Young people are always looking for ways to express themselves, whether it be through music, sports or academics. They are searching for ways to express their individuality, and one failsafe way to do so is through body art. Many are now turning to both non-permanent and permanent ways of displaying aspects of their personality.

Although several organizations, including schools and workplaces, encourage expression, there are often concerns about the message being expressed. Some people think permanent body art, like tattoos, could give others negative impressions.

Senior Autumn Jones decided that she wanted to get a tattoo on the day after her eighteenth birthday, so she got a tattoo that says “No worries” that serves as a constant reminder to her. Her tattoo is on her right shoulder, so she can choose to conceal it or show it depending on the situation.

Jones plans to become an optometrist in the future, but she is not worried about how her tattoo will affect future employment opportunities.

“In the medical field, you are looked down upon if you do have a tattoo, but I feel like that thought is slowly degrading,” Jones said.

I personally don’t know what I want to do later in life, so I am not choosing to get a permanent tattoo on my body in order to keep options open for careers that do not approve of tattoos.

Although some companies like Starbucks now allow their employees to have visible tattoos, this decision does not come without restrictions. Starbucks employees can have tattoos provided that the tattoo is tasteful and not on the face or throat.

As part of a Senior Independent Study experiment on why appearance matters, senior Karina Jensen dressed up in all black for a day, something very uncharacteristic of her. She noticed that, although some people thought the different fashion choice was strange, most were unfazed by her appearance because they already know her well.

“Appearance does matter in first impressions and staying true to yourself,” Jensen said. “But, as soon as someone knows your personality and they understand you as a person, it doesn’t matter what you look like because they can see through what you are wearing.”

However, the permanence of tattoos can be a double-edged sword. Even if it is accepted by others, what if you suddenly regret your tattoo ten years from now?

“Your personal opinion on things change,” Dean of Students and anatomy teacher Mrs. Kalyn Underwood said on the topic.

While body art can display who you are, people are dynamic and ever changing. What described you a year ago may no longer apply now, which is why I will stick to other forms of expressing who I am. My opinions on things will likely change in the future, so, for now, I will be staying as a blank slate.