Notre Dame High School hosts belated prom for class of 2020
By Bee Goodman
Take a moment to remember what the final months of high school felt like. There was a daily rush of excitement, anxiety for what the future held, and celebrations like prom and graduation that were right around the corner.
However, in 2020, Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga had to close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic just like nearly every school in the country.
For the class of 2020, this meant a delayed walk across the stage, no prom, and altered final goodbyes for many.
Five years later, on Friday, July 18, the school reunited for its annual alumni weekend. This year’s weekend held a unique sentiment for the class of 2020. To give the special moment to the seniors who missed out, the school decided to host the class’ prom five years post-graduation. The theme was fitting, “Better Late Than Never,” and the class couldn’t have agreed more.
Domenic Mariani is part of the 2020 class, but he also returned to his alma mater as the theology and social studies instructor. As a member of the school faculty, Mr. Mariani has had an uncommon point of view when seeing seniors prepare for their final walk down the halls of Notre Dame.
As happy as he was to see recent seniors complete their classes, he admits it is bittersweet to see these students get to have such a special experience, which feels almost like a rite of passage that he had to miss.
“I’ve seen all the traditions and things that you do in your senior year, and I kind of look back on it and it’s like, wow, I guess I missed out on a whole lot that I never really realized.”
The prom, held in Notre Dame’s atrium, featured green and white decorations that were spread among tall cocktail tables with just enough room for conversation. The 2009 hit song “New York” by Alicia Keys was playing, along with recordings by Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, and other songs the class probably remembered from their teenage days.
Now as adults, they returned to a school atrium adorned with balloons and lights, and a mysterious yet enchanting feeling settled in as they walked the halls again.
Mr. Mariani acknowledged he hasn’t seen too many of his former classmates since their belated graduation in June 2020, but there were a few friends he has kept up with who he was looking forward to seeing.
As much as the class was saddened to miss the prom, the countdown, and other senior traditions, the students came to terms with the fact the school’s doors had to close. It wasn’t an option; it was a necessity.
The COVID pandemic claimed more than 300,000 lives in the United States from March to December 2020. Of those, 6,907 deaths occurred in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Health’s annual report for 2020.
Globally, everyone had to endure some sort of change to their traditions and day-to-day lives. Many began to work from home, order groceries online, limit outings to necessities only, and even streamed Mass rather than attending in person.
Although many, if not most, public schools closed for the school year in March 2020 when public-health experts warned of expanding coronavirus infections, the Diocese of Knoxville’s 10 schools continued teaching students via distance-learning programs, where students were taught at their homes using Internet-based teaching tools.
The adjustments that were made weren’t easy, but there is a benefit to the alterations: people became truly aware of how special those around them are. For a moment, taking each other for granted ceased, and people began to see how the little things are blessings that are often overlooked or quickly forgotten. People learned how vital it is to be together, even if it’s over a Zoom call.
They learned how memories matter, and they understood why they matter. Parents leaned into those special moments with their children: a baby’s first laugh, or when they received their “big kid bed.” And there was the sense of relief and pride at seeing the 2020 class finally walking across the stage on June 27, more than a month later than originally scheduled.
“You’ve got to see what’s going on in your situation and see how you can make the best out of it. Because you never know; you might miss out on that opportunity for the future,” Mr. Mariani shared.
Before the school’s doors closed in 2020, there was no plan for something like the pandemic.
“At first, they extended our spring break, then they announced we’d be moving everything online,” Mr. Mariani recalled.
He laughs as he remembers what he felt then. At first, he was excited to “play video games at home, but it gets old pretty quickly.”
During the 2020 quarantine period, people everywhere felt extremely isolated, which left a negative impact. Teens were no exception.
So, when the school doors closed and classes moved online, many felt a new isolation they’d never faced before. The generation that grew up online desperately sought to be off-line again. For the classes after 2020, there was hope that maybe things would be normal during their senior year.
Prom Queen Sloan Burgess and Prom King Tony Bonner pose for a class photo. (Photo Bee Goodman)
‘Better Late Than Never’
“The idea for ‘Better Late Than Never Prom’ came about as we were brainstorming ways to help support five-year reunions. In 2020, the usual activities and events surrounding the excitement of graduation came to an abrupt halt, including prom. We thought it would be a great time to do something special for the class of 2020,” said Keely Anderson.
Ms. Anderson is the director of advancement and alumni affairs for Notre Dame. She was born into the Notre Dame family as her father is an alumnus of the class of 1969. She graduated in 1998 and recently returned.
“We hosted a get-together (prom) right before the All Class Bash so this group could meet and tour campus alongside our class of 2015 alumni who were celebrating their 10-year (reunion), and then gather together with classes from all eras,” Ms. Anderson explained.
In the spirit of tradition, organizers decided to have a prom king and queen for the class of 2020 as well. Sloan Burgess won the queen title by playing trivia. In 2020, she was named a superlative as the “Wittiest” along with another student. Tony Bonner was named prom king. He also holds a superlative title from 2020 as “Most Talented.” Ms. Burgess and Mr. Bonner explained how, normally, the school would go through a voting process where teachers nominated a group of students, then a school-wide vote would take place. The winners would be named Mr. and Ms. Notre Dame at the prom and given a special spotlight dance.
