Montgomery County Community College’s celebration of the “Day of the Dead” (Dia de Los Muertos) on the Blue Bell Campus earlier this month provided an opportunity to highlight the importance of exposure to different cultures.   

“Many students don’t understand that the things they think about are a result of their culture,” said Luz Gamauf, Spanish Associate Professor. “The awareness of different cultures creates an ability to understand one another.”  

The Mexican celebration that centers on the end of life enabled students, faculty and staff to experience and learn about the food, dance and traditions surrounding the annual holiday.

“It’s a teaching moment for faculty and students to see something they aren’t familiar with,” she said.   

A mariachi band and dancers provided the entertainment at the celebration and traditional food offerings were served, including tamales, small, steamed packages made of cornhusks filled with a flavorful corn paste, and Pan de Muerto, a sweet bread topped with a surgery orange glaze.  

“Pan de Muerto is bread made one by one and there is a skeleton inside and outside there are skeleton bones,” she said. “The Mayans believe you should leave this bread and tamales for the dead and that the spirits will come because they need sustenance.”  

Gamauf said the food was very well received by all who attended, and that for many, it was their first time experiencing festivities surrounding the Day of the Dead.  

“Students, faculty and staff were all equally willing to try a new food, and many told me they loved it and asked questions about the ingredients,’ she said.   

Two of Gamauf’s veteran students were in full Catrina face for the festive holiday, which involved them using primarily black and white face paint, among other colors.   

“Catrina is the skeleton face that is used to represent the day, and they enjoyed the whole experience,” Gamauf said. “Several students, in fact, showed up in a full Catrina costume. Some brought their significant others along – everyone had a great time.”   

Gamauf, who has been a full-time faculty member at MCCC for 15 years, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be able to offer this celebration on campus.

“Our president is interested in bringing more inclusion and cultural awareness to campus,” Luz said, referring to Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez. “She wants to offer the opportunity to see it right here at our College.”  

Gamauf said the College makes a continuous effort to bring everybody together in positive ways.   

“Because of Dr. Bastecki-Perezi, this is happening, and I am so grateful,” Gamauf said.

As a member of the President’s Advisory Committee, Gamauf shared some objectives surrounding the College’s new proposed strategic plan.   

“We want there to be more connectivity of faculty to the College and more experiential learning for students,” she said. “We want to bring a stronger sense of community to the college.”  

Gamauf brought attention to the importance of inclusivity in this age of heightened awareness.  

“As an educator and as a proud Hispanic woman, my heart was full of joy watching everyone present learn about the culture in such a positive way,” she said of the recent celebration.

“I sincerely believe that learning about each other is the only way to overcome our differences.”  

Gamauf wished to extend thanks to those in the MCCC community who helped make the celebration possible.   

“Thank you to Iain Campbell (Program Coordinator, Arts and Culture), who provided organizational, technological, and logistic support; Patrick Rodgers (Galleries Director), who always has had super-creative ideas; Ingrid de la Peña (Spanish Senior Lecturer), who was at the College all day with me, setting up, cleaning up, encouraging the students, answering cultural questions, handing out food, and helping in every way she could, and Amanda Powers (Administrative Assistant in the Liberal Arts Office), who worked tirelessly to ensure the paperwork for the vendors was in place in record time,” she said. “Without them, we could not have had the event.”