CENTERVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Something I've always noticed about Centerville, they have all these longtime traditions. Over at Hickman County High, the seniors can tell you all about it.
"We have the Halloween parade," said senior Lilyan Schreiber.
"We have the Banana Pudding Festival!" added senior Ava Guerra.
That one even comes complete with a banana Minnie Pearl on the signs. Centerville's big on Halloween and banana pudding. What is there not to love?
Hickman County High has all these traditions for homecoming at the school. They build floats.
"We have dress-up days every day," said senior Amaya Setzer.
"We have skits," Lilyan continued.
"I think all those things we do really bring us together," nodded senior Aaliyah Simpson.
The Hickman County High Class of 2027 started thinking, all these traditions in town had to start with someone, some group of people. Maybe they could start a tradition too.
"My idea, it's kinda Spotify," said senior Kylan Seale, standing on a parking spot painted to look like a song on Spotify being streamed.
"I did a cotton candy Alani can!" added Amaya, standing next to her painted parking space. "I drink an Alani every day. It only felt fitting to do that."
"Everyone says I'm a ball of sunshine," Lilyan said, standing next to a sun ray parking spot. "I think it matched me!"
"Soccer's something I've been playing since I was four-years-old," said Jacari Ladd, standing on a parking spot painted like a soccer field complete with goal and net.
For the very first time, the senior class has painted their parking spaces.
"My nickname when I was growing up was Ava Bug," Ava said, pointing to a square of painted lady bugs in her parking space. "Each piece and each square has some sort of significance to me."
Oh, there are some good ones.
One parking space said, 'If You're Reading This, I'm Late.'
Another said, 'If Dolly can do 9 to 5, then I can do 8 to 3.'
I like this one.
'If this spot is empty, just call my mom. She'll handle it.'
"Who's got the best one?" I asked Jacari.
"Uh, I like mine," he answered, as the other students laughed nearby.
Senior classes at the school have wanted to do this for a while, but this group got organized and came in with a plan.
"We formulated an email, sent it to the superintendent herself," Kylan explained.
"Me and my classmates did a lot of work on how to ask for this," Amaya agreed.
Here's what got approved; at the end of each school year, the seniors will paint over the parking spaces. For the next homecoming, that senior class will paint theirs.
The class of 2027 has some big plans.
"I want to be a physical therapist," Kylan said.
"Become an anesthesiologist assistant!" Lilyan added.
"Become a strength and conditioning coach," said Jacari.
"I would like to be an investigative journalist," said Ava.
Whether they stay here or travel to other places, this town of longtime traditions is part of their story.
"The 'You're Gonna Go Far' is actually from a Noah Kahan song," said Aaliyah Simpson, explaining her parking space. "The stamps, I have a lot of big dreams I want to accomplish. I used the stamps to signify I can do anything, I can go anywhere. Whenever I think I can't do something, I keep telling myself, 'you're gonna go far. You're gonna do big things.'"
For homecoming week, this is just one more memory seniors get to carry with them always.
"We all enjoy spending time together and hanging out," Ava said. "The memories are something that's going to last us for a really long time."
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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