With splashes of paint and bright celebrations, students at the James Madison College and other student organizations came together to host their second annual Dia de los Muertos event in the Multicultural Center on Nov. 4, 2025.
The event, a collaboration between the James Madison College (JMC) Women of Color Coalition, Latino Leaders in Policy and Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority, was a celebration of the annual holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, with painting picture frames, traditional Day of the Dead snacks and a screening of the movie, “The Book of Life.”
Elizabeth Maciel, a third-year JMC student studying comparative cultures and politics and criminal justice and the external president of the JMC Women of Color Coalition, helped put this event together for the first time the year prior and as a member of the other two clubs, invited them to collaborate on the event.
“I feel like it’s very important to celebrate these traditions, especially with the world right now,” Maciel said. “It’s nice to be able to create these spaces for everyone to come together, talk and hang out.”
To put together an event like this one not only brought together students in JMC, but also gave them the opportunity to experience some of the traditions of Day of the Dead, according to Andrea Tuitron-Ortiz, a third-year JMC student majoring in international relations and social relations and policy and the internal president of the JMC Women of Color Coalition.
“I lived in Mexico for like eight years, so Dia de Los Muertos really means a lot to me as a person of color,” Tuitron-Ortiz said. “I know a lot of people celebrate this event, so we really wanted to touch exposure on it.”
Being a part of a predominantly white institution such as MSU can feel daunting, but joining the Women of Color Coalition her freshman year gave Tuitron-Ortiz a community within JMC to support her through those changes.
“Women of color really supported me my freshman year in finding out who I was and how I was not alone,” Tuitron Ortiz said. “Other people have similar or the same experiences as I do. It was a group where I could talk to other women and what they were struggling with, how they could support me, and how I could fit in this enormous place but also feel like I belong.”
Throughout the night, these three student organizations celebrated the night away. Bringing the community of JMC together for Dia de los Muertos created a vibrant night filled with culture, knowledge and friendships.
Photography by Ever Pratt-Hart