By Luce Marcelle Cada '23

One of Notre Dame’s most beloved traditions is the Freshman Sleepover, during which the freshman class chooses their colors and mascot. Although the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Class of 2024 from spending a Friday night together, Notre Dame was still able to host the event virtually. 

Over the two-hour Zoom call, the freshmen played games and bonded with their mentoring group and with their class. The event was organized and hosted by Freshman Link, a group of sophomores, juniors and seniors led by Ms. Borromei. Layla Khoubyari ‘24 said it was “really funny to see how competitive the teachers got,” as they watched mentors scrambling to find the correct items in their house and getting back to their screens during a scavenger hunt. This game and many more created some of the freshmen’s first memories as a class, to be treasured for the rest of their lives. 

In addition to playing games, the class chose the mascot and colors that will identify them for the rest of their time at ND and beyond. Every class has a mascot and colors unique to them, and this year they pitched each of their ideas in breakout rooms and voted with a Google Form. When it was announced that they would be the Royal Blue and Gold Dragons, Micaela '24 thought it was “a really cool mascot!” Notre Dame is proud to welcome the Class of 2024 as fierce dragons, ready to take on the challenging but fun year ahead of them.