It’s a normal day at school, going to the same boring classes after each bell rings. Luckily, today is a Friday so once the last bell rings, you’re free for 2 days! Finally, 2:45 has struck and you race out of class to go home. What seemed to be a normal day, has now, however, turned amazing. You get a knock at the door ….and wow, you’re getting asked to go to Homecoming by your huzz! Now you and all your friends have dates to go with and have fun!
Homecoming/Coronation is an annual fall dance in high schools and colleges that celebrate students coming back to school. The dance brings out school spirit and pride among students and staff alike. As well as bringing out school spirit and pride, it also brings out romantics among students. Many students either ask out or get asked out by others through “Hoco posters”. These “Hoco posters” are normally posters that have a play on words to ask someone to Homecoming. The posters sometimes have song lyrics, movies, and any other types of media that normally the person their asking out enjoys. For example, if person A is asking out person B, and person B likes Crumbl cookies then person A could write on the poster “My heart would crumbl without you at Hoco” with a box of Crumbl cookies.
Normally or the entirety of the reason someone asks another out is because they like them or have a crush on them. From “Adolescence and the Teenage Crush” by Carl E Pickhardt PH.D. who’s a psychologist in private counseling and public lecturing stated how when teenagers develop a crush, there’s three different types. The first type is an identity crush, which is when someone gains a crush through admiration and wanting to be like the person their “crushing” on. The second is a romantic crush, which is when someone likes another because they’re captivated by them whether it’s looks or personality. The third one is celebrity crushes, which is when someone idolizes a celebrity they like. He also speaks about how crushes can be random, like when he states “Because a romantic crush is a potent mix of idealization and infatuation, it doesn’t require knowing another person well at all” expressing how just the idea of someone can be what makes someone develop a crush.
Most of the time, when someone has a crush, they’re too afraid to actually ask them out. This fear can derive from a fear of rejection. The article “Deconstructing the Fear of Rejection: What Are We Really Afraid Of” by John Amodeo PHD, a licensed therapist, says how we as humans long to be accepted and wanted, which is what makes rejection hurt. He also exclaims “A big part of our fear of rejection may be our fear of experiencing hurt and pain” so when someone gets rejected, they feel upset and hurt which is what can deter them from even attempting to ask someone out. There can be a lot that goes into asking someone out, especially their reaction or what comes after that reaction. When someone has a fear of rejection, they tend to think of worst case scenarios of what would happen if they were for example to ask someone who they have a crush on, out. Even if someone were to get rejected or a no when asking another out, then it’s okay and it can be an experience to learn from and move on. Someone’s no could be another’s yes so even if one person gets rejected, that doesn’t mean everyone after that will also reject them.
There’s plenty of people even here at WHHHS who are dating or plan to ask another out eventually, or just have a crush. A lot of the students here also have advice to give on how to ask others out. From a Harrison Paw Print poll, students were asked the advice they would give and most of the answers were similar and basically were just do it! You’ll probably regret it if you don’t just do it and it could also turn into the person you spend the rest of your life with, if nothing bad happens. There were also specific students who gave their advice on asking someone out, or at least knowing whether or not to ask them out. One student, Kaylee Ashurst, stated “Make sure you actually like them and don’t force yourself into it” So to say only actually do it if you’re sure of the person you’re asking. Another student was Waunita Simpson and she said “Make sure they aren’t a ‘meanie patinie’” Which means make sure whoever your asking out isn’t rude but is rather nice or kind. If whoever it is, you’re sure of them and they’re nice then shoot your shot. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so just do it and ask whoever you want out.
