As the year comes to a close, we would like to take our last column to thank everyone for the support Show Some Skin has been shown. This year’s show was wildly successful, and we continue to gain momentum as we strive to be a powerful force for change on this campus. For those reading who are unfamiliar with us, Show Some Skin is a campus-wide movement that strives to create civil discourse by giving voice to anonymous stories written by members of the Notre Dame family that center around issues of identity, diversity and inclusion. While the movement showcases an annual spring performance, Show Some Skin is constantly looking for ways to effect change throughout the year. For example, we have ventured into classrooms and curriculums, and our videos have been used in Resident Assistant formation and other staff trainings. We are starting to build and sustain a relationship with Adams High School, where we host a workshop to teach the importance and power of storytelling and collect monologues from members of ESL classes there. In the last few years, we had our first performance at the South Bend Civic Theatre, members of our team have attended and presented at conferences and we are curating an online, multimedia publication of currently unpublished monologues. We hope that Show Some Skin has been a source of conversation and inspiration over the last eight years at Notre Dame. As we begin to work on the ninth installment for spring of 2020, Show Some Skin is excited to offer six $500 grants to individual students or groups to tackle a project that addresses an issue or problem of local, national or international importance. The project should align with Show Some Skin’s mission statement to “give voice to unspoken stories about identity and difference.” Grant money could be used to fund attendance or presentation at a conference, to host a dialogue or forum on a topic you find necessary and valuable and so much more. For the detailed proposal requirements, please go to the Show Some Skin website. We are so excited to have reached a point where something like this is possible, and we really hope that you consider applying. Proposals will be considered through the summer and into the fall semester.
Trever Carter is a senior and can be reached at tcarter8@nd.edu
Show Some Skin is a student-run initiative committed to giving voice to unspoken narratives about identity and difference. Using the art of storytelling as a catalyst for positive social change across campus, we seek to make Notre Dame a more open and welcoming place for all. If you are interested in breaking the silence and getting involved with Show Some Skin, email tcarter8@nd.edu
