STJ, Ink Week 6:A Sudden Change of Mind

When it comes to tattoos, not every creation is dreamt up by the artist and sometimes inspiration can change a customer’s mind on a dime. This statement would definitely describe the tattoo story of James, who I interviewed this week.

James, a senior here at St. John’s and a Management major, wanted to get a tattoo when he turned 18, just like many other kids that age. James did what a lot of those same kids would do and walked into a tattoo shop intent on getting a chest piece with his friend. 

After seeing his friend’s finished tattoo, James had a sudden change of heart, choosing to get a tattoo based on a drawing he did in high school.

The piece is basically the shape of the African continent with the dreadlocked Lion of Judah (a Rastafarian symbol) on the inside of it.  To James, the tattoo is representative of the impact that Rastafarianism has had on his life and serves as a constant reminder of his morals and values.

Unlike some of my past interviews, James’ parents have both been very supportive of his tattoo decisions.  James made a point to note that his family actual enjoys that fact that he got a tattoo instead of being indifferent like most.

One point that James made towards the end of the interview caught my interest, as it was something that I had heard before from my other interviews, always without prompting.  He said that he loves getting tattoos because they represent a specific time period in his life and that he is glad to look at his tattoos because they remind him of a specific point of time.

As I have been doing the last two weeks of the blog, I would like to take this space to recap on what I believe to be this week’s most significant event of the 2012 Presidential Campaign.  It should come as no surprise that my event of choice was this week’s Vice Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan.

What made this debate significant was the fact that religion became a major topic of the debate. In my opinion, mostly Ryan perpetrated this, but I don’t feel that religion has a place in politics at all. I feel that this development will eventually be irrelevant due to my opinion that nobody really cares about Vice Presidents unless they do something drastically wrong.

STJ, Ink-Week 5: Bringing It All Together

Over the past few weeks I  have talked to many interesting people about their tattoos. Over this time, I have discussed a few specific subjects with each when it comes to tattoos. Subjects like a first tattoo experience, the stigma behind "tattoo people" and cover-up tattoos, to name a few. I feel as though this week's blog would be a good time to recap and discuss some of these topics that I've covered in a hope to better understand tattoo culture.

One topic that all of my interviewees agreed on was that of "tattoo people", which was covered in week two of STJ, Ink. The topic of tattoo people deals with the theory that we live in a day and age in which it is acceptable for any person to get a tattoo, whereas in the past it was usually reserved for outlaws and prisoners.  With the exception of the elderly, I can safely conclude that the time in which there were "tattoo people" is far behind us and that this development has been an important step for tattoo acceptance.

The other topic that I felt was one of the most interesting was when I asked my interviewees about their first tattoo experiences.  The answers on this differed a lot more than the answers to the "tattoo people" topic in terms of both expectations and actual results. For example, when I interviewed Nicole, she told me that she was quite nervous about the first experience whereas when I interviewed Cliff, he said that he was very confident about the situation and was not nervous at all. When it comes to first tattoos, I've found that there is about a 50/50 split with those who were very sure and confident about their tattoos and those who were nervous about the experience (many of these people also seemed to do less planning on the tattoo than the confident people).

Me during one of my first tattoo experiences

As I continue to talk to more people and I continue to progress with this blog, I hope to learn more about the cultures of tattoos. I will continue make updates such as this every month or so as I feel it is necessary as to the mission of this blog.

Once again, as required by the class, I will now take the time to update you on my weekly Presidential Campaign highlight. It should come as no surprise to you that my highlight for this week would have to be the Presidential Debate that took place on Wednesday between President Obama and Governor Romney. The obvious highlight of this debate was the strong showing of Governor Romney which lead to a huge explosion of media negativity towards the Obama Campaign as well as praise towards the challenger's campaign. In my opinion, I believe that the showing at the debate will probably become a non-issue as we inch closer to election day.

