Here come the Irish? When it comes to the MBA Class of ’22 — you bet!

They dance, they cheer, they sing, they hold up their pets, they even juggle and do backflips. But the main thing the University of Notre Dame MBA Class of 2022 students do in the video is send a message that despite the swirl of uncertainty and disruption caused by the pandemic, they love Notre Dame. And they can’t wait to become part of the family.

Swetambari Arabolu

Swetambari Arabolu, an incoming student to the Notre Dame MBA/Master of Science in Business Analytics dual degree program located in the Mendoza College of Business, thought up the idea for the “Pre MBA 2022 Class Video” as a way to build community with her future Notre Dame MBA classmates.

She asked them send her a video clip to introduce themselves with a name card and include their interests such as sports, family, pets and so on. She also asked them to describe themselves in one adjective.

“Lastly, I asked to them send some pre-written sentences to motivate the classes of ’20 and ’21,” said Arabolu. “I wanted something to lift their spirits, especially because the Class of 2020 couldn’t have a graduation event.”

Set to well-known Notre Dame anthem, “Here Come the Irish,” the video starts with a banner declaring, “We are Mendoza’s Class of 2022 – Here We Come!” More than 30 students hold up signs with their names and hometowns that span the globe from Philadelphia and New Delhi, India, to San Diego and Accra, Ghana.

They described themselves as “optimistic,” “friendly” and “driven.” The video ends with greetings to their soon-to-be classmates in the Notre Dame MBA Class of ’21 like, “Can’t wait to meet you,” and cheers and applause for the 2020 MBA graduates.

“In times of crisis, many pull back and look for safety. Exceptional leaders rise to the occasion to rally people together and innovate,” said Michael Mannor, the associate dean for the Notre Dame MBA program and John F. O’Shaughnessy Associate Professor of Family Enterprise. “At Notre Dame, we look for these exceptional individuals and work to empower them to go out and grow the good in business. I could not be more proud of this incoming class for rising to the occasion and rallying together as a community.”

The University of Notre Dame announced on Monday that it would reopen to students for the fall 2020 semester after transitioning to online teaching during the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The semester will start two weeks earlier than normal on Aug. 10 and continuing straight through to Thanksgiving without a fall break. (Visit Notre Dame’s coronavirus update site for more information.)

“I felt that a community-building activity would help us get to know each other from now on,” said Arabolu. “It would also be nice to have something lift our spirits during the current crisis when everyone is having a lot of questions regarding the fall start of the program. It was a beautiful response of video material that came in from everyone.”