Everyone knows that for teenagers, prom is a big deal. From the moment we’re young, watching high schoolers on TV go to football games and dances, we’ve all wanted to participate in the fun things that make high school, high school. Now that we’re older, in our late teenage years, we yearn to experience what we’ve seen on TV all those years ago. We want essential friendships, relationships, and, more importantly, memorable proposals to go to those extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime school dances.

From an early age, we’ve all fantasized about being asked to dance by someone we show affection for. Not only is prom a celebratory dance, but it also serves as a symbol of four years of friendships, learning, and school spirit, as stated by npr.org. Getting that critical question from that special someone, or special someone-to-be, is unforgettable and can be the difference between having an incredible time and being bored on the sidelines or simply not attending.

With prom being a big deal, the situation has much more gravity than one might think. Promposals can be stressful for students asking someone they are not currently in a relationship with, which can significantly raise stress levels and drama within a group or an entire school. Typically around prom season, there’s a plentiful amount of drama regarding who is going with whom, what everyone is wearing, where to shop for attire, where to take photos, and even who is going along. With the prom season being stressful from the previously mentioned concerns, getting to the actual proposal can only add to that stress. Sarah Durham, a freshman attending Temple University, reflects on the prom season, stating that promposals are “necessary because you can show how much they mean to you,” but also remarks that prom can be stressful because “it’s hard to know when it’s going to happen.” When asked what makes a promposal special, Durham responded, “It’s about the effort you put into it. If he went out of his way to make a poster, you could tell they care.”

A Perkiomen Valley High School senior, Justin Stear, said promposals were “harder for those asking who are not in a relationship.” Stear, who has done two promposals already, has admitted that it is stressful for him because “you’re trying to get approval, and you have one shot at making an impression.” Stear also said his favorite part about a promposal is when he gets a “yes” after asking the person to prom.

While some students stick to a traditional poster for the occasion, others go overboard with promposals. According to npr.org, prom has been going on since the 1930s, so there has been much time for students to perfect their craft when asking another student to prom. Some of the more exciting promposals have included using math on a graphing calculator to spell out the question, spelling out the word “Prom” with pepperoni on a pizza, and recreating the entire opening scene of “La La Land,” according to thegatorseye.com.

While those are some more original ways to prompose to someone, the typical student around Pennridge High School and other schools around the country sticks with a colorful poster or punny message to ask out their special someone. A promposal can sometimes be more memorable than the prom itself, so don’t be too scared to ask and give it a shot!

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/2017/05/19/529175772/promposals-when-teens-compete-for-most-extravagant-prom-invitation
https://thegatorseye.com/9632/student-life/why-is-prom-even-important/#:~:text=For%20the%20senior%20class%2C%20prom,beginning%20of%20adulthood%20for%20students.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/04/21/a-short-history-of-the-promposal/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/04/30/meet-the-couple-behind-one-of-the-first-promposals-in-recorded-history/