Ask a date and change your fate
By Troy Deal
For decades feminists have fought for equality in the workplace, representation in politics, and independence from the patriarchal family, but here at Trinity, they have failed to ask just one question: “Will you go to prom with me?” Go ahead, say it out loud. It rolls of the tongue, yet those syllables strung together almost never pass through the lips of any girl on campus. Trinity is a school of tradition and customs, from all school chapels that bring the student body closer together, to the infamous rope pull over the canal, to guys asking girls to school dances. Sadie Hawkins is an outlet for the female student body to have an opportunity to finally feel comfortable asking guys out. No longer do the girls have to wait around anxiously to be asked; they can take initiative during this time of the year.
During homecoming and prom, girls often feel that they have little choice of who they will ultimately pin the boutonniere on for pictures. This perception is far from the truth. It is called being asked to a dance for a reason; you don’t have to say “yes.” The female student body has to stop acting like they are being preyed on during prom and homecoming season. The decision is mutual, and by agreeing to go with a man she should understand she was not forced into the situation.
“I wouldn’t ask a guy to prom because I would rather go with my friends than ask [a guy],” said 2013’s Prom Chair Christina Marchena.
It takes a lot of courage for a girl to ask a guy to prom, and for most at the school, the easier option is just to go with her friends. Sadie Hawkins is a new tradition that started just last year and was, in fact, not established to encourage sexist thought but rather to finally give girls the feeling of comfort when asking. The idea of rejection often drives a wedge between a girl and her potential date, yet at Sadie Hawkins guys are much more open to saying “yes” than during prom and homecoming.
“I would not be nervous [with a girl asking me]. I would just be happy I got asked in the first place,” junior Drew Miles said.
Google “marriage proposal videos,” and millions of views will appear for videos of men creatively asking women but almost no videos of women asking men. Specifically google “woman proposing to man,” and you are left with prank videos of a woman proposing to random strangers with apathetic reactions that are almost cringeworthy. Women asking men is not even taken seriously enough to find a real proposal on the Internet. A 2014 American Community Survey discovered that only 2.8% of women would “kind of” want to propose to their man. Boil this down and you will find that this time-honored tradition has found its way on campus in the form of guys asking girls, and Sadie Hawkins is a release from this very custom.
Do you think asking a date to a dance is only socially acceptable if said dance is Sadie Hawkins-themed?
According to the survey many girls think that it is socially acceptable, but do they act on it? No. Answering anything but “yes” to this question of social acceptibility would be a stab straight into the back of the progression of feminist thought. The fact of the matter, however, is that girls enjoy being asked to a dance function. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing someone has gone out of their way and noticed you enough to want to take you to a dance. It’s predictable that the trend of asking the guys will continue for the years to come.
Have you asked someone to a dance in the past?
Asking someone to a dance is not the norm. Tradition will keep a hold on this school, and it is not surprising to see such a low percentage of girls asking a guy to a dance in the past. Most of the time, they ask in order to snag a man who doesn’t go to the same school as her.
Do you plan to ask a date to the Sadie Hawkins dance this year?
This is it, ladies! This is your opportunity to ask the man of your dreams to a special night out. Don’t spend the rest of the year complaining about being asked by the wrong guy because this is your chance to decide who you will be slow dancing with on the gym floor.
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Tradition should take a new turn
By Eden Smalley
Last January I remember a number of Trinity girls holding bags of Chick-Fil-A with sweaty, nervous palms as they anxiously waited for their potential “petit ami” to strut out of chemistry class. The “SH?” scribbled over the fried chicken peace offering symbolized an invitation to dance the night away under the enchanting, neon lights of the crowded DAC.
When the Sadie Hawkins dance was first introduced last year, my immediate reaction was one of disappointment. For one night and one night only, it would be acceptable for girls to take charge in the tradition of school dances. The dance itself acknowledges the unspoken notion that it is socially unacceptable for a girl to ask a boy to a dance.
As a female, I shouldn’t be handed an opportunity to direct my own high school dance experience. I know what you’re thinking: “No one is stopping girls from getting dates to other dances.” But if that’s true, then why are only a handful of girls asking dates to dances like prom and homecoming? I’m not saying that girls are denied of the privilege of asking a date to another dance, but I find it a tad disheartening when a special event is put aside for the occasion. The girls of Trinity should not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable to ask a date to one of our illustrious school functions. By reaffirming antiquated gender roles, society is halting the progress toward a more balanced social environment. I feel as if with every “ask” creatively placed on a car or scribbled onto a basketball, the female gender is brought back to a more chivalrous time.
Look around. Gender equality exists on our campus. The first ever girls’ weightlifting and lacrosse teams were recently added to our list of sports. A girl was on the JH football team. Our student body president is female, and this year the Justice and Equality Club was formed. Girls on campus are making progress in equality everyday, so why should we celebrate this occasion that suggests we have not come as far as we’d like?
Do you think asking a date to a dance is only socially acceptable is said dance is Sadie Hawkins-themed?
I find it disheartening that girls on campus believe it should be normal for girls to take the wheel when it comes to dates, but the responses seem hypocritical. Although those who responded believe asking a date should be accepted, a majority of girls would not seize the chance to ask their date when it came to a bigger event like prom or homecoming. It is clear that we as girls have the mindset for equality, but we are reluctant to take action.
Have you asked someone to a dance in the past?
Don’t let the numbers fool you. The majority of girls who answered “Yes” were most likely the date instigator because their desired companion went to a different school or they attended last year’s Sadie Hawkins dance. Regardless, most girls have not yet had the experience of showering a potential date with a clever asking. As our campus fights for a balance among genders, the question must be asked: Why are we holding onto tradition?
Do you plan to ask a date to the Sadie Hawkins dance this year?
Ladies of Trinity, hear my plead. Ask someone to Sadie Hawkins this year, not because you have been given an “opportunity” to take control, but because you can make a move independently. The Sadie Hawkins dance should not be treated as your only chance to ask a date; every dance is your chance to make a move. So don’t be shy, ask a guy.
