Whether to express personality or remember a certain time in one’s life, tattoos are commonly seen across our generation. Although tattoos used to be a sign of rebellion, in recent years, they have been widely viewed as an exquisite art form to express individuality. As the stigma of tattoos has declined, college students have embraced the movement– including students here at CMU. Here are five students willing to show off their ink and explain their stories.
Hunter Hanson:
The inspiration came from a song by the band The Chariot. Not too long ago he went off on a binge of their whole discography and the verse in the song ‘Andy Sundwall’ goes “Waste Not Life’s Grace.” This symbolized a passionate movement towards living life to the fullest and not to overlook the good in your life and the world (at least that was his interpretation.)
The tattoo done at Evolved Artforms in Mount Pleasant.
Hunter says, “ I don’t think I’ll ever regret my tattoo, though I am aware of how they are looked down upon by traditional professions. Regardless, I plan on getting another. I’ve had an idea for a while where I would like to have a forest extending from my elbow to mid forearm with a crescent moon at the joint of my arm.”
Kaitlyn Horton:Kaitlyn got the tattoo after living in New York for the summer. “Everyone would point to their hand and ask where I was from, so once I was back in Michigan I decided to get a star where my hometown is.”
The tattoo was done by close friend, Kevin O’Leary. “
I still love it! People are always surprised when they see it or think I drew it on.” She says. “I don’t have any regrets because its not that noticeable so I can hide it.”
Clare Pathe:
Simple but cute! Clare expresses her love for skulls in her new tattoo. “I have a weird obsession with skulls — I love them,” she says. The men at Evolved Artforms in Mount Pleasant did a great job on her new ink.
Marie Wolski:
Although Marie has multiple tattoos, her favorite tattoo would have to be the one on her foot. It says “Speramus Meliora Resurget Cuneribus” meaning, ‘we hope for better things, it shall rise from the ashes’ in Latin. It’s the city of Detroit’s motto. “I love it because it’s not only is true for my hometown, but I also think it’s true for life in general. So many great things come after you think its rock bottom,” She says. Eric from Evolved Art Forms did a great job on this piece.
Nate Ayala:Nate got a tattoo in remembrance of his grandfather. “I would go to the casino whenever I was home and he always enjoyed it. He died about a month ago and I wanted something in his memory.” Nate is currently planning his next memoire for his other grandpa that is related to fishing.
Kendal Fifield:
“I have always wanted a tattoo, but never knew what I wanted to get. I always said that I would just wait until it was something that really had meaning, since tattoos are permanent. The tattoo that I got was spur of the moment, but at the same time it has so much meaning behind it. One of my best friends from college passed away in between my freshman and sophomore years. Her friendship meant the world to me, and getting her name tattooed on my body seemed like the best idea to me. My friend and I decided that getting tattoos was the best possible idea, and then we sat thinking about what we should get. We decided that we should get something that had to do with our friend Ali. That’s when it hit us, we should simply get her name tattooed on us. It was a simple beautiful reminder of her love and friendship and that way we would be carrying her with us everyday. I have had the tattoo for over a year now and I have never once regretted getting it. I would even go as far to say that it may be my most favorite part about myself. I don’t know if I am a “tattoo person” whatever that may mean but I love my finger tattoo I got with a friend, for a friend.”
Whether big or small, tattoos are more than just ink on a body. They represent what is most important in the person’s life. What will your next tattoo be?