Come April, there is no denying the wave of romance that fills the hallways of South in the springtime, only a few weeks until prom.

Maybe it will be a life-size teddy bear, with the promposals sewn into the fabric. Maybe it will be a billboard on the highway, adorned with a clever promposal pun. Or, maybe it will be a lights show, spelling out the promposal in luminescent letters.

Regardless of how the promposals are made, every girl waits anxiously to be approached with this years-old courting tradition.

Or do they?

The debate about promposals is nothing new. Critics claim that promposals perpetuate restrictive gender roles, devalue self-esteem, and set unreasonable standards of grandeur.

They have a point.

Viral videos of promposals feature fire, explosives, and expensive gifts in bulk – think Kanye West’s anniversary presents to Kim Kardashian. But when feelings are not reciprocated, it is hard not to feel sympathy for the asker. Likewise, if a person never receives a promposal, self-esteem may be affected, although many say that attending prom with friends is the best way to have fun!

Despite the controversy, promposals are popular for a reason. Imagine sitting in class when a classmate suddenly bursts into the room

holding a promposal poster and chocolates, and the entire class erupts in cheers. Or, imagine receiving a mysterious text, telling you to stand outside the auditorium at noon, and seeing a promposal spelled out in rose petals.

Not all promposals have to be over-the- top. Sometimes, the sweetest promposals are the simplest. A pun on a poster, a box of chocolates, a bouquet of flowers, colorful balloons, and stuffed animals are all popular options. In the end, it really is the thought behind the actions that matter.

Promposals encourage school spirit and excitement for the event. For many teenagers, prom is an opportunity to express suppressed feelings.

Everyone knows the pressure of having romantic feelings, but not knowing how and when to express them to the person of interest. It is a dilemma that promposals overcome. Since most people are searching for a date, approaching a romantic interest is not out-of- the-ordinary, but rather, encouraged.

It is clear that promposals bring together the community and build new relationships, especially considering that multiple individuals often take part in arranging and executing promposals. Prom is also a chance to dress up and take memorable photographs with friends and dates. The evening of prom capitalizes on the excitement that has built for weeks prior. Promposals are an integral factor of these pre-prom expectations.

Prom 2016 is almost here, with Junior Prom in April and Senior Prom in May. In the upcoming weeks, talk and rumors of promposals are sure to flood the hallways of South. Even teachers may help out to sneakily execute successful promposals.

Perhaps the most important part of prom-posing is taking the leap to actually do it. If you have an idea of who you would like to prompose, don’t wait for another person to beat you there, and do it first!

My verdict? Promposals are here to stay!