Post by anncoulter on Aug 11, 2013 19:59:09 GMT -5
(pix attached)
It only took Alex Thompson 12 minutes to get brotherhood permanently etched into his skin. Just minutes after he went under the needle, Thompson emerged from a local tattoo shop with new ink on his ankle. He bled for his letters and now inscribed forever on Thompson’s leg are the symbols of his fraternity: KΣ.
“The pain was just a small price to pay for brotherhood,” Thompson said. “I did it because I wanted to. This is the realest thing you can do. It says you’re permanently devoted. It proves my brotherhood.”
A fall 2012 initiate of Florida State University’s Kappa Sigma fraternity, Thompson’s letters are on his shirt, on his pickup and, after consulting his brothers, on his inner left ankle.
At Florida State, whether walking through the Union or shopping at the Ocala Corners Publix, it’s not uncommon to notice some Greek letters above the odd Sperry.
Unlike ephemerally trendy neon frat tanks and Polo buckle-backs, fraternity tattoos are necessarily permanent, not to be removed on a whim. The ink ensures that the bonds of brotherhood are literally life-long.
Along with fraternity members around campus, Thompson follows the time-honored tradition of many brothers before him, his decision supported by his Kappa Sigma pledge class and his older brothers, his big brother even present for the tattooing.
“I wanted my big brother there when I got it,” Thompson said. “He was right beside me when I got it and he took pictures while laughing up a storm. I asked a good amount of the other brothers where they got theirs, how much it was, if it hurt, because I’d never been tatted up.”
Thompson’s letters are his first and only tattoo, and fellow Kappa Sigma brother Tom Liscio also wears his letters on his skin, making Thompson and Liscio brothers in fraternity and in ink. Both brothers carry the weight of their letters on their ankles, each stating that these are symbols they would never regret.
“I could see myself regretting a lot of things but definitely not this,” Liscio said.
Liscio said that because he always wears his letters, he is constantly reminded to uphold the values of the fraternity he represents, holding him accountable to his brothers. However, fraternity tattoos are not limited to the brothers Kappa Sigma.
While some fraternities such as Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi and Kappa Alpha Order are known to have more tatted brothers than others, most fraternities have no stated policies against body art unlike may sororities who ban replication of letters as tattoos.
Nick Stone, a rising senior in Tau Kappa Epsilon, believes that most fraternities at FSU are open-minded when it comes to body art.
“I’d like to think that there is not any one fraternity that collectively approves or disapproves of frat tats or tattoos at all,” Stone said.
Rather than blatantly stamp his fraternity letters on his body Stone opted for a fraternity symbol instead.
“I have an all seeing eye enclosed in an equilateral triangle, the triangle being TKE’s foremost symbol,” Stone said.
Though his tattoo resembles the Masonic pyramid on the back of the dollar bill with an all-seeing eye peering outward, the meaning behind the tattoo is deeply personal.
“I decided to go with the equilateral triangle because the significance to us is that if you push on any side of the triangle, the foundation only becomes stronger,” Stone said. “No matter what I’ve been pushed by in my life, my brothers have tightened the foundation and supported me one hundred percent.”
Stone’s tattoo is part of a larger sleeve design that will cover his arm. His Tau Kappa Epsilon triangle is a permanent tribute to the brothers who have supported him.
But not every fraternity member wants to etch their brotherhood into their flesh.
Ryan Rabac, president of FSU’s Sigma Phi Epsilon, colloquially called SigEp, does not have a fraternity tattoo and does not plan on getting one. For him, the letters of his fraternity symbolize the best aspects of the fraternity and said the values of his organization are better demonstrated through action rather than ink.
“I see nothing wrong with tattooing but I hope that being a virtuous person would speak louder than any letters,” Rabac said.
Unlike Rabac, however, other fraternity members are already familiar with the prick of a tattoo needle. Jake Tomlin, a Delta Chi brother, welcomes further ink and is planning his first fraternity tattoo soon.
“I think it’s a really great idea if you’re interested in getting tattoos in the first place,” Tomlin said. “It’s a permanent way to show that you are a part of a life long bond among brothers, and how much that means to you.”
Tomlin believes his tattoo will reflect the positive aspects of his fraternity’s involvement. Last spring, he and his fraternity became heavily involved in Dance Marathon and he believes this tattoo will incorporate the more positive aspects of fraternity life.
