Student Tattoos

from Spotlight April 2021

by Spotlight

Fight for Senior Year

4 A and E Meaningful Marks Meaningful Marks

Students show off their tattoos and the meanings behind them

Madison Shuey

reporter

Happy 18th Birthday, you can now buy a lottery ticket, join the military, be charged as an adult, be able to vote and get a tattoo. Growing up, tattoos were seen as taboo with negative stereotypes. However, the implications have changed and this is not the case. Tattoos are now viewed as a way to express yourself and a form of art. They often have special meanings or they can just be for pure fun. Either way, there are often beautiful art.

Senior Lauren Kirk had always wanted tattoos but wasn’t sure if she would be able to get one due to her parent’s views on them. Recently, her family endured the loss of her sister, Emily Kirk. “My parents, sister, cousins and aunts all got tattoos for Emily. All of ours are a little different because we wanted to each have our special one,” Kirk said. The tattoo is the quote “Until we meet again” located on her rib cage. “When I start to miss my sister a lot, this tattoo reminds me that I will get to see her again one day,” Kirk said.

Photo By Audrey Kirk

Photo By Ali Gudenkauf

Always having a fascination with tattoos, senior Caitlin O’Connor enjoys learning about the story behind each one. O’Connor currently has two tattoos; one located on her rib cage and the other along her spine. Both are dedicated to her older brother who passed away five years ago. The first tattoo is angel wings with the words “Love, Sean” written underneath. “I wanted a piece of him on me and I thought it was perfect to get his handwriting from a note he wrote me,” O’Connor said. This tattoo is also shared with her mom and is something special that only they’ll have. The second tattoo, which is also her favorite, is a Mac Miller quote that says “life goes on, days get brighter.” “Every time I listen to Mac Miller I think about the times that we would drive around together and the quote is from one of our favorite songs together,” O’Connor said. O’Connor has plans for more tattoos in the future and even has one scheduled within the next few weeks. “I think tattoos are just another way of expressing yourself and it’s art on your body,” O’Connor said.

Tattoo Rebels Tattoo Rebels

Students under 18 share their ink that had to be signed off by an adult. “Rebels” for getting it before they are legal adults. Lulu Walton

Junior

Photo By Ava Speropoulos

Senior Arianna Page spent a lot of time thinking about the perfect tattoo for her before scheduling the appointment. Page has a tattoo along the side of her rib cage that is a NEDA symbol with a flower coming out of it. “NEDA stands for National Eating Disorder Awareness and I have struggled with this since I was in 4th grade. The flower at the top, for me, represents the beauty that comes from recovery,” Page said. Page’s tattoo represents all the struggles and recoveries she has had with her eating disorder. Page would like more tattoos but will not be for a while.

Not always a fan of tattoos, senior Sydney Nissen found she was more open to the idea as she got older. Nissen has two tattoos with one located on the side of her rib cage and the other on her forearm. The first tattoo she got was a butterfly on her rib cage to represent the “butterfly effect.” “I do competitive dance and one of my choreographer’s first explained the phenomenon to me when I was about 13 and ever since it really has been what guides and inspires me,” Nissen said. The decision to get her tattoo happened during March 2020 which was the start of the COVID lock-down. “I decided it was most fitting to get it tattooed as a reminder that what has happened in the past can lead to something bigger and better,” Nissen said. The second tattoo is her middle name on her forearm in her mom’s handwriting because she wrote her notes starting with “Sydney Rose” throughout the big moments in her life. “I remember receiving those notes like it was yesterday and now I am 18 wanting to savor all of those moments. My mom has been the most influential person in my life so I chose to honor her with this tattoo and also as a reminder of how short life is.” Nissen said. The name “Rose” is also many of her relatives’ middle names and Nissen would like to pass it on to her children.