Why is it always so hard to talk about sex? Notre Dame students have a wide range of experiences and opinions regarding sex — ranging from hooking up, abstinence until marriage, slut shaming and so much more. Sexual stigma on our campus often prevents us from having open and honest conversations about anything having to do with sex, including important issues like sexuality, gender identity and sexual violence. Various campaigns, clubs and departments have worked to open lines of communication on campus to discuss these issues, but “breaking the silence” and “inciting discussion” is not always enough.
It is also not enough just to be “aware” of these issues. There is more to a sexual assault victim than an email from NDSP and there is more to your dorm-mate than the rainbow flag they chose to hang from their window. That is why each year we perform Loyal Daughters & Sons, which takes anonymous stories from the Notre Dame community that otherwise would remain unknown and adapts them for the stage. Ranging from a satirical skit about the term “hooking up,” to the emotional retelling of sexual assaults, our writers, directors and actors have worked to put these people’s stories on stage in a way that adds personal experiences to the continuing conversation on campus.
Since 2006, our production has asked Notre Dame students, “How can we give you the voice you deserve?” Now, we are asking anyone and everyone on campus, “What’s next?” What’s next now that we have an open discussion about sexual violence? What’s next now that campaigns like OutAtND and ImSomeone have raised awareness for their respective causes? What’s next for sex on a Catholic college campus? What’s next for Notre Dame? If you or someone you care about wants to tell their story, we have a link for anonymous submissions on our website loyaldaughtersandsons.com, or you can set up an interview to meet with our writers in person. Take a few minutes, fill out our online form or set up an interview and have your story told.
Dominic Acri
sophomore
LDS, writer
Skyler Hughes
senior
LDS, producer
Shannon Sheehan
senior
LDS, director
Elizabeth Orem
senior
LDS, writer
Natalie Vos
junior
LDS, producer
