Halloween is the one night of the year when college students get to channel their inner kid again – we dress up and run around in costumes, we party and attend get-togethers and of course, there are actual kids to pass candy out to.
And whether we spend months perfecting a costume or we wing it at the last second, we need to be mindful about costumes that can be offensive.
Obviously The Scout isn’t about to tell you that you aren’t free to express yourself to the spookiest of degrees – we’re a newspaper, after all, and freedom of expression is in our blood (or ink). But there is a fine line between allowing that freedom and appropriating someone else’s culture and life experiences.
Example: You probably shouldn’t dress up as a mariachi band if that’s not part of your culture, wearing a Native American headdress in an attempt to look like you just came from Coachella is not cool and applying Wal-Mart’s self-harm scar tattoos is not OK.
To combat this, some universities have taken steps of their own. The University of Florida has a hotline for students to report incidents of bias so that a Bias Education and Response Team can educate and provide support to those who were involved. Brock University in Canada banned inappropriate costumes from campus and provided guidelines for creating appropriate outfits.
However, we don’t believe universities should go so far as censorship. Students are guided through education, not punishment.
We urge Bradley administration to educate the school – like the recent Hilltop Happenings’ blurb about “Choosing your costume wisely.” This is so important, and it was a step in the right direction for administrators.
But students can take this a step further. If your organization is hosting a Halloween-themed party, be a leader; don’t allow those dressed inappropriately to enter. A culture or life experience is not a costume – so don’t participate in this, and don’t allow it to happen, either.
Regardless of intent, reinforcing stereotypes or belittling the struggles of marginalized groups is never OK.
