By LEXI LIM
Staff Writer
Spirit Week may focus on the clash of the classes, but throughout the week, students have not forgotten what some may consider the climatic ending of Spirit Week: homecoming. An American tradition that is part of nearly every high school, homecoming is a widely anticipated beginning-of-the-year dance.
Unlike other schools in Irvine, University High School (UHS) is the only school in the district that has a “semi-formal” homecoming where people dress up in semi-formal attire. As a result, boys take the initiative to ask a girl to be their homecoming date. Homecoming proposals have escalated into huge romantic gestures with posters, balloons, flowers and more. But why? Is it worth the effort?
The boys, particularly those at UHS, take their time to come up with creative ways to ask a girl. The end result is usually something of a show for onlookers. At a recent football game, ASB Vice President Spencer Ma (Sr.) surprised Sheila Sharifi (Sr.) with an elaborate showcase of pink balloons, giant posters that spelled out “Homecoming?” and flowers. When asked about the reasoning behind this amazing proposal, Ma said, “I always knew I wanted to do something big since it’s my senior year and my last homecoming. So why not?” Sharifi was happily surprised and accepted, and later said, “My favorite part of the asking was posting the picture.” Social media usually plays a large role in bringing extra attention to the hard work put into the dance proposals. A video of Ma’s asking gained over 70 likes on Facebook.
Ma is not alone in making sure his proposal was special. Indiana Fuller (Sr.) asked Ashley Anderson (Sr.) during an intimate moment at Bonita Canyon Elementary School at night. He had candles and red lights in bags spelling out “HC?” in large letters, surprising Anderson with the romantic view before pulling out roses to ask her. He did so because he wanted “to do something big because it’s fun, and because she’s worth it.”
Extravagant proposals are a great experience for those being asked, but homecoming proposals also draw many onlookers to share in the moment. Samah Basit (Jr.), who has witnessed many of these moments around school, said, “It’s cute seeing girls with huge smiles when guys come up to them with the intention of making their day.”
Whether the askings are big or small, UHS students agree that the extra effort put into proposals makes the homecoming season an even better experience for everyone.