It doesn’t take to much effort to spot someone with earrings around campus.

The popularity of piercings have soared as they became a rite of passage for many people as they make their own choices as eyebrows, lips, and nose piercings only scratch the surface.

“I like my piercing, and I got them because I thought they were pretty and I wanted to be different from my friends just having more piercings,” sophomore Jamille Johnson said.

For girls, ear piercings are sometimes done during childhood so girls can wear earrings, a common sign of femininity.

“I got my first piercing when I was six and then I got four more over the years for my birthday,” sophomore Melia Kohler said. “I got them because I just think they’re cute. I was on social media like Pinterest, and I got some ideas over the years, and I looked at these pictures of other girls, and I just wanted them for myself.”

But piercings are not limited to females and can mean different things for different people.

“I got my piercing my freshman year my parents said I had to be be 15 to get them pierced,” senior Tyryek Jackson said. “The reason I got my ears pierced was because I felt it would add to my style on how the way I dress. I don’t like the flash but me wearing earrings is what I like to do.”