New Senior Parking Spots
Topeka High is a school all about tradition and Trojan pride. This year a new tradition began when seniors were given the opportunity to customize their own personalized parking spots. Jada Fulton, senior, was texted by a fellow senior, Allie Montague who wanted to start the tradition of parking spots for seniors which you can paint over a weekend with other students. Fulton then “headed it” and spoke to Principal Rebecca Morrisey as well as the campus police.
“Next thing we know; we were painting parking spots on Western,” she said.
Lucinda Evans, StuGo adviser, has been running StuGo for 3 years. Since she began, students have always wanted to paint senior parking spots. Students who were freshmen when Evans first started are now seniors and they really pushed it this year. There were 31 spots available, all sold in the Western parking lot. Each spot cost $20 and painting supplies were offered, but most brought their own materials. The money raised was used to buy products and the rest of the money will be donated to an organization of the senior’s choice. Both Evans and Fulton had said it was an emotional experience to be out in the heat painting with the seniors and their parents.
“We sometimes forget that for parents of seniors, this is a hard year for them,” Evans said.
“It was just a bonding event for the senior class and for us to be out there with our parents and our friends, painting our parking spots was just kind of a vibe and a hangout. It was like wow, we’re really gonna miss this,” Fulton says.
Fulton was not only in charge of it, but she also made a spot herself. Fulton wanted to somehow incorporate things that are important to her.
“I wanted to put something I like, shoes, and equality into my spot. My spot says ‘Equality hurts no one’ and has representative symbols on it as well,” she says.
Another senior, Colton Cattoor customized a parking spot as well. Cattoor’s spot was inspired by Veggie-Tales. His spot is a penguin parking spot with a yellow bowtie. Cattoor drew his spot by outlining with chalk then his family helped him with the details.
“It was mostly easy, but the parking lot was textured so it was slightly harder to paint and I had to go over it a couple times,” he said.
Cattoor also brought his own paint like many others did. Although Evans and Fulton provided supplies as well. Cattoor enjoyed the process and the aftermath of how it looked.
