The editorial board at the University of Florida published a column this last week that cautioned students against wearing “problematic” Halloween costumes.

The student newspaper editorial board at the University of Florida is concerned that Halloween will be “problematic.” It published an editorial on the topic, which was highlighted this week by Campus Reform, aiming to educate University of Florida students about the importance of wearing “appropriate” Halloween costumes.

“Here’s a good rule of thumb: If your costume has centuries worth of cultural significance and history behind it, it’s not a costume,” the board wrote in an editorial that was published last week. “It’s an insult.”

The editorial concludes with a claim that minority students should hold themselves to a higher standard by insisting that their peers do not use their cultures as inspiration for a Halloween costume.

We shouldn’t have to settle for less. Maybe we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard in order to properly respect the people who deserve it. We need more opportunities to learn about different cultures, and not just in specific concentrations… Let’s not let history die for the sake of a cute costume.

Jarrod Rodriguez, treasurer of the University of Florida’s Turning Point USA chapter, said that he was troubled to see that his peers are attempting to shame others into submission over Halloween costumes.

“I, as well as many of my student peers, are troubled to see the editorial board of our school newspaper release such a shameless and preposterous opinion piece that reveals their true political agenda,” Rodriguez said. “I think most students at UF would agree that the editorial board of our prestigious newspaper should strive to report the news objectively, without setting out to advance their personal political agendas.”