At the surface, the Summit parking lot is a dreary place. It’s where students spend their final moments of freedom before entering the building for a tedious school day. In the mornings, schoolgoers tend to tread across the asphalt with their heads hung, morale low and shivering in the autumn chill.
If, however, they were to look up from their shoes, they would see that the Summit parking lot also acts as a temporary resting place for a plethora of distinctly-colored cars. Each one is owned by a different student and decorated completely uniquely. These vehicles serve not only as a mode of transportation, but also a way to express individuality. As well as improving chances of getting to school on time, owning a car includes the ability to personalize it and make it represent the personality of its driver, a benefit many Summit students indulge in.
“I drive my car because I like driving it, not just because I need to go places,” said Summit junior Max Jones. Taking pride in his first generation 2006 black Toyota Tundra, Jones claimed that his car allows him to befriend people with similar interests as well as make a good first impression on whoever he drives by.
However, decking out your car with a sleek paint job and fancy tires can prove to be expensive.
“My car probably has about seven grand in parts like new wheels and suspension,” said Summit junior Jackson Beekman. When it comes to his 1997 Ford F250, he takes pride in its old age and vintage quality, as well as its sparkling blue paint job and gold rims.
Though some students are willing to invest in their cars, others take a less costly approach. Summit senior Ashlyn Rotge, for example, makes her car unique by covering her dashboard with trinkets, stuffed animals and other knickknacks.
“I think that my car represents me, and what I like to do, which is spend money on stupid little figures,” said Rotge. She believes students can use their cars to represent themselves with little things like a bumper sticker or knicknack hanging from the rear-view mirror.
For some Summit students, cars are used not only as a form of self-expression, but as a piece of their identity. Though each of these cars are personalized in completely different ways, they all hold a special value in the hearts of their drivers. Next time you stroll through the Summit parking lot, instead of tucking your head and making a beeline straight to your car, take a moment to look around at all the other vehicles. Notice how unique and personalized each one is and take into consideration the students brave enough to use their cars as a way to flaunt their identities with pride.
