By Anusha Trivedi '23

On Friday, October 1st, Notre Dame hosted its first in-person mixer since the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 600 students attended, and almost 250 of them were from 27 other high schools. This mixer was blackout themed, so attendees were asked to dress in all-black clothing and were given glow sticks to wear. This was also Notre Dame’s first outdoor mixer, due to COVID-19 safety restrictions that prevented it from being held in Julie Billiart Hall like in previous years. Pardini Park was decorated with many lights and neon, glow-in-the-dark balloons, which stood out because of the all-black theme. The mixer included a photo booth with props, games with prizes, snacks, a temporary tattoo station, and a DJ playing music that was chosen by student recommendations. 

After having several online mixers during the pandemic, the Notre Dame community was excited about having fun together in person again. Nithika Karthikeyan ‘22 expressed her enthusiasm about this event, saying that “all the senior energy and pride really showed, especially during the pre-mixer event.” Dancing and wearing face paint again brought up many emotions for the seniors at Notre Dame, particularly because this was their last “first mixer.” After the struggles of 2020, Notre Dame students were finally able to come together and bring their energy to this event.