Halloween is a frightening time of the year, although it does not normally send university students to counseling.

The University of Florida said in a statement last week that it will be offering counseling students to students who are offended by Halloween costumes.

“Some Halloween costumes reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions,” the statement says. “Regardless of intent, these costumes can perpetuate negative stereotypes, causing harm and offense to groups of people.”

The school then provided contact information for different resources around campus. One of the resources, the U Matter, We Care program, describes itself as “UF’s umbrella program for UF’s caring culture and provides students in distress with support and coordination of the wide variety of appropriate resources,” according to its website.

Additionally, students have access to a 24/7 counselor reachable by phone and a service to mediate situations of bias. According to the statement, “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.”

Over the past few years, Halloween costumes have become a large issue on college campuses, with many people feeling as though costumes appropriate their culture or reinforce negative stereotypes.

This year, costumes such as the “Kim the Hostage” costume and another depicting a gorilla holding a plastic baby, have come under intense scrutiny, as they reference graphic events.

They made a Kim K hostage costume …………… pic.twitter.com/arLpoiV6uS

— Nathaniel (@swallowship56) October 13, 2016

Some people, however, voiced their concerns over the services the university is providing.

Our country is doomed. “The school is offering counseling to those who may be offended by costumes this season.”https://t.co/h6It6mTjx3

— Matt Lewis (@Mac_Tampa) October 15, 2016

University of Florida is offering counseling to anyone upset by a halloween costume. In other news, the 4th Horseman just saddled up

— Andy Lambert (@AndyLambertAndy) October 15, 2016

The university encouraged students to be aware of the costumes that they choose to wear on Halloween, adding, “Thank you for being mindful of these values, and have a fun and safe Halloween.”

Julia Bryant

Julia Bryant is an Editorial Senior Fellow at Law Street from Howard County, Maryland. She is a junior at the University of Maryland, College Park, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Economics. You can contact Julia at JBryant@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post University of Florida to Offer Halloween Counseling to Offended Students appeared first on Law Street.

Even though Halloween ended more than a week ago, at Yale University it continues to be a major topic of conversation after two emails about Halloween costumes locked faculty and students in a heated debate over racial sensitivity and free speech.

Students are outraged with Associate Master of Silliman College Erika Christakis after she responded to the university’s Intercultural Affairs Committee’s annual Halloween email, which urged students to avoid wearing “culturally unaware and insensitive costumes” this Halloween. Now some students are demanding both she and her husband resign, after he came to her defense when confronted by several students this weekend.

In the video playlist below, Nicholas Christakis attempted to defend his wife’s statements before a large body of a protesting students, but the dialogue quickly escalated as students began screaming at the administrator that they no longer feel as if Yale is a safe place for them.

But why are they so upset?

The campus’ contention boils down to Erika Christakis’ critique of the university’s emailed cultural appropriation warning. She wrote,

I don’t wish to trivialize genuine concerns about cultural and personal representation, and other challenges to our lived experience in a plural community. I know that many decent people have proposed guidelines on Halloween costumes from a spirit of avoiding hurt and offense. I laud those goals, in theory, as most of us do. But in practice, I wonder if we should reflect more transparently, as a community, on the consequences of an institutional (which is to say: bureaucratic and administrative) exercise of implied control over college students.

…

Is there no room anymore for a child or young person to be a little bit obnoxious… a little bit inappropriate or provocative or, yes, offensive? American universities were once a safe space not only for maturation but also for a certain regressive, or even transgressive, experience; increasingly, it seems, they have become places of censure and prohibition.

She also added a message from her husband writing,

Nicholas says, if you don’t like a costume someone is wearing, look away, or tell them you are offended. Talk to each other. Free speech and the ability to tolerate offense are the hallmarks of a free and open society.

The email sparked controversy with many students, who felt as if her and her husband’s opinions were tantamount to racial insensitivity toward minority students. As a result more than 740 Yale undergraduates, graduate students, alumni, faculty, and even students from other universities signed an open letter to Christakis which says that her email “trivializes the harm done by these tropes and infantilizes the student body to which the request was made.” The letter reads:

To ask marginalized students to throw away their enjoyment of a holiday, in order to expend emotional, mental, and physical energy to explain why something is offensive, is — offensive.

The debate comes at a time when racial tension is at an all time high on the Ivy League campus. According to Vox, one of Yale’s residential colleges has long been at the center of racial controversy since it is named in honor of former Yale graduate John C. Calhoun, a known white supremacist. And during Halloween weekend, a black female student accused the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity of denying her entrance to a party that was for “white girls only,” which isn’t the first racist accusation made against the fraternity. The fraternity has vehemently denied her allegations, but that hasn’t stopped others from coming forth with similar stories.

