Piercings and tattoos have become more and more popular, and body art is no longer seen as just for sailors or criminals, but for young people who want to have something important to them etched onto them permanently.
“I have the phrase ‘walk humbly’ tattooed on my right shoulder blade,” international studies junior Audra Brulc said. “I got it for a couple reasons. It’s part of my mom’s favorite scripture verse, and she’s the most important person in my life, and I’m really passionate about social justice. So it’s a reminder to treat both the environment and other people with humility and respect.”
Brulc is one of many college students getting tattoos to symbolize important aspects of their lives. According to a study by Project Innovation in 2007, nearly 27 percent of 400 students at a large southeastern university had a tattoo.
Since then, tattoos have become even more commonplace, because body art is becoming viewed as sentimental and artistic.
In addition, people are finding it more acceptable to have tattoos now, especially ones that are easily covered up, Brulc said.
College students tend to be creative, free and experimental and seem to enjoy the idea of a tattoo now, but it could ultimately cost them a dream job.
“It’s frustrating because there are a lot of designs and ideas that are meaningful and beautiful to me, but I’m holding off because of ‘professionalism,’” Brulc said.
Tattoos are still seen as unprofessional in most high-end businesses, and in most medical fields, they are not allowed unless they are covered by scrubs.
This makes students think even harder about where and what they want on their bodies.
“Placement was definitely a factor for me,” Brulc said. “I want to go into nonprofits after I graduate, so I think if I had a couple more tattoos that could be covered, it wouldn’t hurt my job search.”
With around seven tattoo and piercing shops in Norman alone, the business of body art is booming.
“I have three tattoos — two on my right arm and one on my right index finger. I also have a nose ring and a smiley piercing,” said Carl Roberts, letters and German senior.
Each of these tattoos is incredibly meaningful to Roberts, he said.
“They’re all things that are a part of who I am and who I was growing up,” Roberts said. “It’s a constant reminder that this thing is still important to me now but shaped who I am today, and it’s kind of nice to have that on you. It’s like being comfortable with yourself.”
Roberts’ tattoos include Tulsa’s area code (918), where he grew up, the Led Zeppelin symbols for each band member and J.R.R Tolkien’s symbol.
“I wouldn’t want to be an academic and want to read books if it weren’t for Tolkien,” Roberts said.
Roberts spent the last year studying abroad in Leipzig, Germany, where piercings and tattoos don’t have the same social stigma that they do here, and he isn’t too worried about getting a job with his body art.
“I don’t think I’ll have a problem in academia,” Roberts said. “In knowing academics, generally speaking, academics only cares about the work that they do, especially in the social sciences and humanities.”
Roberts wants to become a professor, hopefully abroad. But if he wanted to stay in the U.S. and work at a high school, things would be different.
“I’d have to take out my nose ring for sure and wear long sleeve shirts for the rest of my life,” Roberts said. “That seems to be the standard — no visible tattoos or piercings.”
In fact, according to the Oklahoma City Public Schools Substitute Teacher Handbook, teachers are not allowed to have any facial jewelry outside of ear peircings.
Both Brulc and Roberts feel that as millennials take over managerial positions, the stigma on body art will have to change.
“I think smaller/script tattoos are becoming pretty acceptable,” Brulc said. “I’m not sure how long it will take like half sleeves and stuff to be professionally acceptable, but I’m hoping as our generation enters the workforce they’ll lose their stigma.”
Roberts said he feels more assured that as millennials become prominent in the workforce, the stigma will indeed change.
“If you want to hire good people and want to hire people with no visible tattoos and piercings, you’re going to have a very hard time,” Roberts said. “I really do think in 20 or 30 years having a tattoo or piercing won’t be a problem.”
