Project News

Students of different faiths and cultures are able to come together through the many different interfaith initiatives that ASU offers. One of these, Dispelling the Myths: Religious Doctrine and Religious Dogma, is a series of public conversations hosted by Project Humanities that aims to encourage community building among people of different faiths. “We hope (Dispelling the Myths) will be a place where people can be honest about their misconceptions,” said Neal Lester, director of Project Humanities.

For Shaunice White, it’s pretty clear. Unless you’re an American Indian, donning a headdress and war paint for Halloween is shameful. Unless you’re a Mexican, putting on a fake mustache and a sombrero is shameful. Unless you’re from Polynesia, dressing as a South Seas demigod, complete with darkened skin and tattoos, is shameful.

Colleges are doing their part to make sure that students are clear on what constitutes an offensive Halloween costume. Two universities in particular are trying to ensure that its students are well-versed in what makes a culturally sensitive costume.

With Halloween less than a week away, it’s important to become familiar with that term, because associated dangers lurk everywhere. The University of Southern Indiana in Evansville recently conducted a workshop on “Culture not Costumes” to warn students against “the taking of intellectual property, knowledge and cultural expression from someone else’s culture without permission.”

Halloween is the most wonderfully pagan of all the pagan holidays. It’s a night to let loose and live out your wildest (hopefully legal) fantasies. Also, it’s a chance to play dress up and who doesn’t like that? But while the costume options afforded to you are limitless, the reality is that picking what to wear requires some careful consideration. It demands sensitivity.

The Cultural Appropriation symposium for Arizona high school students brought together juniors and seniors who were engaged and thoughtful. Along with the students, adult chaperones, community members, and teachers were in attendance. The day-long event consisted of conversation, film screenings, and deep thinking about crucial and current cultural issues facing society.

An Arizona State University delegation recently returned from Pakistan as part of a three-year exchange program to bridge cultures through American literature and empower Pakistani women to become leaders and agents of change.

On Sept. 12, Project Humanities will hold its first cultural appropriation symposium for high school students to address questions and concerns about the concept. The event, titled "Cultural Appropriation: Critical Dialogues on Cultural Awareness," will discuss appropriation within Halloween costumes, commercials, songs and other pop culture trends.

From face-painting at "blackout" football games to funny costumes on Halloween, Project Humanities director Neal Lester reveals the various ways cultural appropriation is hidden in our society, including at ASU.

Arizona State University‘s Project Humanities invites Arizona educators to encourage students to sign up for its cultural appropriation symposium to be held Sept. 12, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at ASU Preparatory Academy at 735 E. Fillmore Street in Phoenix.