By Jonathan Morales

2024年11月1日

周二，近60名四年级和五年级学生坐在通往盖伊西大桥（Guy West Bridge）的台阶上，把糖骷髅的轮廓装饰得五彩缤纷，然后变成木偶。

The students were encouraged to later place a picture of a deceased relative beneath the skull so they could position the puppet on the altar at their school or home, an important tradition during the Día de Los Muertos holiday.

The campus visit from Washington Elementary School was the latest engagement activity connected to Assistant Professor of Art 加西亚’s “Barrio Art in the Community” class. It was timed to coincide with 囊状态 celebration of Día de los Muertos.

“Tapping into their assets, of people in their families or friends that they want to honor, is a big part of (Barrio Art),” Garcia said. “It takes on a nontraditional approach to art, to education, where students bring in their familial knowledge for something small, like this.”

In addition to the Washington Elementary visit, Garcia’s class welcomed students from Hiram Johnson Adult High School, who participated in Wednesday’s Día de Los Muertos parade and subsequent workshops on the 图书馆 Quad.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a widely celebrated tradition in Mexican and Central American communities, Oct. 28 – Nov. 2, in which family and friends gather to pay respects to deceased loved ones. Following the procession from the front of campus to the 图书馆 Quad, 囊状态’s celebration featured a 怀特里 fashion show, theatrical performance and marigold ceremony. The 怀特里 – a female skeleton – and marigolds are important symbols of the holiday.

Garcia collaborated with 民族研究 professors Jason Tena-Encarnacion, Nancy Huante and David Flores on the celebration and said their participation over the past two years has helped the annual tradition grow and flourish.

Lilia Contreras, the University’s Hispanic-Serving机构 director, said the holiday is a way to “connect with our roots but also with each other.”

“Día de los Muertos is an important celebration because it brings people together, fostering a sense of community and belonging,” she said. “On campus, this tradition can transform the space into a welcoming home away from home, as students, staff and community members come together to honor and pay tribute to their ancestors and loved ones.”

囊状态 is a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving机构 and recipient of the prestigious 卓越之印 for its commitment to serving Latine students. 大约38%的萨克州立大学学生认为自己是西班牙裔或拉丁裔。

The idea behind Garcia’s “Barrio Art” course is to teach students how to use art to better engage and learn from the communities they serve. Course enrollees are often aspiring teachers and learn how to develop curriculum that draws upon what Garcia calls students’ “funds of knowledge” – the unique experiences and perspectives they bring to the classroom as individuals. 

周二是加西亚第三次把华盛顿小学的学生带到萨克州立大学，让他们体验大学校园的生活。 除了糖骷髅装饰，他们还参观了大学的动物园，并在天文馆观看了一场表演。 Garcia also showed them the 坛 – altars ­­– set up in the 图书馆 Quad, which will be on display through Nov. 3.

Andres Alvarez, an 开放大学 student taking “Barrio Art” as a prerequisite to entering a 囊状态 graduate program, was among several of his classmates helping the Washington Elementary students with their art projects. 作为一个希望既追求艺术又追求教学的人，他接受了这门课背后的精神。

“It's a reminder that teaching isn't a solitary thing. 这不仅仅是在课堂上的投入。 It's not one person dictating information to a group of many,” he said. “It really is learning about who is part of the community, what the interests are, what the history is, and then incorporating that information and knowledge in the classroom. So then in a sense, everybody becomes a teacher.”