Teens have different ways of expressing who they are to people. One way a teen expresses themselves is with a tattoo. A parent might let their under-18 high schooler get a tattoo if that is a way they want to express themself as a growing young adult.

“I wanted a tattoo because they are a significant part of my family and our way of life,” sophomore Quentin Borgaard said, “Everyone in my family has a tattoo, and not just one small tattoo but lots of tattoos.”

There are a lot of other factors that go into a tattoo, the teen might not like the tattoo in the long run, and they might not have a high pain tolerance to get the tattoo. Also, they are not cheap, and there is a risk of infection.

There are around 20,000 tattoo shops only in the United States.  Some places in Logansport include Fatt Matt’s Tatts, Mobs Haven, and Melski’s Physical Graffiti. Advantage tattoos for teens would be $60-$80.

Tattoos often represent something significant to the individual.

“I’ve always thought that it was cool that you could get a piece of art that becomes a part of you and represents something important to you,” English teacher Anthony Kinney said,  “Nobody in my family had ever had one, and I didn’t get my first one until I moved from Lincoln Middle School to the high school in 2012. I had thought about getting one ever since college though.”

For Kinney, theater has inspired his choices.

“All of my tattoos are based on the musicals and plays that I’ve directed here at LHS,” Kinney said. “With directing, I feel like I found the thing that gives me the most joy. I wanted to celebrate the special experience that I’ve had with each show we’ve done. Whenever I look at them,  they make me think of all of the talented, wonderful student actors I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years.”

Yes, there are students in the halls who have tattoos but there are teachers too. They might be teens but their tattoos could have meaning too. Like Mrs. Ingalls’s tattoo has a story.

“For me, every tattoo comes with some sort of story,” art teacher Nicole Ingalls said. “It takes me years to commit to a tattoo design, but I tend to go overboard. My most recent tattoo is on my sleeve. At the time, I was consumed with the idea of decay. Decay of our body, mind and spaces.”

This thought process was inspired by a recent family tragedy.

“My grandfather had recently passed, I was pregnant, and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Our family was sifting through years of memories in my grandparent’s home. The downstairs of the house had been remodeled in the 80s. The upstairs was like a time capsule. I recall finding a napkin with a dove on it upstairs and wondering why on earth someone would save a napkin. What draws us to objects? What does it take for us to truly connect with something or someone? How do we accept and embrace the inevitable decay? My sleeve is a collage of pictures taken in those upstairs spaces and a constant reminder to find the beauty in change. “