Talk about a lot of sugar!

On Oct. 27, the Center for Multicultural Excellence partnered with Weber State University students to make sugar skulls and hand warmers and prepare for the celebration of Dia de los Muertos.

According to Weber State University’s multicultural retention counselor Monica Rodriguez, the goal was to make 300 sugar skulls for a Day of the Dead event being held Nov. 1.

Leticia Mata, a member of the WSU Ballet Folklórico, said, “We thought it would be a fun activity for kids to decorate sugar skulls because it’s a very traditional activity that is done in Mexico.”

The skulls were made using a mixture of sugar, water and instant meringue powder. After the mixture was made, students would take a portion of the mixture and push it into a mold in the shape of a skull. The students would then take the mixture out of the mold and let it sit over the weekend on strips of cardboard in the Access and Diversity room, located in the Student Services building on Weber State University’s Ogden campus.

While many of the students were busy making sugar skulls and bagging frosting used for decorating the skulls later on, there were also students busy making skull-themed hand warmers for the kids who attended the Day of the Dead event.

The hand warmers were made using a number of items like colored fabrics, buttons and glue. The idea to make hand warmers came from the Latinos in Action, according to Mata. The hand warmers are meant to be warmed up in a microwave and then put on kids’ hands to keep them warm while they walk around outside.

This event and all of the other events being held regarding Dia de los Muertos are meant to help everyone feel the Mexican culture and send the message out that WSU accepts all people of all backgrounds, according to Rodriguez.