Though legally you must be eighteen to get tatted up in South Carolina, a few AMHS seniors, as well as multiple teachers, have tattoos. Tattoos, being intimate and permanent inscriptions, reveal a lot about character, past experiences, and personal interests. Compelled to learn more about the meaning behind my fellow Raptors’ tattoos, I interviewed Rachel Walmet, Skyler Ayers, and Mrs. Cornell.

Rachel Walmet, recently eighteen, received her first tattoo just weeks ago.

What is it?

A simple version of the Cooper River Bridge, done in fine black ink.

Did it hurt?

Not too badly; it feels like a repeating painful scratch lasting for ten minutes.

Why did you get it?

I got it because I want a tattoo for everywhere I’ve lived that has a personal significance. 

Do you plan to get more? If so, what?

Yes…check out the poll to decide my next one with me!

Skyler Ayers, not yet eighteen, received her first tattoo while in Vermont.

What is it?

My tattoo is a little whisk.

Did it hurt?

It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. To be honest, it just felt like you were getting poked over and over again, more annoying than painful. 

Why did you get it?

I got it with both of my parents, sort of like a set. Me and my dad love to cook and bake, and my mom can’t cook but she likes to eat. My dad got a chef’s knife and my mom got a fork. We just got it to immortalize what we love and also as a cool family thing. 

Do you plan to get more? If so, what?

I am 100% going to get more. Right now I have my next two planned but I will definitely get more after. My planned ones so far are 1) three stars behind my right ear, and 2) the word “love” in my grandma’s handwriting on my rib cage.

Mrs. Cornell got her one and only tattoo while vacationing in Hawaii.

What is it?

A sea turtle, done in thick black ink. 

Did it hurt?

Yes, it felt like an annoying prickle. Even worse, though, it caused horrific Ganglion cysts eighteen years later. I had to get them surgically removed, and I believe it was the tattoo that caused them. Moral of the story: never get a tattoo in your twenties on a whim on vacation. 

Why did you get it?

I can’t really tell you, I don’t know.

Do you plan to get more? If so, what?

Never. It is a horrible idea to put something on your body that you didn’t really think through. I don’t necessarily regret it, though.

First photo: the scar of Mrs. Cornell’s ganglion cysts removal surgery, which was prompted by the tattoo.

That’s all, Raptors! Stay tuned for the next edition of the tattoos of Magnet.