By Tyler Dahlgren

A paintbrush hanging from her right hand, senior Elizabeth Bray stands at the foot of an undeniably pink square of pavement and admires a 2010 Honda Odyssey that’ll call this space home from now through May.

“That’s my minivan,” Bray nods with jest. “That’s Betsy. Two-hundred-thousand miles and still going strong. She’s reliable.”

Betsy’s new spot is one of 122 colorfully-customized senior parking spaces in front of Blair High School. The idea was hatched a handful of years ago by former NHS sponsor Vicki Griffin, and has become a fun tradition at BHS.

“I think it’s awesome,” said senior Claire Briggs, whose Kia Sorento is getting a space of its own just a few spots south of Bray’s. “Just a great idea. Everybody looks forward to it from the time they’re freshmen. Painting the space and then seeing what everybody has come up with has been really fun.”

Students have the opportunity to purchase a spot in the spring of their junior year. For $30, they get a space reserved for the entire year, a space that is theirs to personalize with a bucket of paint and a brush. Proceeds go to prom, which is planned by the junior class.

“It’s a fundraiser for prom, and then if there is any money left over they’ll make a donation somewhere,” said Monica Maly, who, in addition to teaching special education at the high school, is a junior class co-sponsor alongside BHS media specialist Krystal Macholan. “They were so excited about these three days. When registration opened last spring, I don’t think I had a free moment at lunch.”

The lot was closed off to public passage and available for the seniors for three hours on three separate days, the final window being Tuesday night. Most students spread their work out across the three days, while some ambitious seniors opt to knock it all out in one day. 

“It’s a good opportunity for the seniors to come up here and get together and do something together before their final year starts,” said Macholan. “In the past they’ve brought out tents and chairs and grilled hot dogs. They have fun with it.”

Their creativity, Maly added, is, at times, flat out unbelievable. The lot has thematic sections, too. Students in band and choir tend to park close to each other, as does the dance team and football players, etc. The long-famous “Truck Row” is now adorned with deer antlers and Chevrolet logos.

“We walk laps and there are spots without names and we just go, ‘Oh, that’s that person, this is this person,’” Maly said. “They do have to get their design approved, but they’re all very telling of themselves and their personalities.”

Macholan and Maly get front row seats to an entertaining artistic process. They marvel as the designs come to life, and sometimes can only shake their heads at what students are capable of creating.

“The longer you’re in a school district, the more you see each class has its own personality,” said Macholan, who’s served students in Blair for 23 years now. “You see them grow from freshmen to seniors. So as they roll into senior year, we expect them to come in and be leaders and to show other kids how high school works. That kind of starts with these spots that represent themselves. It’s a good way to start the year.”

Alex Just turned his spot into half soccer pitch, half basketball court. The Nike swoosh going through the middle was a clever nod to his last name.

“I just went with the things I like doing when I come to school,” said Just, who added that he would have to pull into the lot by 7:40 to get a premium spot like the one his 2007 Dodge Ram is guaranteed now. “It’s going to be nice not having to worry about parking, because it gets pretty busy here in the mornings.”

The logistics are a major perk, Bray added, one not to be overlooked.

“It’s going to be great,” she said. “I’m on the dance team, so I’ll get here really early in the morning for practice. I’ll have my spot. It’s pretty close. After school when I’m done, I can just jump in and zip out. It’s going to be nice.”

Like Macholan said, seniors set the tone for a school year. They also set an example, and the Class of 2025 is more than ready to lead from the front.

“We want to be remembered for our leadership, kindness, and being inclusive, too,” said Bray. “There’s that idea of a totem pole, and the stigma of being a senior and not talking to freshmen or whatever. For us, that doesn’t really exist. We want to help freshmen, and I hope that we imprint that on them for when they’re upperclassmen themselves.”

It’s a culture thing, and the senior class is carrying the torch, or paintbrush, rather, at BHS. For now, however, it’s back to work. Bray returns to her bright pink, Legally Blonde-inspired square for some finishing touches.

“In the movie, Elle is not confident at first,” she explains, “but as the movie goes on, she gains confidence and turns into an academic weapon, almost. That’s kind of my motto for senior year.”