By Kate Power
Associate Editor

The simple question, “Will you go to prom with me?” does not quite make the cut anymore. Acquiring a date for prom this spring is a little more complicated. Now, it is all about the “promposal.” How creative can the boys get? Or the girls? Students around here have been getting pretty crafty this year.

Junior Chris Oakes and senior Devin Leithauser decided to work together on their promposals. They promposed to their dates using pizza, spelling out “Prom?” in pepperoni. Juniors Sydney Holt and Anna Culpepper couldn’t resist the pizza or the promposal. They both said yes.

“I knew (Culpepper) loved pizza and I thought it would be different to ask her to prom with it so I went for it,” Leithauser said.

Senior Leanna Seal received an exciting promposal from her boyfriend, senior Austin Turbitt. Turbitt texted Seal that there was an emergency at his house and he needed her to come over right away. He was in the driveway when Seal pulled up and he turned on the lights, making “Prom?” illuminated on the side of his house.

“I was pretty excited so I kind of hug-tackled him,” Seal said.

Senior Andrew Archibald asked his girlfriend, sophomore Jaclyn Slater, with a more public display. Archibald made signs and stuck them in the ground throughout Veteran’s Drive for Slater to see when she left school. Another yes!

According to PsychologyToday.com, the boy is supposed to prompose in such a manner so that the girl can see the emotional labor he put into it. She will then conclude if he is fit to be her date.

However, promposals are not limited exclusively to the boys. Girls can do it just as well. Senior Alex Nolte asked her date to prom by incorporating her favorite sport: softball. Nolte texted the picture to her date, who unfortunately cannot attend, but she still had fun with the promposal.

“I chose to use softballs because our season was just getting started,” Nolte said. “I thought it would be a cute, thoughtful way to ask him.”

English teacher Amy Larson does not remember promposals being a big deal during her high school career in the early 90’s.

“I think they’re cute. No one I know of was really all that creative in asking for a prom date back in the early ’90s,” Larson said. “They would maybe give them flowers. I think with the advent of social media and Pinterest and all that was when it really got popular. I think it started with ostentatious wedding proposals, like getting a plane to pull a banner or getting a billboard on the highway. I like it anytime the male has to go to some effort for his lady love.”

Prom will take place on Saturday, April 26 this year.

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