls to the ground. Will this first glance in the mirror produce a scream or be the desired change?

With the arrival of the New Year and second semester, some students sought to display their style through new haircuts and dyes. However, these individualistic statements/changes must remain in compliance with the campus dress code, at least until summer break.

?I love my hairstyle because it is healthy, new and easier to deal with,? Emily Schoettler, ?11, said. ?At the Hair Studio in Madera, they gave me a shoulder length cut and blonde highlights. My hair is so curly and wild, but now it is easier to deal with.?

School guidelines require girls to maintain natural colors, so bright red, pink, green, blue and purple are outlawed. Molly Sargent, dean of women, is in charge of enforcing hair rules.

?Natural colors are okay,? Sargent said. ?In the years I?ve been the girls’ counselor, I?ve only gotten a girl in trouble once: for purple hair. The reason is the same for not being allowed to dress outlandishly. The principle is to not draw attention to oneself, which is a Christian principle.?

Abigail Wendel, `09, changed her hairstyle several times within the past year. Her dark brown hair is currently done in an A-line ?do? and slightly longer in the front.

?I always like to change my hair,? Wendel said. ?I haven?t had a haircut that I don?t like yet. I recently got it cut and now my hair is new, fun and funky.?

Boys may find some girls’ morning rituals ridiculous. Tyler Duerr, `10, takes less than 30 minutes to get ready each morning, while the average girl spends approximately 60 minutes, according to a recent Feather poll.

?It?s a little extreme that some girls take two hours to get ready,? Duerr said, ?but I guess, it?s understandable. Some people just take a long time.?

For special occasions, many girls carefully planned their hairstyles. Before prom, senior Taryn Brown, cheerleader, made two appointments to get her hair done.

?For prom, I got extensions and dyed my hair more blonde,? Brown said. ?Also I had it curled. Last year I had my hair done the same way and I really liked how it looked. I read Teen People magazines to get help with ideas for my hair and the style is within the school?s rules.?

Maintaining style while still following the guidelines may seem difficult to some, but possible.

?You don?t need to have extravagant hair just to have good style,? Schoettler said. ?Regular cuts and styles for hair are really cute.?