It’s that time of year again, Bobcats. The Homecoming dam has burst open, and once again, it’s time for a flood of expensive clothes, bundles of roses, sleepless nights filled with anxieties of will-they-ask-me/will-I-ask-them/OH MY GOD WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN and of course, all of those clever “proposals” on your Instagram feed.

Despite the scrambling to get tickets and roses in a crowded cafeteria, the marching band on parade, and football fans all blaring in our heads, what speaks the loudest in the minds of BAHS students is that very question: just how will I ask someone out to Homecoming? And why is it so important?

It’s not just Bel Air Students, either. One quick Google search for “homecoming proposal” yields Twitter and Tumblr feeds full of ideas and creative proposals from all around the country. So obviously, society takes the act of “proposing” very seriously. A chemistry teacher here at Bel Air once assisted a student in asking his girlfriend to homecoming…by playing dead on the floor. Other spectacles include cars entirely covered in sticky notes, and of course, puns. Lots and lots of puns.

Cody Beck, an alumni of Bel Air High School, reflected on the topic. “I remember the pressure of finding a creative way to ask a girl to a dance. I think it has a lot to do with impressions. People like it when you go out of your way for them. The first girl I just simply asked out to a dance rejected me. But the girl I did something cute and creative for said yes.”

Others may argue that homecoming proposals are a bigger deal for underclassmen, while the juniors and the seniors spend their energy getting ready for their prom.

“I think the homecoming proposal is most important to freshman,” says BAHS Junior Mary Talbard. “It’s like their prom in a way. It’s their first big high school dance, and of course they want to make the process of asking someone special to go make it something memorable. For me, at this point in my high school career, I think a simple ‘will you go to homecoming with me’ is sweet and to the point.”

But regardless of how students feel about homecoming proposals and the purpose they serve, there’s no denying that they’re in season again. So go out and put your creative, romantic minds to use and do something that no other Bobcat has done before, and be sure to get your tickets by Oct. 1st!