UC Davis students reflect on the culture and idea of body modifications
By EVELYN SANCHEZ — features@theaggie.org
Finally living away from significant parental supervision for the first time in years, students are naturally excited for the endless possibilities that arise in college. Some of such possibilities include getting tattooed for the first time or getting a piercing aside from earlobes.
Body modifications have a rich and varied history, where the first known evidence of tattoos dates back to 4000-3500 B.C.E. Indigenous Polynesians tattoo intricate geometric designs to express personality and identity; Likewise, the Maori people use the medium to display status and significance via facial tattoos, and some communities within sub-Saharan Africa practice the body modification of cicatrization where soot or ash is rubbed into a deep cut to produce a raised scar.
Despite the varied significance around the world, it is difficult for some students to lightly shrug off the burden of the task. Taboos surrounding piercings and tattoos remain prevalent in many cultures, such as Japanese culture associating tattoos and piercings with yakuza violence and even banning tattoos in certain public spaces. However, a short stroll through campus would reveal a more lenient attitude toward body modifications.
“I’d be a different person if I still lived with my parents,” Alana Faria, a fourth-year history major, said. “I think I’d be less likely [to get tattoos] because even though I liked tattoos, I thought they’d look bad on me. But college taught me it doesn’t matter how they look on you as long as you like them.”
In an environment where everyone is striving for professional success, the burden of social norms is lighter when your fellow historians and doctors are also getting tattoos that have significant meanings to them — and even ones that don’t.
“Being surrounded by so many people where stuff like tattoos and piercings aren’t looked down upon, as well as having a lot of friends that had these body modifications, made me feel a lot more comfortable getting the tattoos and piercings I wanted,” Cris Lima, a fourth-year physics major, said. “I probably would’ve ended up with at least one small tattoo, but I probably wouldn’t have gotten piercings of any kind.”
Faria and Lima both got their first tattoos at Death or Glory, a tattoo and piercing shop in Downtown Davis. Being the closest shop to campus, it tends to be Davis students’ go-to spot for when they’re looking into getting body modifications for the first time.
“I got my nostril when I was 16 and tattoo when I was 17, with parental consent,” Nirvana Nejad, a third-year English major, said.
Nejad’s first tattoo and piercing were done at a tattoo shop in Fairfax, Virginia, and, already knowing that they wanted more body modifications coming into college, it was a matter of “how many” instead of “when.” They have since also been tattooed at Death or Glory in Davis.
“I’ve known since I was a little kid that I wanted tattoos,” Nejad said. “If anything, I respect the art form and the culture surrounding tattooing more than I did after coming to college.”
Despite their reputation to some, tattoos hold and reflect sentimental value for many people, and the designs often extend beyond simple decoration or a spontaneous decision. Contrary to them often being seen as impulsive, the college setting allows students to view tattoos as a form of art.
“The more time I spent at tattoo shops and talked to people that work there, I realized that getting tattooed is an act of incredible trust with a stranger,” Nejad said. “You’re trusting someone to permanently change your body while they deliberately cause you pain. I think the profession comes from a place of loving people and art.”
Nejad cites a tattoo sheet dedicated to Leonard Stoney St. Clair, a circus performer and tattoo artist who learned tattooing during his time as a performer, which deeply resonated with her. The sheet was committed to the history and art of the practice.
Faria said that she plans to get a shark tattoo on her arm to commemorate her dog’s name and a pumpkin on her left shoulder to remember her late aunt who nicknamed her “pumpkin.” An avid animal lover with countless pets, Faria memorializes her love through her tattoos.
Lima shared that he finds importance in the aesthetic value of tattoos and prefers those that reflect his interests and personhood.
“My second tattoo is a physics equation with a little nerdy design [because] at heart, I am a nerd and a physics major,” Lima said. “My third one is a Queen of Hearts, which is my favorite single card in a deck. I also like playing card games, but it’s mainly for the design.”
Despite the value such body modifications hold, it can still be scary for students returning home for breaks to families that do not share the same sentiment.
“Each passing tattoo and piercing has gotten better, so, [for] like the first tattoo ever, they freaked out a little,” Lima said. “But they’ve become more okay with it to the point now with my recent tattoo, my mom reacted with a sunglasses emoji.”
Nejad’s mother has also adjusted to the idea of tattoos and piercings — her mother simply wanting her to “slow down.”
Widespread societal attitudes will continue changing, but the culture of body modification will always remain an important art form to many people — both in and out of college.
Written by: Evelyn Sanchez — features@theaggie.org
