As Halloween creeps up, students are confronted with one question: What should their Halloween costume be this year? While dressing up for school can be exciting, sometimes costumes can become perceived as offensive. Read these tips to ensure that your Halloween costume does not cross the line between funny and disrespectful.

DO NOT:

• Be racist:

While the intention may be pure, sometimes it can come off in the wrong way. An example is a costume of Maui from Moana, who is a Pacific Islander. The full body suit included in this costume is dark tan with Maui’s tattoos, thus changing the skin tone of almost anyone who wears it. Costumes that dramatically change one’s skin color are a problem because they can be taken in a mocking way, and someone’s skin color should not be considered as a joke or a costume. Other costumes may do this too, so be careful to stay within boundaries to make Halloween enjoyable for everyone.

• Culturally appropriate:

Anyone who mocks another culture’s dress, language, or customs falls under this category. To refrain from degrading people, don’t dress up as a provocative “Day Of The Dead girl” or a “cute Indian.” These costumes can be offensive because they portray cultural practices as outfits, therefore stripping away their cultural significance.

• Make a children’s costume provocative:

Turning an innocent child’s favorite TV show into a way to be “hot” can be a dangerous idea. For instance, “Sexy Scooby Doo” is currently a popular costume. Do I even have to explain?

• Be insensitive to victims:

Lately there have been too many examples swarming the web: A Columbine student, Anne Frank, and the Twin Towers are just a few to name. Belittling somebody or something involved in a tragedy crosses a line that the Dreyfoos community shouldn’t support and definitely doesn’t condone.

DO:

• Make logical decisions, and know what’s right from wrong.
• Use the Do Not list above as a guideline of what to avoid.
• Enjoy Halloween and stay safe!

Halloween can be a lot of fun, but what’s not funny is offending a fellow student while they’re in a safe place like Dreyfoos. Making inconsiderate costume choices can take from the inviting culture that our school has. While you can’t please everyone, you can try your best. So please, think before you dress.

APPROPRIATE LAST-MINUTE IDEAS:

• Boxer
• Lifeguard
• Your favorite book, movie, or TV show character within reason
• Candy
• Superhero
• A different generation
• A cute animal
• princess/ prince
• Sailor
• Zombie
• Ghostbusters group costume

It doesn’t hurt to go back to the basics everyone knows and loves. You can even pull out one of your old costumes from the back of the closet. Have a happy Halloween Dreyfoos!