Northwest Missouri State University - Tower Yearbook (Maryville, MO)

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Self Ex pressions Students use bod art to represent individuality Sitting anxiously wearing a bathing suit and shorts in the tattoo parlor, Becky Harpham wondered if she could really go through with it. Harpham decided in the summer of 2006 to go to Metals Edge Expo in Maryville, Mo., with a few friends and get a tattoo. She got the outline of a heart on her right butt cheek. I really didn ' t want it to show, ever, Harpham said. It only took like 15 to 20 min- utes to decide. I liked the look of the outline better and I went with black because I don ' t like the way color fades so fast. Feeling nervous as tattoo artist Patrick Mc- Guire talked to her about the entire process, Harpham prepared to sit down in the chair and begin what she anticipated to be a pain- ful experience. He explained it all, Harpham said. I felt really comfortable going into it and he was a really funny guy and joked around the whole time with me. It hurt a little, but it was a good pain. Co-owners Randy and Stephanie Sledge said they have seen any kind of tattoo a person could think of. In four years of business, they ' d seen wedding rings, barbed wire, tribal symbols, four leaf clovers, flowers, stars and car and racing logos as part of the more than 800 tattoos they do each year. Randy said a lot of people came in and got a piece of a larger tattoo and built on it over time. Stephanie said they prided themselves on getting inked the right way. They went over with each customer the facts and dangers of tattooing and made sure the customer realized that tattoos were the most permanent form of expression. We get a lot of memorials, Randy said. We get designs from people whose friends have passed away. Even if the design isn ' t that good, they want it to look exactly as it was drawn by them. At first, the Sledge family had seen a lot of the same people coming in for tattoos. 0301 STUDENT LIFE but over the years have noticed a new trend in tattooing. Stephanie said thev saw a lot of families coming in wanting mother daughter or son father tattoos. Stephanie said the traditional age gap of tattoos had changed over the years. I ' ve tattooed a guy close to 80, Randy said. I see a lot of guys in their 50s come in and get a tattoo for the very first time. College students on a quest for new ink sometimes traveled outside of Maryville. Planning what to do while on spring break in Florida, Adrienne Cunningham decided to get the tattoo she had been wanting. Having always liked stars and been inter- ested in astronomy, she drew out a picture of a blue and yellow nautical star and had it tat- tooed on her lower back. Over the next three years she added three, black-filled stars decreas- ing in size going down her hip. While in Tennes- see., Cunningham got an outline of a black star on her left foot. After thinking about getting a tattoo all sum- mer, student Teela Lan- gloss decided to get one in Des Moines, Iowa. She studied a book in a tattoo parlor and finally picked out a picture of a green turtle with a purple shell. Twenty-five minutes later, Langloss walked out with a turtle on her foot. I chose my foot be- cause it is really easy to cover up, Langloss said. A lot of people don ' t even know I have it, un- less its summer or I am wearing flip-flops. Some students got tattoos because they were something they saw and liked, but oth- ers carefully planned out and chose ones to go along with something special in their lives. Ashley Willis got four tattoos, all of them with meaning. When Willis was 16 years old, she used a fake ID to get a matching tattoo with lier older sister. Willis chose a black, purple and Matching a rosary tattoo on her foot, Ashley Willis also has a cross on her shoul- der. Willis picked the rosary on her foot af- ter she saw a picture of Nicole Richie with the same tattoo, photo by Meredith Currence green Chinese symbol with a flaming sun tha meant little sister on her lower back. We wen t in there not knowing what tat toos we wanted, Willis said. We did knov that we wanted matching ones, but we didn ' know until looking through books that w( wanted the Chinese symbols. Willis also had the word trust tattooec on her wrist. She said that she and an ex boyfriend wanted something matching, am it was the only non-feminine area that thej could both get one. After breaking up with him, she tattooe( a rosary on her ankle. The chain wrappec around her ankle, with the cross leading t( the middle of her foot. I needed a change in my life and I wantec something like it, Willis said. Then I sav Nicole Richie [who has a similar tattoo] in magazine and knew I wanted it because no body else had it. She went to Metals Edge in May of 200f and decided to get the cross on her foot en larged and placed on her shoulder blade. I like them all, even after I broke up witlj my boyfriend, she said. I definitely don ' t re ' gret them. While in the Army, student Brandon McEl roy got 12 tattoos over three years. His firs was a meat tag on his side that showed hi name, social security number and blood type A tribal tattoo took nine hours to complete and he spent more than $2000 for all his ink They were addicting and I just really liki them, he said. My favorite is the silhouetti of a lady on my right arm, because I just lov girls. Other tattoos that he got with AroT friends, included a Celtic cross on his ches and stomach, a tribal piece along his bad and left shoulder, a shamrock on fire and ai American Flag maltese cross with the wort rage on his left pectoral. It is very important to get tattoos done pre fessionally, especially now that there are a Ic of street artists, Stephanie said. We stres that it is the most permanent thing on ski and is not easily removed. Everyone shoul have consultation before making the decisioi to be tattooed. ■ Writer | Megan Crawford Designer | Jessica Hartley

