Sac State welcomes local students to campus Día de los Muertos celebration

Jonathan Morales

November 01, 2024

On Tuesday, about 60 fourth- and fifth-graders sat on the steps leading to the Guy West Bridge, colorfully decorating the outlines of sugar skulls to become puppets.

Students were asked to later place a picture of a deceased relative under the skull so they could place the doll on an altar in their school or home, an important tradition during Día de Los Muertos.

The visit to the Washington Elementary School campus was the latest event for the assistant professor of art. Luis GarciaBarrio Art in the Community class. This was timed to coincide with the celebration in the state of Sac Dia de los Muertos.

“Using their assets, people in their families or friends that they want to honor is a big part of (Barrio Art),” Garcia said. “It takes an unconventional approach to the arts, to education, where students bring their family knowledge to something as small as this.”

In addition to the visit to Washington Elementary School, Garcia’s class welcomed Hiram Johnson Adult High School students to participate in Wednesday’s Día de Los Muertos parade and subsequent workshops in Library Courtyard.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a widely celebrated tradition in Mexican and Central American communities that occurs from October 28 to November 2, when family and friends gather to pay respects to deceased loved ones. Following the procession from the front of campus to Library Courtyard, Sac State held a celebration. Katrina fashion show, theatrical performance and marigold ceremony. Katrina – the female skeleton – and marigolds are important symbols of the holiday.

Garcia collaborated with Ethnic studies Professors Jason Tena-Encarnacion, Nancy Huante and David Flores spoke about the celebration and said their participation over the past two years has helped the annual tradition grow and flourish.

Lilia Contreras, university professor Institution serving Hispanics The director said the celebration is a way to “connect not only to our roots, but to each other.”

“Día de los Muertos is an important holiday because it brings people together and fosters a sense of community and belonging,” she said. “On campus, this tradition can transform a space into a welcoming home away from home as students, staff and community members come together to honor and pay tribute to their ancestors and loved ones.”

Sac State is a federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution and a recipient of the prestigious award Seal of Excellence for his commitment to serving Latinx students. Approximately 38% of all Sac State students identify as Hispanic or Latino.

The idea behind Garcia’s Art of the Barrio course is to teach students to use art to better interact with and learn from the communities they serve. Course participants often become aspiring teachers and learn to design curriculum that draws on what Garcia calls students’ “funds of knowledge”—the unique experiences and perspectives they bring to the classroom as individuals.

Tuesday marks the third time Garcia has brought Washington Elementary School students to Sac State, introducing them to life on a college campus. In addition to decorating the sugar skull, they also toured the university’s vivarium and watched a show at the planetarium. Garcia also showed them altars – altars – installed in the Library Quarter, which will be on display until November 3.

Andres Alvarez, Open University The student, who was taking Barrio Art as a prerequisite for graduate school at Sac State, was among several of his classmates helping Washington Elementary School students with their art projects. As someone who hopes to pursue both art and teaching, he shares the ideals of his class.

“This is a reminder that teaching is not the only thing. It’s not just about participating in class. This is not one person dictating information to a group of many people,” he said. “It’s really about finding out who is part of the community, what their interests are, what their history is, and then incorporating that information and knowledge into the classroom. And then, in a sense, everyone becomes a teacher.”