Tattoos come in many shapes and sizes on SLOHS alumni Emily Russel. Photos courtesy of Russel.

  Repeated stabbing by multiple tiny needles resulting in a permanently altered appearance may sound unpleasant to San Luis Obispo High School students, but tattooing is a common practice. 

  Many enjoy receiving and viewing tattoos as a form of self-expression.

However, negative stigma exists around inked individuals. 

  “I love them. I think they’re great. It’s somebody’s body to choose what they do with it and if they want to express in that way, that’s really awesome,” said English teacher Sholeh Prochello. Prochello sports numerous tattoos, including a dense patch on her right bicep and a smattering of others.

  Various SLOHS students have plans to get their own tattoos once they’re of age. 

  “I’m thinking about getting one, I’m in the process of booking,” said senior Dallalia Olivera. 

  Deciding to get a tattoo is not a light matter. The process is both painful and expensive, and the ink is permanently embedded in the skin. While it is possible to get them removed, it requires more money and often is not a perfect process. Because of this, many have reservations about the consequences of such a big action. 

  “I don’t know. I’m very split,” said senior Kaitlyn Brunner. “I’m planning on going into the film industry… in terms of castability, a lot of times they don’t want you to have a ton of things on your body just because you’re supposed to be able to mold to whatever role.”

  One of the most common arguments against tattoos is that they make it harder to get a job.

  “The ‘professional’ look is to be like clean, pristine. If you’re going in for a job interview, everyone’s like ‘make sure your hair looks nice, make sure you’re wearing nice clothes,’” said Brunner. Tattoos are viewed as ruinous to this put-together aesthetic, reducing one’s appeal as a job applicant. 

  Additionally, tattoos have been stereotyped as being worn by ruffians and criminals, people who would struggle in a workplace environment. However, SLOHS is mostly free of this stigma.

  “I don’t know if I could classify [tattoos] as unprofessional, because I don’t think there is anything intrinsically professional about non-tattooed skin,” said Prochello. 

  Those who interact with tattooed individuals often disagree with the negative opinions surrounding them. 

  “I know a bunch of people who have tattoos and they are very highly respected in the workplace,” said Olivera.

  The value of tattoos as a unique and meaningful form of self-expression outweighs any potential downsides for many at SLOHS, creating positive tattoo culture at this school.