Until recently, school resource officer (SRO) Chase Vanderhule was most recognizable in the LHS hallways for his distinctive choice of hairstyle.
Vanderhule, more commonly known as the “mullet cop” amongst students, started his SRO career after his return from the military. Beginning this journey at Axtell Park, he transferred to LHS the following year and was welcomed by a student population of mullet admirers.
“I guess I really didn’t do it for popularity, per se, it was more just to show everybody ‘hey, cops are the same as everybody [else],’” said Vanderhule. “[That] you can talk to me like a normal person.”
Being the father of three kids, Vanderhule works to help create a comfortable, safe environment for high school students. In recent weeks, however, the students in question have begun to notice the absence of his acclaimed mullet.
When his mother’s stage four cancer returned, Vanderhule made the decision to shave his head as a way to show his support.
“I mean the cool part of it is that my son, my five-year-old son, helped me come to the realization that it was what me and him needed to do,” said Vanderhule. “He actually did it first and I did it right after him.”
During a visit to his mother’s house following her diagnosis, Vanderhule and the rest of his family helped her shave her head.
“We buzzed her hair so the grandkids wouldn’t be afraid if they saw her with no hair,” said Vanderhule. “That was the point of it, to have them be a part of the process to buzz it.”
At the time, Vanderhule and his son sported matching mullets. It was on the way to a haircut appointment a few weeks later that the idea to shave his own head struck him for the first time. As they headed to the salon planning to leave with a standard fade, Vanderhule’s son turned to him and proposed an alternative approach.
“He says to me, as we’re driving there, 7 o’clock at night, ‘No Dad, I don’t want that type of haircut,’” said Vanderhule. “‘I’m like okay, what kind of haircut do you want?’ He goes, ‘I want to look like grandma.’”
Vanderhule, who had been mulling over the same idea during the weeks prior, was amazed at such a proposal.
“I was getting goosebumps, almost starting to tear up a bit and I’m not a crier guy,” said Vanderhule. “I’m like ‘Hey son, why do you want to look like Grandma?’ Again, we were driving to the hair salon, and he goes ‘Well ‘cause, I want to be strong for Grandma so she can be strong.’”
Later that night, as they were getting ready for bed, Vanderhule and his son shared yet another moment that helped him to make his final judgment. When asked why he did not also buzz his hair, Vanderhule was forced to make a decision.
“I didn’t even have time to answer, and he goes ‘Dad you should really get a buzz cut,’” said Vanderhule. “I was like ‘oh my God, you are something special, kid.’”
The next day, Vanderhule worked with Sgt. Major to help him shave his head, and has maintained the style ever since.
As for his plans for future hairstyling endeavors, Vanderhule hopes to express support for his mother in this way for as long as possible.
“She’ll have to go through this, [chemo] and however long that is, that’s how long I’m going to keep shaving my head,” said Vanderhule. “I hope to have a shaved head for a long time.”
