Local Ph.D. student Haley Anissa Alvarez has organized an altar on campus in honor and celebration ofDía de los Muertos otherwise known as Day of the Dead.
Día de los Muertosis a traditional Mexican holiday in which the souls of the departed return for one night to visit their living relatives and loved ones. Those who are still living honor those they have lost by placing their photo on the altar, visiting their graves and celebrating the lives they had lived. For Alvarez, she wanted this years’ Día de los Muertos celebration to be accessible to the students and faculty at BGSU.
Alvarez is a first-generation student and Mechicana Scholarist studying the intersectionality of race and gender in early Latinx Theatre at BGSU. She received her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas and obtained a Master’s in Arts from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
After losing her single-parent mother in recent years to stage four Melanoma cancer, Alvarez took it upon herself to develop a deeper understanding of the holiday. It became her mission to create an event installation for members of the community to come together to learn about Día de los Muertosand to honor their departed loved ones.
“Regardless of your ethnic background, this project encourages all to participate in the altar. Here students, staff and the community are granted the opportunity to witness the benefits of interculturalism. Ultimately, my goal is for individuals to explore the display and leave with curiosity that eventually develops into a passion for learning more about Dia de los Muertos,” Alvarez said.
The altarhad initially started as an idea that Alvarez ran by her colleagues, with emphasis on promoting cultural inclusivity and appreciation. After garnering enough positive words and encouragement, she decided to develop her ideas even further. It soon became a reality, after the Graduate Student Theatre Organization known as GUSTO decided to sponsor this project.
“After learning about the altar I aspired to create for Día de los Muertos, the President of GUSTO, Story Moosa, demonstrated 100% unapologetic support towards this project. They immediately offered to fund any food, decorations and research that went into the altar. As a member of GUSTO myself, their aid reflected their mission of intentionally creating a more equitable and inclusive environment at the university,” Alvarez said.
Being able to develop this altar has been an incredibly moving experience for Alvarez, as it has not only allowed her to create something near and dear to her heart, but something to share with the community as well.
“I [had] wanted to collaborate with members of the Theatre and Film department to create an altar for those in a similar position as me. Doing so would prove an opportunity for a vast amount of students to participate in this long-standing Mexican tradition. I feel incredibly honored to be part of a project which holds the potential to deeply connect with a diverse amount of students,” Alvarez said.
The altar for Día de los Muertosis currently located in the Wolfe Center, at the top of the large staircase. It consists of educational reading materials to allow community members to learn more about the holiday, coloring pages, stickers and spots for students, faculty and staff to bring pictures of their own departed loved ones to place on the altar.The display will remain set up for viewing and interaction until Thursday, Nov. 3.
