Walking around Santiago High School, different people gather around, each with their own unique ways of expressing themselves. Tattoos are a common method of self-expression, despite their reputation of being radical brandings.  They have been around since the beginning of time, and each and every person has the ability to personalize their tattoo, creating a meaning all their own.

“A cross is a symbol for Christianity, so I thought it would be a good representation of how God gives you a new life,” explained senior Suzanne Weese.

Suzanne got her tattoo, a small cross on the back of her neck, on her 17th birthday. The meaning of the tattoo, says Weese, is a constant, “reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for me.”

Carinna Madrigal received her first tattoo the summer of 2012. She has five different sized hearts placed right behind her left ear.

“I guess you can say it does mean something to me, because there’s five hearts and there are five people in my family. Of course I love them, so each heart represents them,” commented Madrigal.

Tattoos are highly debated upon and the ethicality and morality of body art is constantly questioned.

A good tattoo tells a story; they tell you something about the person or what they believe in.

Tattooing can be considered a permanent and slightly painful art form or a senseless ink stain. Everyone has their own opinion about teens getting tattoos, but at the end of the day, the opinion that really matters is the person getting the tattoo because they are the ones that are going to have to live with their tattoo for the rest of their life.