Jessica Beltran's brother helps to paint the Cheshire Cat painted above her name Thursday Morning in front of the Snake Pit.

Lucas Benavidez and his father Anthony Benavidez work together to finish Lucas' name.

Lauren Chacon adds a little flair to her name by splashing paint droplets across it with a brush.

Writing their names is one of the first and last things seniors do as students of Tucumcari High School.

Continuing a time honored tradition the Class of 2010 painted the street Thursday morning in front of the Snake Pit.

“This is so exiting, yet sad at the same time,” said Kristen Rich.

Rich, like with the rest of her classmates, had the help of her family to draw and paint her name on West Hines Avenue.

“My son Lucas (Benavidez) asked me to help him draw the outline for his name,” said Anthony Benavidez. “This is my last child that will graduate from Tucumcari High School. It has been a very emotional morning.”

Set free as artists, the students use the blank asphalt as their canvass. They use an array of oil and acrylic paints to create their masterpiece.

Some chose a more traditional approach, using brushes and rollers to leave their mark.

However, several students used spray paint to express themselves, much like graffiti that can be seen on rail cars passing through Tucumcari.

Parents and friends walked along West Hines Avenue stopping at each name for a moment to talk with the students.

Some THS graduates returning home from college came by to visit with former classmates.

“This has been so much,” said Mariah Meier, a senior at THS. “This marks the end of high school.”