By Dan Calabrese ——Bio and Archives--October 14, 2016
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God only knows what might actually be acceptable when you dress up and head out to mooch candy. We already know you can't dress in a sexy burka, and I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest David Duke won't go over well. Anyway, if you're a University of Florida student and someone's Halloween costume upsets you, fret not. Or do. And as you're fretting about oh-so-upsetting costumes that "reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions," there are counselors waiting 24/7 to take your call:
October brings fall weather and Halloween. If you choose to participate in Halloween activities, we encourage you to think about your choices of costumes and themes. Some Halloween costumes reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions. Regardless of intent, these costumes can perpetuate negative stereotypes, causing harm and offense to groups of people. Also, keep in mind that social media posts can have a long-term impact on your personal and professional reputation. The University of Florida’s Division of Student Affairs Diversity and Social Justice Statement reminds us that UF fosters a community that values and respects diversity. An inclusive definition of diversity recognizes the variety of personal and social experiences that make individuals and communities different from one another.
As a community, we aspire to demonstrate integrity, respect, and compassion that strives to maintain an affirming campus climate for all members of our community. If you are troubled by an incident that does occur, please know that there are many resources available. Please take advantage of the 7 day a week presence of the U Matter, We Care program at the University of Florida by emailing umatter@ufl.edu. Additionally, there is a 24/7 counselor in the Counseling and Wellness Center available to speak by phone at 352-392-1575. Lastly, the Bias Education and Response Team at the University of Florida is able to respond to any reported incidents of bias, to educate those that were involved, and to provide support by connecting those that were impacted to the appropriate services and resources. You may submit a bias incident report here.Thank you for being mindful of these values, and have a fun and safe HalloweenSo, Colin Kaepernick, good or bad? Are you exalting a hero of social justice or lampooning a tragic victim of bias? And if you dispense with the helmet and go with the fro, does that make it worse? Donald Trump? Better if you exaggerate the orange so as to further diminish his dignity? Or would that have to be reported as an "incident of bias" against Oompa Loompas? Hillary would be hard to pull off unless you've naturally got the cankles, but it might be funny if you carried around six or seven BlackBerrys and you had a friend dressed as Huma Abedin. Then you could get two male friends to go as Bill Clinton and Carlos Danger and that could make for quite a night of fun and adventure.
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