Sharpening Skills and Styles: Inside the EVIT Barber Halloween Battle and Program

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Barbering instructor Stacey Wheeler, Jovan Castaneda and Giovanni Licona

Creativity, precision, and passion are taking center stage at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT). On Thursday, October 29, second-year barbering students will host the highly anticipated EVIT Barber Battle at the Main Campus in Mesa, Arizona.

The event highlights the growing technical expertise and artistry cultivated within EVIT’s two-year barbering program. Host Michael Mallace sat down on Eye on EVIT with instructor Stacey Wheeler and second-year students Jovan Castaneda and Giovanni Licona to discuss the upcoming showcase, client retention, and the comprehensive training behind the chair.

What to Expect at the EVIT Barber Battle

The Barber Battle gives students complete ownership of an industry-style showcase. Organized and run entirely by second-year students, the competition puts their cutting, fading, and styling skills to the test on live models under strict time limits.

A panel of guest judges, including professionals traveling from as far as Virginia Beach alongside top Arizona barbers, will evaluate participants using a standardized scoring system.

Attendees can look forward to two competitive categories:

Halloween-Themed Creative Cut (“Anything Goes”): A free-form showcase embracing spooky season. Competitors can incorporate bold hair designs, creative color sprays, glitter, face paint, and full costumes to craft a cohesive look, all while executing clean cut lines without nicks.
Cleanest All-Around Fade: A technical category spotlighting classic barbering craft. Students deliver clean, natural fades without the use of artificial color enhancements, executing seamless blends across styles like taper fades, burst fades, and high fades.

Event Details and Public Attendance

The competition is open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend, support student barbers, and scout rising industry talent.

Date: Thursday, October 29
Session Times:
- Morning Session: 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM
- Afternoon Session: 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: EVIT Main Campus, Building 1, 1601 W. Main Street, Mesa, AZ
Admission: $10 entry fee at the front desk (card only, no cash accepted)

All proceeds from the Barber Battle go directly back into the barbering enterprise to fund classroom supplies, shop equipment like ring lights and clippers, and program upgrades. Community members interested in serving as live models for future classes or events can contact the EVIT barbershop directly and ask for Ms. Wheeler.

Building Careers: Inside EVIT’s Barbering Program

The EVIT barbering curriculum is structured as a rigorous two-year program designed to bridge classroom theory with hands-on client service.

Students complete 600 hours during their first year, learning the fundamentals and textbook coursework. In their second year, students log another 600 hours on the shop floor, graduating with the 1,200 total hours required to sit for the Arizona State Board licensing examination. The goal is for students to secure their professional license before or immediately upon high school graduation.

Instructor Stacey Wheeler pointed out that the modern barbering industry has evolved dramatically, offering lucrative opportunities for driven stylists.

“Thirty years ago when I started out in the industry, we didn’t have radio stations to come be on, we didn’t have CTE schools, we didn’t have licensed teachers who were cosmetology-trained,” Wheeler explained. “Now they have social media. They could easily come out right out of barber school earning $50,000 and above, and be six figures quick if they know how to work social media.”

Second-year students Castaneda, from Chandler High School, and Licona, from Mesa High School, both credit the program with turning their creative interests into tangible career pathways. Castaneda plans to combine college business classes with his barber training to open his own shop, while Licona values the schedule independence and the personal connections built behind the chair.

“You can really make good friends being in the barber industry and meet new people,” Licona shared. “If they feel comfortable with you and how the service is, you can be friends with them and the relationship does last a while, or pretty much forever.”

Wheeler reiterated that technical prowess must always go hand in hand with customer care.

“Client consultation and building relationships is actually more important than the haircut itself,” Wheeler noted. “At the end of the day, I teach these students that the relationship they build with each client keeps them coming back. That’s what pays the bills; that’s what keeps the retention of the clients. If you build them and their trust and their confidence and have them coming back, you’ll have a client for life.”

EVIT’s curriculum places significant emphasis on professional image, business operations, and customer retention. The student-operated barbershop functions as a full-service salon open to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, providing services including men’s and women’s haircuts, beard trims, shaves, color treatments, perms, and facials.

How to Attend, Book, and Listen

For details on the event and salon services, visit evit.edu/haircuts. For complete enrollment details, program requirements, and applications for high school and adult students, head over to evit.edu.

Eye on EVIT airs Sunday mornings at 7:00 AM on 88.7 The Pulse. You can also stream the station through our website at 887thepulse.com or on the 88.7 The Pulse AZ app. Missed the broadcast? Eye on EVIT is archived as a podcast and can be heard on demand anytime through the website and mobile apps.