It’s that time of year again: time for prom!

Many people get asked to prom through the form of ridiculous promposals, ranging anywhere from poster boards to complicated scavenger hunts to extravagant, and over-the-top public displays. These promposals have become mainstream as the way to ask your date to prom. But is this really the way to go?

Promposals put the person being asked on the spot, making it hard for them to say no. Not that he or she couldn’t still decline the offer, but the peer pressure typically forces them to say yes. Asking someone in a more intimate one on one situation can produce a more honest answer, and, especially if the person being asked is shy, can be a better experience for the askee.

An anonymous student says they don’t like promposals because, “they make a deal about something that isn’t that big of a deal, and personally I don’t like all eyes on me. In my opinion the occasion should be more intimate, not with everyone around.”

Coach Stoughton agrees, saying, “If you have any confidence in yourself you should just straight up ask, you shouldn’t need a gimmick.” He also adds that, “Promposals essentially use peer pressure to force a person into saying yes. If they say no, they are considered the villain.”

Not all promposals are bad. If someone still wanted to use a sign they could. However, one should consider where they use the sign. Some people may not mind all of the attention. That doesn’t mean everyone will though.

Asking someone to prom shouldn’t have to be a big event, that’s what prom itself is for. But if you do consider a big promposal, also consider the person you are asking and how they could potentially feel.