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When I pledged there was another sorority's pledge class on my campus that decided to get matching tattoos. The tattoo was of their organization's symbol and it was placed on their ankle. Of the 42 in the pledge class there were only 3 who opted not to do this. One of those 3 was a very good friend of mine (and friend to this day).
By the time that class reached their senior year virtually all of the tattooed girls were rethinking their decision and commenting how smart the 3 who did not participate were. Now 15 years later they are openly jealous of those three. My friend loves to tease her pledge sisters about how silly they were.
Many members of that class are still active in alumnae chapters, still have a strong bond with their organization, and of course love that symbol. However, most of them seriously regret the tattoo. Concepts like the color fading, having to cover it up for professional reasons, and explaining it to their young children just did not enter their minds when they were 18 years old! Now this is their reality every day.
With age has come the realization that they can love an organization without having to permanently alter their body.
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