Student Talent Shines// Demonstrating their talent, seniors show off their stories through paint. Ella King (right) paints a card, Aubrey Wagner (upper left) paints Peter Pan, and Lilly Moncrief (bottom left) paints Pete the Cat which all somehow relate to the artist. (Photo by Addison Stanton)
Senior parking: passion in paint
by Addison Stanton
Every year at Coronado there is always at least one thing that changes: the Senior Parking lot. Senior spots are not only flashy, but they are a way to celebrate your final year of school in a multitude of ways. Hours of work put in and a good sum of money is what is consistently found in each spot. However, for some seniors, there is a meaning found behind these spots as well. Keep in mind, stories can be found in every parking spot.
Take senior Ella King as an example. King spent six hours in the span of two days just painting her spot and the results are stunning. Her relatively simple design of a King of Hearts made her card stick out of the deck.
“I chose to paint the King of Hearts as my parking space because I wanted a fun take on my name,” King said. “I felt like a playing card was also a representative of Las Vegas and the heart expresses a lot of the love I carry for my family, friends, and Coronado.”
King executed this spot ensuring that the clean lines and fairly minimalistic design would allow the red detailing to pop as students walked past the spot.
Several cars to the right of King’s, another meaningful spot can be found. Senior Aubrey Wagner decided to throw certain aspects of her past into her design as she was assisted by fellow senior Eric Shriver. Wagner’s design portrays Peter Pan flying across the moon saying “Never Grow Up.”
“Peter Pan has always been my favorite childhood movie, and the ride at Disneyland was always my favorite,” Wagner said. “I am sad that I’m growing up and it’s senior year which led me to write ‘Never grow up.’”
Wagner always has had a love for Peter Pan while growing up, and dedicating her spot to him allows her to not forget an impactful era in her life. A constant reminder of Peter Pan every morning allows her to honor her own roots from when she was a kid and how her interest sprung into place.
“It just reminds me of my childhood, and I don’t want to forget my childhood and my senior year,” Wagner mentioned.
However, painting senior spots isn’t just about childhood memories which is shown by painter duo Penelope Phillips and Lilly Moncrief.
Phillips and Moncrief have been friends for several years now and have shared several memories throughout those years. When Moncrief received her spot, she turned to one of her closest friends to assist her in executing her design. Moncrief had the idea of painting Pete the Cat playing bass guitar which had a vital role in her childhood.
“Painting my spot was not only fun, but also therapeutic,” Moncrief said. “It helped me connect back to my creative passions, and I am happy that I was able to do it with my friends.”
Phillips also related to the design as Pete the Cat was one of her childhood memories, but for her, it was more meaningful to be able to bond with her friend and help Moncrief with her project.
“By the time we finished the parking spot, I was very appreciative of having been able to work on it,” Phillips said. “Not only because of the time spent with friends, but then the satisfaction of creating something we care about.”
A passion provides a purpose and the senior parking lot is evidence of that. It is truly a place that expresses a passion within each artist and allows them to share that passion with those who browse the spots.
