UCI attempts to curb racism in anticipation of halloween

So my sister (a UCI freshman) received the following email:

UC Irvine has a long tradition of programmatic initiatives and social engagements that allow members of our community to connect with friends, promote particular cause, and /or celebrate special holiday or seasonal events. While those social endeavors are important rituals of individual and group interaction, they have on occasion, served as a catalyst for disappointment, offensive speech, anger, hurt, emotional pain, and group tensions. These are usually instigated by individuals or groups making decisions to plan and host theme parties where culturally different groups and women are portrayed in stereotypical, biased, or unflattering ways.

Recent and past experiences have taught us that these incidents are particularly offensive to our intellectual and emotional sensibilities by appropriating cultural traditions and causing substantial discomfort and pain. They also stand in sharp contrast to our principles of community.

As Halloween season rolls around and our interests turn to festive and celebratory engagement, let us all try and remember to make responsible decisions in our social activity, and avoid theme parties and costumes that might prove offensive to members of our UCI family.

When I asked her what costumes people were losing their **** over, she described something like this:

So I'm curious what you guys think. Horrible? Disgusting? Harmless fun? Personally, I don't see the harm. But hey, maybe I'm just old-fashioned and I need to get with the times.

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UCI attempts to curb racism in anticipation of halloween