The Latin American Student Organization and Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity came together to celebrate Dia de los Muertos Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Marvin Turcios-Gonzalez, the president of Sigma Lambda Beta, said the Day of the Dead holiday is observed in memory of those who are dearly departed.
“We come together not to mourn, but to celebrate the legacy they left behind,” Turcios-Gonzalez said.
Sigma Lambda Beta has hosted Dia de los Muertos on campus for four years now. This year, it was moved from the SoVi Green to the Eagle Hall 5th Floor Multipurpose Room due to rain.
Giovanni Taylor, a sophomore psychology major, welcomed everyone to the celebration and introduced Nicolas Paloma.
Paloma, a member of LASO and Sigma Lambda Beta, started off by telling everyone a little background information about the holiday.
“It’s like Halloween but a little bit better,” Paloma said.
Dia de los Muertos originated in Mexico, dating back to the time of the Aztecs. Nowadays, it is still celebrated across the country and has spread to the rest of the continent.
Paloma explained that during the traditional celebration, friends and families make their loved ones’ favorite dishes and leave it out overnight for the spirits of the loved ones to feast on.
Next up to speak was Hugo Drago, a junior environmental studies major. He is also a member of the fraternity.
Drago used his time to reminisce about his late grandmother, who he says will always have a special place in his heart. He then invited others to take the microphone to share their stories of loved ones who have passed on.
Ishbel Correa, a student assistant for the Office of Multicultural Leadership and Development, and Turcios-Gonzalez, both went up to share their stories.
Correa lost one of her very good friends. She shared some of the good memories she had with him.
After everyone finished speaking, a face painting competition began.
Students picked from red, green, yellow, white and black paint. In order to win the competition, students had to paint their face in a way that resembled a sugar skull.
Nancy Roque, a sophomore biology major, won a $50 Target gift card for most culturally designed sugar skull, while Juliana Colorado, a sophomore, and Miranda Arcelay, a freshman, both pursuing Bachelors of Science, won a $50 Target gift card for the most creative sugar skull.
While students worked on their face painting, they were able to snack on chips and salsa, butterfingers and crunch bars. Refreshments, such as Coca-Cola and Sprite, were also available.
At the end, Turcios-Gonzalez and his fraternity brothers welcomed all attendees to future events.
“This is just one of our many events we throw throughout the year to display our sense of cultural awareness, which happens to be one of our four principles,” Turcios-Gonzalez said.