Men on campus, your girlfriends may have already proposed to you. 2012 holds the end of proposals as we knew them. Males at BYU say this question is being asked by girls around campus in discreet ways. The most common proposal of choice is known as “the invitation.”
Many males have reported that they are preparing for a temple marriage because they were asked out to an activity by a female. This bold move unmistakably suggests eternal romantic feelings, not just the mere interest in friendship as it once did. These young men say friendliness is no longer common; in fact, a smile now strongly suggests that a proposal is coming up.
However, many males are unsure about this level of commitment. After all, attending a sporting event or a group lunch date is synonymous with signing a marriage certificate. Consequently, females are frequently reporting rejections to their invitations. These rejections come in many forms including delaying the response or denying the invitation immediately. Once a proposal has been denied the relationship is permanently altered. Males often take the next appropriate step by avoiding eye contact, walking contact, or even breathing contact with the interested female.
Surprisingly, most females are unaware they are proposing by extending invitations. Some sincerely believe that things are still as they were in 2011: that an invitation is simply a way to extend a hand of friendship. Clearly, men need to make this a more universal understanding, or just accept that friendliness still exists.
Kelsi Houghtaling
Astoria, Ore