“A lot of people think Greek Life is all about parties and it really isn’t. Sure, we like to socialize,” Tomlin said, “but at the end of the day it’s about brotherhood.”
www.fsunews.com/article/20130724/FSVIEW/130724011/Frat-tatted-up-Brothers-ink
It only took Alex Thompson 12 minutes to get brotherhood permanently etched into his skin. Just minutes after he went under the needle, Thompson emerged from a local tattoo shop with new ink on his ankle. He bled for his letters and now inscribed forever on Thompson’s leg are the symbols of his fraternity: KΣ.
“The pain was just a small price to pay for brotherhood,” Thompson said. “I did it because I wanted to. This is the realest thing you can do. It says you’re permanently devoted. It proves my brotherhood.”
A fall 2012 initiate of Florida State University’s Kappa Sigma fraternity, Thompson’s letters are on his shirt, on his pickup and, after consulting his brothers, on his inner left ankle.
At Florida State, whether walking through the Union or shopping at the Ocala Corners Publix, it’s not uncommon to notice some Greek letters above the odd Sperry.
Unlike ephemerally trendy neon frat tanks and Polo buckle-backs, fraternity tattoos are necessarily permanent, not to be removed on a whim. The ink ensures that the bonds of brotherhood are literally life-long.
Along with fraternity members around campus, Thompson follows the time-honored tradition of many brothers before him, his decision supported by his Kappa Sigma pledge class and his older brothers, his big brother even present for the tattooing.
“I wanted my big brother there when I got it,” Thompson said. “He was right beside me when I got it and he took pictures while laughing up a storm. I asked a good amount of the other brothers where they got theirs, how much it was, if it hurt, because I’d never been tatted up.”
Thompson’s letters are his first and only tattoo, and fellow Kappa Sigma brother Tom Liscio also wears his letters on his skin, making Thompson and Liscio brothers in fraternity and in ink. Both brothers carry the weight of their letters on their ankles, each stating that these are symbols they would never regret.
“I could see myself regretting a lot of things but definitely not this,” Liscio said.
Liscio said that because he always wears his letters, he is constantly reminded to uphold the values of the fraternity he represents, holding him accountable to his brothers. However, fraternity tattoos are not limited to the brothers Kappa Sigma.
While some fraternities such as Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi and Kappa Alpha Order are known to have more tatted brothers than others, most fraternities have no stated policies against body art unlike may sororities who ban replication of letters as tattoos.
Nick Stone, a rising senior in Tau Kappa Epsilon, believes that most fraternities at FSU are open-minded when it comes to body art.
“I’d like to think that there is not any one fraternity that collectively approves or disapproves of frat tats or tattoos at all,” Stone said.
Rather than blatantly stamp his fraternity letters on his body Stone opted for a fraternity symbol instead.
“I have an all seeing eye enclosed in an equilateral triangle, the triangle being TKE’s foremost symbol,” Stone said.
Though his tattoo resembles the Masonic pyramid on the back of the dollar bill with an all-seeing eye peering outward, the meaning behind the tattoo is deeply personal.
“I decided to go with the equilateral triangle because the significance to us is that if you push on any side of the triangle, the foundation only becomes stronger,” Stone said. “No matter what I’ve been pushed by in my life, my brothers have tightened the foundation and supported me one hundred percent.”
Stone’s tattoo is part of a larger sleeve design that will cover his arm. His Tau Kappa Epsilon triangle is a permanent tribute to the brothers who have supported him.
But not every fraternity member wants to etch their brotherhood into their flesh.
Ryan Rabac, president of FSU’s Sigma Phi Epsilon, colloquially called SigEp, does not have a fraternity tattoo and does not plan on getting one. For him, the letters of his fraternity symbolize the best aspects of the fraternity and said the values of his organization are better demonstrated through action rather than ink.
“I see nothing wrong with tattooing but I hope that being a virtuous person would speak louder than any letters,” Rabac said.
Unlike Rabac, however, other fraternity members are already familiar with the prick of a tattoo needle. Jake Tomlin, a Delta Chi brother, welcomes further ink and is planning his first fraternity tattoo soon.
“I think it’s a really great idea if you’re interested in getting tattoos in the first place,” Tomlin said. “It’s a permanent way to show that you are a part of a life long bond among brothers, and how much that means to you.”
Tomlin believes his tattoo will reflect the positive aspects of his fraternity’s involvement. Last spring, he and his fraternity became heavily involved in Dance Marathon and he believes this tattoo will incorporate the more positive aspects of fraternity life.
“A lot of people think Greek Life is all about parties and it really isn’t. Sure, we like to socialize,” Tomlin said, “but at the end of the day it’s about brotherhood.”
www.fsunews.com/article/20130724/FSVIEW/130724011/Frat-tatted-up-Brothers-ink
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