There is always a reason for sticking a needle through skin and putting a piercing inside of it. Reasons may differ from person to person, but each one has one.

Sophomore Christian Garrett got his two ears pierced and tongue pierced because it went with the style he was going for. “I thought it would be interesting,” he said.

Senior Brooke Mericle got her three ear piercings, two naval piercings, a nostril piercing and back piercing because she liked the look. “I thought they looked cool,” she said.

Something to think about when getting a piercing is pain. Depending on the type of piercing and person, they can be painful.

Garrett had no problem with pain when getting his tongue pierced. “I didn’t feel it at all. I actually scared the guy because I started laughing when the needle was through my tongue,” he said.

Mericle wasn’t as lucky as Garrett’s pain-free experience for her back piercing. “It hurt a lot; it was very painful,” she said.

An issue with getting piercings is acceptance from both the public and the parents. For both Mericle and Garrett, parental acceptance wasn’t much of an issue.

“My dad has a tongue piercing and my mom has several piercings,” Garret said, “So both were okay with it.”

Mericle didn’t tell her parents about getting her back piercing until she got it and showed them. “They couldn’t do anything about it afterwards, but they were okay with it,” she said.

As for the public, reactions weren’t always as good. Garrett has been called gay because of having both of his ears pierced and his tongue pierced along with several jokes about them. Mericle hasn’t received any harsh comments like Garrett, but she knows some people don’t understand.

Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Tracy Levang believes one of the problems with facial piercings is job interviews. “People discriminate and there is nothing you can do about other people’s feelings or point of view. I would hate for a person to not get a job because of how they present and express themselves,” she said.

The health risks of getting a piercing aren’t always present, but there is always a chance. “If instruments are not properly sterilized then you are subjected to HIV, Hepatitits B, C and other blood borne pathogens,” Levang said.

Despite the small risk, Garrett and Mericle went through with their decision, aware of the health factors or not. Garrett recently removed his tongue piercing because it interfered with his Junior Reserve Office Training Corps (JROTC) class. Mericle still has all seven of her piercings in.

Being cool is one of the many reasons people get piercings, like Garrett and Mericle. Levang sees it as a means of expression.

Whether it’s to be cool or to fit with a look, getting a piercing is a personal decision and one that many find satisfying.