Stakes climbing for promposal pressures

Prom fever has officially struck the high school as students search for the perfect dress and the perfect date. However, modern-day emphasis on popping the prom question, also known as “promposals,” have a large portion of the male population in a slight frantic.

Somehow within the past decade, a simple “Will you go to prom with me?” has turned into a whole event that typically include small gifts, flowers and clever signs. If asking a partner to prom wasn’t nerve wracking before, this modern-day era of promposals has pushed it beyond the point of stress.

Senior Adison Pace said, “Promposals are a huge deal throughout the high school, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. It definitely adds to the amount of pressure the prom-asker undergoes. Not only do they have to face the slight fear of rejection, they have to worry about the promposal idea not being creative or clever enough.”

Senior Kayla Vanderwerf said, “It is crazy to see how the way asking someone to a dance has changed over time. It used to be an exciting moment just to have someone be interested in taking you, now it seems almost wrong to ask using just words. Standards have been amplified and will continue to get higher.”

With the increasing amount of stress as the standards for promposals rise, students question if their ideas will meet the societal unwritten requirements.

Junior Alinani Mpundu said, “To be honest, modern day expectations of promposals have me and many of my friends over thinking how to ask someone. We find ourselves in a bind where we either procrastinate doing it or stress about our idea meeting expectations set by everyone else. In reality, all that matters is asking the person. If everyone continues to raise the standards, many of us might fall back to the basics, which lack creativity that society tends to seek.”

In addition to the high standards and expectations, gradual increases may take away from the experience and high school memory.

Vanderwerf said, “If girls and guys or whoever plans on asking another continue to view the process as stressful, it won’t be fun anymore. I think a huge problem is that those who plan on being asked have huge expectations that are entirely set from seeing the crazy promposals on social media. Seeing these things can sometimes set everyone up for disappointment, which is incorrect, and it can take away from a special moment. It’s important that both partners enjoy the entire process.”

Despite society’s increasing exaggeration on promposals, students at the high school have differing perspectives to decrease the stress of askers.

Senior Summer Pieters said, “Getting asked to prom in a fun way is definitely a moment of high school to enjoy and remember. However, I think people worry too much over it. Having the courage to ask someone is much more meaningful than the signs and accessories that sometimes go along. People who are asking others to prom should think of the creative aspects as supplements to the proposal rather than necessities. Do what you feel is comfortable and have fun with it.”

Vanderwerf said, “Getting asked to a prom in creative way is fun at the time, but the thing to look forward to the most is the actual prom. Don’t let the stress of asking someone get in the way of your excitement for the actual date.”

Though many students may experience moments of distress in the upcoming month with creating clever ideas for your promposal, the entire experience has it’s perks, and the small moment of asking a date can turn into a memory.

Vanderwerf said, “All in all, it doesn’t matter if the idea is viewed good or bad by society. Seeing someone put in the effort to make something creative or even ask is the sweetest part and something you won’t want to forget.”

Pace said, “This year, I found it enjoyable to come up with an idea for my date. I had my friends help with my idea and make the sign with me. Not only did I like the idea I used, I could tell my date was very surprised and happy. It was definitely a fun and exciting memory I won’t forget.”