IVCC prepares Day of the Dead display

Tributes to late loved ones will take shape in Illinois Valley Community College’s Main Campus and Ottawa Center lobbies next week as the college and its communities celebrate the Day of the Dead.

The celebration of Día de los Muertos is widely observed Nov. 1 and 2 in Mexico, part of a 3,000-year-old tradition paying respects and remembering friends and family members who have died. Central to the festive tribute are decorative and brightly colored altars and memorials covered in flowers, photos, keepsakes and candles.

Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 2, the public can furnish personal tributes to the IVCC display, which continues through Nov. 2. They should bring photos, keepsakes or offerings of nonperishable foods and sealed drinks (to provide nourishment and enrichment for those who are gone). Families also can leave notes or written memories.

“We’re excited to see everyone, regardless of cultural background, engage in this event, and we hope it will always be an amazing yearly celebration,” said Shannon Slaight, an art instructor and one of the organizers.

Slaight, who is not Hispanic, said her participation helps heal some emotional wounds.

“I have suffered some great losses. I lost my little sister, and I use this as a great way to remember her and keep her spirit alive,” she said. “By helping others participate in this event, I feel it can help more people experience healing and happiness.”

Sara Escatel, who advises the Hispanic Leadership Team, said she hopes people appreciate the Day of the Dead as a traditional and respectful way of honoring loved ones and bringing a community together, and not as a Halloween decoration. She enjoys how the display brightens the atrium area and makes the entrance inviting to people who enter of all backgrounds.

When the event is over, contributed items can be picked up beginning Nov. 4 at the Main Campus and Ottawa Center front desks.

The event is sponsored by the Hispanic Leadership Team, the Illinois Valley Visual Arts Club and the Project Success Leadership Team. For information, contact Escatel at sara_escatel@ivcc.edu or 815-224-0355 or Slaight at shannon_slaight-brown@ivcc.edu or 815-224-0351.