Cassie Forsyth | Arts & Life Co-Editor
“Tattoo Tales” is an ongoing series that features Buena Vista University students’ tattoos and the stories behind them.
Senior graphic design and digital media major Seth Moeller currently has many tattoos. Tattoos were something he had always wanted since being a kid, and being a design major, he is able to design his own tattoos.
Moeller got his first tattoo a few months after he turned 18. The tattoo is on his chest and is of his jersey number. It is accompanied by claw marks. The idea was made with a friend who passed away before getting the tattoo, so it holds extra meaning to Moeller.
“It’s my jersey number, which has always been my lucky number through everything growing up,” Moeller said, “It’s something that will always be with me.”
Another tattoo is his last name down his spine. He got the tattoo because he has pride in his family and his name. In the future, he plans to add his children’s footprints walking up the name to reflect the idea of a family tree.
On his rib cage, he has an ambigram that reads “mother” one way and “father” the other way. He then added a bass fish for his father and a lily flower for his mother. The fish symbolizes his father’s love for fishing and the activity they did together, and the lily symbolizes the flowers he gives to his mother on holidays.
“I love my parents and have a lot of dedication for them, and it’s something I want with me. They’ll always be with me, always be by my side,” Moeller said. “The fish and flower just kind of add the emphasis of each one.”
He has begun working on a sleeve that will be added to over time. Another ambigram reads “create” both ways. Moeller loves creating, and it’s something he does all the time.
“As a designer and artist, it’s something that’s very important to my life, and so I think that’s going to be the start of my sleeve, and everything’s going to match with that. It’s going to deal with my creations. My sleeve will be a lot of my art work,” Moeller said.
His next tattoo is the Buena Vista University (BVU) logo on his forearm. The experiences he has had at BVU make him realize he would be a totally different person without them, and the tattoo gives him something to remember all his friends and experiences. He also plans to add his own beaver logo to it in the future.
“It symbolizes the four years I’ve had here and the experiences I’ve had,” Moeller said. “Without this place and without the people I’ve met here, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”
Moeller has no regrets about his tattoos.
“People can judge you and your tattoos, but if they don’t know the meanings behind them, it’s something more for yourself than it is for other people,” Moeller said, “It doesn’t really matter what other people think.”
Photos courtesy of Seth Moeller
