The class of 2024 put pencil to paper and brushes to tar on one of the last summer days before their final high school year.
On Aug. 17, the senior class gathered under the morning sun in the front parking lot of Potomac Falls High School with their paint cans and brushes ready to transform one blank parking spot into their canvas.
Rising seniors do not need to own a car or a parking pass to participate in the event, they must simply follow the rules, provide their own materials, and bring their creativity.
The tradition began in 2020 when the virtual school system was populated with seniors who were unable to truly participate within the building and leave their mark. Many took the opportunity to make public art as their final statement, which has been a Panther tradition ever since. “It is a representation of who you are as a person, and as a senior,” said senior class sponsor Mr. LeHew.
Walking through the parking lot today, there are memories of past seniors faded alongside the solid colors of recent designs on the black tar. Some are painted with a wholesome array of smiley faces or bustling bees; some are painted with witty lines, such as “If you’re reading this, I’m late,” and some are painted with ideas that deserve exploring.
Kara Adamson, 12
What did you paint for your parking spot? “I painted Rapunzel’s mural.”
Why did you paint this specifically? “I painted it because Tangled is one of my favorite movies and I’ve liked Rapunzel since I was a little girl.”
Did anything inspire you? “Over the summer, I got really inspired by the movie. I was thinking about the parking spots and I watched the movie again and I just saw it and really wanted to do it.”
Do you hope that it says something about yourself?“I really relate myself to Rapunzel in a lot of ways, so I hope this says that I’m like her.”
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Lucy Collins, 12
What did you paint for your parking spot? “I painted this pen that my friends and I passed around the cafeteria in seventh grade because we had lunch together and I thought it would be fun to commemorate our inside joke.”
Why did you paint this specifically? “It is kind of a symbol of our friend group and something that we all recognize so I thought it would be cool to paint.”
Did anything inspire you? “I was just looking for something that my friends and I could all relate to and use to remember our friend group. So, I guess our friendship inspired me.”
Do you hope that it says something about yourself? “Yes, I hope it says that we are a crazy, awesome group of people.”
Dominique Tacaraya, 12
What did you paint for your parking spot? “I painted the background of the “Punisher” album by Phoebe Bridgers and then I painted a satellite over it with the words ‘I Want to Go Home’, which is inspired by one of her lyrics in ‘Chinese Satellite’.”
Why did you paint this specifically? “I painted this because I am a huge fan of Phoebe Bridgers and ‘Punisher’ is one of my favorite albums.”
Did anything inspire you? “I was really inspired by a poster I saw on Pinterest. It had the satellite on it with the words but it was underneath a different background, so instead I replaced the background with the ‘Punisher’ album cover background.”
Do you hope that it says something about yourself? “I hope people know I’m a fan of her music.”
Jenny Nguyen, 12
What did you paint for your parking spot? “I painted a tile-type vibe with oranges and with blue because it reminded me of summer.”
Why did you paint this specifically? “I just found it on Pinterest and it looked cool. Even though it was complicated, I just wanted to paint it because it looked nice.”
Did anything inspire you? “Just the thought of summer with the fruits and the leaves.”
Do you hope that it says something about yourself? “My favorite season is summer.”
Senior parking spot painting is a creative way for seniors to come together for the end of the summer, and the beginning of the school year. “We get to all come together and it’s just a good time and everyone is together, we’re painting, we’re listening to music,” said senior class president Mariam Tafwed.