Upping the Ante for Prom Proposals A Continuing Trend at South

What do glow sticks, cookies, and thematically colored flowers have in common?

They are all objects that prom bound students have used to ask their dates.

Widely considered to be the biggest dance of the year, the pressure on prom proposals has intensified throughout the years.

“When my dad was in high school he just said ‘Hey you’re going to the dance with me’ and now you have to ask them like you’re asking them to marry you,” said senior Connor Wasler, 18.

Despite the economy, the prom-asking budget is still going strong. Downers Grove South senior Ed Roberge, 17, spent over $100 in asking his girlfriend junior Lillie Kase, 16, to prom.

If the prom-goer is not breaking the bank, he might be breaking his back. It took senior Zach Taylor, 18, and friends over three days in Zach’s preparation to ask his girlfriend senior Jill Dobosenski, 18.

The driving force behind the phenomena is not the male population alone. Female attendees expect their escorts to go all out.

“I do sort of expect to be asked in a really special way because prom only happens once, and it’s supposed to be the best night in high school,” said senior Maggie Cipriano, 18.

However, simply being spectacular is not enough for today’s generation. Prom hopefuls now have to incorporate punctuality in addition to their innovation. Couples that are already dating seem to have more difficulty with timeliness.

“Getting asked at the last minute is really annoying," said senior Kasey Colombani, 17. "I get that if you’re dating the person they know you’re going to ask them, but that’s still no excuse to take a ridiculously long time to ask."

Some prom-bound students are not a fan of the increasing emphasis on prom asking. Nevertheless, as long as the proposers remain passive aggressive, it is likely that the trend will continue.

“This definitely isn’t as big as marriage, but asking someone to prom is probably the closest thing," said senior Mike Holz, 18. "I personally don’t think it should be this big of a deal, but I don’t mind."

South's prom will be held on Friday at Ashton Place in Darien.