STJ, Ink-Week 4

Often, with tattoos, people made an initial decision that they eventually come to regret. What I tend to see more often, is that a tattoo is a diligently planned and well thought-out decision. When you are asked constantly about the motivation and meaning behind your ink, I find that it good to have a strong reason for getting it.

One example of a person who has a strong meaning behind their tattoo is my friend Cliff Sebastian, 23, who is a Communications major from Ledyard, Connecticut.

The entire tattoo is made up of two pieces that were done about a year apart at a tattoo shop in Queens (which is now shut down).

Cliff explained the meaning behind his tattoo to me in detail during out interview, “My tattoos have very specific meanings. The shoulder tattoo is a recreation of the signature of Robin Cassacinamon, the last Sachem (Chief) of the Mashantucket Pequots, my tribe. The armband tattoo on my bicep is a traditional men's tattoo. Historically, the men of my tribe would get this or a similar tattoo on the arm to signify their status.”

Due to the obvious connotations of his tattoos, the reactions of Cliff’s family were “basically a non-issue” unlike many of my previous subjects. Personally, it was refreshing of me to see a situation where the family members were not too concerned about their child getting a tattoo.

Like in the previous interviews, I asked Cliff how he felt about people, particularly strangers asking him about his ink. He said, “It doesn't bother me at all, I actually like having a chance to explain the meaning behind them since their backgrounds are a source of pride for me. I like people to know my tattoos weren't picked off of a wall. “

I’m taking this section of the blog to continue our Presidential Campaign assignment from last week. In my opinion, the most interesting part of this campaign in the past week has been the extensive niche campaigning by both parties. To be specific, the Obama Administration has been targeting the spread of Lyme disease and the Romney Campaign choosing to address the topic of Burmese Pythons in the Southeast. Will this strategy earn those precious voters that the parties are looking for, or will these ventures prove to be a waste of time? Only time will tell as November 7^th inches ever closer.

STJ, Ink-Week 3:Cover-Ups

            Not every tattoo is a success at first. Sometimes there is a misspelling, some bad artwork, or the person doesn’t feel the same way about their ink anymore. Situations like these are where something called a cover-up tattoo comes into play. As the name suggests, the cover-up tattoo serves the purpose of covering up an unwanted or old tattoo with a new one. In this sense, it serves the dual purpose of both covering up the old tattoo and replacing it with a new and superior design.

            Karli, 18, is a great example of person whose cover-up has served both of these purposes.  Unfortunately for Karli, she lived with her original misspelled tattoo for almost two years before making the decision to get it covered up.  Like the subjects of my past interviews, Karli’s new tattoo has very personal meaning. The piece, a group of roses on her left arm, was meant to honor her mother, who as well as having a rose tattoo of her own, receives roses from Karli’s stepfather on every one of their anniversaries. The cover-up itself was done at Jinx Proof Tattoo Studio in Montclair, New Jersey.

            As this interview went on, I was curious as to Karli’s thoughts on some of the subjects that I discussed last week with Nicole.  For example, I was very interested as to her opinions on a big topic of last week’s interview; is the stigma of a “tattoo person” something that still exists?

            Karli’s answer to that question was a definite no. Much like Nicole, she feels that we live in a day and age where anyone can get a tattoo and will not be seen as odd or out of place.

            As for Karli’s future tattoo plans, she says that she has 3 more planned for the near future, but as in most cases she would not be surprised if she ended up with more.

Our class assignment this week was to name our personal highlight of this week’s Presidential Campaign events. Without a doubt, the highlight of the week would have to be Mitt Romney’s now-infamous “47%” comments. I, like many others, first thought that his comments were sarcastic or a joke, but it seems as though these ill-timed comments could be the publicity nightmare that the Obama Campaign needs to capitalize and seal the election. Only time will tell if this is the case.

STJ, Ink: Week 2-"Tattoo People"

A person’s first tattoo is always an interesting experience. Sometimes, this will be a person’s only tattoo experience because they are satisfied with having only one piece. On the other hand, I’ve found that more often than not, people develop an addiction to tattoos and end up getting more than they had anticipated.

