Xavier kicks off Golden Rule Week

By: Gina Carfagno ~Staff Writer~

Starting April 7, the Center for Interfaith Community Engagement kicked off Golden Rule Week.

This tradition originated in 2009 and was invented by Rabbi Abie Ingber to show the commonality between different faiths. For the first time, Golden Rule week will include several campus-wide activities.

The campus will be decorated with 60 yard signs and 10 hanging signs that represent the 10 faith traditions that include a form of the Golden Rule in their religion.

“Most of the religious teachings, which have informed our students, faculty and staff, have been taught in a religious vacuum,” Ingber said. “Many members of our community would be surprised to learn that the ‘Golden Rule’ or its equivalent, is present in other faith traditions. Golden Rule Week allows us to take the beauty in our young people and build harmony in our house and peace in the world.”

The campus-wide events start on April 8 with the opportunity for students to build a tipi with a Cheyenne Elder, Dennis Limberhand from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Limberhand will lead a discussion after the building of the tipi out on the Xavier Yard.

The next big event will be the regional premiere of the movie “True Gunner” and a discussion with the filmmaker and World War II veterans. This will take place at 7 p.m. on April 9in Bellarmine Chapel.

Hug Day ends the official Golden Rule Week and will allow students to go down to Fountain Square to give and receive hugs from people in Cincinnati. To attend this event, students will take the Metro from the stop by Smith Hall and will be in Fountain Square from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

All students are welcomed and encouraged to attend these events as well as a collaboration event on April 14 with the Art Department where students can create Alfombras. The making of Alfombras is a Central American Catholic Easter tradition.

“A week where our Xavier students build an authentic tipi for the first time in their lives, eat fry bread for the first time ever, share a word of appreciation with veterans from World War II and give and receive hugs from people throughout Greater Cincinnati is a recipe for a great week,” Ingber said. “We hope that this extensive offering will capture the creative imagination of our campus and will elevate our lives and our conversations.”