Kris Lachance, owner of Splash of Color Tattoo & Piercing Studio, remembers each tattoo she's had inked with piercing clarity.

"The atmosphere stays with you," she said. "I remember what music was playing. Your senses are so acute during that time, you will always have that experience."

Since the early '90s, as the once taboo art has become mainstream, Lachance has seen her customers increase. More than half of those customers are MSU students, she said, with a variety of experiences, personalities and stories.

"It gets as deep as people who were abused as children who are taking back their bodies and regaining their self," she said. "If you're in the room, you can just feel the negative energy rushing out. It's always really really cool when a client comes in and shares a part of themselves."

Special education junior Erin Benton's favorite tattoo is in honor of her father, who died of cancer when she was 13.

"It reminds me of my dad and because I get to tell people about my dad every time someone sees the tattoo."

Benton's brother got the same tattoo — which reads "Freebird" — at the same time she did.

"I chose the design because my dad had always wanted a tattoo of an eagle with a flag, but he chickened out when he tried to get it."

Shy cat reflects inner persona

When psychology junior Amanda Schultz saw the design of a sleeping fairy cat on a Web site of temporary, stick-on tattoos, she fell in love.

"The tattoo fits me perfectly," she said. "It's quiet but has a uniqueness about it.

"I think its unusualness is what attracted me to it, and knowing that I may be the only one that has it allows me to distinguish myself from everyone else."

Schultz said she is shy when she first meets someone, and the cat reflects this characteristic.

"You can tell it's someone special, even though it's just sleeping — it has it's own personality," she said.

Schultz, who was 16 when she found the design, held onto it for years until she was old enough to get a tattoo.

"It wasn't just a flash on the wall … I put in the time into finding the right tattoo for me."

3 tattoos represent luck, art, family's heritage

Communication junior Brian LaLande said the tattoo on his right side is an "Eye of Horus," a symbol ancient Egyptians painted on the sides of their vessels for good luck and a safe passage.

"I got it as a reminder to watch out for myself because as an atheist, I don't believe there is someone watching out for me," he said. "Many people base their life decisions around God's graces, which I think is irresponsible."

LaLande has two other completed tattoos, including his first — a sunburst and nautical star, which he got when he was 18. LaLande said the tattoo represents his interest in art.

"I just wanted to design my own," he said. "In the future, I will add another star and sun when I get married."

His other tattoo is the Polish eagle on the left side of his torso.

"I'm only a quarter Polish, but it's not just to represent my heritage," he said. "It's also to keep me grounded. I'm not sure where I'm going in life, but I know where I came from."

His fourth tattoo, the constellation Orion, is still being completed.

"I have always found it strange that people need to explain their surroundings through the supernatural," he said. "On top of that, I have always been fascinated with the stars and their mythical explanations — Orion is the one I have always found most interesting."

Cross, doves, flowers honor family, faith, struggle

Part of advertising senior Mary Varano's collection of four tattoos signifies a struggle with her Catholic faith.

The Italian cross and the name "Ave Maria" above it were added to the collection her sophomore year. Maria is for her grandmother of the same name and symbolizes her admiration for the Virgin Mary.

"I was having a pretty major crisis of faith," she said.

"I spent the first 18 years of my life sitting in church every Sunday, and now that no one was forcing me to go, I finally had a chance to look at religion as an institution and found that I had a lot more questions than (the religion) had answers.

"On the other hand, I found that I had an unshakable faith in the very core of Catholicism: To be good to others. Without getting in the crosshairs of technicalities, I discovered I was actually very faithful."

During her junior year, Varano added two turtle doves as a tribute to her twin brother, and she also added details to honor her mother and grandmother.

"I had already celebrated my faith and ethnic roots, but there was nothing celebrating the closeness of my twin brother and me or the influence my mother and grandmother have had on shaping me," Varano said.

"Each dove has a flower in its mouth. One holds a pink rose — my grandmother's favorite — and the other a lily of the valley — my mom's favorite."

Her very first tattoo — the center of what is now a larger tribute to her family and her faith — is a cross with an Irish Holy Trinity in the center, a tattoo she hid from her parents for three months.

"Being that I'm half Irish, this made sense for my first tattoo," she said.

But Varano couldn't hide her tattoo forever.

"My mom discovered it while I was trying on prom dresses and, quite frankly, I was pretty happy that it happened in public so she couldn't kill me," she said.

"My dad didn't talk to me for a week when I told him, but at least there were no threats of getting kicked out."

Eventually, her father adjusted.

"Considering my collection is up to four now, I think he's kind of pining for the days when it was only a half-dollar-sized Celtic knot."

Her tattoo collection, which has taken four years to complete in more than three installments, was well worth the time and money spent, Varano said.

"After probably two and a half hours of tattooing and $350 later, I have an awesome piece of art on my back. I love it."

Memorable vacation forever shared among 3 road trippers

In between the lines of the Roman numeral three on the right ankles of journalism junior Eric Lafever and accounting senior Kyle Palmitier, you can read "Cali 2004," to represent the month they spent driving across the country for the trip of a lifetime.

"We bought surfboards, spent all our money and drove the entire coast of California," Lafever said. "We basically lived the life."

One of their neighbors was a stunt double for Tom Cruise, and they are still in touch with him, Lafever said. Another neighbor took the two friends in for a week, allowing them to extend their two-week stay to three. Lafever, Palmitier and a third friend have since returned to the destination every summer for another carefree trip.

But their first time was unforgettable.

"We had the time of our life," he said. "We spent all of our money, but it was great. The Roman numeral stands for the three of us, and 'Cali 2004' for the experience we will never forget."