photo by Cenn Hall
Mariachi music emanated from Garrett Cultural Center last night as the Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority held an event in observance of the Latin holiday El Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead.
The event, which celebrated the spirits of those who have passed away, featured a local mariachi band, a performance and lesson by the Bradley Salsa Club, trivia and crafting.
Sigma Lambda Gamma member Gaby Rivera explained what was going on at the event as well as some of the decorations, including a table that featured objects relevant to El Día de los Muertos.
“It is a Day of the Dead tradition,” Rivera, a senior health science major, said. “Things [on the table] typically include bread, candles and flowers. It’s all part of the festivities.”
Above the table was a collection of pictures of individuals who had died, many being prominent figures, such as former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela and actor Robin Williams. Sigma Lambda Gamma Community Service and Scholarship Chair Joselin Saldana explained the significance of the pictures.
“The pictures celebrate the spirits of those in our memories who have passed away,” Saldana, a junior social work and Spanish double major, said.
Across from the table and pictures was a crafting area, which is a typical activity on El Día de los Muertos, according to Saldana.
“It’s really popular to do crafts as part of the Day of the Dead,” Saldana said. “Crafts usually include colorful materials and paper.”
Saldana also said students created flower figures using the colored paper because of what it represents on the holiday.
“Rose-shaped flowers represent love for loved ones who have passed,” Saldana said.
During the night, the Bradley University Salsa Club gathered at the front of the room to put on a performance. The audience fixated their eyes on the performers, and some students videotaped the dance.
Following the performance and the audience’s applause, Salsa Club members asked students to join them at the front of the room for a quick lesson. Sophomore psychology major Kerri Predovich said she was excited to oblige.
“[I’ve] salsa’ed before, but it’s been a really long time, [as I last did it] at a friend’s quinceañera,” Predovich said. “I was trying to get people up there to feel more comfortable, kind of getting people out of their comfort zones.”
Following the salsa dance, local mariachi band “Los Campiranos” arrived. The all-string quartet’s performance added a great deal of authenticity to the Día de los Muertos event, according to sophomore civil engineering major Ryan Rembert.
“The band made [the event] culturally authentic,” Rembert said. “It makes it feel more real; you really get a glimpse of what it means to be at a Día de los Muertos celebration.”
Event organizer Lupe Flores said the reason Sigma Gamma Lambda put on the event was to raise awareness of El Día de los Muertos.
“What inspired Sigma Gamma Lambda is that people do not have enough information about this Latin American holiday,” Flores, a senior psychology major, said. “People see sugar skull [candy] and go crazy but don’t know much about it.”
Bradley Director of Student Activities Tom Coy attended the event and said he applauded the efforts of Sigma Lambda Gamma in bringing awareness to El Día de los Muertos in a special way.
“This is the first time since I’ve been at Bradley that I’ve been aware of a formal observation of the Day of the Dead,” Coy said. “I think this is great that Sigma Lambda Gamma, as a multicultural sorority, is creating cultural awareness in a new way on campus.”
