Christopher Rose and Santino Cattaneo are co-owners of SLO Barbers in downtown San Luis Obispo. They opened the barbershop to be a place for the community to come together and to create a safe space.

The barbers have worked together for three years and decided to open their own shop last fall. After Rose and Cattaneo walked by an empty storefront on Higuera St. in downtown SLO, they called the leaser the next morning.

Jeremy Garza a senior journalism and political science student and is this year's managing editor. He has previously worked as a news and investigative reporter covering equity and government at Cal Poly...