A Culturally Appropriate Halloween at the University of New Hampshire

Posted all around the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) campus flyers and posters are educating students and faculty about cultural appropriation and how to avoid it during Halloween.       

Three students from UNH agree that the posted signs help educate students on what cultural appropriation is and its effects on marginalized cultures. They all stated that students might not have thought about culturally appropriating beforehand but hope they are more aware of the choices they make regarding the Halloween costumes they wear. 

Holly Grodt, a junior hospitality management major worked as resident assistant for UNH last year. She lived and worked in Williamson Hall, which is an all-freshman dorm. Her experience with cultural appropriation and her residents in specific was very mild. Grodt said that many of them were aware of the impacts cultural appropriation could have on others and chose costumes that were respectful. She is aware, however, through social media posts that other students did not choose costumes as respectfully on UNH’s campus and other campuses throughout the nation. In years past, many campuses have experienced problems with cultural appropriation.

“It was a huge deal when I was a freshman, meaning that when I was being trained as an RA, it was really highlighted,” Grodt said. “It was a problem where people just didn’t know that it was an issue to go dressed as certain things for Halloween. I think it wasn’t so much people wanting to be disrespectful and mean and wanting to appropriate, it was just a lack of education and awareness. That has really changed recently."

Craig Weatherbee, a junior history and Russian double major is currently a resident assistant for Stoke Hall at UNH. As a student, Weatherbee is registered for a few events to celebrate Halloween this year. He is involved with Jesse Doe’s (a residential dorm on campus) haunted house Sunday, Oct. 28 and the Portsmouth’s Halloween Parade on Oct. 31 starting at 7 p.m.

He reminds students that although Halloween can be a fun time of year, every choice can have a downfall.

“The social and professional consequences from what you do these coming weekends are very real,” Weatherbee said. “While nobody can force you to do anything, more and more people are watching our campus. My freshman year, an incident involving cultural appropriation made international news. It is important that we do our best to educate ourselves so that we do not turn someone’s culture into a costume.”

Weatherbee wants students to remember to have fun while being safe. He said the campus provides many educational tools and resources to help and that students with questions should take advantage of them.

He adds that the posters on campus provide many of these resources; however, any resident assistant or hall director would be happy to have conversations with students as well. The final advice he gives, is talking to the Office of Multicultural Affairs on the third floor of the Memorial Union Building.

Morgan McLaughlin, a sophomore undeclared major said she is celebrating the weekend before Halloween and the Wednesday of with her group of friends. She’s excited to go as a gumball machine for one of her many costumes and the rest she is still planning. She is aware of what culture appropriation is and believes the campus does a good job of educating students on this topic.

“I would say cultural appreciation is when you appreciate a culture and try not to be offensive towards it and cultural appropriation is when you are directly offensive towards one’s culture.”

Weatherbee reminds students that they can have fun without offending anyone.

“Halloween is one of the best times of the year, but it is up to us to be respectful, and represent our university well. The consequences are real.”