Spur of the moment or well-thought out

Once considered a sign of rebellion, tattoos are becoming

mainstream statements of fashion and self-expression for some

college students.

Little John, owner of Tyme Tattoo, 105 E. Laurel St., said the

majority of his customers are college students.

“It’s kind of a fashion statement,” he said. “The kids are

directly from high school and want to fit in. It’s a rebellious

thing as well. It’s telling mom and dad ‘hey, I’m on my own now,

and I’ll do what I want to do.'”

A recent study by Rutgers found that 53 percent of college

students with tattoos got them as a sign of self-expression, while

35 percent said they “just wanted one.”

Kris Oberle, a freshman zoology and psychology double major, got

her first tattoo Jan. 12. “I’ve always wanted one … it was

something that my best friend and I decided to do together,” she

said.

Oberle’s tattoo is an Egyptian ankh symbol on her lower

back.

“I really am interested in Egypt,” she said. “It’s something to

keep with me for me to enjoy.”

Oberle said she is considering getting more tattoos, but only if

they are images that are meaningful to her.

Kyle Rharig, a junior mechanical engineering major, got his

first tattoo near his 20th birthday a year and a half ago. He

describes the tattoo on his upper back as “an eye … sort of a

Technicolor thing.”

For his design, Rharig selected a picture by artist Alex Grey.

His favorite band, Tool, also used the same image.

“It connected the artistic and musical flair for me,” Rharig

said. “I’m an engineer, so I don’t get to show that very

often.”

Rharig said he cannot explain why he got his tattoo but he

thought about it for a couple of months before doing it.

“It’s sort of an internal reminder for me as to where I was in

my life then,” Rharig said. “I’m still at that point in my life,

and even when I’m not, I’ll still want to remember who I was

then.'”

Noah Lyman, a freshman music major, got a tattoo of a bear claw

on his shoulder the last week of Winter Break.

“I’d been thinking about it for a while and thought it would be

a cool thing to have,” Lyman said. “My friends in high school

called me ‘The B’ar,’ so I went with the bear claw.”

Lyman was visiting his girlfriend at the time, and she was going

in to get her own tattoo retouched. She asked if he wanted to get

something done as well.

“It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing,” he said.

Rharig said the decision to get a tattoo is an important and

very personal issue. “Some people believe their bodies are a temple

and would never scar it, but you can also adorn it,” he said.

Little John also emphasized the importance of thinking about the

decision.

“Make sure you have all your ducks in a row before you get a

tattoo,” he said. “Make sure it’s something that’s

well-researched.”