“I wanted to share this event with the rest of the community, and I didn’t think the basement of the language house was the best venue,” he said. Ortiz-Díaz is satisfied with the new location. The celebration eventually grew, and last year, the altar moved to the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, where there is more space and visibility. In 2014, Ortiz-Díaz revived the tradition and oversaw the construction of an altar, also known as an ofrenda, in the basement of the Spanish language house. He had heard that former Macalester professor Juanita Garciagodoy had organized a campus celebration of the Latin American tradition, but after her retirement the celebration disappeared. When Ortiz-Díaz began teaching at Macalester in 2011, he felt there was a lack of recognition for the Day of the Dead, otherwise known as Día de los Muertos. “I think it’s important to have someone who represents Mexico officially to connect with the students.”
“This is the first year that the Consulate of Mexico is coming,” Ortiz-Díaz said. Ernesto Ortiz-Díaz was in charge of organizing this campus event, which includes live music, traditional food and drink, a dedication ceremony and speeches from representatives from the Consulate of Mexico. Board members of ¡Adelante! spent last Saturday and Sunday in the lounge of the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center making strands of papel picado by cutting intricate patterns out of colorful paper, building a multi-level altar for the annual Macalester Day of the Dead celebration on Nov.
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