Día de los Muertos: A conversation with the LSA president
Adrien Hernandez Diaz with the 2022-23 LSA board. Credit: Adrien Hernandez Diaz
By Layah Johnson
Happy Día de los Muertos! In honor of the holiday, I spoke with Adrien Hernandez Diaz ‘24 (Psychology, Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity minor), president of the Latinx Student Association.
To those who are unfamiliar with the holiday, I asked Adrien to explain. “Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is an important holiday that allows us to honor and remember loved ones who have passed.”
Adrien further says, “People create altars with offerings like food, candles, flowers and pictures to welcome the spirits of the loved ones.” With that in mind, I asked Adrien how she celebrates the holiday.
“I celebrate Dia de los Muertos by making an altar to remember my family members and loved ones who’ve passed,” she says. “Years ago, I used to be part of a folkloric dance group and we would perform at St. George Church for the Day of the Dead.” Adrien and the other dancers would paint their faces like skulls, or catrinas, and dance for the community.
St. Catherine University offers many clubs for students who are a part of marginalized communities. With that in mind, I asked Adrien what the Latinx Student Association is and why it is so important for these diverse student groups to exist.
“LSA is important because it allows for the Latinx community at St. Kates to have a space to engage with each other,” says Adrien.
However, you do not have to be Latinx to attend the events. “We welcome anyone to come to our events and meetings because it is also an opportunity to learn about our culture and celebrate Latinx traditions.”
Adrien believes that having clubs for marginalized communities is essential because they allow a space for people to feel comfort and inclusion on campus. She also says that having these clubs can allow people to be educated on current issues that those communities are facing.
Circling back to the Day of the Dead, I asked Adrien how LSA celebrates this event that they have been putting on for at least 10 years.
“LSA has set up an altar on the third floor of the CDC, where we have welcomed others to put up pictures of loved ones who have passed,” she says. “We also are having our annual event where we will have Latinx food, performers, and a dance.”
In addition to Day of the Dead celebrations, LSA also hosts other events such as game nights, study sessions and self-care nights, along with their general meetings.
To conclude, many of us experience feelings of grief due to not having our loved ones with us. Those feelings can especially surface during the holiday season. Día de los Muertos allows people to honor and pay tribute to those deceased loved ones. As Adrien puts it, “The holiday allows [us] to keep the memory of those who have passed alive.”
