College students get tattoos everyday now as a way to express who they are. They mark their bodies with permanent ink that reveal beliefs, hopes, stories, and dreams. Most of my college friends view tattoos as exquisite forms of art that reveal individuality.
Freshman Nicholas Dubois, Radiology major, says, “tattoos are a small piece of somebody’s personal story. It is a form of expression that we carry with us for life, and can be used as an outlet, a reminder, or a way to mark ourselves as individuals.” He mentions one of the tattoo’s he has which is a cross on his back that pays homage to a deceased cousin with the same ink. Senior Morgaine Segura, History major, says, “tattoos are a way to consider what is really important to you.” Of Morgaine’s tattoos her favorite one is the claddagh on her hip, a representation of love, loyalty, and friendship.
Until I got my first tattoo, I did not know that tattoos used to be a sign of rebellion and a mark of outcasts of society. According to Cate Lineberry writing for Smithsonian Magazine, tattoos were for a long time thought of as a mark for female prostitutes or a mark that protected women from sexually transmitted diseases. But Lineberry believes “the tattooing of ancient Egyptian women had a therapeutic role and functioned as a permanent form of amulet during the very difficult time of pregnancy and birth.” Tattoos still serve as a way to get through hardships. Once they’re on our skin, they’re with us forever. The Skin Stories highlights a verse from a tattoo artist:
“Your necklace may break, the fau tree may burst, but my tattooing is indestructible. It is an everlasting gem that you will take to your grave.”
I recently got my first tattoo, in Shaftsbury, Vermont. I got “Love yourself first” on my upper back because I believe that everyone should love themselves before opening their arms up to love someone else.
Everyone looks at tattoos differently, but society has become more accepting, and that’s what’s most important.
Rebecca Mahoney’s tattoo of the New Hampshire Mountain Range.
Morgaine Segura’s claddagh tattoo.