The dust has cleared after this year’s Sophomore Semi and the class of 2014 made it out alive, despite the stress leading up to the event.

Until a few years ago, having a date was not a priority. The Class of 2014 took it a step further and made bringing a date to Semi as important as it is for Prom.

This year, sophomores employed clever strategies to ask their dates, just as juniors typically do for Prom. For example, some sophomores chose to ask their dates from across the Commons by writing, “Semi?” on a piece of paper instead of a simple face to face, “Will you go with me?”

In past years, Semi has taken place in early November and would have happened weeks ago. This year though, it was in early December. Sophomores began asking for dates in the early weeks of the school year, as early as three months prior to the event.

The fact that students asked dates so much earlier just shows that getting a date has become much more important in their eyes. Many high school students thought that it would be embarrassing or awkward to go alone when in reality, it was quite the opposite. Semi used to be a time for the class to bond. It was rare if someone had a date, but now, finding a date is stressful.

If the pressure of the asking itself wasn’t enough, timing the “proposal” was just as nerve-wracking. The worst scenario imaginable was if you asked too late, and the person you wanted to go with already had a date, but it was also a bad idea to ask too early. This left most people to wonder, “When is the best time to ask?”

As questions like, “Will I be turned down?” and “Is there anyone left?” arose, more pressure mounted on students. There was also the problem of whether a girl could ask a guy. It’s completely OK for a girl to ask a guy. Just because it doesn’t happen as often doesn’t mean it should be against the rules.

Attire for the big night also left sophomores anxious. Luckily for guys, it was easy to pick between a grey and black suit. Girls, on the other hand, had to find the perfect dress. This process can be very stressful, not to mention costly. Some girls even went to the extreme of ordering up to seven dresses online from various stores and then deciding.

The class of 2014 was stressed, but it wasn’t worth worrying about. Whether or not you had a date or whether he or she was the one you wanted to go with, it’s no big deal. Your date was really only there to take pictures with. The rest of the night, you could dance and hang out with your friends. It didn’t even matter what dress or suit you wear. As long as you had fun with your class then you probably had a great time. In the end, that’s all that really matters.