Neither Ms. Burgess nor Mr. Bonner expected to take home the crowns. Ms. Burgess laughed, saying, “I guess I’m just good at trivia.” Mr. Bonner explained that back in 2020 he’d never planned on attending the prom but wanted to attend this one because it was special in a different way.
Mr. Mariani shared how graduation at Notre Dame was different in 2020. The event, which was previously held in McKenzie Arena on the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga campus, was moved to the high school’s football field to allow for masks and social distancing.
“I still feel like we had a really great graduation ceremony. It was very memorable,” Mr. Mariani said.
Traditionally, the seniors would gather for a countdown before graduation. Mr. Bonner and Ms. Burgess laughed as they remembered their class coming together despite the school’s instructions to refrain from contact.
“Now, that wasn’t like school-issued. They were kind of advising against that. But the graduation part of it was good,” Ms. Burgess said.
Mr. Bonner recalled a special celebration he had for graduating high school.
“It was a Sunday. That’s when my mom was cooking every Sunday. I missed that because of the pandemic. I just heard a bunch of beep, beeps (car horns)! And there’s people coming down my neighborhood, stopping in front of my house. They gave me some cards and said congrats,” he recalled.
Unable to guess what the future beyond 2020 held, Ms. Burgess remembers buying a dress for the prom. She claims it is “the prettiest dress I’d ever laid eyes on.” It still hangs in her closet today as a bittersweet relic.
“One of my good high-school friends, Jenny, she’s here. And we kind of planned to go together no matter what. We made a pact that we were going to go,” Ms. Burgess shared with a smile as she thought of her friend.
She noted that during her time at NDHS, she was part of the cheerleading team. She was hoping to see some of her fellow cheerleaders there.
“I saw them more than my own family during the school year, you know? So, it would have been nice to see some of them, try to show out, and have some school spirit like we used to,” she remarked.
Ms. Burgess remembered how she reacted when she first heard about COVID.
“So, I felt like I rushed to, you know, the ones that I love closest to me and really tried to make as many connections as I could before our time was up,” she reflected.
Weekend draws alumni
The special prom moment was nestled into the busy alumni weekend hosted by NDHS. Alumni weekend festivities were also held at the WindStone Golf Club in Ringgold, Ga. The weekend started bright and early at 8:30 a.m. with the 40th annual Irish Classic golf tournament.
Following the golf tournament was the Green and White football game held at the Chattanooga school’s Jim Eberle Field. The scrimmage attracted many fans and alumni.
NDHS alumnus and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Patrick Johnson returned to Chattanooga in May to assist with the school’s football practice. This had many fans eager to see how the team’s energy had risen since the camp.
The athlete who is entering his fourth season in the NFL got his start at the Chattanooga high school before graduating in 2017 and heading to Tulane University in New Orleans on a football scholarship.
Mr. Johnson was a seventh-round draft pick by the Eagles, a team he played for from 2021 to 2024. He played most of the 2024 season with the New York Giants and is returning to the Eagles for 2025. In June, Mr. Johnson hosted the free Patrick Johnson Youth Football Camp at Notre Dame High School for boys and girls aged 9 to 14 in the Chattanooga area.
From right, Monsignor Al Humbrecht, Father Joe McMahon, and Monsignor Mike Johnston celebrated Mass at the Notre Dame all-alumni Mass. Assisting them were Deacon Hicks Armor and Butch Bryant. (Photo courtesy Deacon Hicks Armor)
Following the Class of 2020 Prom was the All Class Bash hosted in the Varallo Athletic Center. This event was a celebration of all alumni classes. The weekend continued through Saturday, July 19, with an all-alumni Mass in the NDHS Alumni Chapel and then the Golden Grads Brunch held at the high school.
Father Joe McMahon, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Nashville, served as the Mass celebrant. Concelebrants were Monsignor Mike Johnston of the Diocese of Nashville and Monsignor Al Humbrecht, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Soddy-Daisy. Deacon Hicks Armor assisted at the Mass.
Mr. Bonner shared how returning to school after graduation rekindled emotions.
“It was a very strange experience, but it was nice to see. It’s quite a few memories that are popping up. I remember theater; I did theater. I did a talent show,” he said.
Both Ms. Burgess and Mr. Bonner smiled at the memory of choir with former band and choir director Jeff McIntosh.
The prom queen and king expressed hope that in 10 years or more they will be attending another Notre Dame High School class reunion.
“Hopefully, 10 years from now I’m a dad. I’m a husband, a good husband,” Mr. Bonner said.
He also shared the reason he decided to attend the prom five years later, despite having no plans to attend in 2020 before its cancellation.
“I just feel like I didn’t have closure from it, you know, because of COVID. I mean, we were shut down, and we didn’t actually step on campus until they prompted us to turn in textbooks. And then back for graduation, that was it,” he said.
Ms. Anderson said the school hopes to bring all alumni classes together to “foster the same passion of reuniting that our alumni have with our new generations of graduates.”
Whether it be Thanksgiving dinner or prom night, special traditions are important. They serve as rites of passage and checkpoints in history, and they bring lasting memories that deliver joy upon reflection.
Schools like Notre Dame High School also create special connections as seen with Ms. Burgess and her fellow cheerleaders, Ms. Anderson and her father, and how Mr. Bonner hopes to have his own family connections someday.
High-school moments like the first day of freshman year, the excitement of prom night, and making those final steps across the graduation stage create an ever-growing family tree of alumni.