Yale College’s dean Jonathan Holloway has said that his office is in the process of investigating the accusation. Yale’s president, Peter Salovey, also seems to be taking the campus heightened racial climate seriously. He reportedly met with 50 students on Thursday night to discuss the current controversy.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Yale Students Still Potesting Over Faculty Member’s Halloween Email appeared first on Law Street.

Since introducing herself to the world as Caitlyn Jenner on the July cover of Vanity Fair, Jenner has capitalized on her privilege and social media presence to shine a much needed spotlight on the transgender community. And while millions have empathized with her struggle, it was only a matter of time until the internet does what it does best, and turned her coming out into a joke. Cue the Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costume.

There’s now a Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costume and it’s as terrible as you expected http://t.co/R1v7bQsQxP pic.twitter.com/1cQzjNC8Xh

— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) August 24, 2015

The $74.99 unisex costume, which is modeled after her Vanity Fair cover shot, includes white shorts, a padded white top, a brown wig, and a pageant sash reading “Call Me Caitlyn,” and is listed on many costume retailers’ sites under the category “humor.” Twitter quickly blew up with people both defending and condemning the costume.  Here are just a few examples below.

@chrisparente @Caitlyn_Jenner @KDVR she’s a celebrity. Almost all celebrities have a costume. Why should she be excluded. = means = — Mario (@Maguirre90) August 21, 2015

@bae_sic If Bruce Jenner can wear a Caitlyn costume, why can’t anyone else? — Maria Sanchez (@nmlinguaphile) August 25, 2015

The struggle that Caitlyn Jenner has to face isn’t a Halloween costume. Whoever made this is a shitty person. pic.twitter.com/dlwP4LJraw — RXB SPXXRS (@Sonickid1234) August 13, 2015

Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costumes are disgusting. Trans people are not a costume for you to laugh at. pic.twitter.com/AumLLeM41U — anna (@nutellaANDpizza) August 25, 2015

If i see anyone in a “Caitlyn Jenner costume” this halloween.. my momma better hold me back.. — steven (@deathofadisco) August 21, 2015

My personal favorite (even though I do not condone any beverage violence):

They’re selling a Caitlyn Jenner costume for Halloween? If I see anyone wearing it I will personally throw hot tea in your disgusting face — Ethan (@EthanPamyu) August 22, 2015

A change.org petition started by Addison Vincent against SpirtHalloween.com, a retailer who carries the costume, begged the site to take down the costume. In the petition Vincent wrote,

Do not turn Cailtyn Jenner into a costume. Your profit will only lead to greater transphobia and marginalization of an already at-risk community.

However, Lisa Barr, senior director of marking at Spirit Halloween responded defending the costume saying,

At Spirit Halloween, we create a wide range of costumes that are often based upon celebrities, public figures, heroes and superheroes. We feel that Caitlyn Jenner is all of the above and that she should be celebrated. The Caitlyn Jenner costume reflects just that.

Spirt Halloween has since taken the costume down from their site, but has given no explanation as to why. However, the negative publicity hasn’t stoped other retailers, from continuing to sell the costume to consumers on sites like AnytimeCostumes.com and WholesaleHalloweenCostumes.com, which sells the getup for only $49.90.

Sadly, the tasteless costume shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. For years Halloween has been used by many as an excuse to culturally appropriate others for laughs. Take blackface for example, which never fails to make a comeback every October, despite all efforts to educate ignorant wearers of its racist history.  It is nice to see people sticking up for Caitlyn and the transgender community, but we shouldn’t forget that other offensive costumes still stock the shelves of some of our most popular Halloween retailers.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post People Suck: There’s Now a Caitlyn Jenner Halloween Costume appeared first on Law Street.

Hey there folks! Are you pumped for tomorrow?

You should be, because it’s HALLOWEEN! Also known as the spookiest and most fun holiday of the year.

Why am I such a big fan of Halloween, you may ask? Considering it’s a super commercialistic, capitalism-run-amok type of holiday, that’s a great question.

And the answer is threefold.

First, I was fairly obsessed with witches growing up—I was very disappointed when, at 16, I didn’t inherit any magical powers a la “Sabrina and the Teenage Witch”—and so I’m a big fan of the holiday’s spooky pagan roots. As the legend goes, Halloween is the day of the year when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Call me morbid and weird, but I think that’s pretty cool.

Second—CANDY. Obviously. I’m very excited for gigantic bags of chocolate to go on mega-sale come November 1st. No shame in my game.

