Junior Zach Gentry asks junior Caroline Keller to Prom with flowers and a failed attempt to play “Sweet Caroline” through a pair of speakers. She accepts with a smile regardless of the technical difficulties.
Junior Connor Porco asks Junior Carmen Thomas to Prom with a poster, flowers, and the line “I’d be crutched if you didn’t go to prom with me,” as both students find themselves reliant on crutches to walk at the present time.
March 27, 2014
Last year, on a normal spring day, Mrs. Coffman was about to pass out a pop quiz to her calculus class. Suddenly, six knights in shining aluminum armor burst into the room.
The head knight came forward, announcing his arrival and mission to free the class from the quiz. He thwacked Mrs. Coffman with his sword, slaying her. The knight was not through yet! A fellow knight then slid over to him on one knee while holding a bouquet of flowers. The head knight then took them proudly. Striding over to the princess, he tore off his armor to reveal a black bowtie and fancy white shirt.
“Will you go to prom with me?” he asked the princess, handing the bouquet to her.
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
Thus, senior Tim Schauer orchestrated his promposal last year.
A promposal is how people ask one another to prom. Myths, stories, and realities of elaborate or sweet promposals are passed down by the students and faculty, all unfolding in the weeks before prom.
While some people think that stories of elaborate or huge promposals puts pressure on the person asking, Schauer has a different opinion, “Guys sometimes think that Prom traditions and all the things that go with are kinda stupid. But then, in a moment of existential clarity, they remember that what is life for if not to do stupid things to impress girls?”
He said that he would possibly ask a girl, “So long as the school continues their ridiculous policy of not allowing cats as prom dates.”
Junior Issi Marsh was surprised when her date, junior Michael Caldwell, used a series of balloons to ask her out.
“I was so surprised! I knew he was going to ask me–but I thought it was going to be another day. I had planned to look really nice, and when I first saw him pop up, all I could think was, ‘But I look so bad today…’” Marsh said.
“After I got over that, I was beyond ecstatic.”
While, yes, most stories and promposals revolve around the guy asking the girl, it does not always have to be that way.
“He [her date] lives in New Jersey, so initially I asked him if it would be possible to travel to Virginia on April 12- without telling him why,” senior Jennifer Leider said. “Once I got a confirmation that technically he was able, I posted a picture [on Facebook] filled with awkward cheesiness and an overdose of puns. Luckily he liked it and said yes!”
“It’s 2014, so I think if anyone wants to ask someone to prom, just go for it! Regardless of gender,” senior Mike Dolzer said.
“If a girl likes somebody, she should not feel pressured to wait until asked,” said Senior John Harris.
Both girls and guys, though, can enjoy a fun promposal story or happening.
“I did see one recently where the guy made the girl a pizza and spelled out ‘PROM’? with pepperoni. It was so cheesy, get it, cheesy?” senior Melika Rahmani said. “ But I thought it was plain and simple and he didn’t overly do it and he didn’t announce it publicly. It was really cute.”
Simply asking someone to prom or doing something meaningful between the couple, instead of planning a crazy promposal, can be equally appreciated.
Dolzer said how he asked his girlfriend to prom, “Her dog, Odie, is so special to the both of us ‘that I thought I could tie a little ‘Prom?” paper around his collar one day when she wasn’t expecting it.”
Junior Foster Ezell planned on asking a girl to prom, “It’s not going to be extravagant, it doesn’t need to be. You just have to use the right words at the right time.”
“It’s only prom, not a wedding proposal,” Rahmani said. “I wouldn’t mind getting a rose or a couple of flowers from a guy, but I wouldn’t want the poor guy to go through all that trouble just for a dance.”
“People should put effort into real life things like homework and nutella, not extravagant and sufficiently awkward promposals,” Leider said.
“Sometimes the sweetest way to ask someone is to just pull them aside and ask them one on one, with no pressure. I would hope most girls don’t expect something extravagant, “ junior Morgan Barr said.
Having a date to prom can be fun, but going with friends can be equally fun.
“I think people put too much pressure on girls to have a date and guys to ask someone,” junior Tara Singh said. “If you’re in a relationship or you think you’ll have fun going with someone, sure. But going with friends can be just as much and even more fun than going with an awkward date just because you were expected to.”
“I love a good cute prom proposal just as much as the next person. But honestly, its good to be almost 100% sure the person will say yes if you’re going to do a public proposal and risk the chance of embarrassing both yourself and the person you’re asking.”
“I’ve done both and they’re both great, it’s just a different experience,” Dolzer said. “I personally prefer going with a date, just because it’s such a fun way to show someone you care about them,”
“Going with friends will be more lighthearted and fun than going with a date. However, it can be extremely awkward during couple’s songs. I think it really depends on what kind of prom experience you’re looking for,” Barr said. “ Fun or romantic?”
Have you seen or been planning a promposal with a fun story or cute pictures? Tweet pictures of it to @AHS_Revolution with the hashtag #AHSpromposal and we’ll post the best/most creative pics on our website! If you don’t have Twitter, email us the pics at [email protected].
Kate Edson is a senior at Albemarle and co-editor-in-chief of The Revolution with the lovely Melanie Arthur. Along with newspaper, Kate is involved with...
Bailey Bush Sr. is the business editor of The Revolution and a fourth year on staff. She plays Varsity field hockey and is a member of People Who Watch...
