The posters feature a diverse mixture of U students with serious faces, grouped around a picture of someone wearing an offensive costume that represents a race of people.
“Dress Up or Mess Up” is an adaptation of a movement called “We’re a Culture, Not a Costume” which started in 1988 at Ohio University by Students Teaching About Racism in Society.  The movement has been adopted by several universities across the nation.
Carmen Gold, a senior majoring in art education and ASUU’s marketing director, was the photographer for last year’s movement.
She said the campaign hopes to start a dialogue about cultural insensitivity.
“Some students may not be cognizant of how [their] costume makes others feel,” Gold said.
Moses Manning, a sophomore in computer science who is dressing up as a buccaneer for Halloween, agrees.
“I didn’t know the name of the campaign, but I saw the posters in different buildings around campus,” he said.  “I think people dressing up as other ethnicities for Halloween is offensive and comes off as very ignorant … I’ve seen people dress up as Middle Easterners or [what some may presume to be] terrorists.”
“I think the issue matters, but the majority of students that are non-black think [things like blackface are] a joke and don’t understand because they can’t relate to being a minority — stereotypes really don’t affect them,” Manning said.
When it boils down to it, “It’s all about respecting other people’s feelings,” Gold said.
ASUU’s diversity director, who ran this year’s campaign, did not respond to interview requests.