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

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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

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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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Observers experience the exhilaration of Ducking broncos, barre racing and bull ridin Katie Stark rode around the arena to begin the 12th Annual Ed Phillips Memorial Rodeo as the American Flag rippled behind her. The announcer prayed for the riders and their horses. Adults and children sat on the fence mes- merized by the horses and bulls in the arena. Several students at the University had nev- er been to a rodeo and were surprised at what they saw. Youngwook Lee said he thought the rodeo was going to be much more dangerous, but he had fun as it progressed throughout the rest of the evening. With several events to watch at the rodeo, Lee said he enjoyed the mutton bustin ' the most. Mutton bustin ' is when children hug- ging a sheep and riding it until they fell off, the participant with the highest time won. Mutton bustin ' was my favorite thing, Lee said. It ' s so cute. The sheep made a group; it was cool. Tippy the rodeo clown also amused Lee be- cause of how he changed from short to tall using stilts. Hana You, an international student, was urged by a friend to attend the rodeo and thought this new experience would be good for her. Initially she expected to be able to ride a horse at the show because of, rodeo, a game from her hometown in Korea where a person gets to ride a mechanical bull. You said she was stunned at the dangerous elements of the American version of rodeo. It ' s surprising to see how aggressive they are, You said. It ' s less aggressive than in Spain. At least you don ' t see blood here, like in Spain. There were also many seasoned rodeo-go- ers who had been following the rodeo for years or had grown-up watching them. Clarence Green, director of campus safety, said he grew up in a city and was curious about the rodeo when he first came to the Uni- versity about eight years ago. He got sucked in from the time he moved to Maryville. Despite bull riding having a lot of danger- ous elements to it. Green said it was his fa- vorite event. Bull riding and roping are probably the best, Green said, [Because of the] excite- ment and it takes a lot of guts to do it. Rodeo Team member, Kyanne Henkle had been competing for most of her life, specifi- cally in barrel racing. She said she enjoyed the adrenaline rush of barrel racing. I ' m a very competitive person, Henkle said. I ' ve been rodeoing most of mv life. It ' s a lot of fun. H Writer | Kelsey Garrison Designer | Mary Clark Rodeo club member Kari Kern paints the face of one of many children. One l id would get their face done, then run back and show their friends, Kern said, photo by Marsha Jennings Lassos, pink cowboy hats and flags litter the rodeo sidelines. Families with children of all ages took in the sights and smells of the event, photo by Marsha Jennings 032|STUDEMT LIFE