In the study hall rooms at South Campus, the Arrowhead logos have been painted on with bright red and baby blue paint. The words AS ONE are at the head of the room beside the Arrowhead A. Two stripes of red and blue paint stretch around the room contrasting the white walls.  

This project began in the month of September when the Arrowhead club S.L.A.M. (students leaving a mark), wanted to decorate the school in it’s colors. By a summer meeting, they decided first to paint the South Campus study hall rooms. Students who want to contribute have been staying after school to paint. Although the paint gives a bright visual to the rooms, there is a deeper meaning to it.  

Students coming and going to help paint have said it symbolizes their hard work and dedication to the school. For example, freshman Morgan Fischer has gotten involved and was even recommended for this project. She painted the majority of the blue stripe extending to each side of the rooms. Fischer says that participating in this activity makes the school more of a community that she wants to be apart of.

Debra Paradowski, Arrowhead’s associate principal, bought the supplies and has been lending a hand in painting since the beginning. For her, the project creates a sense of student ownership and belonging to their school. She says anyone can do this regardless of the skills they have. “It’s not necessarily for kids that don’t play sports or whatever, but they can be a part of this and change things,” she says.

The painting process connects kids to each other who like to paint, as well as developing a relationship with the school’s associate principal, Paradowski says. Spending two hours after school once a week painting in close proximity is bound for some relationship to be made. “It’s a fun way I get to know the kids in the building, and they get to know me,” she said.

As paint does, it lasts for years when untouched. Paradowski says this will be around even when she is gone! In return, it will become a symbol of past classes that wanted to make a positive change to the school, and did. “This will stay forever and someday when you guys are older, you are going to look back and be like, ‘Hey I did that’,” she says. For returning alumni, they can look back and take pride in their work that will still be there.

Paradowski has said the SLAM club at Arrowhead has done a great job with the study hall, and future painting projects are already in the works for the 2017-2018 school year.