At San Luis Obispo High School in the last few days some people have shown up with a new hairstyle. It’s called “cornrows”, and it’s a traditional African hairstyle where the hair is braided very close to the head. Expressions decided to interview two followers of this new trend: juniors Cole Bumen and Nabeel El-Sayed.

Expressions: Why did you decide to have cornrows?

Junior Cole Bumen: Because this is the longest my hair has ever been, and I decided that I wanted to change my look for a little while.

Junior Nabeel El-Sayed: Because I have long hair, and I don’t really know when it is gonna be this long again. It happened randomly, I saw that Kyra Lauritzen had braided her hair, so I said, “damn, I bet she could braid my hair.” So her and Tyra braided it.

Expressions: How long did you take to make the hairstyle?

Bumen: Three hours.

El-Sayed: It took three hours.

Expressions: Did it hurt?

Bumen: Yes a lot, very bad. Taking them out hurt worse than putting them in though.

El-Sayed: No, it felt good. It was like a massage.

Expressions: Are you proud of this new trend that you created?

Bumen: Yes, so proud!

El-Sayed: I don’t think I created a new trend at all. It was just a random decision, and I did it and it was fun.

Expressions: Would you suggest cornrows to people that are thinking about changing their hairstyle?

Bumen: Of course, if there is the opportunity.

El-Sayed: I would suggest that you should do what you want to do with your hair and not to feel any pressure to stay within the lines of uniformity.

Expressions: Do you prefer having cornrows or your normal hair?

Bumen: Depending on my mood. The cornrows are fun to try for some days, but I think my normal hair is more comfortable.

El-Sayed: I don’t know, the braids got grimy after a little while, so I think I like my normal hair more.