Other ways to invite girls to prom
» Joshua Lallman, a junior on the Millard West High basketball team, surprised his girlfriend, cheerleader Emily Kubo, with a message on 16-foot balloon that he placed outside the entrance to the school’s gym before a basketball game. Joshua borrowed the balloon from his dad, who works for a company that uses it for promotions. Joshua, who has been dating Emily for about one year, spelled out his invite on the balloon: “Emily Kubo Will You Go To Prom With Me?” He signed it, #24, his number on the basketball team.
» Anton Rice, a senior at Gross High, sent his prom invite to girlfriend, senior Anne Grzywa, all the way from Disney World in Florida. While on a family vacation last month he had his photo taken in front of Cinderella’s Castle holding a sign that said: “It would be magical if you went to prom with me?” He posted the photo on Facebook for Anne to see.
One guy spray painted his prom invitation in bright orange 3-foot letters on a soccer field.
Another belted out a Frankie Valli song as an invite during halftime of a basketball game.
And another used Cinderella's Castle at Disney World as a backdrop for a photo invitation posted on Facebook.
Remember when asking a girl to prom meant nervously calling her on the phone? Or maybe cornering her in the hallway between classes?
That is so 2008.
Local high school students are now taking prom invitations to a whole new level.
Creative. Surprising. Public.
That's what these invites are about.
"Girls want something fun,'' said Nate Crnkovich, a junior at Gross High School. "It's kind of an expectation."
Hear that, guys? You better bring your "A" game.
The prom invites are just one example of how milestones and events that were once low-key are getting more elaborate. Couples are hosting parties to announce their unborn baby's sex, pregnant women are posting photos of their growing tummies on Facebook and parents are organizing expensive high school graduation parties with disc jockeys and sushi.
Sociologists and communication experts have noticed the trend and say people are increasingly wanting to stand out, to have more publicity around their lives.
"It's a desire for uniqueness," said Dawn O. Braithwaite, chairwoman of the department of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Creating an event that's bigger or different makes it more valuable to those involved, she said.
Social media websites like Facebook and YouTube are playing a role, so are movies and TV shows.
YouTube, for example, is filled with prom-invite videos.
Is there one of a guy and his buddies springing a prom invite in class by singing a 1950s doo-wop song?
You bet.
What about guys delivering an invite by throwing down some Justin Bieber-style dance moves in the school hallway?
Bingo.
Local high school students say social media is helping spread prom invitation ideas. But sites like Facebook are also giving people an outlet to express themselves that they didn't have before, said Lisa Crockett, a psychology professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Center's Internet and American Life Project, said sites like YouTube can change social norms. Watch enough of those elaborate prom invite videos and suddenly it seems perfectly normal to ask your girlfriend over the school intercom so 1,500 of her closest friends can share the moment.
Crnkovich, the Gross High student, spray painted an invite on a grassy field so girlfriend Allie Young, a junior at Gross, would spot it before soccer practice. In orange letters, each 1-yard long, he spelled out, "Allie Prom?" He also painted his name and drew a big orange heart — after getting permission from the coach of the girl's soccer team.
Allie spotted the message, then saw Nate walking onto the field. She gave him a hug — and a yes.
She said there's no doubt that girls expect creative invites. Public invites like hers are more common, she said, among couples who have been dating a while, like she and Nate.
But even if prom would be a first date, guys know girls want something special, even if it's private, like painting the invite on a poster and sneaking it inside her locker.
But it's not just the boys who are getting creative.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1122, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
The River City Conference recognized the members of the 2013 All-Conference Soccer teams and you'll find some Cougars on the list! Senior Cody McCann made the 1st team while honorable mentions...
Read more
Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School has an amazing opportunity to be part of a city wide philanthropic effort call Omaha Gives! What is Omaha Gives!? Omaha Gives! is a new 24-hour,...
Read more
The Gross Catholic Boys Golf team is headed to the state tournament. The Cougars placed 3rd in district competition behind Blair and Omaha Skutt on Monday, May 14 at Tiburon...