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SAC and X106 bring live music to University, to start new year with electric excitement - LVm and ckuids tillod the skv, lint inside, a colored assortmonl of Iii;hts shone down on the stage. The Student Activities Council and X 106.7 KZLX-LP Maryville, teamed up for the Sept. 9 concert. They had no idea that bad weather and sorority recruitment parties would affect their turnout. Initially the free concert was scheduled to be held at College Park from 4 p.m. to mid- night, but vas moved into Mary Linn Per- forming Arts Center. Accortling to the news it was supposed to 5et worse as the cJav went on so we felt it was better to put the event inside to ensure safety and that everv band would get a chance to play, said Logan Gallowav, concert commit- tee chair for Student Activities Council. ' I would sav throughout the whole dav we liad 100 people show up. This was less than expected but more than anticipated due to the circumstances. The genre of bands performing ranged from pure rock to bluegrass with soul. Hip Kitty, RPI, Playing with Matches, Carey Ott, rhe Mike Sulli an Band and headliner In- m Hill. Mike Sullixan elaborated on why he felt the University was special compared to t)ther universities he had performed at. Last year I played here solo at the Bell Tower, Sullivan said. It was outdoors and a big bug flew into my guitar, I couldn ' t get him out, he may be dead and still in there, Sulli- van said. The Bell Tower is a reallv cool idea and was a great place to perform at night, as an artist 1 liked it. SAC didn ' t go cheap on the sound they had a really good sound engineer. So that was nice. Students were coaxed down to the front row for Hip Kitt ' ' s performance by lead sing- er Jen Halverson. The one rock band with a female lead singer came all the way from Nashville, Tenn. I really enjoyed Hip Kitty ' s performance, Candace Eads said. I think they were the best. Thev got everyone out of their seats and down to the front. Mike Goncalves, guitarist and vocalist for Hip Kitty, said he was a little surprised by Marvo ' ille ' s small size. We asked where the mall was to someone at Wal-Mart and they said there is none, Goncalves said. It ' s a nice small town and we want everyone to leave saying thev had a good time with us and that was the best show I ' ve ever seen in this town of corn. Headliner Ingram Hill, who described their music as good old fashioned rock ' n ' roll with a little bit of pop and southerness, just wanted everyone to enjoy their show. I hope everyone has fun and leaves the concert thinking they got to listen to some good music and had a good time doing it, Justin Moore of Ingram Hill said. Ingram Hill conside red it an honor to be named the headliner of the concert. It ' s cool; it ' s a reallv good feeling, Moore said. It ' s always nice when vou have some- one that thinks highly enough of you that thev want vou to headline their show. Even after the change in plans, SAC and X106 put together what many thought to be a good show. The bands played extremely well, they really complimented each other, we were on schedule and most importantly those who attended really thoroughly enjoyed them- selves, Galloway said. ■ Writer j Kylie Guier Designer | Sheena Sweatman Audience participation means sing- ing on stage for Brittany Short and Tara Phipps as they join Jen Halverson of Hip Kitty for a song during the Back 2 School Bash. The band got audience members out of their seats to sing along during the con- cert, photo by Meredith Currence BACK 3 SCHOOL RAShIoiQ

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Signing the word for ' turtle ' in Ameri- can Sign Language, Teela Langloss said she chose the tattoo based on its drawing. Langloss said the ability to hide the tattoo helped her choose its location, p ioto fay Mer- edith Currence The simple outline of a heart appealed to Becky Harpham when she decided to get a tattoo. Harpham chose the heart after having a consultation with tattoo art- ist Patricl McGuire of IVletals Edge Expo in Maryville, Mo. photo by Meredith Currence As a symbol of patriotism, Brandon McEI- roy got an American Flag maltese cross on his left pectorial. While serving in the Army, McElroy went with a group of friends who all got the same tattoo. He said he chose the word rage because that ' s what he was feeling at the time, photo by Meredith Currence A fascination with stars led Adrienne Cunningham to get her second tattoo in- volving the symbol. Cunningham also had a star on her foot and one on her lower back, photo by Meredith Currence TATTOOS 102 I