Mattoon, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Lake Land College held a Día de los Muertos celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 1 in the Luther Student Center. During the event, Lake Land students experienced an authentic celebration of the holiday complete with activities, food and even a showing of the movie “Coco” in the campus theater.
Día de los Muertos, commonly known as “Day of the Dead,” is a two-day holiday widely observed in Mexico on Nov. 1 and 2. During these days, families create ofrendas to honor deceased loved ones with photos, bright flowers and the favorite foods and drinks of the departed. The offerings are believed to encourage loved ones to visit from the land of the dead to reunite with the living and join in the celebrations.
“It’s so exciting to be able to offer this event to our students,” said Mercury Bowen, coordinator of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. “It’s really important for us to be intentional about giving all students a chance to be represented in our campus culture and through the actions we take as a college. Being able to see so many students enjoy an authentic experience like this is such a rewarding feeling.”
The Día de los Muertos celebration is just one of many initiatives Lake Land College has taken to uphold an inclusive culture and celebrate the many diverse perspectives throughout the campus. The college will next hold a celebration of International Education Week on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 11 a.m.
To learn more about these ongoing events and celebrations, visit https://www.lakelandcollege.edu/celebrations/.
Lake Land College District 517, located in Mattoon, Illinois, serves the second largest community college district in the state, with a total population of 189,869. The Lake Land College district comprises all or part of 15 counties and 31 public school districts in rural east central Illinois. Counties served by Lake Land College include: Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Macon, Montgomery, Moultrie and Shelby.
Comments