Ohio University students have gone viral again, and it’s not due to the No. 1 party-school reputation or the Marching 110 performing “Party Rock Anthem.” This time, it’s because a student group created a campaign to tackle racial discrimination during Halloween.
Students Teaching About Racism in Society developed a method to help students be more aware of stereotypes on Halloween with its “We’re a culture, not a costume” poster campaign. It didn’t take long for the poster campaign to go viral, attracting attention from national media such as The Huffington Post, CNN and ABC — and rightfully so.
STARS brings up an issue that might be sensitive or hard for any student to talk about, and the group created a discussion on campus during a time that means a lot to us: Halloween.
The argument over whether or not a costume is offensive usually gets lost in the noise over binge-drinking and underage-consumption campaigns during the Halloween weekend.
Perhaps the most encouraging and important part of the campaign is that it’s coming from students, not administrators. By speaking out, STARS has shown that students can make a difference on campus. Student activism on campus is one of the reasons this campus is so diverse, and it’s always refreshing to see fellow students showing they care about an issue.
The timing couldn’t have been better for OU, either. After spending the summer in infamy for receiving the No. 1 party-school ranking, it’s great to see the university making national headlines for our students’ efforts to make positive changes and challenge stereotypes in our society.
Single-handedly, STARS pulled the focus away — both for students and the media — from Athens’ notorious Halloween block party. This renewed attention to racial stereotypes and prejudices could be the next step to stripping away culturally insensitive costumes during a holiday that is protested or tampered with rarely.
STARS represents some of the best of what OU has to offer — actively engaged students who truly care about their society and who go above and beyond in showing it.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
