CONTRIBUTED BY OLIVIA WULF

I was extremely disappointed with The Winonan’s article “Halloween: A Night for Reindividualization.” This title suggests the article is about costumes worn by Winona State students over Halloween weekend, but the accompanying picture tells a different story. In it, there is a series of faceless, female figures wearing Halloween costumes. Unfortunately, this picture indicates what the article is really about; condemning women’s costumes from a stereotyped and biased perspective.

Though the reporter mentions that “some may be in favor of the idea of provocative costumes,” she only addresses the “others are not” perspective within her article. All three of her interviewees argue against “scandalous” Halloween costumes, with one calling them “skanky” and another saying, “The bait you use reflects the man you get.” These quotes are irrelevant to the idea of “reindividualization” on Halloween. They rely on victim blaming, offensive language, and slut shaming to make a point unrelated to the article’s title.

The article’s accompanying photograph is equally problematic because it dehumanizes, rather than “reindividualizes,” the women pictured. These women are faceless, which leaves readers to evaluate them based upon their bodies. In this photograph, the women are reduced to objects rather than people.

Had The Winonan’s article actually been about “reindividualization,” or if it addressed both sides of the issue, analyzed costumes of all genders, and included faces, the bias and dehumanization within this article could have been easily avoided.

The Winonan’s attempt to mask this article behind “reindividualization” is the most offensive costume in the piece. Their biased evaluation of female Halloween costumes is an affront to the women of Winona State University, who deserve to be treated as people, not dehumanized, objectified, “bait.”