Every year, the seniors paint their assigned parking spot, marking it theirs. The students arrive at the school with their buckets of paint, paint brushes, and a group of friends to help them create their masterpieces. Everyone is blasting music on their speakers and having a good time. Painting parking spots is a beautiful way to express your creativity, having everyone see an artsy side of you and launching off your senior year. 

Students at Tuscarora were asked what painting their parking spots means to them. Emma Hecht, a senior at Tuscarora High School, painted a polaroid outline on her spot, complete with all of her friends’ handprints planted inside. 

“My favorite part was having this memory with my friends.”, Hecht expresses. Hecht enjoys that her senior parking spot involves the people that she holds close,“My friends came to me, and I painted their hands and put them on my parking spot. It was very memorable.”

Aubrey Powers is another senior at Tuscarora who showed her creativity with her parking spot. She had a unique take on it by leaving a bucket of chalk for people to leave their mark on the lamppost in front of her spot. 

“I wanted people to have their little take on it. I think it’s boring if it’s the same thing the whole year, so I wanted something that people could just have fun with”, Powers said.

For many seniors, painting their spot is an all-day activity that will take them hours, but not for Powers. “Honestly, it only took me an hour because it was just one color,” Powers explains, “All else I had to do was buy chalk, and then that was it.” 

Upcoming seniors need to remember to request their parking spot in advance. Aubrey Powers said, “If you want a certain spot, but somebody already asked for it before you, you’ll get a random spot.” Stay on top of it when it is time to choose a spot, so you don’t get stuck with a mediocre spot the entire school year. 

Painting their parking spot is more than just an area for their car. It signals the start of their final year at Tuscarora, and they begin it with all of their friends surrounding them.

“It means coming together, because all my friends are putting their handprints down. Every time I pull into my parking spot, I am reminded of my friends and that we are happy,” Emma Hecht says.

Painting parking spots is worth it for seniors to express themselves and show their school spirit. “I think painting my parking spot was worth it. It is an enjoyable and cute idea that everyone should do.” Powers says. 

Overall, the seniors had a great time painting their spots, and it’s highly recommended everyone to do it their senior year!