campus character Israel Carr '09 on tattoos, religion and meeting the prez.

Author: Tess Russell

Want to surprise your mom with a really special gift this Mother's Day? Forget flowers or a massage certificate and take a cue from Israel Carr '09, who (at the tender age of 15) gave his mother something truly memorable.

"I wrote her a card saying, 'Sorry I've always been a pain in your ass. Now you can be a pain in mine,'" said Carr. And then he pulled down his pants (as he did when I interviewed him in Proctor) to reveal a tattoo - delivered at his older sister's hand via sewing needle - of a heart emblazoned with the word 'Mom.'

"She kept trying to rub it off with her fingers," laughed Carr.

This cheeky symbol of affection is not his only permanent body ink. Carr also has a highly visible Star of David on his right shoulder, which garners a lot of comments due to its seeming conflict with Jewish doctrine. But Carr gladly set the record straight.

"Actually, I heard a new rumor that you can only be buried in a Jewish cemetery if you have a tattoo," he deadpanned.

Between these designs and his constant attire of white shirt and overalls, Carr is pretty hard to miss around campus. (For the record, he has nearly a dozen pairs in every fabric from denim to seersucker, and wants all of you to know that he wears nothing underneath.)But the Robi Creek, Idaho native, who described himself as a "third-year senior, because some people are just so cool that they have four senior years," contributes much more than his distinctive appearance to College life.

A member of the rugby team, Carr insisted that he has shattered state and international records to earn the title of "world's fastest waterboy." He also plays the upright bass in a student string band, formerly called Carlo Rossi, that faced a serious lawsuit with the E.&J. Gallo Winery last year over the rights to that name.

"Basically, their corporate lawyer, Kathy Krevchesky, contacted us and we had a series of meetings," explained Carr. "Ultimately, we had to agree never to use the words Carlo or Rossi in any future band names … so we renamed ourselves Kathy Krevchesky and the Bigtime Lawyers."

The "self-made millionaire" also serves as afirst year counselor for Cook Commons in Battell Center, where you can find one of his favorite possessions (second only to his girlfriend, whom he "bought on eBay") tacked to the door of his room. At first glance, this might look like simply a collage of posters, but it is actually a homemade shrine, entitled "A Beautiful Face and More," to one of Carr's personal heroes - President of the College Ronald Liebowitz.

"I'd be so starstruck if I ever got to meet him," said Carr. "I mean, how would you feel if you were introduced to Buddha or Vishnu?"

Carr is decidedly less enamored of the lacrosse players whom he caught trying to steal the Liebowitz tribute one day. They never came back after he threatened them with bodily harm, but he still believes that we should "end the War on Terror and start the War on Sweet Lax."

"You won't get in trouble for printing that because nine out of 10 studies prove that sweet laxers can't read anyway," he continued.

When warned that these statements might provoke controversy, Carr seemed unfazed and admitted that he relished the opportunity to have a "podium loud enough from which to shout it."

We are definitely listening.