On Tuesday evening, October 2, there will be a screening of a new film, The Line, in YGCU 222. The Line documents the stories of people across the country living at or below the poverty line. They have goals. They have children. They work hard. They are people like you and me.  From Chicago's suburbs and west side to the Gulf Coast to North Carolina, millions of Americans are struggling every day to make it above The Line.  What does this mean for the future of our country? How do real-life stories change the narrative about poverty?  Co-sponsors for the screening are the Department of Political Science and the Center for Justice and Sustainability.  The film is produced by the Sojourners community in Washington, D.C.  For more information see www.thelinemovie.com  or www.sojo.net.

21- International Day of Peace (U.N.) A day of global ceasefire and nonviolence, and an invitation to all nations and people to honor cessation of hostilities. (Fri.)

22- Equinox (International) (Sat.)

Fall Ohigon (Buddhism) celebrates the fall equinox. (Sat.)

Oktoberfest (Sept. 22-Oct. 7) (Germany) This is a 16 day festival held in Germany that goes through German Unity day. (Sat.)

26- Yom Kippur (Judaism) Beginning at sundown the 25^th is the Day of Atonement. It is the holiest day of the year and a 25 hour fast. To re-establish oneness with G-d, Jews ask forgiveness and forgive others. Then can they confess their sins and ask G-d’s forgiveness. (Tues. sundown- Wed.)

29- Michael and All Angels (Christianity) The Archangel Michael is the greatest of all the Archangels and is honored for defeating Lucifer in the war in heaven. He is one of the principal angelic warriors, seen as a protector against the dark of night, and the administrator of cosmic intelligence. Michael and All Angels day has also delineated time and seasons for secular purposes as well. (Sat.)

1- National Day of the People’s Republic of China (China) This is a two-day celebration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. (Mon.)

1- 8- Sukkot (Judaism) The 30^th of September at sundown begins the holiday which commemorates G-d’s protection of the Jewish people during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. It is also an agricultural holiday, often called the festival of booths. It is the last of the Shalosh Regalim or 3 pilgrimages. (Sundown Mon.-Mon.)

2- International Day of Non-violence (U.N.) which occurs on Gandhi’s birthday is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.” The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence.” (Tues.)

3- National Foundation Day (South Korea) Observes when the legendary Tangun, founder of the nation, established his kingdom of Chosun in 2333 BCE. (Wed.)

Day of German Unity (Germany) Commemorates the date in 1990 when East and West Germany were reunited as one country. (Wed.)

4- Saint Francis Day (Catholicism) Many churches in the United States celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on October 4 each year. The feast commemorates the life of St Francis, who was born in the 12th century and is the Catholic Church’s patron saint of animals and the environment. It is a popular day for pets to be “blessed”. (Thurs.)

7- World Communion Sunday (Christianity) on this day congregations can experience the Holy Communion as a global faith community. (Sun.)

8- Columbus Day (International) Commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas in 1492. He was a well-known Italian explorer whose voyage was financed by the Spanish royal treasury. (Mon.)

Thanksgiving Day (Canada) Canadian holiday held on the second Monday in October annually, to give thanks at the end of the harvest season.

Shemini Atzeret (Judaism) Beginning at sundown on the 7^th, Shemini Atzeret is the conclusion of Sukkot and the fall holiday season. It marks the beginning of winter in Israel (Sun.-Mon.)

9- Simchat Torah (Judaism) Beginning at sundown on the 8^th, Simchat Torah is the beginning of the synagogue’s annual Torah reading cycle. Reform Jews celebrate it along with Shemini Atzeret. It is an extremely joyous holiday with lots of dancing and singing. (Mon.-Tues.)

11- National Coming Out Day (LGBT Community) is a day to encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals to step out with pride. A project of the Human Rights Campaign since 1988. (Tues.)

16- Navaratri (Hinduism) Navaratri festival dedicated to the worship of a Hindu deity Shakti. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshipped. (Tues.)

24- Dussehra (Hinduism) celebrates the victory of good over evil: of Lord Rama over the demon Ravan, and the Goddess Durga over a demon. It follows the nine-day celebration of Navaratri (nine nights) and Durga Puja (worship), when other Goddesses are worshipped. (Wed.)

