When students graduate college, they often leave with debt and a slight caffeine addiction. Some students prefer to leave with something a little more permanent.

Katie Morris, a senior biotechnology major, and Jane Kim, a biochemistry graduate, were best friends during their time at Syracuse University. To show the impact they made on each other, they got matching double carbon bond tattoos.

The two met during Morris’ freshman year through a mutual friend. But it was not until joining Alpha Chi Sigma, the professional chemistry fraternity, that they really bonded.

Morris remembers one night when she went to Shaw Dining Center for dinner with a large group of people, and hearing Kim mention the professional chemistry fraternity. Kim ranted about how she was going to join Alpha Chi Sigma, encouraging Morris to do the same.

Morris told Kim that she would join, but under one circumstance: Kim agreeing to be her big. Kim agreed.

“From that moment on, she kind of became my college mentor,” Morris said.

Their friendship began with Morris admiring Kim and four years later, not much has changed.

“I still look up to her,” Morris said. “She is like a role model and older sister to me.”

After countless memories of walking to Kim’s apartment on Euclid Avenue to binge watch movies, ordering M Street Pizza late at night and studying for hours together in Life Sciences Complex rooms 105 and 217, it was time for Kim to graduate.

“I wasn’t sad at first because I didn’t really feel like she was graduating,” Morris said.

After graduating in May, Kim stayed in Syracuse for an extra month and a half as a scribe for Crouse Hospital. Morris stayed to take summer classes. It was during this time that Morris and Kim got their tattoos together.

The friends decided they would get matching double carbon bonds on their wrists to symbolize their love for chemistry and the bond they share.

Double carbon bonds are difficult to break, similar to their friendship, Morris said.

Now that Kim has graduated, Morris said she feels weird being on campus without one of her best friends.

Despite the fact that she misses her, Morris said they are still as close as before. No matter how busy life gets, they make time to talk to each throughout the week.

Kim plans to visit Morris in a few weeks, which will be full of even more memories the two friends will make.

“I can always go to her,” Morris said. “It doesn’t really feel like much has changed between us.”

Published on September 19, 2017 at 12:09 am

Contact Raven: rarentas@syr.edu