Nathan's question covered the school's west entrance. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)

Nathan and Tuli take another look at the bedsheet banner. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)

AS SOON AS prom tickets go on sale, the topic of finding and asking a date buzzes through the hallways of any high school.

Some students come up with extremely creative approaches to the task. This year, friends of mine baked dessert adorned with icing that read, more or less, “Will you go to prom with me?” or even just a simple “Prom?”

Others created scavenger hunts for their dates with the final discovery a slip of paper asking the same question, or they wrote their request with chalk on sidewalks.

No method this year, however, outshines how Nathan Smith asked the big question to his girlfriend , fellow junior Tuli Bera.

Two weeks ago, “Hey did you see what Nathan did?” shot from mouth to ear all over the first-floor hallway. Juniors and seniors who shook their heads no and questioned further were directed outside to Uni’s front entrance as the informant insisted, “Go look!”

Covering the entire front entrance of Uni were four twin-sized bed sheets, stapled together, that had “Tuli, will you go to prom with me?” spray painted across them.

Scattered across the sidewalk was a group of students with their necks craned upward and “awwws” coming from every direction.

Smith had purchased the bed sheets at Target the previous night and worked on the sign from 7 in the evening until midnight, using Super Glue initially but resorting to using staples later. Assistant Director Sue Kovacs helped Smith hang the sign up.

“I knew something was going on that day,” Bera said. “Nathan was really smiley.”

Smith came to Bera's locker after eighth hour and told her to come outside, keeping her eyes closed. He had her turn her back to the school, then told her to open her eyes and turn around.

“It was so big!!!” Bera exclaimed. “I did not expect him to do anything like that. It was amazing.

“I was just really impressed and insanely happy and I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. I even called up my parents and told them to drive around Uni just so they could see it. It was so funny. I went back to school and all these college people were taking pictures of it with their cell phones.”

Bera’s answer? Yes, of course!