Spiegel, however, maintains the stance that any use of the symbol is offensive.

“You can’t erase the connotation to evil and destruction and death that this symbol has,” she said. “There’s no way to reclaim it.”

Student Zach Larkin agreed with Spiegel. “A swastika or hate symbol of any kind, it is in itself an oppressive entity,” he said. “Seeing a swastika as a Jew, as someone with relatives that died in the Holocaust, is appalling and shocking.”

The vendor, Gordon McGinnis, was apologetic about the controversy that the symbolism on the shirts caused. “I definitely didn’t want to offend anybody or promote racism,” he said. “I hate racism.”