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High school seniors typically try to figure out a way to leave a mark at their school with, at best, a senior gift or at worst, a senior prank. McKinney High School seniors have a unique opportunity to leave a mark of an artistic sort on their school’s parking lot during their final year on campus. With their administration’s permission and a fee, coupled with an imagination and a few cans of blue, yellow, black or white paint, seniors may reserve and design their own unique senior parking spot.
This year, with the completion of a school-wide renovation, students returned to a repaved and pristine parking lot. Seizing the opportunity that only a concrete blank canvas can provide, four MHS seniors, all marching band members, decided to ‘monopolize’ a few parking spaces of their own.To achieve their design dream based on a band mate’s suggestion, Troy Maikowski awoke at the crack of dawn to be the first in line during the summer to reserve four adjoining parking spots. Lindsay Schermer, John Wilson and David Cullinan soon joined him and over a weekend, under the blazing Texas sun, the four designed, measured, taped, and hand-painted their version of a McKinney High School Senior Monopoly board on their four spots.
“It took us about 22 hours over two days,” recalled Maikowski. Cullinan’s feet and legs were sunburned after being on all fours for so many hours, “but it was totally worth it,” he said.
Their supersized cement version of a Monopoly board contains spots that represent highlights of their senior year: Battle of the Bands, Prom, Morp (prom spelled backward, where girls ask boys), Band Banquet and Graduation.
Classic touches like the four railroads, chance cards and dice are included, too. “We thought about painting ‘Go to the Principal’s Office’ with [MHS Principal] Mr. Herrington’s face on the “Go To Jail” spot, but decided against it,” said Wilson. These diplomatic students opted to paint the classic 1930’s Monopoly jail inmate profile on the standard 'Go To Jail' spot instead.
As the group’s only female, Schermer prided herself on getting the boys’ design styles up to snuff and her craftsmanship of the curvy, seventies-style puffy painted letters of her name.
The four friends are members of the McKinney High School Royal Pride Band. All are members of the Student Leadership Team (SLT), a select group which guides the rest of the 140-strong band. Maikowski is Drum Captain and plays quad tenor drums, Cullinan is SLT Vice President and Saxophone Section Co-Leader, Wilson is Loading Crew Captain and Trombone Section Leader, and Schermer, a flutist, is one of three Drum Majors.
The four musicians are all college-bound and have majors in mind. They may want to consider a career in art.