Read more
By Jeff Sheldon / World-Herald Correspondent LINCOLN — Omaha Gross was on the wrong end of some lopsided scores during the regular season, including being outscored 28-0 combined in the two...
Read more
Senior Rental Book Return and Book Buyback: Wednesday, May 81:00 - 3:30 pmCommons Conference Room All School Rental Book Return and Book Buyback: Friday, May 249:00 - 11:00 am Commons Conference Room All...
Read more
Sign up on May 30th Jr. Cougar FB sign-ups for 2013 season are on May 30th from 6pm - 8pm in the Gross Catholic commons area, 7700 S 43rd Street in Bellevue. Our...
Read more
The 2013 graduating class of Gross Catholic had a great 4 years. As they leave the school they look back on their time here and what they will miss. Among...
Read more
Senior Jennifer Melcher has signed a letter of intent to compete for the Midland University Warriors as a member of the dance team. Jennifer helped the Cougars earn Hip-Hop Runner-up in...
Read more
The Gross Catholic Drama Department is proud to present William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Catch the performance on Friday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m., and...
Read more
By Ron PetakLeader Executive EditorPublished Wednesday, April 24, 2013As a young man in the early 1940s in Detroit, Joe Barrett and many of his friends held in great esteem the...
Read more
The 2013 Student Council Elections will be held on Wednesday, April 23rd. Students will login to their GCgmail accounts and select the link in the election email to vote online. This...
Read more
Gross High School is no stranger to high achievement. The graduating class of 2010 is proof of that. A number of their ideas have been incorporated into a newly published...
Read more
Three Gross Catholic Cougars were named branch contest winners for the annual Fleet Reserve Association Americanism Essay Contest. This regional and national contest had around 120 entries from 7th-12th graders...
Read more
Two Gross Catholic seniors signed letters of intent on Wednesday, April 17 to play college volleyball. Shelbi Mlynczak, daughter of Gary and Monica Mlynczak, signed a letter of intent to play...
Read more
On March 16th a group of 13 juniors and seniors took a service trip to San Antonio, Texas for a service trip. This is an annual trip, planned by the...
Read moreCongratulations to senior Zach Knicky who is the Runza Student of the Week! Runza Restaurants and KETV created a partnership to honor senior students for their achievements in the classroom and...
Read more
Congratulations to junior Andrew McElmeel! Andrew was invited to attend the Naval Academy Summer Seminar program in Annapolis, Maryland. Only 2,550 young men and women from around the nation and abroad...
Read more
Gradeschoolers Compete (cover photo by crcwhat) The 2013 Gross Catholic Jr. High quiz bowl took place on March 21st. Thirteen different Catholic grade schools in the Omaha metro area competed in this...
Read more
Stephen Driscoll '2010, an intern at the Catholic News Agency in Rome, was interviewed recently by EWTN about his recent experiences. Stephen has been eyewitness to the historical events surrounding...
Read more
by Eric TaylorIn The Game Sports Editor Gross has dipped into its past to find its new volleyball coach. Former coach Yvonne Carson will return to the Cougar bench this season, taking...
Read moreA Night with Stars: A Red Carpet Event Prom is on Friday, April 5 at the Scoular Building. Coronation begins at 9:15 pm. Congratulations to our 2013 Prom Court! Juniors include...
Read moreNebraska prep baseball season preview capsule from the Omaha World-Heraldpublished Wednesday, March 13, 2013 Omaha Gross Coach: Mike Filipowicz, 24th year. 2012: 2012: 14-13. Returning starters — Seniors: Max Connor, INF; Zach Knicky,...
Read more
Middle and high school students watched as the new pope addressed the world By Kimberly Foley KMTVCREATED MAR. 13, 2013 Omaha, NE-- Catholic students across Omaha celebrated the election of Pope Francis. On...
Read more
On Saturday, March 9 the Gross Catholic Speech Team competed in the district competition at Lincoln East High School. Individually the results were: Zack Dann finished 2nd in Entertainment Speaking and Qualified...
Read more
With last week marking the official start of spring sports, many teams find the current weather to be inconvenient. Because it has been so cold outside and there is still...
Read more