Pavarana (Buddhism) marks the end of the Rains Retreat for the Ordained (Theravada/North America). It is also Founder’s Day which celebrates the introduction of Buddhism into Canada in 1905. (Wed.)

26- Eid al-Adha (Islam) is the Day of Hajj as well. It commemorates the last revelation to the Prophet at Mount Arafat shortly before his death. Muslims on Hajj attend a service on the plains in front of Mount Arafat. (Fri.)

31- Halloween (U.S.) (Wed.)

1- All Saints Day (Christianity) is a day to honor Christian saints throughout the ages. (Thurs.)

2- All Souls’ Day (Catholicism) is a day to remember to faithfully departed. (Fri.)

11- Veteran’s Day (U.S.) formerly known as Armistice Day to observe the end of WWI, also known as The Great War, in 1918. It now honors those who served in all the country’s wars. (Sun.)

13- Diwali (Hinduism) is the Hindu Festival of Lights. It is dedicated to the Goddesses Kali and Lakshmi and associated with a story about the destruction of evil by Lord Vishnu. (Tues.)

15- Al-Hijra (Islam) begins at sundown on the 26^th and celebrates the Hijra (migration) of Muharram and his followers in 622 C.E., from Mecca to Medina, where they established the first Islamic community. (Thurs.)

16- International Day for Tolerance (International) is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. (Fri.)

22- Thanksgiving Day (U.S.) this is a day to be thankful for everything that Americans have in their lives. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November annually. People traditionally gather to eat a festive meal and watch parades and football on television. (Thurs.)

24- Ashura (Islam) begins at sundown on the 23^rd and is a celebration for Sunni Muslims of Noah’s leaving the ark on Mount Ararat and the Jews liberation from Egypt. It is a somber holiday for Shi’ite Muslims that commemorates the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 C.E. The schism between Sunni and Shia Muslims dates from this event. (Sat.)

25- International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (International) Women's activists have marked November 25 as a day to fight violence against women since 1981. This date came from the brutal assassination in 1960 of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. (Sun.)

Universal Human Rights Month

1-World AIDS Day (U.N.) is a day designated by the U.N. and the World Health Organization (WHO) to increase awareness about AIDS. (Sat.)

Rosa Parks Day (U.S.) commemorates the arrest of Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 and the birth of the modern civil rights movement. Ms. Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger, an incident that led to a yearlong boycott of the city’s buses and the end of segregation on municipal buses throughout the southern U.S. (Sat.)

3- International Day of Persons with Disabilities (International) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. (Mon.)

7- Pearl Harbor Day (U.S.) commemorates the Japanese bombing of U.S. base Pearl Harbor in the Pacific. (Fri.)

8- Bodhi Day (Buddhism) celebrates the day of the Buddha’s enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama sat for seven days under a fig tree vowing to understand the meaning of life. On the eighth morning, he realized the Four Noble Truths of suffering and the way to overcome them via the Eightfold Path. He reached enlightenment “bodhi” and was named Buddah “Enlightened One”. (Sat.)

8-16- Hanukkah (Judaism) starting on the eve of the 7^th, Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, venerates the victory of Judah the Maccabee over the Greek Syrians led by King Antiochus and the subsequent rededication of the Temple in 165 B.C.E. (Sat.-Sun.)

10- Human Rights Day (U.N.) The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. The day is normally marked both by high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. (Mon.)

25- Christmas (Christianity) is a festival dating from the fourth century commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christian Savior. His birth date is not known; the Western church selected this date, possibly to counter non-Christian festivals at this time. The joyful celebration includes worship, family time, gift giving and decorating. (Sun.)

26-1- Kwanzaa (U.S. African American) Kwanzaa is celebrated by many North Americans of West African descent in recognition of their African heritage. The candles of the seven-branched candelabrum representing attributes such as unity, self-determination, responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith, are successively lit over the seven days of the festival. (Mon.-Sun.)

31- New Year’s Eve (International) (Sat.)