With prom getting near, students are experiencing a growing feeling of anxiety. The way in which a person is asked to prom has become nearly as important as prom night itself. “The ladies love creativity when it comes to asking them to prom,” said junior Ryan Moore who had a message set up for junior Virginia Baker on the Smartboard in one of her classes. “[Virginia is] an awesome individual and I had to do something awesome.”

Since its beginning, prom has greatly evolved and with its evolution came increasingly creative methods for asking a potential date. Starting as a simple dance for seniors in 1930’s, it has grown into a symbolic night of fun and love.

Back then, a person would get a date by asking, “Will you go to prom with me?” However, somewhere down the line this simple method was not enough for the common student.

Many guy students at Chapin High School feel the same way as Moore including junior JD Farrell.

“It shows how much you care [being creative]. There’s nothing wrong with it [being simple], I just felt like I had to do something big,” Farrell said.

Asking a person to prom has started to become all about creativity. Senior Will Clary’s creative side was shown when he decided to ask senior Paige Dyer to prom by writing: “Paige Dyer, prom with Squam?” on the athletic board in front of the school.

Junior Hayden Schelble asked another junior, Claire Mariaca, by printing “Prom?” on M&Ms.

“It’s more fun when it’s spontaneous and you’re not expecting it,” says Mariaca, “However they want to do it, as long as it’s different, is fine.”

Prom night memories are now almost equal to prom date proposals.

“I had a big tarp put over my car that said “prom?” and there were balloons hanging from the mirrors and balloons filling my car,” junior Chloe Beesburg said.

In fact, asking someone to prom has become such a big deal there are websites solely dedicated to getting through the step-by-step of asking a person to prom like coolestdates.com. On these websites are different and creative ways to ask someone to prom. Students have many ways of coming up with courting ideas. Farrell thought of his idea to ask senior Kellie Keen while hanging out with one of his friends.

“I wrote “Kellie prom?” on my tie-dye shirt and whenever I scored the sick-nasty goal [at a Chapin soccer game]. I ran on the sidelines, lifted up my shirt and showed everybody.” Farrell explains.

“Great ideas just come to me,” Moore laughs.

Prom is held to high standards for many students so it can be, without-a-doubt, nerve-wrecking hoping that a potential date will say yes.

Mariaca advises, “For guys who are asking-don’t be nervous. Just do something that they’ll remember.”