Prom has been around for many years, and so have all the traditions that come along with the dance, one of them being that the boy is expected to ask the girl, not the other way around.

But this norm is extremely sexist, and more girls should start taking the opportunity to choose their potential date.

Many times, girls do not attend prom with the person who they wanted to the most. If a girl wants something, she should not sit down and wait for a guy to give it to her – she should reach for it herself.

“The expectation of guys asking girls to prom means the boys are the ones who have the ability to go for what they want, and the girls just have to take it,” Coppell High School sophomore Penelope Gummelt said. “Girls should go for whoever they want.”

Often, the boy who a girl wanted to be asked by was not even aware she wanted to go with him.

Facing the often daunting task of asking someone to a dance would also build confidence. This idea flies true even if you are rejected.

“It’s about having enough self-confidence to not be afraid to ask the guy,” said CHS senior Katie Love, who asked her boyfriend to prom this year.

Increasing the normality of girls asking guys is beneficial to not only girls, but also boys. There is a heavy societal expectation for boys to build up the courage and money to ask a girl to prom in a creative in unique way, as the average cost of promposals in the western United States is $324.

Why must boys alone bear the burden of this? Amidst all the passion for feminism, many forget how gender roles are also often unfair to men.

Those who oppose the idea of girls asking boys to prom may argue that doing so would be against tradition and is not the right way to do things. But although people may follow this tradition if they choose to, there is no reason everyone should feel obligated to.

“If girls want to ask a potential date out, go ahead,” Gummelt said. “If it’s against tradition, then that’s your tradition. You shouldn’t make other people follow it just because it’s what you think is right.”

Together, the girls of CHS and other schools around the nation can wipe out the norm of guys always being the ones to ask girls to dances. Gone are the days when women have their hands tied against striving for what they want.

Follow Pramika @pramika_kadari