And third—costumes! Dressing up as someone who you’re not can be really fun and empowering. Not to mention, this is literally the easiest holiday to pick up that hottie you’ve been eyeing at the bar. Costumes make for bountiful conversation starters. Go forth and get laid, dear readers!

This is obviously the best way to do that.

So, on the subject of costumes—we’ve seen some real doozies the past few years. We’re looking at you, 2013 Julianne Hough. And I’m here to make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes.

So, if you want to have an awesome time this Halloween while simultaneously not offending people or repelling that barroom hottie, here are five things NOT to do.

 1.) Don’t make a joke about anyone’s death.

Courtesy of Brandsonsale.com.

Last year, the joke was on Trayvon Martin. This year, it’s this dumbass hazmat costume—which, come on people—genuinely doesn’t even make sense. Your whole body is exposed. This costume protects no one from infectious disease.

Anyway! Trayvon Martin isn’t a joke, he’s a kid who met a violent and unjust death. And Ebola victims are also not jokes. They’re real people with families and lives, who are suffering and dying as a result of a terrible disease.

So please, when choosing your costume, pick one that’s not poking fun at any kind of situation where people are dying.

Unless you’re dressing up as a zombie, in which case, carry on.

2.) Don’t wear blackface.

For the love of God, please, oh please, do not wear blackface. DO NOT DO IT. No matter how good of an idea it seems to be, no matter how tempted you are.

Julianne Hough’s costume as Crazy Eyes from OITNB caused quite an uproar. Why? Because she was dressed in blackface pic.twitter.com/LNIxdplR7P

— Black Student Union (@IU_BSU) October 27, 2014

Blackface is always offensive. It is never OK. So just cross it right off your list of costume possibilities.

Seriously. Cross it off now and never consider it ever again.

3.) While we’re talking about blackface, just stay away from cultural appropriation in general, mmkay?

Not sure what cultural appropriation means? Here’s a nifty guide that’ll make it crystal clear for you. But basically, here’s the gist:

If you’re a white person who’s planning to dress up as a sexy geisha, a sexy Arab belly dancer, or anything else that is racially based, you need to rethink your costume choice.

Racism is deeply ingrained in American culture, and you don’t need to be a racist douchecanoe to perpetuate racial stereotypes with your costume choice. Garb that doesn’t read as “white” is understood to be funny, farcical, or exotic—all things that make for perfect costumes—and when you wear a race-based costume, you’re perpetuating stereotypes that label an entire culture as exoticized and other.

Still not convinced? Think of it this way—if a black person dressed up in some American Apparel and Ugg boots, would that pass as a “white girl” costume? My guess is no. Those would just be clothes, and that’s because whiteness is (wrongly) assumed to be the normal, default setting.

AKA, not a costume.

The fact that other cultures can be costumized when whiteness can’t be is, in itself, a perfect illustration of how deeply ingrained racism is in our society.

So just don’t dress up as any other race or culture to which you don’t belong, mmkay? Let’s all do our part to be actively anti-racist.

 4.) Don’t be a slut-shamer.

While you’re out partying this Halloween, you’ll notice that some women will be dressed in provocative costumes. Not all of them, mind you—but some of these women are going to look really fucking sexy.

They have every right to look that way, and have (hopefully) chosen to do so not for your benefit, but because it’s fun and makes them feel good.

I will be the first to admit that I’ll be dressing as a sexy witch this Halloween, and I’m going to have a damn good time doing it. But that doesn’t mean that anyone is entitled to my body, or to shame me for choosing to put it on display.

So, while respectful flirting is encouraged—as long as consent has been given—do not slut-shame, harass, or assault any women this Halloween. Or ever, while we’re at it. But sexy costumes are not an invitation.

5.) Last but not least, don’t be an asshole.

We all tend to be a bit less inhibited when in costume. You can be the craziest of crazy people behind the safety of your dinosaur mask, because no one will recognize or judge you.

But, the thing is, our actions still have consequences. So, please use your costumed bravery responsibly. The people you just screamed at in the middle of the street—because WGAF on Halloween, right guys!?—might be genuinely upset. The person you just creepily hit on might be super freaked out.

So don’t be a jerk, OK folks? We’re all real people beneath our costumes. Let’s treat each other accordingly.

So, who’s ready for Halloween? I am! Get out there and have some safe, respectful, non-racist fun.

And by that I mean, party your asses off.

Hannah R. Winsten

Hannah R. Winsten is a freelance copywriter, marketing consultant, and blogger living in New York’s sixth borough. She hates tweeting but does it anyway. She aspires to be the next Rachel Maddow. Contact Hannah at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post 5 Things Not To Do This Halloween If You’re a Decent Human appeared first on Law Street.