Northwestern Urges Students Not to Wear Offensive Costumes

Just about every year, Halloween features parties at which some students dress in ways that cause offense, typically over issues of race and ethnicity. Northwestern University, which last year saw a controversy over the blackface costumes of a few students, is trying to prevent such incidents this year. The Chicago Tribune reported that Burgwell Howard, the dean of students, sent an e-mail to all students Monday urging them to avoid racially insensitive costumes. He specifically discouraged "ghetto," "pimps and hos" and "gangsta" parties. "Halloween is unfortunately a time when the normal thoughtfulness and sensitivity of most NU students can be forgotten and some poor decisions are made," Howard wrote.