At LFHS, the tradition of asking people to school dances in person is slowly fading away. Over the past few years, students have started to view homecoming, turnabout and prom proposals as cringey and unnecessary. Instead, the majority of students simply send a one sentence text to ask— sometimes without even using punctuation!
I think that social media has made dance proposals too casual and the lack of effort concerning proposals has diminished the excitement surrounding the dance. Asking a friend or date in person should be normalized for all grades.
In-person dance proposals uphold tradition and add to the excitement surrounding the dance. Asking in person makes the experience more meaningful for both the person asking and the one being asked. When asking someone in person, this allows for genuine reactions and emotions that cannot be expressed through text or over social media. You don’t need to create an elaborate plan to ask someone; putting in the effort to ask in-person is a grand gesture itself.
At LFHS, it has become the norm for only freshmen to ask a date in person with a poster or in some other creative way. I have spoken to multiple freshmen boys and girls about their plans and expectations and for this year’s homecoming. Many said they were thrilled for their very first high school dance. Freshman Katie Lynch talked about her hopes for a proposal.
“I hope my friends and I are all asked to homecoming with posters since I know that most people don’t ask in person after freshman year,” said Lynch.
A lot of freshmen are looking forward to being asked to their first school dance in person. After speaking to multiple freshmen boys, they collectively said that they initially texted their dates to ask, but that they are planning on asking with a poster as well.
Senior Sara Drowne, who was asked to homecoming her freshman year with a sign but hasn’t received an in-person proposal since, shared her thoughts on the matter.
“I remember being so excited to get asked; it made the whole experience super memorable. Even though it may seem cheesy, I think asking in person is a very easy way to make someone feel special about themselves… It means a lot if someone is willing to put in the effort to ask their date rather than just sending a text. I would encourage all students to bring back in-person proposals,” said Drowne.
Senior Charlie Markee asked his girlfriend to homecoming this year with a poster.
“Asking in person, while it might be scary, is super fun and makes memories for the two who are going to the dance together. It shows the person that you care. It is also exciting to see the surprised reaction of the person you are asking,” said Markee.
Junior Camille Brincat was asked to prom last year – and homecoming this year – in-person.
“I think dance proposals are a fun way to make people feel good! It makes the person being asked feel really special. Going the extra mile when doing a dance proposal makes a huge difference in the way someone might feel and adds to the excitement leading up to the dance,” said Brincat.
Sophomore Shea Milliman discussed how she and her friends asked their dates in person.
“Last year, my friends and I made our posters together. We all crammed into my mom’s car to go ask our guy friends to turnabout. Many of us were asked to homecoming with signs by the guys so it was so fun to return the favor and surprise them. It definitely created a special memory for our friend group. I think it would be so fun to make signs and ask in person again,” Milliman said.
School dances are highly anticipated and require a lot of preparation. It is important to recognize the effort and dedication that our school community puts into organizing our dances. The time, coordination and collaboration from different groups like student council, staff and volunteers all play a crucial role in making these events memorable for students. Therefore, it’s only fair that you put in the extra effort too by asking someone in real life.
The majority of LFHS students enjoy looking at photos from their peers’ dance proposals, not laughing at them and thinking wow, that’s so embarrassing. Even if you’re not in a relationship with someone, I think that everyone should get to experience everything that comes with an in-person dance proposal; the anticipation before they approach your door, the laughter when posing for a picture together and, most importantly, the joy that leaves a lingering smile on your face. I encourage all LFHS students to bring back in-person dance proposals.
