To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, members of Stockton University’s Guatemalan Student Association (GUASA) honored their heritage by creating worry dolls during their September 30 meeting. The activity allowed members to learn more about this aspect of Guatemalan culture and connect with the history behind it.

“We decided to do this for our Hispanic Heritage Month event since it is a very important staple in our heritage, and it goes back hundreds and hundreds of years,” stated GUASA president and founder, Esmeralda Rivera. “[It] introduces an element of Guatemalan culture to Stockton, especially [to] those outside of Guatemalan Culture, and it’s a great thing to share as sort of like a first-time meeting Guatemala in that sense.”

Members created the worry dolls using pipe cleaners, yarn, glue, and construction paper. Pipe cleaners were used to form the base, yarn to create skin, hair, and clothing, and construction paper for apparel and other decoration.

The tradition of worry dolls stems from Mayan folklore. When a worry doll is placed under a person’s pillow while they sleep, the worry doll takes away their worries, leaving the person with a clear mind in the morning. This craft was chosen not only to introduce students to this piece of culture but to also help students relax while they adjust to the first semester.

“I like the tradition behind it,” stated GUASA secretary, Tiziana Pierini. “When we were trying to come up with ideas on what to do for Hispanic Heritage Month, I was looking around for ideas and I saw this, and I thought it’s a great way to bring creativity, tradition, and just bring people together.”

According to GUASA members, coming together for activities such as making worry dolls allows them to celebrate and learn more about their heritage. It provides a space for members to connect with others and build community. GUASA holds meetings every Thursday at 4:30 p.m., and is always open to new members.

“For me, I feel like it’s a fresh start,” exclaimed Edwin Feria-Serna, GUASA’s Vice President of Service. “… Here at Stockton University, there’s not a lot of Guatemalan culture, and I feel like [by] being a part of this club, we’re bringing tradition and culture into Stockton University.”

To learn more about future GUASA events, check out their OspreyHub.