Returning for another year, OCCC’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration offered a welcome break from mid-semester routine.
The event, hosted by multiple student organizations – including the Hispanic Student Association, Latinas Unidas, Artists in the Making and the Music Appreciation and Performances Club – created a culturally immersive experience for anyone interested in learning more about this Latino tradition. The celebration was guided by Chair of Modern Languages Ginnett Rollins and Professor of Modern Languages Hilde Votaw, who have overseen the event since its debut in fall 2023.
Día de los Muertos at OCCC had humble beginnings. In 2023, Rollins and Votaw assigned their students to create informational poster boards about various Latin American countries. The small gathering, held in the first-floor lobby of the Arts, English and Humanities Building, drew significant interest. Seeing its potential, the two educators expanded the event, inviting student clubs to help shape a larger, community-focused celebration.
By 2024, the event had grown into a collaborative effort. The Hispanic Student Association contributed activities such as a salsa-making competition, which has quickly become a tradition. Sharing horchata and hot cocoa has also remained a popular staple each year.
Looking ahead, Votaw has begun envisioning ways to further broaden the cultural scope of the annual celebration.
“Since we’re geographically close to Mexico, we practice their traditions around the celebration,” she said. “It’s especially interesting in Mexico because there’s the fusion of the Indigenous culture with the Catholic practices. In the future though, we may branch out to include Guatemalan traditions like their giant kites called cometas.”
The Music Appreciation and Performances Club added to the excitement by setting up musical equipment and inviting students to perform. Karaoke took center stage, with students and community members stepping forward to sing for the crowd. Scheduled performances provided balance between the spontaneous bursts of karaoke. Even high school students from the Pathways program, peering down over the railing from the third floor of the Main Building, joined in the enjoyment.
Going forward, Rollins and Votaw hope to incorporate more opportunities for dance.
“I heard people say that we should have salsa dancing,” Votaw said. “We were trying to include dance performance, and not only from Mexico. I wish we could find a couple of students who would be able to teach different dances and get people up to dance when the music plays.”
