Day of the Dead celebration to be held Friday

Alyssa Mursch, Life, A&E Copy-Editor; Staff Writer

October 29, 2014

If you’re interested in a night of free food, music, face painting, cookie decorating, and a chance to win $50, then the Day of the Dead social is the place for you.

This Friday in the SUB lounge, all Wilkes students are invited to celebrate the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. From 5:30 to 7 p.m., Commuter Council and Multicultural Student Coalition will combine their efforts to bring Mexican culture and various customs from this holiday to our campus.

“This is the first year we’re doing this event,” said Sarah Bedford, Commuter Council president. “We wanted to put a fun spin on the end of Freak Week.”

Although no dress code is required, if students choose to dress up and enter the costume contest they will have a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card.

To decide on a winner, Bedford and others will take pictures of contestants and put them on the Commuter Council Facebook page, allowing the participation of others to determine the contest results. Whoever receives the greatest number of “likes” will win the gift card.

Along with free food and music, there are many activities planned for this night that encompass the holiday’s traditions. There will be a sugar cookie decorating station, as well as an area available to make all different kinds of masks and show off your creativity.

Also, students will have the opportunity to make flower headbands with marigolds, which are a popular symbol of the holiday.

Beautician and Wilkes junior Ashley Evert will also attend the event and have a station set up for face painting.

The clubs would like to emphasize that this is a Day of the Dead celebration, which they acknowledge as a separate and different holiday than Halloween.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that remembers loved ones who have passed on, and the activities planned are intended to reflect the traditions of this holiday.

Commuters attending this event can park in the SUB parking lot, and once again it is free and open to all students.

For more information on this event, contact Sarah Bedford at [email protected].

About the Contributor

Alyssa Mursch, News Editor

Alyssa Mursch is a senior communication studies major with a concentration in journalism. She also has minors in Political Science and Women and Gender's Studies. Alyssa joined The Beacon during her sophomore year as a staff writer and copy editor and worked as Social Media Head during her junior year. She currently serves as the News Editor. Alyssa enjoys covering different topics that cover social justice and humanity. She received a Keystone Press Award from the Pennsylvania News Media Association for the category of "Ongoing News Coverage" for her work in writing the "Death of a Colonel" article. Alyssa also serves on the Tom Bigler Journalism Conference executive board. The conference is an event hosted by the Wilkes University Department of Communication Studies. It is held annually in April and welcomes more than 200 students in high school to learn about the world of journalism, broadcast media, and also public relations. She is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, an honor society for students who have achieved academic excellence and community service, and Alpha Chi, an honor society for students in the top 10 percent of their class. Alyssa also works with the Wilkes University Office of Development and Alumni Relations in their Phonathon calling program. This past summer, she interned at the Times Leader.