Writing in flesh is worth a thousand words

Senior Rey Barrera and a few of the other current runners on the cross-country team all share identical tattoos of a lion on their leg. They call it a "runner's tattoo" because it shows only when the slit of the runner's shorts is opened as the runner strides.

The tattoo, however, is the result of a story that much runs deeper. During the summer of 2005, Adam Bacon, a cross-country team leader, talked to the team about getting matching tattoos of a lion on their legs. At the time, Barrera and the rest of the team laughed at the idea of getting a team tattoo. Then, on Aug. 5, 2005, Bacon was killed in a car accident with his girlfriend, LMU soccer player Jessica Hanson, on his way from a vacation spot.

Completely shocked, the cross-country team came together and former team captain Andy Thomson proposed the idea of getting the tattoo that Bacon talked about, saying that it was a good way to remember and have Bacon with them. Without much hesitation, the team drove straight to the nearest tattoo parlor in Venice Beach to get the lion on their legs.

Barrera, who proudly sports his tattoo, said, "Adam was the only leader that everyone listened to; he changed the whole program."

Star basketball player Adoyah Miller has six tattoos on his body that he says all portray the deep love that he has for his family and his faith. He has one on his neck that says "love angel," which he got as a tribute to his mother. Adoyah explained how special his mother is to him saying, "It's because of her that I am alive and well and at school."

Miller has another tattoo on his left arm of a tiger underwater with his great grandfather's name under it. The tiger represents his grandfather who struggled to make it as an orphan. Miller said that he respects the way his grandfather grew into a great man, and that he would love to share the same qualities.

He also has the Virgin Mary on his right forearm that says (in Italian) "Forgive me," and a pair of praying hands on his chest that says "Protect me," which is a representation of his strong faith. He also has a grim reaper on his right arm that says "hold my own." This tattoo reminds him of his responsibilities, which he carries until, "the grim reaper comes to get [him]". Lastly, he has his name spelled out on his back. Adoyah is a Jamaican name that comes from the Rastafarian religion, meaning wealth and health.

Fellow basketball player Derick Grubb also has tattoos that are important to him. Grubb, a graduate student at LMU, has the Serenity Prayer on his stomach. He said that he got it because of the meaning of the prayer to him. Grubb said, "It helps me with a lot of the things that I deal with on a day to day basis." Along with the prayer, he has a cross, further representing his deep-rooted faith.

Grubb also has the Roman numeral 13 on his left wrist. As he turned his hand over and pointed at his wrist, he mumbled, "This has been my number since peewee football, and my brother also wears this number." Grubb also said that his tattoos help remind him of the important things in life.

On the soccer field, freshman Josh Carroll has a Lutheran cross on his left arm along with the words "strength and honor." Carroll said, "I wouldn't get a tattoo just to get a tattoo, only if it were to mean something to me."