Special Contributor // Robert Lowrey
Syracuse, NY – October 31 is quickly approaching and people are starting to get creative with costume ideas.
But Syracuse University is planning on cracking down on some costume ideas that they think may be inappropriate or offensive.
Students are asked to be thoughtful and sensitive when choosing a costume and to condiser how their portrayal of ethnicity and race, gender, class, religion, culture, sexual orientation or disability might affect others, according to an email sent out by Syracuse University Dean of Student Affairs Thomas Wolfe.
Costume Crackdown from Newhouse BDJ on Vimeo
In order to keep costumes tasteful, the Department of Public Safety will be in full force patrolling the streets on Sunday. DPS plans to keep the same amount of officers on call as they normally would on a Friday or Saturday night.
Keeping Halloween Friendly
Racially insensitive costumes are what sparked this crack down on what people where for Halloween.
Since then, DPS have joined with STOP Bias, a program created to give students at Syracuse University resources to find help after being afftected by inicidents of bias, and are attempting to keep this Halloween as friendly as possible.
“This message is all about thinking before you act,” said Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz in an interview with the Daily Orange. “It’s really about becoming a more inclusive community.”
University officials expect that the STOP Bias website will receive reports of insensitive costumes after this weekend. The website has already been used for students to report incidents such as racial slurs.
Students React
Students are mixed on how they feel about DPS controlling costumes.
Some students, such as senior Jessie Jolles, say that they are in favor of officers calling out insensitive costumes.
“I would never want to see anything I’m associated with made fun of,” said Jolles. “I don’t think its for making fun, I think its for having fun.”
But others students don’t think that DPS should have any say on how students should dress.
“They can’t take too much away,” said sophomore Colin Desmond. “Halloween is the one time of year we can go crazy, love life, and dress up however you want to. Can’t really take that liberty away.”
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