Prom is just around the corner and promposals have begun. Every once in a while, crowds of students gather in the hallways to witness witty and cute promposals. Guys sometimes hold up posters with puns, while others bring balloons and throw confetti upon popping the big question. Some girls wonder what kind of promposal their boyfriend, best friend, or crush will give or get.

Promposals are one thing students at South are accustomed to. Every March and April, guys and girls at South find a date for the dance of the year, prom. However, not many know the origin of this highly thought tradition. 

Sophomore Megan Reynolds coneys her thoughts saying, “I think some punny guy went out one day and asked someone to prom in a really great way and then people started thinking ‘wow, this guy is a genius’.”

Ever since one student decided to ask their girlfriend to prom over a school loudspeaker, promposals have been a hit. Boys everywhere began asking their dates to prom by creating posters and billboard signs with balloons and flowers as accessories. In 2011, these extravagant prom invitations were granted their official name: promposals.

These promposals require work and effort which can easily cause stress and loss of sleep. However, imagine receiving something that is so full of love and kindness as a promposal. For just a few hours a year, you can make a girl or guy feel special by planning a promposal for them. 

“Putting the time and effort into doing something like this for someone else is pretty special,” freshman Kenna Palmer said. “This doesn’t mean that you are together together, it is just something nice to do.”

According to a poll conducted by The Bird Feed, 40% of people asked to prom feel obligated to say yes and 20% say they would not feel obligated. While being asked to prom is a big deal for most students, timid and shy people may not appreciate something that is overly extravagant. Something that is small, simplistic, and straight from the heart may be a better choice. This being said, promposals are meant to be embarrassing in some regard junior Tyler Palmer said. 

“If I could, I would fly a helicopter full of paper with one saying my name on it,” Palmer said. “The person would have to figure out who it is from. However, I would bake a cake and buy balloons that would be filled with questions and my date would have to pop every balloon and find the piece of paper that has my name in it to know who it is from. They would have to go through 16 balloons to find out who it is.”

While some of these promposals may be ‘extra’, the cost can be easily be significantly reduced. Instead of purchasing the most expensive brand of makeup to impress a girl, perhaps buy a cheaper brand or some roses or balloons.

“It is really cool to see what people can come up with and how creative they can be,” senior Jared Honey said.

The more creative a promposal is, the more likely the date is to feel special.

“I don’t think a lot of people go hugely all out or anything,” junior Monica Lichtenwalner explained, “but a cute poster or something would be great and cute. All out would be in front of the school, and that is a little over the top.”

Creative promposals can make the actual day of prom that much more exhilarating. As Palmer says, “Promposals are a good way to interact and show you care and how you feel about them. I think anyone and everyone should do it via promposals. Promposals depend on the person. If you are a go big or go home kind of person and you know the other person likes that kind of stuff, then yes, go all out. It is your promposal to ask.”