A Few of the Tattoos on the LL Campus
Tattoos are the rage at Las Lomas. Some students have several tattoos that are dedicated to either their family or close friends. Parents are more accepting of their children getting tattoos at young ages, possibly because they possess meaning rather than serving as a rebellious stunt for attention.
Olivia Hall’s mother was skeptical of the idea of her daughter getting tattoos as a teenager, as most parents would be. She later realized that tattoos are not always negative. “When I got my first tattoo I was only fourteen and I didn’t tell my mom. The first tattoo I got was the one on my back that says ‘Love always, mom’ in her handwriting. So, she was a little upset that I didn’t tell her, but my mom’s really lenient about stuff like that. She understands that I’m going to live, and she doesn’t think that a tattoo is gonna ruin my life,” she said. Hall’s first tattoo isn’t the only one that holds significance in her life. She has a row of sunflowers that lines her shoulder dedicated to other family members. “There’s three sunflowers, big sunflowers and then one little sunflower. I have three sisters and the little one is for my niece. I’ve always liked sunflowers just ‘cause they’re pretty, but sunflowers always face the sun. And, it’s just a reminder that if there’s ever hard times, that I can always look to my family for light,” said Hall. The senior also received a tattoo that referenced her grandparents. “The one on my foot is an airplane with roses inside. My great grandpa was in World War II and he flew airplanes in World War II. My grandma’s favorite flower is wild roses, so I thought it be cool to incorporate them together.”
Gabby Spencer got most of her tattoos in reference to family and friends. She has a Redwood on her inner wrist that represents a special place to her. “I got it because I go camping every year in the Redwoods and my grandma’s ashes are there and my mom gave it to me,” Spencer said. She also has a matching turtle tattoo with her father and sister. “I also got this little turtle in Hawaii when I was 15. My dad also has the same turtle, and my sister has a tattoo in the same place. So it’s kinda like a family thing,” she said. Spencer even has a tattoo as a reminder of her best friend. “I also have a little poppy and its my friend Aurora’s birth flower so I got that because of that.” More interesting, her mother is the artist who tattooed three of Gabby’s four tattoos.
Tattoos are becoming more popular as the days go by and getting tattoos at young ages is becoming less taboo, as reflected by our student body at Las Lomas. References to loved ones using tattoo is a common form of self-expression, and it seems like tattoos are starting to become a “family affair.”
