Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas — Those gone but not forgotten will be honored during a week-long Dia de los Muertos celebration at West Texas A&M University.

The annual Day of the Dead celebration will run Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. Student organizations will build and display ofrendas, which are altars stacked with a series of objects that represent deceased loved ones.

Ofrendas will be on view in the Nathaniel and Helen Neal Multicultural Suite inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center.

The displays are sponsored by Campus to Community, the College of Education and Social Sciences and F1RSTGEN, a student-run organization supporting first-generation college students.

Dia de los Muertos celebrations are important in Mexican culture and are gaining in popularity across the southwestern United States and elsewhere. At WT, past celebrations have included galas, concerts and displays of ofrendas at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. But because large gatherings are still discouraged due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2020 celebration has been scaled back, said Jonathan Cordova, F1RSTGEN co-adviser.

“It’s still important to share this vital piece of Hispanic culture with the campus community at large, so I’m happy that several student organizations are still making ofrendas for display,” Cordova said.

Among the participating groups is the Hispanic Student Association.

“This is a great opportunity to show the real traditions,” said Karina Rivera Garcia, a senior from Dallas majoring in health sciences and president of the Hispanic Student Association.

“Dia de los Muertos is traditionally a whole day of remembrance of our oved ones and spending time with our families,” said Abigail Contreras, HSA vice president and a senior health sciences/pre-med major from Dallas. “With everything going on in 2020, we’ve had a lot of hard moments, and it’s important to remember everyone you may have lost due to what’s going on this year.”

A desire to be reflective and responsive to the diverse needs of the Panhandle community is a key principle of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. With enrollment of more than 10,000, WT offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 38 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 15 men’s and women’s athletics programs.