Story by JASON STRICKLAND, Sports Editor

Being a sports fan, I know about the popularity of tattoos.

Many athletes have tattoos all over their bodies, and I have no idea what they are supposed to be.

When there are several tattoos in a single area, you have to investigate to figure out what all is there.

A lot of people get tattoos because it has a personal connection to them, so having a lot of them causes them to lose meaning.

The fewer the tattoos, the more the individual stories about them stick out.

Tattoos are also extremely expensive and painful. Even small ones can cost $100, and some people spend thousands of dollars on them.

An inked needle is piercing skin. This doesn’t sound pleasurable to me.

Tattoos also fade and can change shape over time.

It is hard to tell what they are when they are new, but very hard to decipher years down the road.

Another problem can arise when the tattoos is no longer wanted.

Getting tattoos can’t be spur of the moment events because second-guessing will cost you.

Having to remove them can basically double the issue because of the cost and pain involved.

Who wants to have to pay to remove a heart with your ex’s name in it?

Slapping ink on your skin can hinder the job hunt as well.

Some employers do not allow tattoos in certain spots, or require them to be covered up at all times.

As a soon to be graduate, I would not want to make the job search any more difficult.

I don’t plan on getting a tattoo anytime soon, but if I did get one, I would have to know I would want it for the rest of my life and it wouldn’t be very big.

I understand the desire to get inked, but not when it gets excessive.

Story by ANDY LYONS, News Editor—

There has long been a debate on why people shouldn’t get tattoos.

The danger of a contaminated needle, job discrimination and possible regret were all reasons I was told I shouldn’t get a tattoo.

I have long been the rebel, and not listened to my parents’ advice.

I got inked for the first time when I was 21 years old.

The tattoo is of a black widow with a woman’s beautiful face.

My uncle told me, “at least you won’t get your ass kicked for it prison.”

But the reality is that I got the tattoo for a lot of personal reasons.

First of all, I am a huge D&D nerd. That’s right, Dungeons & Dragons.

The symbol is of Lolth, the chaotic evil goddess of the ebony-skinned drow elves.

In the books and the role-playing game I always find myself intrigued by the culture and the storylines that come from these people.

The next part of why I got the tattoo was because I had a lot of relationships fail in my youth, and in the end I felt like I gave a part of myself to the young lady I was dating that I never got back.

After mating, the female black widow eats the male.

The final reason is I have severe arachnophobia, to the point where I will run away from the smallest spider, much to the amusement of those around me.

The tattoo was an attempt at facing that fear.

People get tattoos because it shows the things they care about, no matter how trivial.

There are, of course, people that get inked because they want to be cool or some other reason that makes no sense to anyone other than the person going under the needle.

It is almost like branding yourself.

I know people that love “Nightmare Before Christmas” who have tattoos of the characters simply for love of the movie.

There are people with tats that make no sense to anyone other than themselves, but it’s that hidden meaning that makes them worth it.