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just read through this thread and thought I'd add my story here.
This week I went with a friend of mine to have her sorority tattoo lasered off. The process is painful and expensive and many times a "shadow" of the tattoo never really leaves your skin.
My friend had been president of her NPC sorority (not ADPi) while she was in college, and she and almost her entire executive board got either letters or crests tattood on their legs or shoulder blades.
So now its ten years later and of the sisters she keeps in contact with, all of them have either gotten them removed or are saving the money to do so.
This friend of mine is now a Senior VP of a major PR agency in New York. A few years ago she was taken aside by her mentor and told to always cover the tattoo, it simply didn't look professional. Harsh words, but they were true. (In fact, that tattoo wasn't even particularly attractive, but that's a whole other story.)
Now, I am not against tattoos at all, I actually think they're many times amazing. But they are a very serious decision. Don't just get letters tattooed on yourself in a fit of ADPi love, buy another sweatshirt, or make a donation to the Clasped Hands fund instead.
If you are absolutely dead serious about getting a tattoo, do some research first. Do not go on a whim to a tattoo parlor with your friends, you would spend more effort deciding on a new hair cut. First, I would recommend looking at local tattoo parlors, most have their artists' work on their sites. See which artists work appeals to you. Also, if you see a tattoo you like ask the person where they got it and the name of the artist that created it.
If you are committed to getting a piece of art that represents ADPi, think carefully of our many symbols, think about what each one means to you. I highly recommend getting something that doesn't scream "I Got this tattoo my sophmore year in college!!!"
I would recommend that you choose something that has meaning to you, but remains somewhat enigmatic to a casual observer. (But that's me, I like a little mystery.)
Finally you should consult with your tattoo artist BEFORE you get a tattoo, they should do a preliminary drawing so you can see what you are going to get before it's put on your skin in any permanent way.
Okay, this is the end of my lecture. If I can convince my friend I'm going to try and have her post her "sorority tattoo removal tale" on her GLO's board. (although she's a bit embarrassed about the whole thing, so I don't know.)
violets
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