Ilion High School Traditions

Paint Night

"Paint
Night"

One of the all-time favorite Senior Class traditions was "Paint Night". On the Thursday night, before Graduation Day, members of the Senior Class would descend on the village to leave their marks.

The day usually began by rummaging through parents' workshops, looking for just the right shade of "me". Once the proper color AND quantity was selected, Seniors moved on to selecting the WIDEST paint brush that Dad wouldn't miss.

Fussy Seniors would often spend the entire afternoon carefully demonstrating the skills they had acquired in Mrs Croops' Art Class. One letter of their name would be meticulously painted, per each sidewalk block, in front of their parents' home.

Early in the evening, would-be Picassos went out in droves and began the process of painting the town. Marks were left on walls, sidewalks, roads and driveways. Those in love, often left their vows of devotion. Thankfully, the paint was not too permanent. A wall on Otsego Street was a favorite mark for many.

Time passes on and as the baby boomers went on to earn symbols of success, such as decent cars, complaints about "Paint Night" began to multiply. Painting was restricted to the sidewalks and driveways of the graduating Seniors' homes.

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Created and maintained by Aileen Carney Sweeney - Class of 1974

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First Published January 15, 1999
Modified Sept 22, 2014