Junior Justin Vance has a sparrow on his wrist, freshman Trevor Sudano has an eye on his back and sophomore Chuck McGlaun has flames on his calf. No, they are not all circus freaks but rather a few of the hundreds of college students who have joined in on the growing trend of getting tattoos.For many college students, leaving the restricted confines of their parents’ homes is a perfect opportunity to spread their wings and make their own decisions. Some display this new found freedom in the form of a tattoo.

Such is the case for sophomore Allie Frost.

This journalism major said the three flowers she has inked on her lower back represent a symbolic meaning over the aesthetic value.

“I got my tattoo on my 18th birthday and wanted to remember becoming an adult,” Frost said. “It symbolizes the start of being able to do things on my own without any permission.”

Whether it is coping with the death of a loved one, proclaiming passion for a favorite band, showing a religious side, boasting one’s heritage or simply rebelling against parents, college students are finding more reasons to show up at the tattoo parlor.

Andy Ringo, a veteran tattoo artist and employee at the body art parlor Evolved, said he encourages clients to think over a design, research its meaning and let the creative juices flow before getting permanently marked at the shop.

“We are a custom shop,” Ringo said. “I am very careful to work with clients’ ideas to get exactly what they are looking for.”

Ringo, a Massachusetts native, has always been interested in drawing. After taking several tattoo classes and working under an apprenticeship, he was ready to delve into the tattoo world. He has been inking people for a decade and has worked at Evolved since it opened just over five years ago. “A lot of students come to our location,” Ringo said. “It’s nice to always get new, fresh people every year.”

Over the past decade, Ringo has noticed a great increase in the popularity of tattoos, both in young adults and in the general population.

“Every year it is becoming more and more mainstream and socially acceptable,” he said. “Tattoos are something that last for so long that I think they will only continue to get more popular.”

The most common place to get a tattoo on the body is the upper arm for men and the lower back for women, Ringo said. Shoulders and legs are also popular tattoo locations for both sexes, he said.

Brian Ferris, an undecided sophomore, falls into the shoulder category. He has a Celtic knot on his right shoulder in honor of his Irish heritage. The one-time ink job has left Ferris contemplating coming back for more.

“As people say, once you get one you are hooked,” Ferris said. “I guess that could apply to me, because I am ready for my next one.”

Octavia Mathews, a respiratory therapy major, can attest to this claim. She has four tattoos: a monkey on her arm, a Chinese symbol on her left thigh, a black panther on her right thigh and a pyramid with an eyeball on her right shoulder blade.

“I love getting tattoos,” Mathews said. “They do not hurt one bit. They relax me. I get a new one every year.”

The debate on whether or not tattoos hurt, however, is not one-sided.

“I sometimes lie to people and tell them it didn’t hurt,” Frost admits. “But honestly, it hurt.”

The verdict might depend on one’s tolerance for pain, but it might also rely on where the tattoo is inked on the body. After observing his clients, one of the most painful places to get a tattoo is the rib area, Ringo said.

Lindsay Freisthler, a sophomore in business, has three tattoos, all of which had different degrees of pain.

“The one on my lower back was very painful, especially when they got to my spine,” she said. “The foot was barely painful, and the hip wasn’t too bad either.”

Michaela Oberg, a junior in communication, described the pain as if “someone was digging a pencil into your skin and carving something.”

Oberg’s tattoo, found on both the inside and outside of her ankle, is one of the most popular designs that Ringo and other Evolved artists regularly ink – an Ohio State emblem.

More often than not, students and alumni come to Evolved after a Buckeye football victory to get “Block O” patterns or Brutus Buckeye inked on their bodies, Ringo said.

In general, however, Ringo has noticed a few trendy choices: akangi (Chinese or Japanese writing), hearts and crosses.

The most popular design lately is the star, he said.

“Whether it’s a star by itself or stars incorporated into something else, stars are becoming really popular.”

However, not everyone gets inked with typical designs. One of the strangest tattoos Ringo has done was a moose pushing a lawnmower, inked on a man’s back.

“If you’re going to get a tattoo, it doesn’t necessarily have to have some deep, symbolic meaning,” Ringo said. “Just make sure it’s something you will be able to live with for the rest of your life.”