The college, the English as a Second Language program (ESL) and the Reading and Social Sciences Division are scheduled to host the first calaveras poem contest.
A calavera poem is a longtime Mexican tradition to mock death. The poem celebrates the Day of the Dead, or El Dia De Los Muertos, starting the night of Nov. 1.
Calavera means “skull” in Spanish, and is often reproduced as a colorful sugar ornament in the form of a skull.
This celebration dates back to the 19th century. The tradition of calavera poems was started by a nun, Madre Matiana, as a way of making fun of politicians, according to Claudia Contreras, the academic advisor of the ESL program.
Alumni, professors, staff and workers at EPCC are encouraged to enter the contest.
A calavera may be written in Spanish or English or both and must have a minimum of six stanzas between four and ten verses.
Anyone interested in submitting a calavera should first fill out an entry form at A2109 at the VV. An entry must be
submitted with a nickname and be emailed to
spcstudies@ yahoo.com by Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. The calavera must be written in Word 2003 in 12-point Arial type with 1.5 line spacing.
The judges will decide on the winners according to originality, creativity and the previously mentioned guidelines.
The first-place winner will be awarded $50 and a book, and the 2nd and 3rd place finishers will be awarded $25 and a book respectively. The winners will also get the chance to recite their calaveras at the awards ceremony.
The EPCC community is invited to participate by bringing a picture or object to honor someone who has passed away.
There will be an altar of seven levels. The bottom three levels are for anyone in the EPCC community. The seventh level will be to honor Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz, a Mexican woman who contributed to feminism, science, literature and the arts.
“The altar holds what the person was like when he or she was living,” said Contreras.
The festivity is a way of calling the dead back, and celebrates the reunion of the living and the dead.
The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Nov. 2, at the VV Cafeteria Annex.
