This time every year, AHS students prepare to put themselves on the line and pop the question: “Will you go to Homecoming with me?” Some slip it casually into a conversation; others go to different extremes to impress their date-to-be. But boys ideas of asking don’t always match up to girls dreams of the perfect invitation, and there are plenty of ways your “foolproof” invitation could turn into a disaster.
Some Atoms, like sophomore Sharoon Arshad, aim to sweep their invitees off their feet, setting the bar pretty high with their ideas for the perfect Homecoming invitation.
“The best way to ask a girl to Homecoming is to spell it with rose petals on her car,” Arshad said.
Tim Johnson, a freshman, also suggests attempting to romanticize a date.
“Get a bouquet with flowers and a card to ask a date to Homecoming,” Johnson said.
Others, like sophomore David Furney, prefer to stick to the basics. “It’s best to keep it casual,” Furney said.
“Don’t be nervous; just say it,” junior Ben Crane said
Most guys have big plans, but their romantic gestures may not be exactly what the girls have in mind.
“It would be sweet for the guy to pay for a commercial to preview on the morning announcements,” senior Elisabeth Zernik said, although most AHS girls seem to have something simpler in mind.
“[They should do] something simple and nice, but not just asking,” junior Sara Prince said.
“[You should ask] by yourself, just the two of you,” junior Katie Amaya said.
Many students also seem to agree that invitations don’t have to be a big deal, or too dramatic. “Keep it casual,” junior Nikita Coelho said. “Something like a flower would be nice, though.”
It’s easy to get the question right, but students also know their Homecoming plans can go horribly wrong if they’re not careful. If you want a date to Homecoming, stay away from these disaster ideas: While sending your crush a cute message may seem like the easy way out, freshman Casey Goettlicher said, “The worst way to ask would be to text them, or ask them over the internet.”
Seniors warn against asking in front of crowd, or putting your date on the spot publically.
“He shouldn’t yell it out in front of the whole school,” Zernik said. “If you have no idea its coming, it’s extremely embarrassing!”
However, it’s evidently not enough to avoid making a scene in front of the entire student body—any type of group setting can be risky according to Senior Omar Abdulrahim.
“Don’t embarrass her in front of her friends,” Abdulrahim said.
Students don’t want invites to be too public, but they don’t want them to be too private, either. “The worst thing they could do is show up at your house to ask, especially if you never told them where you live,” sophomore Jessica Winkler said—so Atoms, steer clear of house-calls.
Senior Kevin Nguyen offers one last word of advice: “Never use a pick up line!”
The AHS community has plenty of ideas on how or how not to invite your date, but there’s a bigger question—who should be the one to ask? Traditionally, boys do all the asking, but students like Zernik think girls should start stepping up to the plate.
“I think more girls should be the ones to ask because they should be able to take responsibility for getting themselves a date. You shouldn’t just wait around to be asked,.” Zernik said. Others are less enthusiastic about the idea.
“I would like a guy to ask me before I ask him,” Coelho said.
Some students seem content to stick to tradition, but don’t necessarily oppose their peers making a change. “I think guys should ask, but girls can if they want,” Winkler said. AHS girls may be up to the challenge, but some boys seem to dislike the idea of swapping typical gender roles.
“I would rather be the one asking because I’d feel better about myself,” Abdulrahim said.
Others, like freshman Sultan Sayed, stick to the traditional idea of a gentleman. “I think guys should ask because it’s more proper and gentlemanly,” Sayed said. However, some AHS guys argue that it would be nice for girls to ask; junior Trevor Hobbs said, “It would be a lot easier if girls asked.”
As Homecoming approaches, Atoms anticipate attending the dance—hopefully with that special someone. Whether you’re just friends, or maybe a little more than, it can be a challenge to find the right way to ask your prospective date to Homecoming. Get creative or keep it simple, but either way, take a risk and get a Homecoming date before it’s too late.
