Seniors relish in tradition and paint parking spots

by Jon Donohue, editor

After the hectic rush at orientation, a sigh of relief fell upon seniors at Maria Carrillo High School as they finally secured their own personalized parking spot. Three days later, on Saturday Aug. 13, seniors were able to relish in the tradition of painting their parking spots. It was a blazingly hot day with no cloud coverage, but that did not halt the fun and spirited energy that drove the day. 

Natasha Deakins, one of the two new leadership teachers, said, “It was delightful. Chill, creative, and witty. I love the designs and people were so kind and helpful. It was cute to see how many people coordinated spots. It made the mad rush in orientation worth it.” When asked about the upcoming school year, Deakins said, “I’m looking forward to everything, it’s nice to be back on campus.” Spirits were high as students painted their parking spots; the event was organized and clearly planned with care. 

"When people say that Carrillo students don’t have pride, then [they] haven’t seen our parking lot.” - Natasha Deakins

Students were required to purchase their own paint, supplies, and personalized spots prior to the event. Nine canopies were provided by ASB to be used by students, and they also sold water and gatorade. Additionally, a parent volunteer personally bought popsicles and was handing them out to students to help them get through the day. Also, the music was a pleasant addition. There was plenty of attention spent making the event as enjoyable and memorable as possible. According to Trevor Brady, “Overall it was a fun environment and atmosphere with the seniors getting together on a Saturday after the first two days of school. It speaks to their desire to make a personal statement on campus, to support school spirit.” 

Senior Avi Ettedgui paints his parking spot (Photo Courtesy of James Hart)

Carmen Jimenez, senior, said, “It seemed pretty well planned out. Everyone was super into it. I was not expecting that many people to show up but it was well organized and everyone seemed pretty excited to be there to paint their spot.” Even with the hot weather, Jimenez added that “everyone was still pretty excited about it but it did cause people to want to leave sooner.” Regardless of the scorching heat and potential sunburns, students still enjoyed the day. 

Senior Caleb Nguyen added, “I came on a beautiful sunny day to show my creativity and paint my parking spot. It’s a nice bonding time with friends. [The mood is] happy and a little chatty but not too loud. It’s chillin’.” The day appeared to go almost perfectly, leaving students feeling optimistic and excited for the year ahead. 

Deakins further explained, “This is my favorite new tradition. It’s perfect for a senior, they are so concise and careful. When people say that Carrillo students don’t have pride, then [they] haven’t seen our parking lot.”  Students had a great opportunity to showcase spirit as they painted their own spots. “The first time we were allowed to was under Ms. Barr, so it is relatively new, and it gets better and better [every year],” said Deakins. 

It was a great day to spend time with fellow Pumas and start off the school year right. From painting “Carmen parks here” to a minion, or even a pineapple, MCHS students expressed their pride and interests in their own ways. Looking ahead, with senior tables, sunrise, photos, awards, breakfast, senior week, sunset, prom, graduation, and project grad, there are plenty more traditions to look forward to this year. Mrs. Deakins concluded, “Students deserve the effort–our theme for the year is go big.” And go big we will.