The start of the school year is often bittersweet. It marks the end of summer and freedom, but you are able to reconnect with your friends and teachers. For juniors and seniors at NHS, it also means you’ll get to partake in a unique school tradition. The painting of parking spots in the parking lot.

Each year, junior and senior students are given the opportunity to purchase their own parking spot. Purchasing a spot reserves the spot for the entire school year. The cost is $50 for your first purchase and $25 to renew your purchase the following year, if you so choose.

“I really wanted to buy a parking spot to have something of my own and to make it my own,” junior Kaitlyn McMullin said. “It’s so nice always knowing that I have somewhere close to park but also for everyone to see my design and be able to enjoy it.”

McMullin, like many students, began her process by first looking to Pinterest for designs. McMullin explains that her process was rather short and that she found many designs that she liked. Ultimately, McMullin found a picture of a canvas painting that she loved and decided to go with that.

“My design is a butterfly and a bee with flowers and grass and the sky in the background. Then I painted my name in cursive,” McMullin said. “This design was important to me because butterflies and bees are so important to the way we live and they are so beautiful but oftentimes get overlooked. It’s the little things like bees and butterflies that keep our world what it is.”

Senior Anthony Wedel found inspiration for his design using a different route. Wedel is a member of the Wichita Youth Hockey Association and plays on the Junior Wichita Thunder team. For the design of his senior year parking spot he incorporated the Jr. Wichita Thunder logo, his last name and his jersey number.

“[My design] is important to me because hockey is my life. It’s like a second family,” Wedel said. “My mom, dad, and brother helped me [paint my parking spot], it was a family project. I’m super happy with my product.”

One of the factors that contributed to Wedel purchasing a parking spot was that he could park closer to the building than those without reserved spots. The painted spots are located behind the staff parking spots at the west entrance, more commonly known as the senior doors, and the front of the building. 

“I wanted to park closer and be able to have a painted spot for senior year,” Wedel said. “[To paint my spot] we used two cans of white paint, and then three small cans of the colored paint. The white was more than we expected because we had problems with the preprinted black coming up. We put about 12 hours into the project.”

McMullin explains that, unlike Wedel, her design took about 50 hours to complete. McMullin originally thought that she could get it done in just a day or two but even with the recruitment of her friends she wasn’t able to get it done that quickly. McMullin explains that her and her friends were out working on the design till 10-11 p.m. every night for almost a week.

“I am extremely happy with my final product,” McMullin said. “My advice would be to choose a design that reflects you or something you love. Make it as simple or complicated as you want just know that everyone will be seeing it and it’s something you should be proud of.”

-Main entrance parking lot video link-