A large ofrenda with multicolored tablecloths sat in the center of the Student Union conference room — pictures of lost loved ones lined the table, along with orange marigolds, candles, and various keepsakes. Along the walls, small altars held memories of past loved ones, each one lovingly crafted by a Puente member. Each Altar came with a written story about the loved one featured.

            Many students and their families celebrated Dia de los Muertos at the LMC Student Union on Oct 29 from 5 to 8 p.m. The room was decorated with marigolds, multicolored banners and small altars lining the walls. Students can take pictures in the corner with a professional photographer who prints the images in a long strip.  

“So the big ofrenda is made with a lot of items that we have collected over time with puente. And then all the small altars that you see are created by our students,” said Boyle. The Altars included a small table with keepsakes, pictures, and decorations, such as food and jewelry.       

For food, they served burritos, chips with salsa, conchas, flan and pan de muerto. They began with a welcome speech, delivered in Spanish by Brianna Luna and in English by Natalia Longoria.

            Then live Spanish music was performed by the group Clase AC. Some attendees happily danced to the riveting and festive music. Then, around 6:30 p.m., they presented a brief history of the Danza de los Diablitos. This taught the crowd the history and significance of the dance. 

            Right after the presentation, the dance commences. Dancers in demon masks, blazers, and furry pants leap and hop across the room, dancing along with the festive music from the band behind them. Most of them carried a whip, with which they beat on the ground. The band that followed them consisted of drums, brass and guitar.  In some rounds of the dance, the dancers would invite the partygoers to dance with them. Vanessa Gama Gomez, a Puente student, danced in her traditional Mexican dress along with the devilish dancer.

            “I personally love dancing, anything really, but just being able to see all of the people participating, like all of our dancers, really motivates me to want to go and participate,” said Gomez. Multiple dancers took to the stage, dancing alongside the devilish performers.

            The dancing came to an end around 8 p.m. Around that time, many people were dancing with the dancers and celebrating the festivities. They concluded the party and thanked the organizers who had run the event. Longoria, the Puente President who helped run the event, had high hopes for the legacy of Dia de los Muertos.

“I just hope that it’s a tradition that continues every year. I enjoy every little piece of it, so I hope that even when I do graduate, I still see this celebration going on,”  The Dia de los Muertos celebration is a tradition that celebrates the memories of loved ones who have passed meaningfully. From planning to execution, the Puente club and all of its associates made this day special and will continue to do so for generations to come.