WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) —Midwestern State University celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month and Los Dias De Los Muertos on campus on Thursday evening October 19, 2023.

The event, “Viva MSU” was hosted by MSU students Jessiena Pando and Juanita Orozco with the help of the Spanish Club. The pair decided to present the ceremony to keep the tradition going on campus. Pando and Orozco also threw their support behind the affair after a new Texas law called the “Anti-DEI Law” went into effect.

The law was signed by Governor Greg Abbott, and it requires publicly funded universities and colleges to close their diversity, equity, and inclusion offices. But the young ladies, who have lived in Wichita Falls, Texas, for years, remembered how much they enjoyed the campus celebrations in the past.

So, they were determined to take matters into their own hands. The women reached out to local Hispanic businesses like “Loco for Dulce” and other small businesses to help promote Hispanic culture. Several other campus organizations came out to support the Hispanic community on campus and they distributed free items to students who were in attendance. The festivities included a live DJ and dancers from the Zavala International Dance Group along with a jalapeno eating contest.

This is the seventh year that Viva MSU has taken place on campus while honoring family members with Dias De Los Muertos.