UH hosts a Dia de los muertos celebration in the Houston room, Tuesday, Nov 4, 2025 in Houston, Texas. | Bao Nguyen
The Division of Student Affairs celebrated Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, this past week in Student Center South’s Houston room. Students made their own arts and craft sculpture for an ofrenda, a traditional altar honoring the spirits of deceased loved ones in Mexican culture.
Created three years ago, the event was launched by the Division’s Student Life area to connect both the Mexican community and students of other backgrounds. The following year, organizers collaborated with the Council for Cultural Activities to elevate and expand the event’s reach.
“This is a personal event that I like to do,” said the Division’s Student Life area marketing manager Meli Iracheta. “I also created ‘Design Depot.’ It’s like an arts and crafts event that happens during stress-free finals, so I kind of wanted to do something similar, but with this theme and event.”
Originally only having arts and crafts, more stations have been added to create a fuller experience through partnerships with various student organizations.
A polaroid picture station, inspired by Bad Bunny’s album “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos,” was a new addition set up. The taste of the provided Jarritos soda and conchas connected hundreds of students from different backgrounds, while painting paper skulls and frames.
“I was curious,” said journalism freshman Anna Lucia Arguello. “I hadn’t been to anything like this before, and I really like conchas.”
Near Shasta’s Cones & More, a separate ofrenda displayed photos of relatives in a colorful and personal spiritual shrine.
This year, students could print photos to be displayed next year without having to go through a longer process.
Iracheta hopes and plans that next year’s ofrenda will be equally as successful, continuing to grow.
“When people come in, they look excited to be here,” Iracheta said. “I like that people are meeting others and vibing. Obviously, most people are strangers and they don’t know each other, so they’re building that community.”
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