Senior year is filled with many fun traditions and events for students to enjoy their last year in high school. At West, seniors participate in traditions like kids backpacks or the Senior Alley. While these are cute, there is one activity that has drawn my attention every school year that West should offer for seniors- painting senior parking spots.

On TikTok, I am always seeing videos of people painting their parking spots to represent who they are, including fun or meaningful quotes that they live by. I believe this tradition is a fun way to allow seniors to celebrate their last year and express themselves.

Senior Lexi Kuffel agrees that seniors should be allowed to paint their spots, as it will bring a fun and meaningful activity to West.

“It would make the parking lot so much brighter and colorful, giving off overall good vibes for the school…If I were to [paint my spot], I would do something from my childhood like princesses or Minnie Mouse,” Kuffel said.

Junior Aqsa Habeebuddin also agrees that seniors painting their parking spots would be a fun event that Niles West could offer for the graduating class.

“It would allow seniors to have an added fun event for their last year of high school, as well as it differentiates them from the underclassmen, showing that these are students that will be leaving this year…I would want to do a music album or spiderman,” Habeebuddin said.

This wouldn’t cost the school anything either, as students would purchase their own paint and supplies. Each year, new seniors would simply paint over the previous design with their own. The painting could be completed shortly after seniors pick their spots, allowing the paint enough time to dry before school begins.

Allowing seniors to paint their parking spots will give them a personalized senior activity to look forward to, as the Senior Alley has been changed to be temporarily up in the school, and has no personal touch to it. Senior Damola Awonusi  believes more students would engage in this senior activity.

“Niles West should have this option for the next generation seniors as it allows the students to become more interactive with the school,” Awonusi said.

Some designs I have seen include song lyrics, movie quotes, bible verses or simply aesthetically pleasing images for that student. There are many artistically talented students at West, and I believe this would be another creative way for them to show off their skills.