As part of graduation obligations, senior must paint their colorful parking spots black again for next year’s incoming class. Senior parking spots are part of a national program called Project Graduation, which originated as a response to the increased number of casualties that were occurring during graduation season due to drugs and alcohol. Project Graduation is also hosting a lock-in on May 30, from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

“I am going to the Project Graduation lock-in because you can get a chance to get an iPad, iPhone, or money,” senior Triana Aros said.

Seniors must pay $20 to buy a parking spot, $40 for a permit to paint your parking spot and $20 at the end of the school year to hire somebody to paint back over your spot for next year’s seniors.

“I was really sad when I had to paint over my senior parking spot,” senior Mikayla Western said. “When you have parked in your senior parking spot since the beginning of the school year, you don’t realize that when the school year ends, you have to say goodbye to it. My parking spot was a rendition of the Mean Girls Burn Book cover. When I discovered the Mean Girl musical, I absolutely fell in love with it because I was also in high school dealing with friend group drama. It felt like a reflection of my life. I came across that design and it inspired me. I just knew that it had to be my parking spot.” 

Western decided to hire somebody to paint over her parking spot because the price of buying paint herself would be about as expensive as hiring somebody else to do the job for her. 

“Next year I am buying a senior parking lot and theming it to a Drum Corps team or a Disney movie,” junior Abigail Martin said. “I want a parking spot because it’s accessible and I can express myself. Senior parking spots effect the culture of our school by tradition because it is a positive tradition for the school.”

Planning and painting parking spots reflect a creative culture within the school community, as Martin said seniors have the chance to “really make it their own and express creativity.”

“I didn’t buy a senior parking spot because I just got my license a week before the school year started,” senior James Morton said. “If I did have a parking spot, it would be Red Dead Redemption 2 themed because it’s one of the things I saw and wanted as a child but didn’t get until recently.”