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A day later, Dean of the Class of 2023 Chidi Asoluka asked the creator to post the slideshow on the class’ Google Classroom and adjust the title card to say, ‘This is a slideshow for people who have chosen to wear dresses this year to avoid duplicates’ and ‘You do not have to upload a picture if you do not want to.’

While they do not know of any boys who plan to wear dresses, Chris Smith (12) said that changing the language on the slideshow was an appropriate decision. “Even if everyone ends up wearing something that conforms with gender norms, it is nice to use inclusive language so students know there is another option if they wish.”

One student was unsure about whether or not to wear a dress, but eventually decided to do so. “My parents kept reminding me to be careful and saying ‘is this how you want to remember prom,’ so I eventually dropped the idea of wearing something other than a dress,’” Peyton* said, requesting anonymity so as to not implicate their parents in their decision.

People do not seem to care whether someone else has the same dress as them, Amira Dossani (12) said. But since they want to stand out, duplicates are not ideal.

The slideshow promoted positivity and a sense of community among seniors, Coco Trentalancia (12) said. “Everyone was getting really excited and writing comments on other people’s slides that were really sweet.” Students left comments saying how they liked others’ dresses and helping those who had not yet decided on which one to pick.

Trentalancia, on the other hand, did not even consider options besides a gown, due to what she had observed in past years. “I have seen girls wearing long prom dresses, so that’s what I saw as the convention for my outfit,” she said. While Trentalencia doesn’t think that female students are expected to wear dresses, most girls do to fit in with their Meanwhile, Ari Borut (12) made her own dress because she likes sewing and thought it would be a creative way to express herself. “I went chooses to wear a tuxedo, Lawson Wright (12) said. While this could restrict creativity for some, it made the shopping process easier for him. “There is no drama around who is wearing what or people ordering the same outfits, it is very straightforward.”

Because the school does not have any specific rules on what to wear to prom, this pattern for boys stems purely from convention, Wright said. “Nobody would prevent another boy from wearing, or even care if they chose to wear something other than a suit — it’s not something people really

Promposals

Gender expectations also influence who people go to prom with. While there remains an image of a “traditional” prom experience with a date of the opposite sex, many students are deviating from that norm.

In an email to the Class of 2023 about prom, Dalo wrote, “Please don’t feel pressured at all to ask someone now or to even come with a date. Plenty of students just come as a group

Promposals were disallowed on school grounds a few years ago since they can put people in uncomfortable situations, Dalo said. “Even if someone does not want to say yes to the promposal, they might feel pressured to do so just because they are standing in front of a group of their school friends,” he said. Promposals also became symbols of financial privilege, and underscored a focus on heterosexual relationships with the assumption that people have to go to prom with people of the opposite sex, Dalo said.

Lately, Dalo has seen more openness as students move away from the idea of needing a prom date of the opposite sex, or a date in general, he said. “People have been comfortable wearing what they feel comfortable in and going with who they feel comfortable with, which could be due to the fact that our school community talks about it more.” group instead of a date. “A lot of people feel the need to bring a date more so for the appearance of it in photos and for social media,” they said. Because Kim can talk with the people they want to see at prom anyways, they do not feel any pressure to bring someone else.

While Edelman chose to prompose to make his date feel happy and excited as prom gets closer and closer, he does notice that some people do it solely for social media. “Everyone has their phones out during certain promposals and are recording the event more so to show their Instagram,” he said.

Unlike the casual promposal Dossani received, Max Meyer (12) showed up in the middle of Nati Hecker (12)’s Soul Cycle class with a poster that read “I know it’s not Anthony at one but prom with you would be so much fun,” catching her completely off guard, he said.

Considering that she never expected or even asked Meyer to do a promposal, Hecker loved the gesture and felt that it made her prom experience even more special, she said. “It wasn’t anything crazy or something extremely expensive, but it was instead super creative since he did it at a place that I love,” Hecker said.

Hecker asked Meyers if he wanted her to prompose to him, she said. “He said that he didn’t want that attention so I genuinely think it was something he wanted to do for me.”

To plan the promposal, Meyer worked with Hecker’s closest friends to direct message Anthony, a Soul Cycle instructor Hecker takes a class with every weekend at one o’clock, to discuss how to execute the plan. “Anthony loved the idea we had and ended up talking to someone at the company’s headquarters, who also loved it,” he said. Meyer walked into Hecker’s class while her bike was placed on the main podium and presented her with the poster and a bouquet of flowers.

Alexa Turtletaub (12) is promposing to her boyfriend who attends a different school. “He actually promposed to me for his prom, and for mine, we mutually decided that I would do the same for him,” she said. Turtletaub does not think promposals are steeped in tradition, but rather done because students want to make the experience special for their date, she said.

Similarly, Trentalancia and Lawson Wright (12) already planned to go with each other, so Trentalancia did not expect his promposal. “We were walking on the beach at sunset and he put the words ‘prom?’ on the t-shirt of a stuffed bear.” Not surprisingly, she said yes.