In the days leading up to this school year, the senior parking lot was filled with creativity, friendship, and a lot of paint. Every year, seniors celebrate their last few days of summer by personalizing their very own parking spot. Hours are spent planning, designing, and of course, painting.
Many parking spots have hidden meanings behind them. Senior Bella Towe is an active member of the theater department, and decided to dedicate her spot to her passion for acting. Towe designed a Hollywood star with the words ‘senior year starring Bella’ for her spot. Towe’s spot also shines a light on her future aspirations. “I wanted to do a Hollywood star because I really want to be an actress after high school, so I feel like it’s a reflection of the future,” Towe added. Every morning Towe pulls into her spot and is reminded of not only of her goals for the future, but memories of her time on the Woodgrove stage.
Senior year can bring on memories from a students childhood as well, being that senior year often marks the beginning of adulthood. Senior Miriam Daum wanted her spot to reflect one of her favorite books as a kid. “The design is based off the book, The Little Prince, so it’s a Prince, Fox, and a Rose on a moon,” she described. Daum’s spot inspired her to reminisce on her relationship with her parents.“It’s a book and a movie that I used to watch a lot with my parents, so they helped me work on [the spot], and they helped me pick [the idea] out,” Daum shared. Her spot creates a full circle moment by highlighting the beginning of her childhood while she prepares for the end of her high school career.
Wanting his spot to reflect his favorite movie, senior Aidan Spahr became inspired by a quote from Spider-Man into the Spiderverse. “I did the quote ‘with great power comes great responsibility,’” Spahr stated. Though happy with his design, he initially planned on executing a different design. “Someone stole the quote that I was going to do, so I switched it up last minute,” Spahr remarked, using quick-thinking to find another solution, much like Spider-man himself would do.
For some seniors, their athletic involvement inspired their parking spot. Senior Hudsyn Davies, a member of Woodgrove’s swim team, used her spot to showcase her sport. “[The design is] a swimming pool with the words saying ‘I swam all the way here,’” Davies explained. “I’ve been swimming since I was five years old, so it’s been a big part of my life,” she continued. Her spot not only showcases her love for swimming but also reminds her how far she’s come in her sport.
After waiting for four years, the class was highly anticipating their privilege to customize a parking spot. “It’s fun to pull up [to the spot] and think ‘I painted that spot.’ It’s just gratifying.” Daum shared. Sphar had a similar impression, “I think it’s really cool, because I go there and think ‘that’s my spot, I painted that, I made that exist’,” he stated. Students are able to showcase their creativity and personal achievements through the creation of their parking spot. The senior parking lot became a place that reflects memories, and the excitement of new beginnings.
For some, seeing their spot brings on the realization that their high school journey is coming to a close. “Honestly, it feels very bittersweet and nostalgic, because I saw [the spots] all the time [in past years], and I was so excited for it to be my turn to paint one. I’m really glad that I got the opportunity to do it,” Towe expressed. This opportunity allows for seniors to start the year by leaving their mark. The senior parking lot serves as a colorful reminder of the steps students have taken up to this point, and that they’ll soon be driving off to their next adventure.