Maryville Inked

Students with Tattoos

Tattoos are a way for people to express themselves through art. Some get tattoos to represent a hard time in life, as a memorial for someone important or as a message they never want to forget. Whatever the reason, every tattoo is important, because they represent part of who the person is. Here are a few Maryville students with tattoos of their own and the stories of why they have them.

 

Celia Deckelman

• Deckelman, sophomore, has two tattoos she has gotten in the past year. Her first one was the footprint of her dog, Molly Grace, on her upper back. “I wanted to get my dogs name and footprint before she passed away. She means a lot to me,” Deckelman said. Her second tattoo is a bible verse, Proverbs 31:26, on her ribcage.
• “Tattoos are addicting and I’m already planning my next one.” She plans to add the footprints of her future dogs down her back, following that of Molly Grace.

Sam Merlo

• Merlo, freshman, got her first tattoo this month, her dog’s footprint on her foot. The footprint has a double meaning, “It shows my love of dogs, and I am studying to work in animal assistive therapy so it represents my lifelong commitment,” Merlo said. “My dad doesn’t know, I’m too scared to tell him.”

 

Emily Hawkins

• Hawkins junior, has two tattoos. She got her first one, a cross and religious quote on her ribcage, when she was 18. It is a cross to remind her of a quote her grandfather always told her, “As long as you wear a cross, God will always keep you safe.” As for her first tattoo, “My mom didn’t know, but now she likes it and is getting one of her own,” Hawkins said. Hawkin’s second tattoo, a semicolon butterfly on her foot, is her favorite. The semicolon represents hope and love for those struggling with depression, suicide, addiction and self-injury. Hawkins loves the idea of getting more tattoos; “I want seven, it just seems like a good number. I want one on my arm and wrist. Just little ones all over.”’

 

Dakota Bauer

• Dakota Bauer, senior, has a sleeve and a half of tattoos. He got his first tattoo at 18, a half sleeve on his right arm. When asked about his favorite tattoo, Bauer said, “Holy smokes, where do I start? Probably my brother’s name on my right peck.” Dakota’s older brother passed away when he was young. “I don’t think I’m going to get any more tattoos. If I do, it would be a full chest piece, but that’s iffy,” Bauer said.

Whitney Kemper

• Whitney Kemper, sophomore, has two tattoos. She got her first one in 2013 when she was 16. “It’s an infinity sign for my cousin,” Kemper said. Since she was 16 when she got it, she needed her parents’ consent; “They dropped me off and signed the papers so I could get it.” She got her second one this summer, “It’s a turtle I got on my foot while I was on vacation,” Kemper said.