Hennessey removed her sock to show her rainbow “this is temporary” tattoo March 16. This tattoo is her own handwriting. All of her tattoos are her original designs and sketches.
Students and their ink: the stories behind student tattoos
The beauty of a tattoo is that it can simply be anything.
Whether or not a tattoo has a meaning, they are markers we put on our bodies and carry with us forever.
I’m reminded of a past Cynic article written in 2018, a profile of a local tattoo artist.
“I have regretted every single one of my tattoos at some point,” she said. “But trust the self that put ink on you. Even if it’s bad, it’s a bookmark of your past self.”
Below is a photo series of different tattoos UVM students have gotten done from all over the world, each one carrying a different meaning or lack thereof.
Senior Emma Pinezich pulls her bottom lip down to reveal her “rock and roll” tattoo March 14. “music is one of the most important things to me and classic rock is my favorite so it’s a fun tribute to something I love,” Pinezich said. (Kate Vanni)Pinezich lifts her skirt to reveal her new snake tattoo which she had done at Onyx Ink. (Kate Vanni)Junior Genevieve Prefontaine got her first tattoo on her eighteenth birthday. The tattoo was of a Grateful Dead lightning bolt which her dad also got to match with her. Her most recent tattoo, done a week ago, is of a flying pig that has no meaning other than being a cute pig with wings. (Kate Vanni)Kate VanniKate VanniKate VanniSenior Isabel Copola had the fern done in December 2020 and her sister has a matching fern tattoo. (Kate Vanni)Senior Isabel Copola got her first tattoo done in April 2019 of a Loon. Loons are her favorite bird and a good friend of hers drew this specific loon for her. (Kate Vanni)
This face design was Kirby’s first tattoo. She got it done to remember the time she spent living in NYC. The design is based on a design that she saw graffitied on a post. The velveteen rabbit is the second tattoo Kirby has had done. The velveteen rabbit was her favorite book growing up. “The moral of the story is the toy rabbit becomes real because he is loved and I thought that was super cute,” Kirby said. Kirby had this tattoo done by Mustbemax who is based in Burlington. (Kate Vanni)Junior Mahntra Hennessey rolls her sleeve up to show a tattoo she had done in New York City. “It was my first time really figuring my life out on my own, this tattoo symbolizes balance,” Hennessey said. (Kate Vanni)Hennessey pulls back her hair to show her flower tattoo that sits behind her ear March 16. This was the first tattoo she ever had done and she had it done to keep her grounded wherever she goes as Goldenrods had always been around her home. (Kate Vanni)Junior Sienna Devoe-Talluto sits on the fire escape of Morril hall displaying a flower tattoo that she designed herself and had done in Guatemala while she was studying abroad. (Kate Vanni)Junior Shawna Hui got her turtle tattoo done on Feb. 23. In Asian culture, her tattoo means prosperity and protection. (Kate Vanni)Sophomore Alina Parsons got her lotus tattoo in Sept 2019. “I was really struggling with my mental health and it’s a reminder to myself to keep on going no matter what,” Parsons said. Semicolons are a symbol for suicide prevention. Parsons had the Love Always tattoo done in January 2021 for her family, mainly her mom. “We’ve had a rough relationship with each other over the years and the tattoo means that no matter what happens to us we’re always going to be there for each other,” Parsons said. (Kate Vanni)