This week, I talked to Nicole, 20, who is a Junior here at St. John’s and she is a perfect example of the second type of person that I mentioned.  Nicole has five tattoos now, but she told me that she never thought she’d have as many as she does now. She also says that some friends feel the same whenever the see her tattoos for the first time as Nicole was never seen as being a “tattoo person”.

The phrase “tattoo person” is one phrase that has come up time and time again whenever I discuss tattoos.  There was a time that tattoos were only associated with sailors, prisoners, and outlaws, but are those times gone? Is there even a set type of “tattoo person” anymore? This is a question that I’m going to explore more as I interview different people throughout the year.

In terms of Nicole’s opinion, she believes that the idea of a “tattoo person” is “a stigma that is fading with our generation,” and says “There is no specific type of person that may or may not have a tattoo anymore. Anybody can have one.”

Even with this being said, Nicole has had a hard time explaining her ink to her family members. Maybe these family members exemplify a generation where the idea of a “tattoo person” is still alive and well.

Out of Nicole’s five tattoos, we chose to focus on her first tattoo, a peace sign inside of a daisy, located on the back of her neck (ouch).

Nicole got her tattoo done at Lark Tattoo in Long Island following her 18^th birthday. She says that like most kids, she had always wanted to get a piece done when she turned 18. The traditional meaning behind the tattoo is simple; the peace sign is self-explanatory while the flower (a daisy) traditionally symbolizes innocence and purity. To Nicole, this tattoo has a very personal meaning as well. She says that the tattoo symbolizes her innocence and her childhood. She also noted that the tattoo serves as a reminder as to who she was at the point of her life when she got it.

Due to the personal meaning behind the tattoo, Nicole isn’t always fond of explaining the meaning to people, saying that the process can sometime be awkward, especially with people that she does not know. This was interesting to me because most people, including myself are very forthcoming and eager to expose the meanings behind their ink.

My interview with Nicole brought up a lot of great thoughts and questions, which I hope I can explore as I continue to talk to the tattooed people of St. John’s.

STJ, Ink: Week 1-New Beginnings

If you have ever walked the St. John's University campus here in Jamaica, Queens you will see more than your fair share of students that have tattoos.  Have you ever wondered what drives these kids to get these permanent marks on their skin? In my own experience, I've found that not every tattoo has a story, but those that do, have deep personal meanings. By choosing to display their tattoos, they're not only displaying them as works of art, but they're displaying their dreams, beliefs and values.

This week, I talked to Christa, 21, who is a Junior and a Journalism major.
She has four tattoos but the ones we focused on were her script (a tattoo that uses a quote, phrase, words, etc.)  tattoo and her lotus flower tattoo. Not only were these tattoos joined physically, but they were also joined by the meaning behind them.

The script, which is a quote that reads "I will go in this way and find my own way out", is a quote from  the song "#41" by Dave Matthews Band. The tattoo was done at Propaganda Tattoo Studio in San Diego. 

Speaking of the lotus flower (which traditionally symbolizes change or new life), the piece was done in January of this year at Superchango Tattoo Studio in The Woodlands, Texas. (Beware of loud music on this website)

My main question to Christa was, "What do these tattoos have in common, what do they symbolize?".

She was very candid about explaining that these tattoos represent a large part of her life's story over the past few years.  Christa explained that she had hung out with "the wrong crowd" in her old town and chose to leave that lifestyle behind and start fresh here at St. John's. Aside from switching cities, she also switched majors drastically, from Accounting to Journalism, determined to pursue her dreams even if she, in her own words, "had to do it the hard way."  She was eager to say that she is proud of her ink and the meanings that they both carry and that they will always remind her of the life she left behind and the new life that she started here.

Also, for our class, we were assigned to construct a photo essay with a few shots from around our campus, enjoy.

(Group shot, unaware)

(Group shot, posed)

(O'Connor Residence Hall, close-up)

(O'Connor Residence Hall, longshot)

(Self-Portrait, guess who?)