LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Wilson Central High School tradition returns with seniors scattering the parking lot to paint their very own mural in the weeks leading up to the first day of school on August 5.
"It's a full fledged art show," explained Wilson County Schools Public Information Officer Bart Barker.
The tradition began in 2018 and boasts 90 parking spots that students can paint for a $50 donation.
"It's an investment for these seniors. They're not only getting the spot but the money goes towards senior night activities, and that's something that we know is any senior looks forward to every year to close out their, their high school career," explained Barker. "So there's a lot of meaning, both financially and creatively speaking when it comes to these parking spaces."
Seniors submitted their art proposals months prior and brought their paint and paint brushes in the weeks before school started to make their mark.
"I feel like with the pandemic, everyone's been kind of down in the dumps and just kind of, like, not as excited for their senior year because I feel like it's going to be like last year; the year before," explained Wilson Central Senior Emily Lewis. "I have a good feeling that it will be a great, normal senior year and we'll get to have prom and graduation and pep rallies because we didn't get those last year, and I'm super excited. I feel like these [murals] can maybe make some people happy."
Mary Armstrong is another senior at Wilson Central who spent days in the parking lot with her friends.
"It's been a super fun time just like getting to do this, it makes us really excited for senior year, it doesn't feel like we should be seniors but like, here we are," said Armstrong.
She, like other seniors who spoke to NewsChannel 5 explained they feel their class is taking the opportunity to paint their spots even more to heart than in years past.
"I was really nervous that the senior year would not be as it usually is," explained Armstrong."I felt really bad for the last two senior classes because their years have been getting cut short so I'm really hoping that this year, we can at least get more of a normal year because this is a really important year for everybody, like their senior year of high school, it's our last one."
Barker said even teachers commented how seeing seniors back painting their parking spaces gave the sense of 'normal' they had been hoping for, "To have somewhat of a normal year get off the ground, I think it's something that a lot of people have been looking for, especially from where we came from last school year."
