⚠️ COVID-19 Updates for OJC Campus
This year, members of the AIM team and Learning Commons staff put together an Altar for the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos for the first time. Campus community members are invited to utilize this altar in remembrance of their loved ones; supplies are even provided on site.
Dr. Kimberly Munro, professional development lead for the AIM Grant, shared, “As a Hispanic Serving Institution, we thought that with almost 40% of our students identifying as having Hispanic, or Latin American descent, we wanted to provide our community of learners a place to feel their traditions and customs were welcome. As we were organizing activities centered around Halloween, we realized that not all countries or cultures celebrate Halloween but do recognize other traditions around this time of year.”
They realized that Otero students, especially those living in the residence halls, may not have a place or supplies to setup altars of their own, and they hoped that setting up a “community altar” in the Learning Commons would provide a space for all to feel welcome.
The Day of the Dead is often attributed to Mexico, and while that is the most popularized Country to celebrate this religious tradition (made popular through movies like Coco), many Central and South American countries celebrate in a form of ancestral worship around this time of year.
“For example, my family is Peruvian, and in Peru we spend time cleaning our loved one’s gravestones, bringing them food and alcohol, and spending the day in the cemetery dancing, playing music, telling stories, and feasting with the spirits of the dead who have come back during this time of year,” Munro said.
Some quick and common facts/customs associated with the Day of the Dead for those who don’t celebrate or know much about it are:
The staff at Otero hope that this can become a long-standing tradition, and that everyone who wants to and feels comfortable participating will join in bringing photos of their deceased loved ones and any treats or special objects they want to add to the altar as an ofrenda (or offering to the souls of the departed).”
For any questions about the Día de los Muertos Altar, contact Dr. Kimberly Munro at 719-384-6878 or email, kimberly.munro@otero.edu.