Spray-painted lettering on colored sheets of butcher's paper makes little sense to an observer in the 21st century.
If the signs were hanging along the streets of ancient Rome, the pronouncements written in Latin would be understood as the election placards they are.

The project is designed, in part, so that students in Rebecca Bush's Latin class at Hamilton Southeastern High School would see the parallels between the Roman constitution and that of the United States.

It also makes reading and writing Latin -- a key goal of the course -- more fun.

"These are just basically like campaign signs today," said Kelsey Bidwell, 16.

"Mine is making fun of her," she said, referring to her friend and classmate Sarah Etter, 16. "It says 'All ugly people vote for her.' "

"Thank you, Kelsey," Sarah replied.

Bidwell also took a jab at herself, making a sign that said only ugly people would vote for her campaign.

Bush said giving students a grasp of the culture and historical time frame of ancient Rome is important, because they spend a lot of time reading stories and poems written in Latin.

The spray-painting project is one way to make the writing element of the course a bit more interesting, while incorporating that historical reference.

"It's pretty fun," admitted Fred Pai, 16. "Usually you don't get to work with spray paint at school."