Senior Lisa Knight has feathery angel wings tattooed on her back and shoulders
Losing a loved one is never easy, especially if they are young. When senior theater major Lisa Knight’s niece and nephew died shortly after birth, she was heartbroken. “It was hard on everyone in the family,” said Knight. She decided to get commemorative tattoos in honor of Allison and Cooper, her deceased family members. After waiting four years and thinking of what would best represent her niece and nephew, Knight decided to get two large feathery wings covering her back and shoulders. Knight explained, “Both wings are unique, just like the personalities of the babies themselves. I wanted something to remember them, but the tattoo also helped me get through a hard time. I’m deathly afraid of needles and shots and getting it done helped prove to myself that I was strong enough to get out of the situation or do anything I needed to do.” The wings also serve as a reminder of Knight’s faith. “I’m Catholic so I wanted angel wings to remind me that no matter what decisions I make or no matter how much I f— up, I have my own guardian angel hugging me.”
The tattoo took two sessions to complete, the most recent session happened over fall break. “I don’t see myself getting anymore tattoos anytime soon, unless I experience something that monumental or emotional that I can’t preserve in another way,” she said. Knight wants to be a teacher, a job that can be strict about large or noticeable tattoos. She took this into account and made the tattoo hidable with sleeves. “There is definitely a real stigma about tattoos. When I was talking to one of the supervisors at physical plant I mentioned my tattoos and how I was getting them finished over fall break. He was like, ‘You have a tattoo?’ You could really see his whole demeanor change in a second.” Knight’s supervisor has not treated her any differently, but it really opened her eyes to how employers can view body art.
“I believe that for me and other people who have tattoos, that the best way to fight that stigma is to prove them wrong,” said Knight. “This supervisor knew me as a hard worker before he knew I had a tattoo so I know it’s hard for him to think of me as anything else.” Knight advises those who are judged for their tattoos to “Kill ‘em with kindness. Whenever that old couple looks at you wrong, just go up and talk to them until they fall in love with you and realize you’re friendly,” smiled Knight.