Mike Ybarra goes to his drawer of razors, takes out a trimmer and, with a steady hand, starts to trim the neck of his client. They make small talk, share a few laughs and talk about the upcoming women’s shocker volleyball season.

It’s a typical day for Ybarra, owner and operator of Lords and Ladys hair salon, located in the basement of the Rhatigan Student Center.

“People are getting their back to school hair cuts,” he said.

The salon is small, with off-white walls and a few chairs that sit alongside the far backside of the room. It’s quiet, for now, but it’s a place for Ybarra to conduct steady business.

Ybarra has been cutting hair in the basement of the RSC for almost 30 years. After growing up in Wellington, he said he knew his options were either college or trade school. He chose trade school, applied for a job opening at Lords and Ladys, and has been snipping, coloring and perming hair ever since.

“It was something I just wanted to do,” he said.

On a good day, he sees about 10 to 15 students, and serves faculty, staff and locals. Traffic, he said, has stayed fairly similar to what it looked like 20 years ago.

Jim Cross, a WSU alumnus and longtime client of Ybarra’s for more than 20 years, said he enjoys visiting and keeping up with the campus.

“Mike is a [great] guy and I just keep coming back to see him,” he said. “He is just an old, old friend.”

Before the remodel of the RSC two years ago, Lords and Ladys was positioned in a corner near the restrooms, opposite of where it currently sits, just across from Shocker Lanes.

“The construction was a nightmare,” Ybarra said. “It was a long two years but we made it.”

His favorite part of the job, he said, is the different people and the environment.

“It’s the kids, you know, after they’re studying and figuring what to future their life into. It’s pretty interesting.”

As for his future, Ybarra said he is looking to add eyebrow waxing and manicures to his list of services.