UC-XU Day at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Set for Nov. 10

The University of Cincinnati and Xavier University are teaming up for UC-XU Day at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center,

from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10

. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community supporters are encouraged to visit the Freedom Center.

UC and XU students with a valid student ID will be admitted free

. Faculty, staff, alumni and members of the community sporting UC or XU spirit wear will be admitted at the

discounted admission of $8

.

UC students needing transportation to the Freedom Center can board buses beginning at 10:45 a.m. at Campus Green Drive near the Alumni Center parking lot. The buses will continuously run until the last bus leaves the Freedom Center to return to campus at 5:15 p.m.

This year’s Skyline Chili Crosstown Classic, which will bring the Xavier Musketeers and UC Bearcats to the basketball court for the 66th consecutive year, will benefit the Freedom Center. Leading up to the game, the Nov. 10 event is one way the two universities are also working together to increase awareness of the center and its core values of courage, cooperation and perseverance.  The Skyline Chili Crosstown Classic men’s basketball game is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 19, at U.S. Bank Arena. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center from both universities.

For UC-XU Day at the Freedom Center, the doors will also remain open to the general public. Xavier and UC will have mascots attending at 11 a.m., with student-athletes signing autographs. Door prizes will be raffled off at 1:50 p.m. with those who complete a special “scavenger-hunt” type questionnaire eligible for the drawing.  The two institutions will also have displays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on their community engagement activities as well as the Freedom Center’s volunteer opportunities for students.

 Also showing that day will be a special Freedom Center program called “In the Trenches,” featuring the film,

“Anne Braden: Southern Patriot,”

followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Anne Lewis. The program is free to the public and will be held in the Harriet Tubman Theater from 2 to 4 p.m. The documentary recounts the life of Anne Braden, an organizer, mentor and teacher who was hailed by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1963 letter from Birmingham Jail. Braden was a white southerner who rejected her segregationist upbringing. The film explores the dangers of racism and political repression and the power of a woman’s life in commitment to social justice. The program is offered as a part of the current special exhibit at the Freedom Center,

“Women Hold Up Half the Sky,”

which continues through March 31, 2013. This exhibit requires no additional admission fee.

“UC-XU Day at the Freedom Center will be a great celebration of community by these two major academic institutions in Cincinnati, said Kim Robinson, executive director of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “The mission of the Freedom Center is to share the stories of courage, cooperation and perseverance from the days of the Underground Railroad to modern times. Sharing these stories with the men and women of UC and XU is an important opportunity to celebrate community pride and mutual respect. These are values that are core to both universities, The Freedom Center and to our Cincinnati region.”

“We are honored to partner with the Freedom Center on this year’s game,” said Xavier University President Michael Graham, S.J. “The Freedom Center’s mission is compatible with our goals as an institution of higher learning as well as our goals on the basketball court.”

“The University of Cincinnati and Xavier University have a long history of collaboration, and this is just the latest example,” said UC Interim President Santa J. Ono. “The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a tremendous asset for our nation and our community, and this collaboration provides a remarkable learning opportunity for our students.”

Related Links:

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center website

UC Crosstown Classic website